Simon Cowell is a familiar name to anyone who has watched shows like American Idol, The X Factor, and America’s Got Talent. He is the judge who’s usually scowling or looking totally bored. If you can get Simon to say something good about your performance, well, you may just be a star!
As far as I know, none of you have been on one of those competition shows and had to impress Simon Cowell. Still, we all have spent our lives trying to impress others—like when as a three-year-old you shouted: “Daddy, watch me!” as you executed a lopsided cartwheel. Who is it that you’ve been trying to impress lately? Your coach so that he’ll give you more playing time? Your boss so that she will give you a raise? That intriguing person at the office or school so that they will go on a date with you?
Rather than being concerned about impressing the people around us, we should focus on impressing God. Simon Cowell can buzz you off a game show, but God will determine where you spend eternity: in heaven or in hell. Today we’re going to learn a surprising truth: impressing God is much harder than you may think, but it is also much easier than you may suppose.
The events of our text take place in the temple courts of Jerusalem on the Tuesday of Holy Week. Three days from then, Jesus would be hanging from a cross. This was largely due to the religious leaders who were jealous of Jesus’ popularity. On that Tuesday of Holy Week, they were trying to trap Jesus into doing or saying something that would give them a reason to condemn him. Jesus warned about those leaders: “Watch out for the religion scholars. They love to walk around in academic gowns, preening in the radiance of public flattery, basking in prominent positions, sitting at the head table at every church function. And all the time they are exploiting the weak and helpless. The longer their prayers, the worse they get. But they’ll pay for it in the end.” (Mark 12:38-40, The Message)
The religious leaders had impressed people by taking the front-row seats in the synagogues, by wowing them with their Bible knowledge, and by offering long and loud prayers on the street corners. But they did not impress the Son of God. For Jesus could see into their hearts and tell that they were doing the right thing (showing up for worship and offering prayers) for the wrong reason (for show and for human praise).
Have you perhaps done the right thing for the wrong reason this morning? Have you come to church to impress your parents or someone else? For that matter, I need to ask myself: have I worked hard on this sermon hoping to impress you? Going to church and preaching a sermon are certainly good things to do unless they are meant to impress. Then they become hypocritical acts as hollow and worthless as a two-week-old jack-o-lantern.
Impressing God is a lot harder than you may think. God doesn’t want an outward piety—a fresh coat of paint on a rotting two-by-four. He wants a piety that is genuine and heartfelt. He wants humility as you serve others because that’s simply the right thing to do, not because it will add to your reputation of being a “nice” person. God wants this humility not once in a while but every time you take out the trash, do a fix-it job, or cook a meal for the family. He wants you to “hit it out of the park” just as every baseball manager wants every one of his players to hit a homerun every time they come up to bat. So how is your batting average for humble works of service? If you’re not batting 1.000 (“a thousand”), then you’re failing to impress God.
But that kind of perfection is impossible! It certainly is. And so you’ll be happy learn that impressing God is actually also much easier that you may suppose. Look at what happened in our text after Jesus condemned the religious leaders. He went over to where the offering boxes were in the temple courts and sat down to watch people put in their offerings. Jesus observed them with the kind of scrutiny the school staff and I watch strangers who wander onto our property during school hours. Only, Jesus didn’t need to wonder what the offering givers were up to. He knew because as the Son of God he knows all things—even the deepest darkest secrets that we have locked away in our hearts.
As Jesus watched, several well-to-do worshippers deposited large amounts of money in offering receptacles that were shaped like trumpets. A bag full of heavy, valuable coins poured into the opening must have really rattled as they careened down the chute into the offering chest where they would have landed with a pleasing and a repeated cha-chin, cha-chin!
But then along came a widow who must not have been very well dressed, for she was described as being poor. When she walked by the offering box, she dropped in two tiny copper coins worth a few cents, if that. Did anyone even hear her coins drop into the offering box?
Jesus took notice. And Jesus was impressed—so impressed that he called his disciples together to draw attention to the widow’s offering. Jesus said: “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.” (Mark 12:43-44)
What made this widow’s gift so precious was obviously not the total amount. While these two copper coins weren’t equivalent to two pennies today with which you wouldn’t even be able to buy a single piece of gum, the widow’s coins could have at least purchased a cup of milk, or perhaps an egg. In other words, those coins, the last two that she had, could have purchased a little food that would have sustained the widow for another day.
Yet she gave it ALL away! Seems foolish, doesn’t it? Shouldn’t she have kept one of the coins and bought at least a half a cup of milk? Yet this is what so impressed Jesus. From other Bible passages about the kind of giving God wants, we surmise that this widow gave out of thankfulness for God’s love, and she gave trusting that God would continue to provide for her. She may no longer have held any money in her hands, but she was certain that God was holding her in his. And that is what really matters. Wouldn’t you rather cross the ocean on a cruise ship than cling to a life jacket in the water while furiously kicking your way to shore? But that is what we do when we think our future depends on how much money we have. This widow teaches us a better way to live—sailing confidently with the promises of our God.
But really, what did this woman have to be thankful about that she would honor God with all she had? She was a widow after all. Where was God when her husband passed away? Assuming that her husband was a believer too, God was there to safely transport his soul to heaven. God was there to comfort the widow with the promise of the resurrection. And so the widow remained thankful.
That’s especially impressive when you consider that Jesus hadn’t even died and risen yet. This woman had to take it on faith that God would provide such a Savior. And he did. Three days later Jesus would make a sacrifice of even more staggering proportions when he gave his life for her sins and ours. Jesus would trade his heavenly Father’s favor for his anger over all the sins ever committed. Why is it easier to impress God than you may suppose? Because, like a pinch hitter who steps in and hits a homerun to win the game while the only thing his teammates have done is struck out every time up, so the Son of God put on our uniform and stepped into humanity’s line up. Jesus lived and died to win a place in heaven for you and me, his sinful, loser teammates.
That Savior was now close by watching the widow, even if the woman did not perceive his presence. Jesus is still watching over you too. He knows your situation. He knows your needs. And he has plans to provide for them. For this reason, we can continue to give thanks, even when life doesn’t play out the way we thought it would. Our present circumstances might not be great, but our future eternity will quite literally be out of this world.
So does this mean we should empty our bank accounts and put it all in the offering basket like the widow did? I doubt this woman always give 100% of her income. This was, after all, just one snapshot of her giving. There was a time when she had other responsibilities—like a husband to care for and perhaps also children. The Bible says that we are to use part of our income to care for family (1 Tim. 5:8). In fact, Jesus once chastised the religious leader because they said whatever money they gave to God lessened their obligation to care for family. Not so, said Jesus! (Mark 7:11)
When it comes to giving, God wants us to think in terms of percentages. The widow gave 100%, but nowhere has God commanded that amount. Instead, he directed his Old Testament people to give 10% of their income. While the command has not been repeated for New Testament believers, it is a helpful measuring stick…as is the amount we give to our restaurant servers. If we’re willing to give 15% or 20% to someone who has poured our coffee, what won’t we be willing to give to our Savior-God who has and continues to do so much more for us?
Whatever amount you give, ensure that it isn’t your “leftovers” or an amount that you wouldn’t miss. That’s what the rich were doing in our text. The total dollar amount of their gifts may have been impressive, but they weren’t motivated by trust that God would continue to provide for them.
While you might not be able to give 100% of your income to the Lord, you can give your all at work even if you’re “only” serving burgers or cleaning bathrooms. You can give each other your undivided attention when having a conversation. You can do this because you don’t have to try and impress anyone. For the sake of Jesus, God IS already impressed with you.
What is going to empower you to be generous as the widow was? God’s promises of course! The widow in the text was now without her husband, but she wasn’t a spiritual widow, and neither are you. The prophet Hosea once wrote: “In that day,” declares the Lord, “you will call me ‘my husband’…19 I will betroth you to me forever; I will betroth you in righteousness and justice, in love and compassion. 20 I will betroth you in faithfulness, and you will acknowledge the Lord.” (Hosea 2:16, 19-20) Since God has pledged his love to us, we can go through life with a thankful confidence—a confidence that will show in our generous giving. Amen.
SERMON NOTES
(pre-service warm up) We all spend our lives trying to impress others. Who is it that you’ve been trying to impress lately?
The religious leaders of Jesus’ day tried hard to impress others, much to the Savior’s disapproval. How might you be following in their footsteps?
Why are hypocritical acts of service and worship as hollow and worthless as a two-week-old jack-o-lantern?
Jesus claimed that the widow’s gift of two small coins was more valuable than the large monetary gifts of the rich. Give at least two reasons why.
Jesus himself made a sacrifice of even more staggering proportions than the widow did. How does this truth encourage you to trust Jesus fully?
How much does God expect believers today to give in their offerings?
Explain: The woman who gave the generous offering had lost her husband, but she was not a spiritual widow, and neither are you.
