THE MARK OF TRUE DEVOTION
Text: Mark 12:38 – 44
What does it mean to be truly devoted to God? Does it mean that you are there every time the church doors open? Does it mean that you are the first to volunteer when there is a job to be done? Does it mean that you faithfully put 10% of your income in the offering plate each week? Jesus knew that His disciples and many of the people that He taught had an incorrect view of devotion. So, in order to clear up some of the confusion, Jesus contrasts the actions of the scribes with the actions of a poor widow woman. What He points out was shocking to those that were standing there listening, and it may be shocking to some of us here today.
Jesus pointed out first of all that a person that is truly devoted to God will trust God to take care of all her needs. Look at what He says about the widow woman in verse 44: “but she of her want did cast in all that she had, even all her living.” This poor widow woman didn’t have much. She cast in two mites which were worth 1/64 of a day’s wages. This is all that she had. As a widow in the first century, she had no way of supporting herself other than begging. But, instead of taking the two coins and buying bread for herself, she gave what she had to God. How could she do that? She did it because she was trusting God to take care of her.
Listen to what Jesus said in another place about this. In Matthew 6, Jesus teaches, “Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”
Last year I read the autobiography of a man by the name of George Mueller. George Mueller was a Christian that lived in England during the 1800’s. God gave him a burden for the scores of orphans that he saw there, so George founded several schools and orphanages for them. He raised millions of dollars to do this, but never once asked others for donations. He depended upon God for everything. Everything was paid in cash, and he never went into debt. Sometimes he would pray for a need and God would supply it immediately. Once, there was absolutely nothing to eat in the orphanage at all, but George insisted that everyone come to the breakfast table and thank God for what they were about to receive. As they finished praying, the town baker knocked at the door with a donation of free bread for everyone in the orphanage. George prayed about everything, from getting a boiler fixed at the orphanage, to a change in the weather patterns, to finding the source of a clogged drain. Any time there was a financial need, George went to his knees and told God about it, fully expecting Him to take care of it. God answered every prayer.
We look at devoted men like George Mueller and call them “heroes of the faith” but they are just ordinary people like you and me. The difference is that they have learned to trust God for everything. Could you imagine how much less we would worry about things if we just learned to trust God with them? This poor widow woman had learned to do that. She probably had no idea where her next meal would come from, but she gave what she had to the Lord, knowing that He would take care of her.
In contrast to the widow woman were the scribes. The scribes were predominantly Pharisees who served in the temple. They received no payment for their service, so they depended upon the generosity of pious Jews. It was considered an act of piety to support the scribes, and some people, including many widows, went so far as to trust them with control over their finances. The scribes were often employed to manage the money that widows received from their father’s dowry. In many cases, they would obtain this money with the pretense of taking it to the temple and then keep it for themselves. This is what Jesus was talking about when He said that they devour widows houses. Unlike the widow woman that trusted God to take care of her needs, the scribes preyed upon those that thought that they were serving the Lord by giving to the temple. Jesus said that they would be judged for doing this.
Secondly, Jesus pointed out that a person that is truly devoted to God will live for Him even when no one else is looking. There were many rich people at the temple that day, some of which were pouring large amounts into the treasury. Jesus doesn’t condemn them for this, but He makes a point to recognize the poor widow woman for her quiet unassuming act of throwing in her two mites. The small tinkle made by the sound of her coins in the treasury is swallowed up by the large amounts poured in by the rich people, but she is not doing this to draw attention to herself. She is doing it because she loves God and wants to do what she can to serve Him.
The scribes, on the other hand, are all about attracting attention. Jesus points out the way that they are dressed. The long clothing that He describes are the long flowing white robes that the scribes were supposed to wear as they served in the temple. To draw attention to themselves, they had begun to wear the robes out in public. They wanted to be recognized for their status, and expected to be greeted in the marketplace with titles of respect. Jesus condemns them for living in the spotlight at the synagogue and at public celebrations. They sat on the front row facing the rest of the congregation so that everyone could see them and comment about how holy they were. At feasts they desired to sit next to the host in the position of honor. James and John had come to Jesus once and asked to be seated in this position in His kingdom, but Jesus responded that “whosoever of you will be the chiefest, shall be servant of all.” Jesus taught in another place that those that put on a public show like the scribes already had their reward.
Finally, Jesus points out that a person truly devoted to God understands that the value of a gift is not in what it is worth but in the attitude with which it is given. We all know this, but we forget it sometimes. I have a tote at the house full of cards and letters that people have written to me. To me, those things are priceless, not because they are worth a lot, but because someone cared enough to send them to me. We hang pictures drawn by our kids and grandkids on the refrigerator, not because they are masterpieces worth millions, but because they made them for us with a sincere love.
The poor widow woman gave everything that she had, not because she was expected to, or because she was forced to, but because she loved God and wanted to. The Bible says that “Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.” The scribes weren’t givers at all…they were takers.
I don’t want you to think that this issue of giving is all about money. If God has blessed you and you have a desire to honor Him through giving, then you should do it. But to be honest with you, God doesn’t need your money. Instead, He wants your heart. In giving all that she had, the widow woman was giving herself. Romans 12:1 says that we should present ourselves as living sacrifices, holy and acceptable unto God. You may not have a lot of money, but you do have time, and you are able to do things for the Lord. When it comes to giving your time, are you giving all that you can give? When it comes time to step out and do something for God, do you willing volunteer?
The scribes were not devoted to God at all…they were a bunch of hypocrites. The widow woman was truly devoted to God. She trusted God to take care of all her needs. She lived for God even when no one else was looking. And finally, she understood that her attitude about giving was more important than the value of her gift. What about you? Are you more like the scribes or the widow woman? Are you truly devoted to God?
