I recently saw a church post celebrating their pastor’s 40th birthday—nice enough—until I noticed the directive to “sow into your pastor” with a link to a credit‑card portal for his birthday fund. It made my stomach turn. To see spiritual influence used to exploit people is heartbreaking. Sadly, this isn’t rare. We see it in televangelists flying private jets, CEOs of charities enriching themselves, and politicians profiting off institutions meant to serve the vulnerable. It’s a pervasive human problem: systems designed to protect the weak end up consuming them instead. Jesus exposes this corruption with piercing clarity. And in contrast, He shows us what true devotion looks like—not exploitation, but sacrificial love. This week, we study the passage many know as “The Widow’s Mite,” a moment that reveals how dead religion devours life while genuine faith gives life away. It’s a sobering reminder that God sees everything—especially the difference between those who take and those who trust.
