“The Mighty Mite”
(Luke 21:1-4)
Let’s take our Bibles and open them to Luke 21. We’ll be looking at verses 1-4, and I see this passage much like the PIP on many of the newer televisions out today. How many of you have seen the “picture-in-a-picture” technology? It lets you view two things on the same screen. That’s kind of what’s going on here – two things are happening (disciples’ picture vs. Jesus’ picture), but it plays itself out on one screen. Almost like God’s PIP – Pictures In a Passage!
Or it’s kind of like the weird pictures that you stare at for a long time, then they become clear. Have you ever seen one of those? That’s the idea here as well – it’s one picture, but the longer you stare at it, the clearer the real picture becomes.
Such is the case here in Luke 21. We have two things going on:
Picture #1 is what the disciples saw, and picture #2 is what Jesus saw. Let me read the text and then we’ll make some observations.
[READ LUKE 21:1-4]
These two pictures in a passage remind me of what happens often in church when we give our tithes and offerings to God – what we see is just a little different than what God sees. Let me show you.
[“Cheerful Givers” Video]
Well, that probably hits home, doesn’t it? While that sinks in, let’s take a look at the contrasts in thee verses, the two pictures that are seen in this one passage.
1. The disciples saw rich people giving; Jesus saw a poor widow sacrificing.
You know the difference between the two, right? Let me see if this simple story will illustrate:
Once upon a time, a pig and a chicken were walking down a village street. They came upon a church sign which was advertising a prayer breakfast which was going to be held in a few days. At the bottom of the sign the menu was given. It read “Ham and eggs will be served from 6:30 to 8:00 am.” The chicken turned to the pig and said, "See!!’ Even we can help the work of the church!!!"
"Yes," said the pig, "but yours is only a contribution, mine is a SACRIFICE."
And that leads me to my next observation:
2. The disciples saw portions; Jesus saw proportion.
Often it is not just what we give but we give in relation to what we have. That’s the idea behind proportion. For instance, when I was in Atlanta as a youth pastor, we were feeding the homeless and passing out winter coats one fall evening. In fact, it was actually snowing that night! While I was ministering, a man approached me and asked me for a coat. But I didn’t have any left, and upon the leading of the Spirit, I simply sized him up and saw that mine would fit him. So I took mine off and handed it to him. And yes, it was new one someone had given me that week! But far better for him to have a coat than me. You see, that was different to him – because it was a gift given out of proportion. I gave him from what I had, not just from what others had.
That’s why it is so amazing to read about the way the early Christians and churches gave – it was always out of their poverty. 2 Corinthians 8 and Philippians 4 are tremendous passages that reveal to us the way they sacrificed. And Jesus notices that type of sacrifice because it is proportionate giving.
Here’s another way of saying this:
3. The disciples saw how much; Jesus saw how much was left.
Jesus noticed that even after the rulers gave, they still had an abundance. But not the widow – she gave when really she had nothing to give. And so she was left with nothing.
In fact, this is proven by the usage of the words in the text. Did you know that two words are used in this story to describe the depth of poverty this woman was in? ‘Peno’ is used, which means to have to toil for daily substance (living day by day); and then ‘Ptochos’ is used, which describes a beggar who is destitute and in a very deep poverty. This woman was so poor that not just one but both were used to describe her. She was at the bottom of the barrel. Yet, she gave out of that depth of poverty.
Here’s the cool part of this equation. When you start with nothing and give something, you wind up giving more than those who start with something and give little. That’s what God said, wasn’t it? In fact, he actually said she gave more than all the others combined!
And that brings me to my next observation:
4. The disciples saw it as the least; Jesus saw it as the most.
As I said, Jesus saw her sacrifice as more than what the others gave combined. That’s not a mathematical possibility, but it is a spiritual possibility. Why? Because God has a way of taking little things and making them big things. As the old songs says, “Little is much when God is in it.”
Lastly,
5. The disciples saw people giving many things; Jesus saw a widow giving everything.
You see, she dropped in far more than a mite (worth about 1/8 of a penny). When she gave those last two copper coins, she was giving everything. Yes, everything! For she had nothing to fall back on; nothing to rely on.
In my devotional book, Meditations of a Young Minister, I wrote about this aspect:
“When she gave that one, insignificant mite, she gave her next meal, her next wardrobe, her next gift for a friend. Yes, she gave more than a simple monetary item; she gave all she had! Now she had nothing left. No more resources. No more savings. She had given it away to the blessed Savior, a sacrifice that prompted the Almighty God of the universe to sit up and take notice.”
(By the way, this book is on our Web site through Thanksgiving as an e-book – that’s right, a free, PDF download. Feel free to download it for your enjoyment and benefit.)
And this is the very attitude God is looking for – an attitude of sacrifice where we give everything, not just some things, money things, or a few things. God desires that we give everything.
Here’s the cool part – this is not a financial issue! The Pharisees gave lots more, but they weren’t giving everything. And the little widow gave very little monetarily, yet she gave it all. So that proves that giving everything isn’t a number; it’s not an amount. It’s an attitude of sacrifice! That’s what tells the story of your heart.
That’s why I would say to you:
“Sacrifice is the best way – the only way – to show God I’ve truly given everything to him.”
Would you say that with me? “Sacrifice is the best way – the only way – to show God I’ve truly given everything to him.”
Just as the two little copper coins – the widow’s mite – got the attention of Jesus, so our sacrifice grabs God’s attention and shows him just how serious we really are. It is the one true indication we’re really following. There is no better way to follow than to sacrifice.
This is a common theme throughout the ministry of Jesus:
Matthew 16:24
“Then Jesus said to his disciples, ‘If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.”
Luke 14:26
“If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters – yes, even his own life – he cannot be my disciple.”
Luke 14:33
“…any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple.”
And it is a common trait of those who follow him: Recall Abraham? God said, “Take you son, your only son Isaac, and offer him on Mt. Moriah” (Gen. 22). And recall Job? “Shall we accept good from the Lord and not bad?” (Job 2). Who could forget Peter, James and John – “they left everything and followed him” (Luke 5). And remember Paul? “My whole life is being out as a drink offering” (2 Timothy 4).
Yes, sacrifice is what the followers of Jesus do in the Kingdom adventure. It’s what we’ve been doing over the last 7 weeks in our 50-Day Adventure, and it’s what I hope we will continue to do as we follow our Master. In fact, let me tie the last seven weeks together for you and illustrate in this diagram how giving everything – sacrificing – is really what we have been learning to do.
When I forgive, I sacrifice my rights.
When I pray, I sacrifice my control.
When I respond humbly, I sacrifice my pride.
When I am generous, I sacrifice my stuff.
When I worship, I sacrifice my attention.
When I obey the Scriptures, I sacrifice my authority.
When I reach out to my community, I sacrifice my love.
And so you see that living as a disciple is a willingness to give – sacrifice – in all these areas. That’s how I give everything; that’s how I give all of me!
I want you to know that this is the way to live life! (POINT TO DIAGRAM) Yes, this is the way to the abundant life Christ talked about in John 10:10. It is through sacrifice that I experience the life of Christ being lived out in me, for in sacrifice I truly understand what he did for me! As I understand that, then I come to the point where I say, “In everything I do, with everything I have, I’m an offering to God – a sacrifice to my King!” As Winston Churchill said, “We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.”
Sacrifice is what Milton Olive III was all about! As a Pfc. in the Vietnam War, he and four other soldiers were moving through a Vietnam jungle together when a grenade was thrown into their midst. Pfc. Olive saw the grenade, and then saved the lives of his fellow soldiers at the sacrifice of his own life by grabbing the grenade in his hand and falling on it to absorb the blast with his body. Through his bravery, unhesitating actions, and complete disregard for his safety, he prevented additional loss of life or injury to the members of his platoon. Milton Olive III was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor because of his sacrifice. Thanks to him, other soldiers got to come back home safely. What a soldier!
That’s what Jesus did for us! He took the live grenade of the cross for all of us – he sacrificed – and we today are able to be saved. (SHARE GOSPEL)
And that’s how we ought to strive to live – sacrificially, just like the One we are following. People matter, and our sacrifices may very well be what God will use to bring others back home.
Will you be one of God’s followers, not just for 50 days, but for the rest of your life? Will you sacrifice so that others may be saved? Will you start building a life, not just earning a living? I want you to take your feedback card and respond today as God is leading you … would you be an “everything” follower?
You see, today may be about our Celebration Offering in one sense, but I think it is more about our lives. There’s more at stake than money. The question is: Will we give everything? Time, love, forgiveness, and yes, stuff? Give God more than your dollars; give God your life!
This morning, if you’re ready to sacrifice – give everything – I want to ask you to simply write that one word on your feedback card as a prayer of commitment to God and as a note of accountability to your church. Then bring I up to the front if you wish, or drop it off in one of the white drop boxes by the doors. Let’s end our 50-Day Adventure by signing up for a lifetime of following! I’m in…are you?
