SERMON
11/16/14 – Stewardship – Rev. Peter Sulzle
Theme: God’s Grace Keeps on Giving, so Offer God Your Best
Mark 12:41-44
Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and
watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasurey. Many
rich people threw in large amounts. But a poor widow came and put in
two very small copper coins, worth only a fraction of a penny. Calling
his disciples to him, Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, 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.”
The sound of money. Does it have a nice ring to it like the sound
it makes when it goes into the piggy bank? Or does it have a bit of a sour
tone because your pastor just mentioned it in front of church? Now that
we’ve mentioned church, are you thinking of the joy you experience in
letting that envelope drop into the plate? Or is your sinful nature taking
over and you’d rather not talk about money because it’s hard to let go of
that envelope? Let’s see what our Gospel has to say about our offerings
to God which include time, talent, and treasure. Jesus didn’t shy away
from preaching about the gifts God has given. Almost half of his
parables had to do with viewing and using your gifts properly. God has
every right to instruct us on how to use those gifts because every good
and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the
heavenly lights. He instructs us once again as he instructed his disciples
when the widow gave her offering at the temple. Through the widow, he
teaches us that Grace Keeps on Giving so Offer God Your Best.
This incident took place the week of Jesus suffering and death.
His enemies were viciously attacking him with their words. He
masterfully refuted every attack. He even condemned them for
“devouring widow’s houses” and taking advantage of others. After that
statement, he went into another temple court. Jesus sat opposite the
treasury and saw how the people put money into the treasury. This
is not an accident. Jesus sits down to look into the hearts of those
people.
As Jesus sits there, he can see 13 boxes with cone shaped
openings where people deposit their offerings to support God’s work.
Some people put in a great deal of money. Their wealth and generosity
is obvious. But Jesus says nothing about them. Then he notices a very
poor widow. She blends in with the crowd. Without hesitation she drops
two small coins into the box. She gives all the money she has to the
Lord and his work.
Jesus then calls his disciples over to him. He draws their
attention to the widow and her meager offering. “I tell you the truth,
this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others.”
How could he say she gave more? She gave two little coins, just a
couple pennies. He explains, “They all gave out of their wealth, but
she, out of her poverty, put in everything – all she had to live on.”
“Giving out of their wealth” meant that they gave from what they did not
need. It was extra. But the widow gave all she had to live on.
Why in the world would she give an offering that is 100% of her
income? One simple word – trust. God had blessed her. God had taken
care of her. She responded in thanksgiving and trusted that he would
provide. Her gift was not just an offering of money, but it was a sacrifice
of herself. And there we see the truth of this story. Jesus was not
looking at what the people gave, but what was in their heart when they
gave. All gifts to God, including the use of our time, our abilities, and
our money, are acceptable when they come from loving, trusting hearts.
They are not just offerings, but sacrifices of oneself.
A visitor to church put a gift in the offering plate. After the
service, he checked his wallet. To his horror, he made a mistake. He
intended on giving a one dollar bill. Instead, not seeing the zeros, he
gave a hundred dollar bill. He explained his predicament to the pastor
and asked if he could make an exchange. The pastor explained that the
offering was already locked in the safe. “Oh well,” the man sighed, “At
least I get credit for giving a hundred dollars.” “No”, said the pastor,
“You didn’t give a hundred dollars. You gave one dollar.” We look at
the amount of a gift and think larger is better. But God looks at the heart.
He says, “The larger the love for me, the better.” God desires our best.
Our very best comes from hearts that are overflowing with love and trust
in him.
That means it is selfless. But selfless giving is difficult! The
most forceful fuel for our sinful nature is selfishness. “Me” has been its
constant refrain from the beginning. The sinful nature says I can provide
for myself. I earned everything I have. I can call all the shots. I don’t
need anyone else. That leads to a sinful attitude towards our treasures.
We expect God to give us something in return for our gifts. We compare
our gifts to others with pride. We bend all our thoughts and actions on
grabbing and using more for ourselves. We question God’s love when
our possessions dwindle.
Our sinful reason can come up with a bunch of reasons for that
widow not to give her offering. The temple doesn’t need the gift. It
wouldn’t make much difference. She could use it to buy some food. For
those same selfish reasons we withhold the gift. The same goes for our
time and abilities as well. The lies of the devil have worked. More trust
in myself and my treasure crowds out trust in God. They have become
my idols and my future then can only be damnation!
The problem of selfishness is very serious. But only when we
see how serious our sin is, can we appreciate the full extent of God’s
love. Despite our sin, God has always provided for us. The words of
David ring true: “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.”
We have witnessed over and over again how God has kept that promise.
When have we not had the things we truly need? When have we given to
God so much that we find ourselves worse off than the widow? We
haven’t! That gives us confidence in his loving care to provide.
He provided the greatest blessing first. For you know the grace
of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for our sakes,
he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.
We could not solve our problem of sin, but the Lord provided the perfect
solution. Jesus lived his entire life without any false motives for giving.
He always gave to glorify the Father. His obedience completes what
God demanded of us. Not only that, but Jesus made the complete
payment for our sinful, selfish motives. He paid the debt that we owed.
He made himself the offering that cost more than we could ever pay.
And for a moment, he became poorer than that poor widow because he
lost his Father’s love on the cross. Your account is paid in full by the
blood of the crucified and risen Savior Jesus. You are rich indeed!
Our eternal hope rests on that truth. That is our confidence. If
God has accomplished that, he will freely and lovingly give us all things.
With that confidence and with a new spirit, we give of ourselves. We
don’t give to get more. We don’t give out of obligation. We don’t give
as a payment to a budget or project. We give simply because he gave to
us. We give of what he has given to us. Then he uses those gifts for the
benefit of his kingdom.
God gives us this direction in giving. Each person should give
what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under
compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. We give freely and
willingly. God gives us freedom to decide how much. He simply tells us
to give in proportion to what he has given. Only you know what is the
best of your paycheck and the first-fruits of your labor and the best use of
your time. That’s between you and your God. Just make sure love is
always at the center of your giving.
We also give to God trusting that he will provide. Do we trust
him when he says, “Never will I leave you. Never will I forsake you?”
Do we believe him when he tells us, “Do not worry about your life, what
you will eat or drink?” The widow did. In the logical mind, giving away
her two cents meant starvation. But she trusted that God would do more
giving. This is a daily test. It is the test when the refrigerator breaks
down, the car won’t start, the furnace quits, and the medical bills rise.
With all those emergencies, plus the regular expenses and a bit of
entertainment, there is nothing left to give. It is a rational thought.
But God says to put his offerings of love and thanksgiving as a
priority and he will take care of you. He knows your specific situation
and he still asks you to trust him instead of your fears. Trust him instead
of your logic. That’s what Paul encouraged the Corinthians, “Out of the
most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty
welled up in rich generosity.” Giving, and giving your best, isn’t a
luxury of the rich. It’s a privilege of the poor.
Why? God acted in grace. We react in giving. Remember what
we said about the widow. She didn’t give an offering. She made a
sacrifice of herself. God wants our undivided hearts. He takes great
pleasure in our wholehearted gifts of time and talent and treasure. They
serve to benefit his kingdom. They come from hearts of faith and love.
Take the challenge from God in Malachi and run with it. “Test me in
this (giving offerings to the Lord) and see if I will not throw open the
floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing on you that you
will not have room enough for it all.” Now that’s the promise of a
great and gracious God. Remember, God’s grace is the action. Our
giving is the reaction. So like the widow, offer him your best. Amen.