As Jesus looked up, he saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury. He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins. “Truly I tell you,” he said, “this poor widow has put in more than all the others. All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.” (Luke 21:1-4 NIV)

Would you ever go into the unknown?

If you have ever seen Frozen 2, or know a young child who has seen it, then you likely have heard of the song that Elsa sings called “Into the Unknown.” A portion of the lyrics go something like this: 

You're not a voice,

You're just a ringing in my ear.

And if I heard you, which I don't,

I'm spoken for I fear…

I've had my adventure, I don't need something new.

I'm afraid of what I'm risking if I follow you

Into the unknown.

Let’s highlight those last lines: “I’m afraid of what I’m risking to follow you into the unknown.” The unknown can be terrifying since we don’t know where it’s leading us. We may feel like we are walking into a dark, deep hole, in a forest of looming trees. Spiritually, when we first learn to trust God, it can be pretty frightening and confusing to believe in something that we can’t see. But we have to take that first step into the unknown. 

In this week’s passage, there is a poor widow who selflessly and faithfully deposited her last two coins into the offering box. Jesus applauds her for doing so, but not for the reason that we may think. You see, we don’t really know what happened to the woman after this story; we don’t know if she suddenly became wealthy or famous among her people. So when Jesus points out the woman’s actions, he is not saying that when we give up everything we have, we will become rich, famous, etc. Instead, he is saying that the woman’s faith is commendable, that she would give up her very few coins with no assurance of ‘results.’  The woman’s faith in God as she enters the unknown is what makes her soar onto new heights, as Jesus uses her example to tell others about having faith. 

Where are you facing uncertainty, whether it be in finances, relationships, health, or work? As you head into this uncertainty, what might it look like for you to trust God with sacrifice and humility?