Living On A Shoe String

Our text today depicts an event in the live of Jesus when He was just sitting back and observing people. He is not keeping tabs on what the people are putting to the treasury, but He is seeing the attitude of the spiritual heart of those who are bring their gifts to God. What is in our heart is what is acted in our lives. Giving of one’s self is only limited by the spiritual condition of a person. People often get caught up by what is on the outside but, God see the heart. The spiritual condition of a person is more important than the size of their pocket book or gift. Jesus said of this “poor widow” “that she gave her all”. Giving of self is more important than just monetary giving. When discussing giving the real question is what is the aim, goal or motivation for giving. I am reminded of a incident in the live of Steve Jobs, founder of Apple Computers. In the book Scully, there is a dialogue between Steve Jobs, the founder of Apple Computers and John Scully, who at the time was president of Pepsi. Jobs was attempting to recruit Scully for the top job at Apple and he asked Scully, “Do you want to spend the rest of your life selling sugared water or do you want a chance to change the world?” (Contributed by Bob Briggs)

Each must consider what is our purpose or motivation for what we do in life. There are those who just make it by in life not because of the size of the bank account or their status in life but their spiritual condition. The world is full of people with worldly resources and yet they have no hope for the future. Today I want to look at three things in this event in the life of Jesus. First, “The Lesson” what can we learn from this account in the life of Jesus, second what is “The Attitude” of the people depicted and thirdly, what is the “The Motivation” for their giving?

1. The Lesson

Mark 12:44 for they all put in out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all that she had, her whole livelihood." NKJV

It amazes me as to how people get caught up in the giving rather than seeing that our relationship with Jesus is more important than the quantity of anything we have to offer God. God is the creator of all that exist in fact in John 1:3 it states that “All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.” Look around, everything you see, everything you have, everything we are belong to God. He has allowed us to use it not for ourselves but “for Him.”

In Matthew 24:45-51 Jesus tells a parable of someone who was given charge over his master’s household. In this parable the master does commend his servant for the amount of increase of the master’s household however He commends for being faithful for being a faithful servant.” When working in the secular world (my worldly job) I noticed how many of my co-workers would neglect their duties of the job accept when they saw the supervisor (aka: Master) approaching and then they would appear to be the faithful employee.

Matt 24:45-51

48"Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his master made ruler over his household, to give them food in due season? 46 Blessed is that servant whom his master, when he comes, will find so doing. 47 Assuredly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all his goods. 48 But if that evil servant says in his heart, 'My master is delaying his coming,' 49 and begins to beat his fellow servants, and to eat and drink with the drunkards, 50 the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him and at an hour that he is not aware of, 51 and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. NKJV

Isa 32:6-8 For the foolish person will speak foolishness,

And his heart will work iniquity:

To practice ungodliness,

To utter error against the Lord,

To keep the hungry unsatisfied,

And he will cause the drink of the thirsty to fail.

7 Also the schemes of the schemer are evil;

He devises wicked plans

To destroy the poor with lying words,

Even when the needy speaks justice.

8 But a generous man devises generous things,

And by generosity he shall stand. NKJV

What can be learned from the observation of Jesus and the widow. Jesus was not concern about the quantity of what was given but Jesus saw the heart of this poor woman. While she may have been poor in worldly goods her love for God was greater than all the gifts. “She gave her all, (Luke 12:44)