Have you seen the movie “Brave Heart?” If you have, do you remember the scene at the very end of the movie? They have finally captured Mel Gibson and have begun torturing him so that he will renounce his will to fight the king and stop leading the people in revolts. As it nears the end, they ask him to just say the word and they will stop and let him go. Instead he screams with his last breathe FREEDOM! Maybe you feel the exact same way about your financial life. Maybe the burdens of keeping the bills paid and making ends meet have become a life absorbing problem. Everyday that a new bill comes, dread sweeps over you and all you can think about is trying to find a way to pay it before you owe late fees. The medical bills have begun to pile up and with the new electric rates rising like never before, you don’t know how your family will make it. Next thing you know your kid gets hurt and your car breaks down and then for some reason your company downsizes and you have no job left. Wouldn’t you like some freedom from those pressures? Wouldn’t it be nice to find some relief from those trials?
There is a story told of a choice men could make between a firing squad and a big black door. No one but one man knew what was behind it. “An Arab chief tells a story of a spy who was captured and then sentenced to death by a general in the Persian army. This general had the strange custom of giving condemned criminals a choice between the firing squad and the big, black door. As the moment for execution drew near, the spy was brought to the Persian general, who asked the question, "What will it be: the firing squad or the big, black door?" The spy hesitated for a long time. It was a difficult decision. He chose the firing squad. Moments later shots rang out confirming his execution. The general turned to his aide and said, "They always prefer the known way to the unknown. It is characteristic of people to be afraid of the undefined. Yet, we gave him a choice."
The aide said, "What lies beyond the big door?" "Freedom," replied the general. "I’ve known only a few brave enough to take it."...”
Sometimes it may feel as though we have but one choice, to stand in front of the firing squad known as our bills and take it. The other option has to be one of the scariest options known to mankind; the big black door which Mel Gibson screamed about at the end of Brave Heart, freedom. This big black door can be found in the story of the widow’s mite in Mark 12:41-44. The scene is set in the temple courts with the offering bins out for the people. Each one in his or her own turns walks up to the offering plate and gives how much ever they want or desire. Jesus sits on the edge of the court watching and waiting to see what the people give. His disciples sit all around him observing as well. This story sets the example of finding freedom in our finances. We can find freedom thru good stewardship of our finances. The big black door in our lives is that of being good stewards of the money God has given to us. Giving back to God a portion of our finances is the beginning to a life free from the shackles of money. Take a minute with me to examine the story with me and let’s see who really had freedom. What really made the difference in this story?
The Story (v. 41-44)
Let’s read through the story so that we have a good understanding of what is being said.
“And He sat down opposite the treasury, and began observing how the people were putting money into the treasury; and many rich people were putting in large sums. A poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which amount to a cent. Calling His disciples to Him, He said to them, :Truly I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all the contributors to the treasury; for they all put in out of their surplus, but she, out of her poverty, put in all she owned, all she had to live on.”
It’s Not the Amount that Matters
The widow gave about one whole cent in comparison to the thousands of dollars the wealthy had given. Jesus himself says that “…this poor widow put in more than all the others…” Their amounts by far were greater. Jesus was thoroughly enthused by the fact that the widow was so willing to give of her only possession. Her bills had extinguished all reasonable finances if you can call trying to survive “bills.” She sacrificed even in her deep poverty to provide for the Lord’s work. The Pharisees had plenty of money, a nice home, plenty to eat, and great respect where ever they went. Men looked at the outside and what seemed so important; an amount. The men of Israel wanted a king so badly and so God let them choose a king and they chose Saul. He was tall and handsome and must have been kingly. Men looked at the outside of Saul and his seemingly good intent and made him king. Saul as a king soon became a failure as he let his own ambitions in the way and soon began to ignore God’s guidance completely. They made the same mistake in both cases; looking at an amount. They only saw the outside of the issue and never realized that it takes more than an appearance. The Pharisees sure had a good appearance with all they gave but it meant nothing to God for them to give of their abundance. They were just showing off. If they wanted to give, they should have done as the widow did. If the rich would have given sacrificially, it would have been all the same regardless of the amount given.
A story exists about a young girl who could find no where to go in a small church building. She cried and cried one Sunday morning because she couldn’t fit into the church classrooms. They were just too small. One of the teachers finally took her into another room and taught her as best as she could. The little girl soon fell ill and eventually passed away. At the funeral her father walked up to the teacher and told her that the little girl had been saving up to help build a new building. He handed her a little bag which contained only fifty-seven pennies. The teacher brought this small package to the board of the church and gave them the first donation to the building fund. They had scarcely even talked about this idea and yet in front of them sat the whole savings of a little girl who wanted to help. They knew what they had to do. They spoke to a man that held a lot and told him the story of the little girl and the fifty seven cents. The man gave them the land on loan for $10,000 and took the pennies as down payment.
The amount didn’t matter. The number the little girl gave didn’t matter. If she would have given a thousand or even a million it wouldn’t have mattered. That story isn’t made up. It is a true story as identified by snopes.com which investigates stories like this. A little girl just gave what little she had and that was enough. She gave all she had to boot. It’s not the amount that matters. Freedom cannot be found in giving any certain amount and it is impossible for any one person to determine that amount for everyone. In the Old Testament, a tithe of 10% was a minimum that the people were to give to God of all they received. We sometimes follow this number like its magic and will make everything good. Jesus, in the small section of scripture confirms that it’s not the amount that matters. No certain amount can buy your freedom. What really matters is the heart!
It’s the Heart that Matters
Just as with the little girl, the real matter was her heart not her money. She had it in her heart to give and help as much as she could. So she saved up day by day each and every penny she could find. That should soften even the hardest heart. If you thought, well that’s just a kid doing that, they don’t understand then you are the one who doesn’t understand. Kids can be stingy and hateful about money too. This isn’t an adult only thing. Yet sometimes I think God gives us a glimpse of His heart through children. The widow in the story was living by the same rules. She knew God would provide for her absolute needs, not her wants. She knew that it was right for her to sacrifice for God. Jesus says she “…out of her poverty, put in all she owned, all she had to live on.” Her heart was totally and absolutely set on God. The rich stood as the extreme contrast to this little girl and the widow in the story. They were more concerned with how they looked and making sure they didn’t strain the budget too much that month. They needed a buffer because they couldn’t possible do without that extra servant or that extra fancy meal. They were not only self-centered but also shackled by the very money they desired. They desired money so much that they lived their lives around money. Every part of their lives was subject to money. Not the widow… she didn’t need the money. She needed God. You see it’s the heart that mattered to Jesus and not the amount given.
A mother wanted to teach her daughter a moral lesson. She gave the little girl a quarter and a dollar for church "Put whichever one you want in the collection plate and keep the other for yourself," she told the girl. When they were coming out of church, the mother asked her daughter which amount she had given. "Well," said the little girl, "I was going to give the dollar, but just before the collection the man in the pulpit said that we should all be cheerful givers. I knew I’d be a lot more cheerful if I gave the quarter, so I did." Do you think the mother intended for that to happen? Was the little girl right in what she gave? Should she have begrudgingly given the dollar just because her mom wanted her too? No… I hate to tell you but God doesn’t need your money.
If God needed your money, he wouldn’t be God. God owns the universe including what your money is made of and yet for some reason we feel super noble in giving to Him. He knows very well that the heart means much more than the amount. He tells us in 2 Corinthians 9:7 that “Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” The girl was right in giving the quarter because she would have given the other reluctantly. I will not command you to give a single red cent because God says that giving should not be under compulsion. Giving to God should come from the heart. How much do you value God? Then give to Him accordingly. It’s not the amount that matters, it’s the heart.
How Do I Get Free Then –
How do you find freedom from the oppressive mountain of bills that come flowing in each month? You can freely how much to give or to give to God at all. He himself says that you have full right to do whatever you want. However, God does have at least one reason for each one of us to give back to Him. Do you know what it is? We love money. We love money so much that when something takes it away or we feel we don’t have enough, we get stressed out and cranky. We raise our voices and yell at out spouses. Blame God or someone else for not giving you enough and grumble about how your job doesn’t provide for you. God knows there is only one way to break ourselves of the love of money. The widow understood it and the rich giving only from their wealth didn’t have a clue. They were still tied to money. Here is the secret of finding freedom through financial stewardship: Give it away. Stop holding onto it like it is life itself. No, you don’t need to eat out for the fifteenth time this month and yet you feel that you will strangle when you have to put something in the offering. God isn’t asking for money because he needs it. He asks for money because he doesn’t want you to become a slave to it. Have you felt shackled to money? Have you waited on it like it would save you? Don’t be shackled to money. Don’t let it run your life and it won’t be so hard to give away. I guarantee those bills won’t be quite as bad when you put money in its place. The widow did it.
Tony Campollo was leading a women’s retreat one day when the president of the group read a letter about a missionary that needed about $4,000 dollars. The leading woman then asked Tony to say a prayer that the funds would be raised. He said “No!” We have the money in our pockets and all we need to do is give. God has already provided the money we need and now we need to give. I am going to take all the money I have in my pocket and put it down on this table and I want every single other woman in here to do the same. The president said okay… quite reluctantly. Tony then said once again we have the money; we just need to give it. Simply put once all the women had given and it had been counted it exceeded the four thousand needed.
I have a bucket here. Prove to me you are not shackled down by money! Take whatever you have in your pocket or purse; one dollar, some change, or maybe fifty bucks. Now once you have that in your hand. I dare you to come and throw the money in this bucket. Now you are thinking, what is the money going for? My question for you is: does it matter as long as God uses it? Does it matter if it is the Shiloh Children’s Home or the LaMoine Service Camp? Do you believe He will provide for you or are you so worried that you feel relying on money is a better choice? That is your challenge. Can you part with your money easily or do you give it “reluctantly?” I don’t see a red cent of this money so don’t even say that I am asking for money for myself. We do just fine. This isn’t for you to prove it to me either. This is your chance to prove that you can let go not only to show God that he is more important but for you to show yourself that as well.
God’s waiting to hear your answer. Don’t tell Him, sorry God I don’t have any pocket change, maybe next week. Write a check if you have to… The bucket will stay up here until I lock the building tonight at 6 p.m. You can find freedom from the shackles of money by learning to trust God and give it away. The amount isn’t so important as the attitude you give it with.
