"Giving"
Mark 12:41-44
Some while back, a man living in Newton, Massachusetts, received a bill for his as yet unused credit card stating that he owed $0.00. He ignored it and threw it away. A month later he received another one and threw that one away too. The following month the credit card company sent him a harsh note stating it was going to cancel his card if he didn’t send them $0.00 by return of post. He called them, talked to them, and they said it was a computer error and told him they’d take care of it. The following month our hero decided that it was about time that he tried out the troublesome credit card figuring that if there were purchases on his account it would put an end to his ridiculous predicament. However, in the first store that he produced his credit card in payment for his purchases, he found that his card had been cancelled. He called the credit card company, which apologized for the computer error once again, and said that they would take care of it. The next day he got a bill for $0.00 stating that payment was now overdue. Assuming that having spoken to the credit card company only the previous day, the latest bill was yet another mistake. So he ignored it, and trusted that the company would be as good as their word and sort the problem out.
The next month he got a bill for $0.00 stating that he had ten days to pay his acount or the company would have to take steps to recover the debt. Finally giving in, he thought he would play the company at their own game and so mailed them a check for $0.00. The computer duly processed his account and returned a statement to the effect that he now owed the credit card company nothing at all. A week later the man’s bank called asking him what he was doing writing a check for $0.00. After a lengthy explanation, the bank replied that the check for $0.00 had caused their check processing software to fail. The bank could not process any checks from their customers that day because the check for $0.00 had caused the computer to crash.
The following month the man received a letter from the credit card company claiming that his check had bounced and that he now owed them $0.00 and unless he sent a check by return of post they would be taking steps to recover the debt. The man, who had been considering buying his wife a computer for her birthday, bought her a manual typewriter instead.
This brief Gospel story teaches us how much God really wants from us. And from the get-go we need to realize that this goes beyond money. Yes, the primary example in this passage is money, but it extends into all aspects of our life. This relates to our time, our abilities, our energies, and our money. The principles taught in this passage include all aspects of our life as it relates to our service for God.
Imagine the scene. Jesus has just had a rather tense confrontation with some of the religious leaders. He heads off to the temple with His disciples, and they all sit down near where the offerings were received. Offerings in Jesus’ day were received in quite a different manner than we’re used to. There were thirteen offering boxes, each of them shaped like a trumpet. Each box had a different purpose: there was one for contributions to the building fund; one was for the priests’ salary; one was for helping the poor; for whatever purpose, there existed a box for the offering. When an individual went up to put his or her tithe and offering into a box, they would announce the amount of the gift and its purpose. For instance, one might say, “Five hundred dollars for the building fund, and $200 for the hunger relief fund.”
The widow put in two lepta, the smallest denomination coins in circulation. They were worth almost nothing. It was the minimum amount you were allowed to give. It certainly wasn’t a very impressive gift, and some might have been almost embarrassed for the old woman as she shuffled away into the distance. But as she left, Jesus pointed at her and said, “The plain truth is that this widow has given by far the largest offering today. All these others made offerings that they’ll never miss; she gave extravagantly what she couldn’t afford—she gave her all!”
As others continued to give their large gifts, and as the old woman disappeared in the crowd, it strikes me that those who were giving large amounts and tithing thought they were giving well. But here was a woman who gave a very small amount and walked away viewing her gift as a failure—and yet she gave the most extravagant gift of them all. God is watching, and God is counting as well.
First, when we give, God is counting the cost. If we had watched all the wealthy people come to give their offerings, we would’ve probably been amazed by the size of their gifts! And yet they still had so much money left behind. Maybe their minds were on their families and on meals that were waiting for them as soon as they finished their temple duty. They gave, but their giving wasn’t a sacrifice. They gave, but they still had lots left over. But then this one old woman comes and gives a meager amount, and yet it was her all. Sometimes a little gift costs a great deal more than a big gift does.
The issue is sacrifice. How many people give to God’s work in such a way that their gift is not sacrificial? They may give the prescribed amount, but their gift is such a small percentage of their resources. We could all admit that we’ve given to the temple without really sacrificing—without affecting our lifestyles that much. But here was a woman who gave in such a way that she had nothing left; it was the height of generosity.
Are you giving—even a large amount—in a way that costs little, or are you giving in such a way that it really costs you? Remember the words of David: “I will not offer to the Lord that which cost me nothing!” Does your giving really cost you?
Second, when we give, God is looking at how much is left. It’s easy to be impressed with large gifts, but the truth is: “Faithfulness in giving has nothing to do with how much we give; it has everything to do with how much we keep.” Don’t look at the size of the gift but at the size of the giver. The widow’s offering wasn’t that impressive, but it became really impressive when we see how little she had left over. Jesus looked not at the amount of the gift; He looked at how much was left over at the end. Our faithfulness has nothing do with what we give and everything to do with how much we keep. How much are you keeping behind?
Real giving has a certain recklessness about it. Who would’ve begrudged the woman keeping one of the coins? She would still have something, albeit not much. She would still have given half of all that she had. Half was still more proportionally than what the others gave. It’s not likely that the others gave half of all their wealth.
The widow displayed a certain recklessness with her gift. She gave all that she had. She displayed ultimate faith. She displayed a faith that is rare in our culture. She gave every bit of what she owned to God. She gave her savings, retirement plan, rainy day fund, or whatever you want to call it. She gave it all to God. She was relying on God to supply her needs. So often we rely on ourselves to supply our needs—and because we do, we probably too often play it safe.
Third, when we give, God is considering the condition of our heart. The people who were offering up their gifts weren’t all that bad—they were all tithing, they were keeping the rules as far as giving went. I used to think that as long as you tithed, you were giving enough. But that’s the problem with giving according to a formula. It’s possible to give a certain amount and yet have the heart ripped out of the process of giving. Giving becomes perfunctory and mechanical. But the widow, she gave from the heart; she gave her everything! What a challenge to us all!
The apostle Paul wrote that everyone should make up their own mind about what they give. In other words, don’t just follow a formula; pray about it; don’t give unwillingly or in response to pressure. God adores the person who gives cheerfully! The attitude is more important than the amount. God is more concerned with why and how we give than He is with how much we give.
Fourth, when we give, God is evaluating our trust in Him. That widow had just given the last of her meager resources—and with no husband and no income, how would she make ends meet? After doing their service at the temple, most went home for a delicious meal—if not to the Dover Grille or McDonald’s or Mama Mea’s or Guadalajara’s or Sonic or Taco John’s. But this widow walked home to a lonely house, not sure of where her next meal would come from.
But as Jesus pointed her out to His disciples, I can’t help but think, Will God not meet the needs of such a woman? Somehow, someway, I have to believe that God was more faithful to her than any of us could imagine. I confess to being ashamed of the times I’ve given God only what I thought I could afford. Only rarely have I given in such a way that I would have to trust God to provide. Does your giving demonstrate your trust in God to provide all of your needs? In fact, it was Mother Teresa who said, “If you give what you do not need, it isn’t giving!” The value of a gift is not determined by its amount but by the spirit in which it is given. A gift given grudgingly or for recognition loses its value. When you give, remember that gifts of any size are pleasing to God when they’re given out of gratitude and a spirit of generosity.
Let us pray: Lord, we pray that as You watch us give—not only of our money but also of our time and abilities and energies—that You will find us to be cheerful, extravagant givers who have truly discovered that You are able to make all grace abound to us, that in all things at all times, we will have from Your hand all that we truly need. So help us to give our all. For Your sake and in Your service.
Mark 12:41-44
Some while back, a man living in Newton, Massachusetts, received a bill for his as yet unused credit card stating that he owed $0.00. He ignored it and threw it away. A month later he received another one and threw that one away too. The following month the credit card company sent him a harsh note stating it was going to cancel his card if he didn’t send them $0.00 by return of post. He called them, talked to them, and they said it was a computer error and told him they’d take care of it. The following month our hero decided that it was about time that he tried out the troublesome credit card figuring that if there were purchases on his account it would put an end to his ridiculous predicament. However, in the first store that he produced his credit card in payment for his purchases, he found that his card had been cancelled. He called the credit card company, which apologized for the computer error once again, and said that they would take care of it. The next day he got a bill for $0.00 stating that payment was now overdue. Assuming that having spoken to the credit card company only the previous day, the latest bill was yet another mistake. So he ignored it, and trusted that the company would be as good as their word and sort the problem out.
The next month he got a bill for $0.00 stating that he had ten days to pay his acount or the company would have to take steps to recover the debt. Finally giving in, he thought he would play the company at their own game and so mailed them a check for $0.00. The computer duly processed his account and returned a statement to the effect that he now owed the credit card company nothing at all. A week later the man’s bank called asking him what he was doing writing a check for $0.00. After a lengthy explanation, the bank replied that the check for $0.00 had caused their check processing software to fail. The bank could not process any checks from their customers that day because the check for $0.00 had caused the computer to crash.
The following month the man received a letter from the credit card company claiming that his check had bounced and that he now owed them $0.00 and unless he sent a check by return of post they would be taking steps to recover the debt. The man, who had been considering buying his wife a computer for her birthday, bought her a manual typewriter instead.
This brief Gospel story teaches us how much God really wants from us. And from the get-go we need to realize that this goes beyond money. Yes, the primary example in this passage is money, but it extends into all aspects of our life. This relates to our time, our abilities, our energies, and our money. The principles taught in this passage include all aspects of our life as it relates to our service for God.
Imagine the scene. Jesus has just had a rather tense confrontation with some of the religious leaders. He heads off to the temple with His disciples, and they all sit down near where the offerings were received. Offerings in Jesus’ day were received in quite a different manner than we’re used to. There were thirteen offering boxes, each of them shaped like a trumpet. Each box had a different purpose: there was one for contributions to the building fund; one was for the priests’ salary; one was for helping the poor; for whatever purpose, there existed a box for the offering. When an individual went up to put his or her tithe and offering into a box, they would announce the amount of the gift and its purpose. For instance, one might say, “Five hundred dollars for the building fund, and $200 for the hunger relief fund.”
The widow put in two lepta, the smallest denomination coins in circulation. They were worth almost nothing. It was the minimum amount you were allowed to give. It certainly wasn’t a very impressive gift, and some might have been almost embarrassed for the old woman as she shuffled away into the distance. But as she left, Jesus pointed at her and said, “The plain truth is that this widow has given by far the largest offering today. All these others made offerings that they’ll never miss; she gave extravagantly what she couldn’t afford—she gave her all!”
As others continued to give their large gifts, and as the old woman disappeared in the crowd, it strikes me that those who were giving large amounts and tithing thought they were giving well. But here was a woman who gave a very small amount and walked away viewing her gift as a failure—and yet she gave the most extravagant gift of them all. God is watching, and God is counting as well.
First, when we give, God is counting the cost. If we had watched all the wealthy people come to give their offerings, we would’ve probably been amazed by the size of their gifts! And yet they still had so much money left behind. Maybe their minds were on their families and on meals that were waiting for them as soon as they finished their temple duty. They gave, but their giving wasn’t a sacrifice. They gave, but they still had lots left over. But then this one old woman comes and gives a meager amount, and yet it was her all. Sometimes a little gift costs a great deal more than a big gift does.
The issue is sacrifice. How many people give to God’s work in such a way that their gift is not sacrificial? They may give the prescribed amount, but their gift is such a small percentage of their resources. We could all admit that we’ve given to the temple without really sacrificing—without affecting our lifestyles that much. But here was a woman who gave in such a way that she had nothing left; it was the height of generosity.
Are you giving—even a large amount—in a way that costs little, or are you giving in such a way that it really costs you? Remember the words of David: “I will not offer to the Lord that which cost me nothing!” Does your giving really cost you?
Second, when we give, God is looking at how much is left. It’s easy to be impressed with large gifts, but the truth is: “Faithfulness in giving has nothing to do with how much we give; it has everything to do with how much we keep.” Don’t look at the size of the gift but at the size of the giver. The widow’s offering wasn’t that impressive, but it became really impressive when we see how little she had left over. Jesus looked not at the amount of the gift; He looked at how much was left over at the end. Our faithfulness has nothing do with what we give and everything to do with how much we keep. How much are you keeping behind?
Real giving has a certain recklessness about it. Who would’ve begrudged the woman keeping one of the coins? She would still have something, albeit not much. She would still have given half of all that she had. Half was still more proportionally than what the others gave. It’s not likely that the others gave half of all their wealth.
The widow displayed a certain recklessness with her gift. She gave all that she had. She displayed ultimate faith. She displayed a faith that is rare in our culture. She gave every bit of what she owned to God. She gave her savings, retirement plan, rainy day fund, or whatever you want to call it. She gave it all to God. She was relying on God to supply her needs. So often we rely on ourselves to supply our needs—and because we do, we probably too often play it safe.
Third, when we give, God is considering the condition of our heart. The people who were offering up their gifts weren’t all that bad—they were all tithing, they were keeping the rules as far as giving went. I used to think that as long as you tithed, you were giving enough. But that’s the problem with giving according to a formula. It’s possible to give a certain amount and yet have the heart ripped out of the process of giving. Giving becomes perfunctory and mechanical. But the widow, she gave from the heart; she gave her everything! What a challenge to us all!
The apostle Paul wrote that everyone should make up their own mind about what they give. In other words, don’t just follow a formula; pray about it; don’t give unwillingly or in response to pressure. God adores the person who gives cheerfully! The attitude is more important than the amount. God is more concerned with why and how we give than He is with how much we give.
Fourth, when we give, God is evaluating our trust in Him. That widow had just given the last of her meager resources—and with no husband and no income, how would she make ends meet? After doing their service at the temple, most went home for a delicious meal—if not to the Dover Grille or McDonald’s or Mama Mea’s or Guadalajara’s or Sonic or Taco John’s. But this widow walked home to a lonely house, not sure of where her next meal would come from.
But as Jesus pointed her out to His disciples, I can’t help but think, Will God not meet the needs of such a woman? Somehow, someway, I have to believe that God was more faithful to her than any of us could imagine. I confess to being ashamed of the times I’ve given God only what I thought I could afford. Only rarely have I given in such a way that I would have to trust God to provide. Does your giving demonstrate your trust in God to provide all of your needs? In fact, it was Mother Teresa who said, “If you give what you do not need, it isn’t giving!” The value of a gift is not determined by its amount but by the spirit in which it is given. A gift given grudgingly or for recognition loses its value. When you give, remember that gifts of any size are pleasing to God when they’re given out of gratitude and a spirit of generosity.
Let us pray: Lord, we pray that as You watch us give—not only of our money but also of our time and abilities and energies—that You will find us to be cheerful, extravagant givers who have truly discovered that You are able to make all grace abound to us, that in all things at all times, we will have from Your hand all that we truly need. So help us to give our all. For Your sake and in Your service.
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And thank you ever so much for giving to God's work!
Simply click the "Give" button below to do so.
And thank you ever so much for giving to God's work!
