Little Becomes Much
Table Talk
Setting the Table
You are welcome here. Come just as you are, bringing whatever is on your heart today. Take a few moments and allow yourself to just be. Take a couple deep breaths, grab yourself a cup of coffee, light a candle, do something that brings you comfort. Allow yourself to be present in this moment.
What do the things you hold onto—whether in your closets, your savings, or your heart—say about where you place your trust?
God’s gifts put man’s best dreams to shame.
— Elizabeth Barrett Browning
Kindness in words creates confidence. Kindness in thinking creates profoundness. Kindness in giving creates love.
— Lao Tzu
Luke 12:32-34
Do not be afraid, for it is [God’s] good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions and give alms. Make purses for yourselves that do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Food for Thought
When I moved recently, the process of packing up our home forced me to face my ridiculous amount of clutter. Pulling everything out of closets and boxes, I realized how much I’d accumulated—jackets I forgot I owned, spare kitchen appliances, books and trinkets I hadn’t touched in years. I donated carloads of it, and still my partner swears I have too many books and Pokémon plushies. He’s probably right.
There’s something about packing that forces us to confront ourselves. All those things we thought we needed. All the “just in case” items. All the gifts we never used but couldn’t let go. At some point, the boxes start to feel heavy not only with stuff, but with the weight of wanting—the belief that maybe these things will make us secure or happy.
Jesus once told a story like this. A rich man dreamed of tearing down his barns to build bigger ones, to store away all his wealth and possessions, so that he could finally relax. He says to himself, "You’ve made it. Eat, drink, and be merry." But before he could enjoy it, God called him a fool: "Tonight you will die, and your wealth will go to someone else."
His foolish mistake was thinking life consisted in the abundance of possessions. He believed the lie that if he just had more, then he would be secure, happy, and free. Jesus warned the crowd listening that day: "Be on guard against greed, for life does not consist in the abundance of possessions."
Greed is sneaky. It disguises itself as security, as ambition, as comfort. It doesn’t always look like piles of gold coins or Scrooge McDuck’s vault. Sometimes it looks like shopping online when you’re lonely. Sometimes it looks like upgrading to the bigger house because the closets are too small. Sometimes it looks like holding onto clothes you haven’t worn in ten years because someday you might need them.
Greed is more than excess—it’s a distortion of desire. It teaches us to define ourselves by what we have instead of who we are in God. The tragedy, of course, is that while some hoard, others starve. Not because the earth cannot provide enough food or clothing or shelter, but because human greed distorts distribution.
We live in a culture that tells us we never have enough. And yet, against this reality, Jesus offers a different economy. After his resurrection, the early church in Acts described themselves this way: No one claimed any of their possessions as their own, but they shared everything they had. And there were no needy persons among them.
It almost sounds like a fairytale. But it is the invitation of the Gospel—to create communities where our lives are not measured by what we own, but by how we love.
Greed says, "Get more."
Jesus says, "Trust more."
Greed says, "This is mine."
Jesus says, "All you have is a gift—now share it."
Dorothy Day once said, “If you have two coats, one belongs to the poor.” Jesus said, “If someone asks for your one coat, give it to them.” Either way, generosity is the way of God’s kingdom.
Maybe for you that looks like emptying a closet, donating the clothes you never wear, sharing money that’s been sitting in savings, or offering time when you don’t have much to spare. Maybe it looks like giving not because someone is “deserving,” but simply because love does not keep score.
At the end of the day, little becomes much in God’s hands. A boy’s small lunch fed thousands. A widow’s last two coins became a story told for centuries. Our gifts don’t have to be big. They just have to be given.
Greed promises abundance but delivers emptiness. True abundance is found in community, in trust, in giving, in God’s kingdom where there is enough for all.
So maybe the invitation for us is simple: Remember that your worth is not in your closets or your barns, but in the God who delights to give you the kingdom.
And then—share it.
What is one concrete way you could practice generosity this week—through time, resources, or attention? Open one closet or drawer this week, and give away something you haven’t used in the last year. Or offer your time—volunteer for a local ministry, write a note of encouragement, or help someone with a task they can’t do alone.
Reflect on one area of your life where you feel scarcity or fear of not having enough, and take one small step to trust God’s provision instead.
For a printable version of today's reflection Click Here!
Blessing
God of abundance,
Teach us to trust you more than our possessions.
Loosen our grip, that our hands may open—
to share freely, to give generously,
to live simply, to love fully.
Amen.
A little Table Talk for your table...
Where in your life do you feel tempted to define your worth by what you own rather than who you are in God?
What practices or habits help you cultivate trust in God instead of in possessions or security?
How does the idea of abundance in God’s kingdom change the way you think about giving, receiving, and living in community?
Try taking it to the Kids Table...
Why do you think Jesus said that life is not about having lots of things?
Can you think of a time when giving something made you feel happy?
What are some ways you can help or be generous at home, at school, or with your friends?
Meet This WEek’s Writer...
Rev. Dr. Keith Menhinick is a Lecturer in Religious Studies and Affiliate Faculty in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies at Georgia State University. Keith’s research focuses on world religions, spiritual care, and trauma resiliency within marginalized communities, particularly LGBTQ+ communities. He is also a certified teacher of the Community Resiliency Model (CRM)® through the Trauma Resource Institute. Before joining GSU, Keith taught at Emory’s Candler School of Theology and served in various roles such as chaplain, editor, teacher, and intern/minister at the coolest, quirkiest, most lovable congregation West of the Jordan River, College Park. Outside of work, he enjoys poetry, cartoons, gardening, dancing, and outdoor adventures.
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