Book of Common Prayer

Godliness and contentment

⁶ If it’s gain you want, though, there is plenty to be had in godliness—if it’s combined with contentment. ⁷ We brought nothing into the world, after all, and we certainly can’t take anything out. ⁸ If we have food and clothing, we should be satisfied with it. ⁹ People who want to be rich, by contrast, fall into temptation and a trap, into many foolish and dangerous lusts which drown people in devastation and destruction. ¹⁰ The love of money, you see, is the root of all evil. Some people have been so eager to get rich that they have wandered away from the faith and have impaled themselves painfully in several ways.

The Messiah’s royal appearing

¹¹ But you, man of God—you must run away from all this. Instead, chase after justice, godliness, faith, love, patience and gentleness. ¹² Fight the noble fight of the faith, get a firm grasp on the life of the coming age, the life you were called to when you made the noble public profession before many witnesses. ¹³ I give you this charge before God, who gives life to all things, and Messiah Jesus, who made the noble profession before Pontius Pilate: ¹⁴ be undefiled and blameless as you keep the commandment, until the royal appearing of our Lord Messiah Jesus, ¹⁵ which the blessed and only Sovereign One, the King of kings and Lord of lords, will reveal at its proper time. ¹⁶ He is the only one who possesses immortality; he lives in unapproachable light; no human being has seen him, or can see him. To him be eternal honor and power, Amen!

What to do with money

¹⁷ What about people who are rich in this present world? Tell them not to think of themselves too highly, and to set their hopes, not on something so uncertain as riches, but on the God who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. ¹⁸ They are to do good, to be rich in good works, generous and eager to share. ¹⁹ That way, they will treasure up for themselves a good foundation for the future, and thereby come to possess the life which really is life.

²⁰ Well then, Timothy: keep guard over what has been entrusted to you. Turn away from the pointless and empty talk and contradictions of what is wrongly called “knowledge.” ²¹ Some have claimed to be experts in it, but have missed the target when it comes to the faith.

Grace be with you all.

David’s son and the widow’s mite

³⁵ By way of response to it all, Jesus began to teach in the Temple.

“Why do the experts say,” he asked, “that the Messiah is the son of David? ³⁶ David himself, inspired by the holy spirit, said:

³⁷ “David himself calls him ‘Lord’; how then can he be his son?”

The whole crowd listened to him with delight.

³⁸ During his teaching, he said, “Beware of the lawyers! They like to walk about in long robes, and to be greeted in the market-places. ³⁹ They take the chief seats in the synagogue, and the best places at dinner parties. ⁴⁰ They devour the property of widows, and make long prayers without meaning them. They will receive all the more condemnation.”

⁴¹ As he sat opposite the Temple treasury, he watched the crowd putting money into the alms boxes. Lots of rich people put in substantial amounts. ⁴² Then there came a single poor widow, who put in two tiny coins, together worth a single penny.

⁴³ Jesus called his disciples.

“I’m telling you the truth,” he said. “This poor widow just put more into the treasury than everybody else. ⁴⁴ You see, all the others were contributing out of their wealth; but she put in everything she had, out of her poverty. It was her whole livelihood.”