A Generous Life
lanny smith
2022 Lent / Generosity; Gift / Luke 21:1–4
• Spring cleaning here in my office & at home.
• Maybe you would find as many pennies as we did!
• Bag o’ pennies from my desk.
• Common theme during the season of Lent is generosity.
• Generosity is based on an awareness of what God has done for us.
• We need to realign our thinking about generosity to match Jesus’ understanding.
Luke 21:1–4 NLT
1 While Jesus was in the Temple, he watched the rich people dropping their gifts in the collection box. 2 Then a poor widow came by and dropped in two small coins. ??3 “I tell you the truth,” Jesus said, “this poor widow has given more than all the rest of them. 4 For they have given a tiny part of their surplus, but she, poor as she is, has given everything she has.”
• When Jesus approves of someone’s actions, we can trust that doing the same is a good idea.
• Passage context & background
• Treasury boxes shaped like trumpets in the Court of Gentiles.
• Different containers for different kinds of offerings.
• Made a lot of noise when money was dropped in.
• “Opportunity” for ostentatious giving. Overt displays of financial piety.
• By contrast, the widows two tiny coins (lepta - about 1/100th of a day’s wage)
• Lit. meant “peel” or “husk.” Nearly a throwaway.
• Wouldn’t have been seen or heard without careful observation.
• Many that day had generous offerings while demonstrating a generous life.
A Generous Life:
• What we learn from this story:
Recognize that the posture of our heart is the standard of our giving. Not the amount.
• Poor = needy
• The widow’s gift was, proportional to her total financial worth, immense.
• Her gift, on the divine measuring scale, was huge.
Luke 21:2 NLT
2 Then a poor widow came by and dropped in two small coins.
• She gave out of faith and love.
1 Corinthians 13:3 NLT
3 If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing.
• It’s easy for us to fall into the trap of judging the value of the giver and the value of their gift by the amount.
• Jesus realigns our thinking about how we practice generosity.
• Even if no one else knows or notices, God does indeed know and values your gift.
Giving that pleases God is giving that costs us something.
• Her financial position was pitiable.
• “Couch cushion giving” is far too often the default level of generosity. (like my bag ‘o pennies). Whatever is in our pocket (or left over).
• Then there’s habitual giving - A steady practice, repeatable, planned, deliberate.
• Frankly, it’s one of the reasons we remind folks every week in the service that there are multiple ways to practice consistent generosity.
• Extravagant giving - Over the top.
Luke 21:3 NLT
3 “I tell you the truth,” Jesus said, “this poor widow has given more than all the rest of them.
• The widow was extravagant in her generosity.
• It cost her something (maybe everything) to bring her gift to the Temple.
• King David knew this:
2 Samuel 24:24 NLT
24 But the king replied to Araunah, “No, I insist on buying it, for I will not present burnt offerings to the Lord my God that have cost me nothing.” So David paid him fifty pieces of silver for the threshing floor and the oxen.
• It’s also so important that we remember that:
God does great works with our gifts.
• She is lacking in nearly every way but faith. Her faith makes a difference for all time.
• Versus the abundance of the surplus given by wealthier people.
• Poor widow’s 2 cents has inspired generosity in countless believers over the centuries.
Luke 21:4 NLT
4 For they have given a tiny part of their surplus, but she, poor as she is, has given everything she has.”
• What if our gifts had that kind of eternal power? They do!
Wrap up:
• Money talks. What does yours say?
• Opportunity to practice a generous life.
• Collection for mission to Ukraine.
• Partnering with Team Expansion based on Louisville, KY. A ministry affiliated with the Restoration Church movement.
• They are sending a team member/missionary to Ukraine next month. He is right now on the border with Poland, working on the details.
• Let’s send enough to support this effort significantly. Can we agree to contribute $5000 to this effort?
• Not gonna fit in cardboard piggy banks! There’s an option to give on our giving portal.
