Money Talks
Mark 12:41-44
"And He sat down opposite the treasury, and began observing how the multitude were putting money into the treasury; and many rich people were putting in large sums. And a poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which amount to a cent. And 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.'" (Mark 12:41-44)
Suppose we decided to take the offering in this church in a new way. Instead of passing the plate, let's say we let each one of you come down to the plates on this table and put in your gifts. As you did that, I would be standing there looking at what you put in and evaluating it in terms of your income.
Some of you may think that would be an invasion of your privacy. Some of you might even get offended. But you shouldn't. That is exactly what Jesus did. Here, in Mark 12:41-44, Jesus was standing around the Temple treasury, looking at what the people put in. We know it as the story of the "Widow's Mite." Jesus, here, is evaluating the people's gifts in terms of their income. He not only saw who was doing the giving, but what they were giving. And He evaluated it in terms of the gifts proportioned to the person's income.
Why was Jesus doing that? Because He is interested in what we give. Someone once said that, "Money talks - It says bye-bye." I'm sure there is some truth to that statement. Probably all of us feel that we have heard those words as we have written checks to our creditors. But our text reveals to us that money talks in other ways as well. Jesus was interested in what the people were giving and He is interested in what we give because money talks. It speaks about us, our relationship to God, and what we value. What does money say about you? If Jesus watched you give, what would His opinion of your giving be?
In our text, there are several principles important to our giving. As we discover these principles, today's message can be a mirror in which we can behold the reflection of our own love for the Lord expressed through our giving.
God Cares About Our Giving
Because of Jesus' action of observing the multitude as they gave, it should be obvious that God cares about our giving. What we see Jesus doing in our passage, God does all the time and in all things. He sees our giving. Indeed, He sees all of our living as well. But the point is that just as Jesus made a deliberate effort to observe the giving habits of these people, so God is interested in our giving.
God is interested in our giving because He has a plan for our giving. God's plan is called tithing. In fact, tithing is giving God's way. The Lord established this plan for the benefit of His Kingdom and for the benefit of His people. What we give and how we give is directly linked to our prosperity in the Lord, both material prosperity and spiritual prosperity. Therefore, God cares deeply that we follow His plan in this area.
Now, the subject of money is a touchy one to some people. But it should not be. We should be eager to know God's method for giving, and be eager to obey God in this area. Anyone who is serious about following the Lord must take His giving seriously. God certainly does. How do you give? Do you tithe? If Jesus were to observe your giving today, what would His opinion be?
There are three reasons why some do not tithe. The first is that they have never been taught to tithe. Because of the way some people react to the mention of money, some preachers never approach the subject. And with all that has gone on in the religious world in the last few years, some preachers are even more gun shy. Because some on TV seem to be only interested in feathering their nest with the contributions of Christian people, none of us in legitimate ministry want to appear as if we are simply interested in money. And so, some have never been taught to tithe. But let me say that God is not just interested in your money; but He is interested in your money. Because He is interested in you and your welfare, I must be faithful to share with you the liberating message of what tithing can do for you.
The second reason people do not tithe is that they misunderstand the place of tithing in the Bible. Some do no think it is for today. But this is a misunderstanding of the principle of tithing as God's plan for giving. I suspect the real reason they object is that they do not want to tithe anyway. Frank Hubbard has said, "When a fellow says, 'It ain't the money, but the principle of the thing,' it's the money." And He is right. Money talks. It says a lot about our attitudes toward God. Do you really believe you are glorifying God by not tithing? Tithing is giving God's way. It is an acknowledgement that all we possess belongs to God.
The third reason people don't tithe is because they refuse to do so. I remember being invited to be the keynote speaker at a stewardship banquet at a church in Virginia Beach. The pastor asked me to preach a strong message on tithing. This was a conservative church which prided itself on preaching the Book, believing the Book, and living the Book. When I rose to speak, I made the statement, "The purpose of my message tonight is to convince you that if you are not currently tithing, you are living in unrepentant sin." I had their attention. Most of the people enjoyed the message, but a few did not. Before the message, we had a catered meal which included some very over-done and dry chicken. The pastor told me after the banquet that one of the disgruntled people who refused to tithe came to him and said, "The best thing about this night was the chicken." Some people don't tithe because they refuse to do so, no matter what God says. I trust you are not in this category. If you are, you may want to look closely at your life. If you do, I believe you will see the hand of God's judgment on you. God will not be mocked. Many people are living lives filled with tragic events; events which cause them not only financial suffering, but emotional suffering because they, as Christians, refuse to give God His tithe. They, in the words of Scripture, referring to those who will not tithe, have indeed been "cursed with a curse." It is my prayer that God may give you repentance today if you are in this category.
O. S. Hawkins said, "The principal hindrance to the advancement of the Kingdom of God is greed. It is the chief obstacle to heaven-sent revival. It seems that when the back of greed is broken, the human spirit soars into regions of unselfishness. I believe it is safe to say there can be no continuous revival without 'hilarious' giving. And I fear no contradiction: wherever there is 'hilarious' giving, there will soon be revival!"
Jesus watched those who gave to the Temple treasury because God cares about our giving. He cares about our giving because He cares about our spiritual welfare. Giving is obedience to God. Giving displays our love for Jesus. If we do not give God's way, our spirits dry up. Our fellowship with God is broken, and we take ourselves away from the place where God can bless us. On the other hand, if we are faithful in our giving, God has promised that He will "open the windows of heaven" and bless us with a blessing until there is no more room to receive it.
God Cares About How Much We Give
We see from our text that Jesus not only observed their giving, He observed what they gave. God not only cares about our giving, but also cares about how much we give.
Notice what is happening in our text: Jesus is sitting at the Temple treasury, observing those who are giving. At the Temple treasury were thirteen brass treasure chests, into which people put their contributions. These treasure chests were called "trumpets" because they were shaped like trumpets. The Mishnah tells us that upon each chest was an inscription indicating what the offerings were for. The money people dropped in (they did not deal in currency in those days) could make quite a racket. Because of this method of giving, some who wanted to make a show of their giving could easily do so. And while Jesus rebuked such an ostentatious show, He never rebuked the giving of large gifts. This is the scene Jesus observed.
Our Scripture says that He saw many rich people come along and put in very large sums of money. As they did this, He didn't say a word. He simply observed. Then there came along a widow. Our text says she was a "poor" widow. She had with her two coins. Depending on the version of Scripture you are reading from, she had two "mites," or two "copper coins." Actually, they were called "lepta." "Lepta" means "thin one." They were some of the least valuable coins of the day. It is difficult to translate their value in modern terms because all things are not equal. Our text says they were worth about a cent. Actually, they are considered to be worth between one-forth and two-fifths of a penny. In any case, to her, they were more valuable. These two coins represented approximately a day's wage for her. Furthermore, Jesus reveals that these two coins were all the money she had. They were all she had to live on.
Yet, this widow came and dropped both the coins into the Temple treasury. She gave all she had. She could have kept one of the coins. I believe it's significant that our Scripture reveals that she had two. Certainly a contribution of fifty percent of all you have would be a worthy gift indeed. But she gave, not fifty percent, but one hundred percent. She gave all. And when she did, Jesus could not keep quiet any longer. He had not said anything when the rich gave great sums of money. He had merely observed. But when this widow gave all she had, Jesus became animated. He turned to His disciples and He said, "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." The widow's giving impressed Jesus. It impressed Jesus because of how much she gave. God cares about how much we give.
In proportion to what the rich people had, they had only given a very little. Jesus said they gave out of their "surplus." In other words, they gave what they had left over. What they gave, though it was a great deal in terms of money, was never missed by them because it was out of their "surplus." But the widow was different indeed. What she gave was all she had. What she gave cost her. What she gave was a sacrifice. And Jesus commended her for it. This impressed Him because it meant that this widow was a true worshipper indeed. Worship through giving what costs us should characterize Christian stewardship.
In the Old Testament, when King David needed to make an offering to God to atone for his sin, he needed to buy the threshing floor of Araunah, the Jebusite. When David attempted to purchase it, Araunah offered to give it to him along with oxen for burnt offerings and all the wood needed. David's reply was, "No. But I will surely buy it from you for a price. For I will not offer burnt offerings to the Lord my God which cost me nothing." David would not offer to God that which cost him nothing. But this was what these rich people were doing. While they were giving large sums of money, it really cost them nothing. The widow, on the other hand, gave to God that which cost her all she had. That's the kind of offering Jesus became excited about. What she gave was a greater proportion of what she had.
God has commanded us to give proportionally. In Malachi 3:10 it says, "Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse..." Leviticus 27:30 says, "...All the tithe... is the Lord's; it is holy unto the Lord." "Tithe" means "tenth." It is a precise mathematical term. By tithing, that is giving one tenth of all your income, to the Lord, everyone can give proportionally. Whether a person makes five thousand a year, fifty thousand a year, or one hundred thousand a year, one tenth of that money is the Lord's. It costs the same for all. It is not equal gifts, but equal sacrifice the Lord is after. If you make five thousand a year, then you should give five hundred. If you make fifty thousand a year, you should give five thousand. If you make one hundred thousand a year, you should give ten thousand to the Lord's work through the local church. Tithing is the beginning place for Christian stewardship.
Tithing, incidentally, did not originate as part of the Old Testament Law. Tithing began four hundred thirty years before the Law was given, when Abraham offered tithes of all. In fact, tithing may go back as far as the Garden of Eden, and Abel may have been the first tither. He offered the firstfruits to the Lord. This principle of firstfruits is one which is important in Scripture. It represents the totality of a thing. The first man's sin had a damning effect on the whole human race. Paul says, in Romans 11:16, "For if the firstfruits be holy, the lump is also holy. And if the root be holy, so are the branches." The first is the governing factor for the totality. All of the firstfruits belong to the Lord. This is a declaration that all belongs to God. That is why we are to give off the top. We are not to pay our bills first and then give what is out of the surplus. God is not the god of what's left over. He is the God of it all. To give God the firstfruits is a testimony that Christ is King and Lord over all.
Tithing was practiced before the Law, during the Law, and after the Law in the New Testament Church. Jesus never lowered the standard of the tithe. In fact, He affirmed the tithe in one place in Scripture as something that ought to be done without neglecting other things that should be done also.
Paul says, in 1 Corinthians 16;2, "Upon the first day of the week, let every one of you lay by him in store as God hath prospered him." Here we see a reference to proportionate giving. "As God hath prospered him." The NIV says, "In keeping with his income." What is in keeping with everyone's income? The same percent for all is. The tithe - what are you to do with it? You are to lay it up in store on the first day of the week. Now, where were these Christians on the first day of the week? In the house of the Lord, that's where. Here is New Testament tithing. God cares about how much we give.
God has commanded us to bring the whole tithe into the storehouse. If you do not tithe, that is give ten percent of your gross income to the Lord, then you are not meeting the minimum standard of Christian stewardship. When Abraham gave one tenth of all he had to Melchizedek, an Old Testament type of Christ, he gave carefully. He had to do some addition or subtraction, maybe some multiplication. He had to calculate a tenth of all his income. Are you careful to give to the Lord? Have you looked at your income and tithing records to be sure you are giving at least a tenth? You may say, "That's legalistic." Well, let me ask you something: If your paycheck was short twenty dollars this week and your employer said, "Don't be so legalistic - it's only twenty dollars," what would you think of that? Do you want your employer to be careful in figuring your wages? Then be careful in figuring your tithe to the Lord.
God Cares About How We Give
God cares about our giving. He cares about how much we give. But He also cares about how we give. This is apparent in Jesus' reaction to the widow's gift. Perhaps there were others standing by, watching the rich put in great sums of money. Perhaps that crowd had been "ooohing" and "aaahing" over the size of the gifts. Then comes this woman, perhaps with head bowed, seeking to be as inconspicuous as possible. Trying to be unnoticed, she places her pittance in the offering chest. Do you suppose there was "ooohing" and "aaahing" when she made her contribution? I believe so. Not from the crowd, but from Jesus. He was excited about her giving. He was excited about what she gave - all she had - and also about how she gave - with a heart toward God.
You see, you can give out of many different motivations. You can give in order to be seen of men. You can also give grudgingly. Another motivation for giving can simply be in order to get. But as believers, certain attitudes ought to characterize our giving. Jesus was excited because of the attitude which motivated this widow's gift. What should our attitude be as we give?
The first reason we ought to give is because we love the Lord and we are thankful for all God has done for us. Remember, Jesus gave His very life for us. Considering what He gave, how small is the gift of the tithe we are asked to give? Small indeed. God has blessed us beyond what we deserve. Because of all He has done for us, we give out of a heart full of love for Him. We give because we want to. Because we are thankful. So, our giving, first of all, should be thankful giving.
Our giving ought also to be cheerful giving. The Bible says that "God loveth a cheerful giver." (2 Corinthians 9:7) The word for "cheerful" in this passage is the word from which we get our word "hilarious." God loves a giver who gives joyously, hilariously; not simply because he has to, but because he delights in giving.
Our giving ought also to be liberal. Luke 6:38 says, "Give and it will be given to you, good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over; they will pour into your lap. For by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you in return." Also, 2 Corinthians 9:6 says, "Now, this I say, he who sows sparingly shall also reap sparingly. And he who sows bountifully shall also reap bountifully." If we are stingy with our sowing, we shall be sadly disappointed with our reaping. The measure we pour out shall be the same measure we get back. If we give stingily, we shall receive little. If we give bountifully, we shall receive in abundance. While you can't outgive God, many certainly undergive Him. It has been said that, "Some give their money as they give their teeth to a dentist." But that is not Christian giving. The Lord loves a liberal giver.
"There is a disease which is particularly virulent in this part of the twentieth century. It is called cirrhosis of the giver. It was actually discovered about 34 AD and ran a terminal course in a couple named Annanias and Sapphira (Acts 5). It is an acute condition which renders the patient's hand immobile, when it attempts to move from the billfold to the offering plate. The remedy is to remove the afflicted from the house of God, since it is clinically observable that this condition disappears in alternate environments such as golf courses, or clubs, or restaurants."
Our giving, finally, as was the giving of the early church, ought to be sacrificial in nature. We've already stated that Jesus is not impressed with those who just give what's left over, those who give out of their surplus. This widow is an example of sacrificial giving. She is an example of a person who lives more simply so that the Lord's work can prosper. She is one who is storing up treasure in Heaven. The story goes that a man died and went to Heaven. There, he made this comment concerning his use of money on earth. He said, "What I spent, I lost; what I saved, I left; and what I gave, I have." We do not lose what we give. We send it on before us, that there may be treasure in heaven. And, as a matter of fact, the more treasure we store in heaven, the more we experience on earth. John Bunyan once said, "There was a man, some called him mad. The more he gave, the more he had." And that is true of the Christian. God blesses us. The promise of God is that as we give, He will give back to us. He will open the windows of heaven to us. But even if He didn't, we should give anyway. C. T. Studd, the famous missionary said, "If Jesus Christ be God and died for me, then no sacrifice can be too great for me to make for Him."
As we willingly, joyfully, liberally, and thankfully give to God, He will be excited about our giving, just as He was excited about this widow's gift. God cares about our giving. God cares about how much we give. God cares about how we give. Let me ask you again: What is Jesus' opinion of your giving?
Credit goes to DJ Hoke
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