Mark 12:38-44
38 And in his teaching he said, “Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes and like greetings in the marketplaces 39 and have the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at feasts, 40 who devour widows' houses and for a pretense make long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation.”
41 And he sat down opposite the treasury and watched the people putting money into the offering box. Many rich people put in large sums. 42 And a poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which make a penny. 43 And he called his disciples to him and said to them, “Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the offering box. 44 For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.”
Reflection
Jesus praises the sacrificial devotion of a poor widow. Her offering shows her complete dependence on God, giving all that she has to him and expecting him to provide all that she needs. Her willingness to put God’s honor above everything applies to all of us, even as we carry out the responsibility to provide for those in our care.
Jesus does not separate belief from action. Authentic faith always bears the fruit of sincere and godly action. A living faith cannot sit still; it must act in love (cf. James 2:14–26).
Galatians 2:11-14
11 But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned. 12 For before certain men came from James, he was eating with the Gentiles; but when they came he drew back and separated himself, fearing the circumcision party. 13 And the rest of the Jews acted hypocritically along with him, so that even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy. 14 But when I saw that their conduct was not in step with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas before them all, “If you, though a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you force the Gentiles to live like Jews?”
Reflection
Paul continues to defend his faithfulness to the gospel by telling a story about a time when he actually had to help Peter stay on target. When Peter arrived in the city of Antioch, he gladly ate with Gentiles (non-Jews; cf. Acts 10:9–16). However, when Peter later refused to eat with them just because they weren’t Jewish, he essentially pressured the Gentiles to obey the Jewish food laws (Gal. 2:14). Paul confronted Peter about his hypocritical behavior (v. 13) because he could see that it did not line up with the gospel truth that God accepts all people who put their faith in Christ alone, regardless of their religious or ethnic heritage.
Peter’s racist ways were caused by his failure to walk “in step with the truth of the gospel” (v. 14). For Paul, the gospel is not only something for believers to pass on to unbelievers; it is also the daily bread that nourishes Christians (cf. 3:3). Peter evidently had forgotten that he had already been freely accepted by God’s grace, and was now trying to earn the approval of “certain men” (2:12). God’s grace and eternal approval should free us from the burdensome trap of people pleasing —a problem that the gospel had cured in Paul’s own life (1:10).
Psalm 56:11
11 in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can man do to me?
Battle the temptation to be a people pleaser by continuing to dwell on God’s acceptance of you apart from your merits. Spend some time thinking about this amazing truth and talking to God about it: we are fully embraced by our heavenly Father, not because we are worthy, but because Christ is worthy.