A couple of weeks ago while I was at the gym working out, I saw the most interesting tattoo. Across the shoulders of one weightlifter there were the words emblazoned, "And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil." And on the outside of the quote there was an abundance of dollar bills. Apparently, this well-muscled young man was afraid that the abundance of his possessions might separate him from his Lord. It is not an illegitimate concern. It is certainly one addressed by our Lord Jesus Christ as He watches the offerings being placed into the temple treasury ( Mk 12:41-44). He comments on one widow.

The widow in the temple, though the poorest of the poor, was richer than all people in Israel. She put in the treasury only two grains of the mustard seed and yet from them grew a plant large enough for the birds to nest in it. Her two coins were like leavening to the lump of dough. The yeast is but a few tiny grains and yet it causes the loaf to grow and expand and overflow the pan. Those two seemingly worthless coins become cherubim standing at either end of the ark of the covenant; a true holy of holies where God is among his people. Those two pennies become the two testaments of her faith. They sing praise to him who is thrice holy. They are a double blessing for her to give. Her God "has brought down the mighty from their thrones and exalted those of humble estate; he has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty" ( Lk 1:52-53). How I desire to be among those who are of humble estate and who are hungry. I want to be like her. She gives away everything. Yet she possesses everything. She has nothing; and yet has everything.

We who possess the kingdom have everything. We who possess the body of Christ in our mouths have food for eternal life. We who drink of the cup of the Lord which He gives us from his altar possess a life-giving drink. We whom the Lord feeds from the nourishing food of His Word will never hunger. In Him and in His gifts, we have everything.

In ourselves, we have nothing but spiritual starvation. Death is our lot. But he will never leave us there. Where is our next meal coming from? How is His next gift coming to us? How can we possibly sustain ourselves? We must despair of ourselves as did the widow of Zarephath ( 1Ki 17:8-16) and the widow in the temple. Only on Christ will we feed and flourish.

New Orleans is full of fantastic restaurants. My wife and I have very fond remembrances of eating at Brennan's in New Orleans on our fifth wedding anniversary and on a stroll down memory lane again at our 34th anniversary. The food is fantastic! New Orleanians always say that they live to eat. They do not eat to live. We Christians live on both sides of that divide. We will never live without eating what the Lord gives to us out of grace and mercy. And as we live we will live only to eat what the Lord gives us. We both eat to live and live to eat. The widow was living in confidence of what Jesus says: "I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh" ( Jn 6:51).