Giving to God Who Has Given You Everything

Text: Mark 12:38-44

Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

          As a financial advisor I’ve had years of practice talking to people about money. Making cold calls and asking questions like, “can I help you plan for your financial future.” Sitting at kitchen tables and talking about which is going to run out first, your days or your funds. As you can imagine, many people are hesitant to open the door on these types of conversations. And then even when they do, I found that much of the information I received was more wishful thinking than it was reality. Perhaps even more than religion and politics, money is a topic people tend to avoid if they’re able. I can see it in some of your faces too. “He’s not going to talk about money, is he?”

Well…don’t blame it on me. If you need to put the blame anywhere it’s going to have to be on Jesus. He’s the one who brought it up. And by law, if Jesus brings it up in our lessons, then I have to talk about it. And Jesus brought it up. What was He thinking? Here it is, the Tuesday of Holy week, less than 72 hours from His betrayal, arrest, and crucifixion. And here Jesus is in the temple courts talking about money. And that’s not all. We’ve also got Elijah teaching a poor widow that putting God first is necessary, even when you hardly have enough for one loaf of bread. And then Paul tells the Colossians “to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to Him.”  So, it’s no wonder that our theme today is

GIVING TO GOD WHO HAS GIVEN YOU EVERYTHING.

          Sometimes the texts give us no choice but to focus on a topic, and sometimes it’s one that makes us uncomfortable. It’s really no different than what Jesus did all the time. And continues to do. Drawing people out of their comfortable lives to realize that going your own way is not how He wants you to be living. And on this topic, it’s very clear that the Word of God has some things to say to us about money and our relationship with it.
There are people who will lay down the claim that all the church cares about is money. Look right there in your bulletin. It’s there every week. The offering. Passing that plate around and expecting you’re going to put something in it. It’s sad to say that in some places some of those criticisms are warranted. I get an email every few days from an organization called Ministry Watch. Their mission is to keep an eye on ministries and alert people to the good that’s happening out there in the Christian landscape, but also to the bad that’s happening. Sometimes I’ll just delete the emails when they come because there’s only so much that a person can read about religious swindlers who are trying to drain bank accounts in the name of Jesus. Or preachers who care more about padding their pockets than proclaiming the gospel. With all the indictments and convictions of church workers who have fallen prey to the allure of money, it’s no wonder so many people view the church with skepticism and disdain. But just because there are so many bad examples out there doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be talking about a topic the Bible clearly has much to say about.

Why would the church talk about money? Because Jesus talks about it…quite a bit. I imagine many of you will be wandering around aimlessly this afternoon since the Packers are on their bye week. So, if you’re bored, I have a fun little afternoon project for you. Flip through the Gospels and count how many of the parables of Jesus have to do with money. You might be surprised. There’s a bunch. And when Jesus addresses it, so do we. Not because the church can’t operate without it, although there’s truth to that as well. But because our financial stewardship is the way that we manage well all that God has graciously given to us. From our time and our skills to our money and possessions, to all that we are. God teaches that we can serve and give, even up to all that we have, our whole selves. And even when we do that, because of Christ we lack nothing.

Mark’s gospel sets the scene for us. Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were placed and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Person after person came through and gave their offerings to support the work of the temple. This was money that went to pay for things like sacrifices, wood for the altar, incense for burning, maintenance, upkeep, and temple taxes. Many rich people threw in large amounts and everyone would notice when another wealthy person would empty their pockets. But nobody would notice the smallest of offerings – nobody except Jesus. A poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth just a penny. By comparison, the widow’s offering wasn’t even worth mentioning. This poor widow who didn’t even have two nickels to rub together, just two fractions of a penny, placed both of them into the offering box. Those coins falling on top of the sizable offerings already made would have made little, if any, difference in the bottom line of the temple’s budget, yet this is the offering Jesus praises. Not an amount, but an attitude – an attitude that rejoices to give God my first, my best, my all because that’s exactly what he’s done for me. Giving is not a pastime for the rich, it’s the privilege of all, even the poor. The widow gave with a heart that trusted in every one of God’s promises for her. She gave everything and, because of Christ, lacked nothing.
This is a truly beautiful story. And we could leave it at that. Or we could address the thing in this text that will make you and me remarkably uncomfortable? Maybe you didn’t catch it the first time it was read. “[Jesus] sat down opposite the treasury and watched the people putting money into the offering box.” It’s no coincidence that Jesus picked a spot to sit where he could observe how the people were giving. This is what makes us so uncomfortable, because if Jesus was doing this back then, He’s certainly noticing now. But Jesus doesn’t look at the amount of time or money or skill that’s given, but at how it’s given. He cuts past the dollars and cents, and hours, and projects and looks straight to the heart of the giver. Am I giving God my first and my best, or is he getting the leftovers? What kind of questions are you asking when you determine the amount of time, talent, and treasure that you’re willing to give? Are you ever tempted to let your thankful service to God just be an afterthought? Are you thoughtfully and prayerfully setting aside a portion of your income and a chunk of the time God’s given you for the work of the gospel? Or is the time you give whatever’s left over after everything else has been jammed into the schedule. And the offering whatever’s left in the wallet after every other expense has been accounted for. Remember, Jesus looks past the amount and straight to the heart. Am I a cheerful giver, rejoicing to return God’s blessings so that many more people can hear the gospel; or am I reluctant, thinking of all I could’ve done with my time, my skills, or my money?
Do you think the widow had any second thoughts? I’ve got TWO coins, maybe I should keep one. What’s this fraction of a penny going to do to put a dent in the temple budget? This money could mean another meal for me. I could use this money on…something…anything else. Whether or not I say it out loud, my sinful nature is always going to think that way, and hates the idea of sacrificial giving. Have you asked that question? What sacrifices do you make in giving? Bank statements and weekly schedules don’t lie. Something seems out of balance when the work of the gospel gets less than Spectrum or DirectTV. Something seems out of balance when the Word and work of God gets a fraction of the time that gets used up on my pursuits of leisure and entertainment. Something seems out of balance when hundreds and thousands of dollars are hoarded for the possibilities of tomorrow when our neighbors have need for the gospel today. The worst part about it is that none of those things promise you anything. Your bank account balance doesn’t promise you anything. As quickly as your portfolio soared this week, it could all be gone just as quickly. Your pursuit of leisure and entertainment doesn’t promise you anything. But Jesus does. Do you see the struggle? None of these things – saving for the future, entertainment, leisure time – none of these are bad things. In fact, they’re good things. The trouble comes when our sinful hearts want to elevate those good things beyond the core of who God calls us to be and what He calls us to do. So, we have to ask ourselves the question when it comes to managing the gifts God has given to us, “is my giving sacrificial or superficial?” And Jesus isn’t looking at an amount, he’s looking at the heart. And if the heart hasn’t been right, cry out, “Lord, have mercy.” And he will.
Jesus said, “Truly I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the offering box. For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.” Jesus praises this woman. But what’s He actually praising? A 100% tithe? Would Jesus have each of us quit our jobs and live and work full time at the church? Does he want each of us to drain our checking, savings, and 401k, and cut a check to Emmanuel? No, that’s not the point. But not because gifts of time and money are unimportant. God has put you in a place with people around you. You’re woven into the lives of dozens, perhaps hundreds of people, and for some of them you’re the one who puts food on the table and clothes on their backs. To say that Jesus is praising this widow simply because her offering was 100% of the coins she had is to miss the point. Jesus is praising a heart of faith that trusts in the Savior who spared no expense to make you His own; a heart of faith that trusts God’s promise to provide; a heart of faith that rejoices to give back what God’s given to you. This was so much more than giving to balance a budget – this was worship! The lesson the widow teaches us about stewardship and giving has nothing to do with amounts and everything to do with hearts. Because to be honest, even though Jesus doesn’t need your money, he wants more than whatever percentage of your income, or whatever number of hours you’re able to serve. He wants you. All of you. And He spent a whole lot more than dollars and cents to make you His own. Remember when Jesus was teaching this lesson about giving – during Holy Week – mere days before he would give up His very life…for you. That’s your value in Jesus’ eyes.

Sometimes our perception of our value to God gets skewed. We think that our worth depends on how much we have, how much we can give, how often we can volunteer, how many skills we have. But that’s not how Jesus sees it? You’ve probably heard the adage that something is worth whatever someone is willing to pay for it. So, what are you worth to God? “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich.” And that price wasn’t paid “with gold or silver, but with His holy, precious blood and with His innocent suffering and death. The perfect life and precious blood of Jesus cover every one of your sins and mine – even our sins of loving the gifts more than the Giver. You’re worth everything to Him. And that changes the way I look at giving back what God has so graciously given to me – whether it’s time, talents, or treasures.
When I see it this way, then managing God’s gifts to me no longer has “me” at the center. Jesus turns our focus outside of ourselves to the person next to us. Because of Jesus, we can fight against the self-centeredness that says, “Giving more time or money means there’ll be less for me!” You don’t have to hold on to your time, talents, and treasures with a tight fist but can have an open hand. because Jesus opened his hands – and took the nails to pay for your sins and mine. You can support the work of the church with gladness – not to give to a budget or volunteer reluctantly – but so more and more people can know the most profound truth of the Gospel.
In the gospel, we met a widow who started with a little, and gave until she had nothing, but in the process she hadn’t lost anything. That’s possible for you as well when you trust in the One True God, who has given you everything. It’s only when we acknowledge this that we can truly give back in a way that recognizes the depth of what we’ve been given. Not just the things we have, or the time in each day, but salvation and life everlasting. Our God, who is our all in all, is the God who promises to provide, so that when we give even our whole selves, we don’t lack anything, because in Christ, we have everything. In Christ, we can give everything and lack nothing. Amen.

The peace of God which surpasses all understanding guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.