Explore the true essence of giving, serving, and obedience through the story of the humble widow in Mark 12:41-44, who gave all she had to the Lord despite her poverty.
Good morning, church family! Today, we're going to dive into a powerful passage from the book of Mark that speaks volumes about the heart of giving, the power of serving, and the reward of obedience. It's a passage that tells the story of a humble widow who, in her poverty, gave all she had to the Lord.
A.W. Tozer once wrote, "As base a thing as money often is, yet it can be transmuted into everlasting treasure. It can be converted into food for the hungry and clothing for the poor." What an inspiring thought on giving, isn't it?
Let's read the passage together, Mark 12:41-44:
"And Jesus sat over against the treasury, and beheld how the people cast money into the treasury: and many that were rich cast in much. And there came a certain poor widow, and she threw in two mites, which make a farthing. And he called unto him his disciples, and saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That this poor widow hath cast more in, than all they which have cast into the treasury: For all they did cast in of their abundance; but she of her want did cast in all that she had, even all her living."
Let us pray.
Father, as we delve into Your Word today, open our hearts and minds to understand the true essence of giving, serving, and obedience. Help us to comprehend the lessons You have for us and the wisdom You share through this humble widow. May we learn to give from our hearts, serve with love, and obey with joy. In Jesus' name, we pray, Amen.
Let's dive in!
The heart of giving, as illustrated in the passage from Mark, is a spiritual principle that reflects our relationship with God and our understanding of His grace and generosity. This widow, in her poverty, gave all she had, not out of obligation or to gain favor, but out of a deep-seated love for God and a desire to honor Him with what she had. Her giving was sacrificial, and it came from a place of faith and trust in God's provision.
Our modern society: It's easy to equate giving with the amount or the monetary value of what we give. We often measure generosity by the size of the donation or the grandeur of the gift. But the heart of giving, as Jesus pointed out, is not about the amount. It's about the attitude and the motive behind the giving. The rich people in the temple gave out of their abundance. They gave what they could easily spare. But the widow gave out of her poverty. She gave all she had to live on. Her gift was a true sacrifice, given in faith and love.
Examine our own attitudes towards giving: Do we give out of our abundance, only parting with what we can easily spare? Or do we give sacrificially, trusting God to provide for us just as the widow did? The heart of giving is about more than just parting with our money or possessions. It's about demonstrating our love for God and our trust in His provision. It's about putting God first in our lives and honoring Him with everything we have.
Reflects our understanding of God's own generosity: God is the ultimate giver. He gave His only Son, Jesus, to die on the cross for our sins. He gives us grace, mercy, love, and every good thing we have in life. When we truly understand and appreciate God's generosity, it inspires us to be generous as well. The widow's sacrificial giving was a reflection of her understanding of God's generous nature.
Recognizing that everything we have is a gift from God: We are merely stewards of God's resources, entrusted with them for a time to use for His glory. The widow understood this. She knew that even her two small coins were a gift from God, and she chose to use them to honor Him. When we give, we are simply returning to God what is already His. We are acknowledging that He is the source of all our blessings and expressing our gratitude for His generosity.
Obedience: God calls us to be generous, to share our resources with others, and to support the work of His kingdom. The widow obeyed this call by giving all she had. Her giving was an act of obedience, a response to God's command to be generous. When we give, we are not only expressing our love for God and our trust in His provision, but we are also obeying His command to be generous.
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