Pastor Glenn Newton
New Hope Church of the Nazarene
Feb. 13, 2011
Text: Mark 12:41-44
MK 12:41 Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. 42 But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a fraction of a penny.
MK 12:43 Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. 44 They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything--all she had to live on."
This morning, you need to understand the setting and the timing of this story to understand how significant it really is, Jesus wasn’t just bored and looking for something to do. This was the last week of his earthly ministry, this is one of the last times Jesus would be teaching his disciples in public before his arrest and his death on Calvary.
I believe that Jesus had a point to make, an important one for us to hold onto for our lives today. Let’s investigate this morning.
The setting is the court of the women, into which both men and women were allowed to come, and where the temple treasury was located. Jesus sat down on a bench where he could watch the people bring their offerings and put them in one of the thirteen trumpet-shaped boxes used for that purpose. It was not the rich with their large gifts who caught Jesus' attention but a poor widow. She placed in the box two of the smallest coins in circulation in Palestine.
You need to catch this… the teachers of the Law and those who were very proud of their ability to give large amounts of money, they would bring their offering to a specific box that was shaped like a trumpet, and as they presented their large gift, trumpets would blare declaring for all to hear how great a gift they had given, it was an act of real humility….(Not) They were spiritual show offs, making themselves look more “spiritual” with how they gave their gifts, at the same time making others who couldn’t give as much feel like they were inferior. It was spiritual pride at it’s best on one side, but Jesus wasn’t interested in looking at those folks, there was someone else who caught Jesus’ attention.
Let’s look again at what Jesus saw, and then said to his disciples… MK 12:41 Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. 42 But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a fraction of a penny.
MK 12:43 Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. 44 They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything--all she had to live on."
This morning I want to point out a few things that I see in this passage that I think are important for us to catch.
First, Jesus is watching us, even when we think what we are doing doesn’t matter.
Jesus is a week away from going through one of the most painful, selfless events in the history of our world. He is getting ready to give everything He has for humankind, I think he wants to teach us a lesson, I think He wants us to look at how we are living our lives.
Friends, don’t get stuck on the amount of money in this story, it’s the heart of this widow. She gave everything she owned. This widow lived a life that was constantly at the mercy of those around her. Being a widow in Jesus’ day was not something that you would wish for anyone. She had no family, no sons or daughters to take care of her, she had no brother’s in law who would take her in and protect her, there was no one. In that day, a widow who was in this woman’s situation would have to rely on the mercy of others, she would be similar to Ruth in the Old Testament, reaping the leftovers in the field to try to have something to sell for money.
Does it matter to you that Jesus is watching? Does it matter to you that God sees your motives, and not just listens to the words that come out of our mouths?
So many people say, “Well, when I get a little ahead, that’s when I will give…..No you won’t”. “When I get a little more time, that’s when I will get more involved in church….No you won’t.” The truth of the matter is this, If you are not willing to give now with what you have now….you will never give when you get more…it’s a heart issue not a money issue. If you not willing to give time and energy now to the Kingdom, with the time at your disposal, your never going to get more time….if the church isn’t a priority now, what makes you think that’s going to magically change in the future? It won’t, it’s a heart issue.
I want you to know the truth this morning. Jesus cares about where our heart is. Matt. 6:21 says it very simply for us…. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
This morning I want to remind you that when you give to the Lord from your heart, when you give sacrificially and put your faith and your trust in Him….He sees what your doing, He’s taken notes…your reward in Heaven will be great.
Have you ever wondered why Jesus didn’t run up to the woman and give her a big high five and praise her for what she had done? I’m sure it would have made her day, probably embarrassed her. I don’t think Jesus did it for one simple reason. He knew she didn’t put that money in to be recognized by man, she did it simply to worship God, she loved God, she trusted God to take care of her, everyday, every minute of the day. How about you?
Second, the Christian Life is about Loving God….Love gives all.
Jesus was getting ready to demonstrate with his own blood what it means to love…He was going to pour out his life blood for you and me, not because we loved him so much…because our hearts have been so self centered….Jesus died for us when we could have care less about Him. His Love was not conditioned on the idea that he would get something in return, His Gift was given our of pure love, pure motives.
Christ is calling his disciples to be like Him in how we live out our lives…..givers in every sense of the word.
This is a principle that we have tried so hard to teach our children…because I truly believe this is one of the most important concepts in all of Christianity… My heart jumps for joy when I see one of my girls give unexpectedly something from themselves to someone else, whether it’s time, money, or just a helping hand…. Because I know that is Christ living in them that brings that to the light. It might be something as simple as washing the dishes without being asked…that happens a lot in our house, that’s being a giver, not a taker. I’ve seen my kids go the aid of their friends, no questions asked. My kids have volunteered to watch others kids in the church for various reasons, for years they have done that and never complained….givers, not takers….I believe it is the way of the cross, it’s what Christians do.
I work everyday trying to teach this principle that it is better to give than to receive at school. Most kids look at you like your crazy, it’s a foreign concept to them….do you know why? They have never seen it at home. They have never seen it demonstrated. When all you know is…Dad comes home and does exactly what he wants and the rest of us just need to get out of the way….is that giving or taking? When Mom won’t take time to cook dinner because her favorite TV show is coming on, so the kids have to do without, is that giving or taking? You would be surprised what goes on in the homes right around you every night….everyone just taking, not caring about the people living in the same house…just themselves. That’s called selfishness, self-centered, it’s the root of sin.
Jesus is calling us to a self-less life, one that is marked by giving ourselves away to others for Christ’s sake.
Our Love for Christ compels us to get involved in other people lives, for the sole purpose of sharing His Love with them. Have you come to the place in your Christian life where you understand that you have no choice…Love for Christ Compels you to share the Love of Christ with other people…it is your mission, it’s why your heart beats everyday…sharing Christ, giving Christ away. If your life is all about you, your missing the very heart of why God put you here… don’t miss your calling.
I’m giving you a simple target list…we’ve done this before…the reason is this is what Christians do…we pray for God to put people in our lives that we can target them for His love, we purposely go after people to share Christ with them. I know of one name that I will continue to work on, but I am going to ask God to help me fill my list, bring to mind those people who you want me to target, who are the people that are hungry and thirsty for you?
I just went back to gym yesterday for the first time in a few years, and in 90 minutes I met about 4 different guys who I’ve never met before. I was so wore out that I couldn’t carry on a coherent conversation yesterday, but I’m trusting God will put me in a position to target some of these men so that I can share Christ with them. Where do you go everyday where you can reach out to people? That’s you mission field.
Our Love for Christ compels us to sacrificially give…whether it’s money, time, or even our life…what are you willing to do for your Savior? Are you living a life that marks you as a giver? Or are you taking most of the time?
I want to close this service with a powerful story of a young woman, a fellow believer who had to decide what she was willing to give for her Savior.
(I used a video from voice of the martyers....Sarah's trail of blood...very powerful testimony)
