Recently I was reminded after receiving a write up telling of a rich man, who only experienced happiness after doing a rather costly good deed for an orphanage in India. As I pondered what this was saying I remembered Jesus question to the Disciples when standing and watching many rich people giving of their wealth at the Temple; and of a widow who put a single coin or two into the Temple collection. I will (paraphrase) Jesus question: which one put in the most?

You likely know the rest of this. But do we think of this in its context? Before this event Jesus had been asked a question in order to trick Him concerning the resurrection. This question was posed by men sent from the Sadducees, who did not believe in the resurrection.

Knowing the reason for the question: Jesus in His answer spoke of being worthy to attain to the resurrection and the resulting heavenly life. He spoke about the resurrection in this way, turning their deceptive question into truth.

In His answer He made something clear: Luke 20:38 For he is not a God of the dead, but of the living: for all live unto him. (KJV)

His point I believe goes even beyond the truth of everyone’s eventual resurrection. Some to life with Him, and others to a final judgment. His point seems to lead us to what is the truth: that all men are alive before God even now and yes, they will all be resurrected, but one should take heed because there is a judgment following as to one’s worthiness for life or for punishment in the pit of destruction, and both come with a resurrection.

The resurrection to which one is raised will determine one’s worthiness for heaven and will lead to one’s judgment for earned rewards. So considering this: what did Jesus’ example of the widow’s mite (seemingly told just afterward) really mean for us?

Here is my take for what it’s worth.

We can salve our conscience in this life by doing and giving even a tithe or a tenth of our time, but does that make us worthy?

The fact that the widow had given all that she had was important and it pointed out (I believe) something concerning man and the after life.

The doctrine of salvation is much deeper, of course than this, but Jesus seems to be saying to us that we are to give Him our all: meaning for us to effectively say, yes, I’ll follow you where you lead me. I’ll trust you totally with my life. I’m willing to do what you ask of me. Does that make us worthy of heaven? Only by the accepting of and trusting in, what His payment was for our forgiveness, can we be made worthy. He makes us worthy. He says elsewhere abide in Me, for you can (in my words): do nothing worthy of entrance to heaven, so apart from me your works are as filthy rags .

So the rich men of this example (Those in the Temple and the man giving to the India orphans can find personal reward in going and giving and can even feel happy about it in this life, but those deeds are not the ticket to heaven.

The moral I believe is this:

we can’t earn heaven, Jesus did that for us and He asks that we give Him back our lives. All that we have is then His including our time. Do we do a perfect job of this? No, but as Paul stated: I press on to the High calling that is in Christ Jesus. We still need His grace.

Understand I am not meaning to step on toes here. I speak to myself as well. This scripture itself brings up both our works and our being worthy of entrance into heaven. Two different things. Seemingly both are very important issues in our lives.