A Family And Their Two Doves

Do you question if your status is hindering you in your walk with Christ? Does it seem that only the wealthy and important are the ones who make a difference in the Lord’s church today? Can only those people make a difference? If you answered yes to any of these questions allow me to offer you a different perspective. Luke 2:23-24 tells how after Mary went through the time of purification set in the law of Moses in Leviticus 12, She and Joseph brought Jesus to the temple for two reasons. Reason 1 was to present Him to the Lord and while this is profound let’s focus on reason number 2. The second reason they came to the temple was to offer either a pair of turtledoves or pigeons as a sacrifice. So, what does this have to do with our status today? It gives us hope. The law stated in Leviticus 5:7 that if a family could not afford a lamb for sacrifice, then they could bring two doves or pigeons instead. A person's wealth in their culture in one way was measured by the animals they owned. Wealthy men in scripture like Job owned many animals. Mary and Joseph could not even afford a lamb to sacrifice. I ask again. Can only wealthy important people make a difference? The answer is no. A seemingly low-status family with little wealth brought up and cared for the single greatest man of ALL time. Jesus Christ. They did not let what they didn’t have to stop them from doing all they could with what they did have. Later as a man, in Luke 21:3-4, Jesus responds to a scene where the rich were putting in great gifts into the treasury and a poor widow gave two small copper coins. He responded “Truly I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all of them. For they all put in their gifts out of their abundance; but she, out of what she lacked, put in all that she had for living.”

Please don’t think you can’t make a difference because you can.

Also, give what you can instead of just leftovers from your abundance.