Enough

 Mark 12:38-44; 1Kings 17:8-16; Ruth 3:1-5; 4:13-17

We seem to always be attracted to the message of abundance in this story of the widow giving all she had. Yet as I looker and pondered the scriptures for this week it just wasn't ringing true to me. So I read this mornings first reading and it all fell into place. Let me take you on the journey.

We have two readings of his morning from the Old Testament. This morning we have read the one from Ruth and she'll factor into this soon, right now I want to focus on the one we didn't read. It is from First Kings and about the prophet Elijah. As he traveled around the kingdom, there was a famine in the land and the place he chose to stay at welcomed him, but the widow was fretting. Fretting and worried she wouldn't have enough for her son if she fed him. 

Now maybe she was mumbling to herself as she cooked and She Elijah overheard her, or maybe she just threw the loaf down in front of him, we don't get the details, just that the prophet is aware of her distress. He assures her if she feeds him she will never run out of flour and oil, she will always have enough. And this is exactly what happens during the famine period, the widow never runs out. It doesn't overflow, or make extra, it is always enough.

Enough, enough means that we will have what is required for us to get by. The story of Ruth highlights this. Naomi doesn't need two daughters, nor does she need sons. One daughter in law is enough to make it through all her life long. This daughter does enough to get them through and provide for them so they are no left destitute.

The widows offering is Jesus' commentary on having just cleansed the temple. The religious authorities take too much. They don't give enough back to the community of faith. It is hard on those who have not. They give everything they have faithfully, even when they don't have enough.

What is it like to rest in the promise of having enough? Our whole world is oriented towards having more, bigger, better, best and we don't pause to ask what would be enough? How can we see enough as being a blessing?

These are a few of the thoughts I am left with today. I think they are important questions for us to wrestle with. Because part of the life of faith is wrestling ourselves with the question. For years we have come to church expecting the answers. So we have become comfortable with receiving them. Part of discernment is wrestling ourselves with these things which pop up for us.

As I spent the time all week wrestling with what this might say, I have gone through that process. Now its your turn. Take the questions and maybe you can think of more, or maybe even different ones. Wrestle with it. See what you hear. Then maybe we will have an understanding we can give to others. Because we need this right now in our world. People who will wrestle and find the way through to hear more of what God might be saying.