Saving or spending?

Jesus, help me make good decisions about how I spend money! Amen.

Jesus was eating at a friend's house when a woman came in who was known to be a big sinner. She washed Jesus' feet with her tears, dried them with her hair and put expensive lotion on them. People complained that she had wasted the lotion, but Jesus said, "She has shown great love. Her many sins have been forgiven."

Kids and grownups often have different ideas about money. When you get your allowance, your mom immediately says, "You're not spending this on candy. We have food in the house." You think, "Yes, but that's regular food. I want candy!"

You don't get why it's important to save your allowance when you'd be happy buying candy with it; your parents want you to keep it in case you want something more important later.

In this week's Gospel (Luke 7:36-8:3), Jesus points out that both sides could be right.

Your allowance comes from your parents, so they do have a right to make sure you don't waste it. On the other hand, it's your money now, so you should be able to have an opinion on how it's spent.

That's what Jesus tried to show in the Gospel story. He agreed that the woman could have sold the expensive lotion and given the money to the poor as a way to make up for her sins; but He also said that the way she chose to use it, by humbling herself to Jesus and putting it on His feet, was just a different gesture of love.

When it comes to your allowance, there might be a way to satisfy everyone: Spend a little on candy, save the rest -- and share the candy. Jesus' whole point in the Gospel story was that sharing, however you do it, makes up for a lot of mistakes!