A Pattern For Giving
Mark 12:41-44
The roof of the church hall of a little Swiss church, at the turn of the 20th century, was falling down. So the members of the church held regular prayer meetings in the hall after the service to pray for funds to repair the roof.
There was an old man, known to be very tight with his money, who used to attend and sit near the back of the hall. He could sneak out just before the collection plate came round at the end of the prayer meeting.
One Sunday, he was held up on his way to the prayer meeting in the Hall by the vicar and could only find a seat at the front of the church.
During the prayer meeting, a piece of the roof fell and hit him on the head. Feeling spoke to by the Lord, he stood up and said "Lord, I’ll give $1000"
A voice at the back of the church was heard to say" Hit him again, Lord"!
According to statistics of Christian Churches today. The breakdown of giving looks like this:
20% of members Give 80% of all funds
30% of members Give the other 20%
50% of members Give nothing – ever!
I don’t know if that’s true. I hope it isn’t
Two lepta? They were the smallest coins in circulation. They were worth almost nothing. It was the minimum amount that you were allowed to give. It certainly wasn’t a very impressive gift, and we were 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, I began to think about it. It struck me that those who were giving large amount 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.
What God is doing when we give something to the Church:
I. WHEN WE GIVE, GOD IS COUNTING THE COST
If we watch all the wealthy people come and give their offerings, maybe we are wondered for their gifts! P1,000, P500, P200. But Im very sure, they have still so much money left behind. Maybe their minds were on the families and 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 and they still had lots over.
But then this one old woman comes up and gives a meager amount, and yet it was her all. Sometimes a little gift costs a great deal more than big gifts do.
I began to think about this issue of 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.
Lets admit that we’ve given more to the temple without really thinking that we’re really sacrificing and didn’t affect my lifestyle that much. But here was a woman who gave in such a way that she had nothing left it was the height of generosity.
I don’t know your financial situation today it’s not really my place to meddle – after all, I’ve noticed an interesting thing: the more resources one has, the less they tend to give to God’s work. I’ve found that when people’s income rises, their percentage of giving drops.
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?
I still remember the words of King David, "I will not offer to the Lord that which cost me nothing!" Does your giving really cost you?
II. WHEN WE GIVE, GOD IS SEARCHING HOW MUCH IS LEFT
I was so impressed with the amount of the gifts that were being given, 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.” Do not looked at the size of the gifts but at the size of the giver. To tell you the truth, the widow’s offering wasn’t that impressive, but it became really impressive when we saw how little she had left over.
Jesus looked not at the amount of the gift, He looked with how much was left over at the end.
I’ve got to be honest with you, many of you were taught the principle of tithing. But for many of you, giving 10% of your income is not a test of faith. It’s not a risk since you still have more than you need left over. How much do you have left over after you give?
The truth is, God owns it all. He’s the one who gave you all that you have everything.
Our faithfulness has nothing do with what we give, and everything to do with how much we keep. How much are you keeping behind?
III. 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 always 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 right 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 me and to us!
That great teacher, Paul, tells us later in the Scriptures that everyone should make up their own mind what they give. In other words, don’t just follow a formula pray about it he advised us not to give unwillingly or in response to pressure, because God loves the person who gives cheerfully. The attitude is more important than the amount. God is concerned with how we give as much as how much and what we give.
When you give, do you give like all the people throwing in their money to the temple according to a prescribed formula or do you give from the heart, like that poor widow who gave it all. Do you give out of rule-keeping, or do you give as a spiritual act of service.
2 Corinthians 9:7. Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.
IV. WHEN WE GIVE, GOD IS EVALUATING OUR TRUST
I wonder what was going on in that widow’s mind as we watched her go away. She had just given the last of her meager resources with no husband, and no income, how would she make ends meet? How could she give the last of what she had?
After the church service, most of us will drop in Max, Jolibee at SM San Lazaro for a lunch. And others will return to our house with waiting delicious foods.
But here, the widow will only walk to her house and did not sure where to get her food for that day.
But as I saw Jesus point to her, I couldn’t help but think, "Will God not meet the needs of such a woman?" How many of us really think, that after giving so sacrificially, God did not meet her needs? I somehow think God was more faithful to her than any of us could imagine.
I’m ashamed of the times that I’ve given God only what I thought I could afford. It never occurred to me to give in such a way that I would have to trust God to provide. I was giving in such a way that I didn’t need to trust God there was more than enough money left over to provide for all of my needs and wants.
So let me ask you does your giving demonstrate a trust in God to provide all of your needs? Or do you give in such a way that God has to step in and provide for you? Before I brought into my mind that the people who give the large amount to God are the ones God blesses most. But the Bible told me that is absolutely not!
If you give what you do not need, it isn’t giving" Mother Teresa
Jesus pointed at her and said, "The plain truth is that this widow has given 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 you give to God in a few minutes, let me ask you again: does your giving really cost you? How much is left behind? Are you giving out of rule-keeping, or from the heart? And are you demonstrating a trust in God? Are you giving half as generously as the widow who gave just two lepta?
Conclusion
Remember this verse: 2 Corinthians 9:8 “And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.”
In verse 41, we see that Jesus is watching the crowd’s giving.
I pray that when Jesus looks at us as we give – not just this morning but always – I pray that he will find cheerful, extravagant givers, who have discovered that God is able to make all grace abound to us, so that in all things at all times, we will have all that we need, abounding in every good work.
God bless!
