Outline The Lord Sees Faith in the Heart based on Mark 12:38-44

I. Mark 12 and scribes and people giving.

II. Read Mark 12:38-40 and comment. Mark 12:38-40 tells us about the first teaching from Jesus, “Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes and like greetings in the marketplaces and have the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at feasts, who devour widows’ houses and for a pretense make long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation.”

III. Do we act that way sometimes?

IV. Sins bring judgment vs. good news of Jesus.

V. Jesus watched the people giving.

VI. Read Mark 12:43-44 and comment. Jesus surprised His student disciples by stating in Mark 12:43-44, “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.”

VII. Giving everything?

VIII. Love of money vs. faith in Jesus and 2 Corinthians 8:9. God does not need our money. He has all that He needs. We sometimes think of money more highly than we should. We sometimes would rather put a small amount of money in the offering rather than a big amount of money. This teaching of Jesus is not really about money. This teaching of Jesus is about faith in the Lord. Faith in the Lord helps us to see God’s amazing love for us. 2 Corinthians 8:9 tells us, “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.”

IX. Benefits of Baptism and Holy Communion.

X. Conclusion. The big lesson for us today is that the Lord sees faith in the heart. He knows why we give and how much we give of the money and resources He blesses us with. He knows if we are trying to put on a show for others by what we do and say in public. He knows what the true treasure is in our hearts. Do we love money or love the Lord? We do not know what took place in the life of that poor widow after she gave everything she had to live on, but I think she was taken care of by the Lord she loved. The Gospel of Mark does not give us the end of the story. The Old Testament lesson in 1 Kings 17 gives us a big hint: There another poor widow thought she only had enough food for one last meal for her and her son, but she ended up having an abundance of food when she fed the prophet Elijah first. 1 Kings 17:15-16 tells us how that sacrifice and faith in the Lord worked out for her: “And she went and did as Elijah said. And she and he and her household ate for many days. The jar of flour was not spent, neither did the jug of oil become empty, according to the word of the Lord that he spoke by Elijah.” The Lord Jesus still sees faith in the hearts of people today and He continues to take care of our all our needs today. Amen.

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