God's Math | Mark 12:38-44

PLEDGE DRIVE:

INTRODUCTION: 6 pents none the richer personal story. Everything that we give is just giving back to him. When we give we are saying that we trust God enough to take care of everything.

TENSION

CONTEXT

Last week of Jesus’ life. The day before the last supper.

MAIN IDEA: Our giving shows our devotion.

I can’t say I’m devoted to my wife, if I give flowers to someone else.

MARK 12:38-40: Devotion done for the wrong reason is devotion to yourself.

When we give to get rich, when we come to church to feel like a good person, . That’s it. That’s all we will ever give.

Mark 12:38–40 (ESV)

38 And in his teaching he said, “Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes and like greetings in the marketplaces 39 and have the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at feasts, 40 who devour widows’ houses and for a pretense make long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation.”

his teaching - He was in the temple now. Preaching, the religious elites all around him.

Beware of the scribes - This was a theocracy. Meaning that religious and government were intertwined. and the scribes were a little bit religious leader and a little bit lawyer.

Sounds like everyone’s favorite.

who walk around in long robes - They would wear religious garb that made them look more holy. All men were supposed to wear a prayer cloth, but they had bigger robes and bigger tassels to show how religious they were.

ILLUSTRATION: Bigger bible, ripped up bible, greek bible.

Like greetings in the marketplace - Everywhere they went, people knew.

best seats in the synagogues - Back then it would be in the front. Now it is the seat in the back.

who devour widows’ houses - Big bad wolf. You can’t actually eat a house. But they are saying these people are taking a advantage of the poor and the easiest targets for their own gain.

Scribes - many of them would be Levites, but not all. So the offerings given the temple may or may not be for them. Instead they found many ways to take advantage of the poor.

pretense make long prayers - They would stand in public places and offer long religious sounding prayer. For a long time now I have been trying to match my public prayers to my private prayers.

Remember my face, - kinda liked it.

they will receive greater condemnation - what does that get them? Greater condemnation.

MARK 12:41-44 Christ cares about how you give, not how much you give.

Mark 12:41–44 ESV

41 And he sat down opposite the treasury and watched the people putting money into the offering box. Many rich people put in large sums. 42 And a poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which make a penny. 43 And he called his disciples to him and said to them, “Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the offering box. 44 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.”

he sat down opposite the treasury - This was the court of the women in the temple. All Jewish people were invited to this area.

The treasury had 13 wooden boxes. On top of it they put a bronze trumpet shape. Think of old record player.

watched the people putting money into the offering box - He probably wasn’t the only one. People would enjoy watching seeing who would come and give an offering.

This likely made people nervous though because this Wednesday of the Holy Week, you know what he did on Monday? Flip over tables and whip people. Now they are thinking, oh no. He is going to do it again.

Many rich people put in large sums - Great! A Pastor’s dream right.

A poor widow - Even today, widows are in a difficult place. So if you have a widow please reach out.

put in two small copper coins, which make a penny - Two mites. With inflation it would be 3 dollars today.

After they heard all the rich people give all their coins, this poor widow comes in and drops in the smallest amount possible and does not make a sound.

She likely was happy about this. She did not want to be heard at all. But she likely become the most famous and greatest giver the world has ever seen.

ILLUSTRATION: Gracie story? (MAYBE JUST THE START HERE AND END LATER)

He called his disciples to him - It wasn’t a flippen comment. He was waiting there for this woman.

Truly - Pay attention this is important.

This poor widow - emphasizes it again.

Put in more - Ballo - ball- to throw. She threw in more than anyone else!

But everyone could hear that was not correct! She gave 2 cents. Jesus finally got something wrong. You can almost hear the disciples saying how can this be?

For they all contributed out of their abundance, - This is what we do until we give so much it actually stings. It actually hurts.

Acts they sold what they had and gave it to each other. ILLUSTRATION - Holly’s church. Give 100% for a month. They came together every night of the week and ate spaghetti and made sack lunches. We can’t do that because we too bugy to eat cheap food.

but she out of her poverty - She had nothing, but she gave it all. 2 cents out of 2 cents is 100%.

Penny - 1/64 a day’s wage. Likely enought to still buy some food.

All she had to live on - The faith of this woman to say God will take care of me. She wasn’t doing it to get rich, she was doing it out of her devotion for God.

CONCLUSION - Ending of Gracie story