Giving That Pleases God

Introduction

We can do the right things for the wrong reasons. I have experienced this in my life. I didn't have the most significant relationship with my mom. On Mother's Day, I remember the guilt trip I got from my Dad to make her breakfast in bed. Fueled by moral obligation, I made scrambled eggs (with some shells still in them), coffee (not how she likes it), and toast (just barely burnt). There was no care in it. I did the right thing, but I might as well not have. However, I met a girl, and I fell in love. Most of y'all know her, but it was my wife, Christina. I remember she was mad at me for my choices, and I decided I would win her back no matter what. We were at a movie marathon all-nighter for the Lord of the Rings movies. She was lying on the couch, so I did everything she needed all night so she didn't have to move an inch. I did the right thing for the right reason, and it showed.

Over the next four weeks, I hope to teach you about the importance of giving within the Christian faith. However, it is not just about giving but also about how we give. As we saw in my example, there are both good and bad ways to give. The Bible teaches this repeatedly. Tonight, we will examine one of the many passages that support this.

The Scripture

Luke 21:1–4 NASB95

And He looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the treasury. And He saw a poor widow putting in two small copper coins. And He said, “Truly I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all of them; for they all out of their surplus put into the offering; but she out of her poverty put in all that she had to live on.”

The Body

The Posture of Our Hearts Matters

If we are to understand this point in context, we must look back at the previous chapter and verses to see where we stand. In the previous chapter, Jesus teaches in the Jerusalem temple after His triumphal entry. The Pharisees and Sadducees confront Him, attempting to trick and catch Him in some form of heresy. However, Jesus skillfully refutes every point. This all culminates with Jesus warning the people about the Pharisees and Sadducees. He condemns their behavior as pompous and focused on their own glory instead of striving to please God. They were committing evil, but under the guise of being good.

After all this, we are introduced to the story; we are camping out tonight. Jesus was in the Temple and saw the rich (including the Pharisees and Sadducees) dropping their offerings in. It wouldn’t be the offering plates we are used to. The collection boxes were attached to massive brass horns positioned inversely. The people would drop their offerings into the narrow opening at the top, funneling down this metal horn, clinking and clanging loudly. Therefore, people would display it and, in their pride, try to make the most noise of any other. Then, a lady walked up. She was a poor widow, so I can only imagine how she dressed. Tattered clothes and not much to her name. She brought a little coin. I doubt they even made a sound. No one heard and no one noticed her, except one person. Jesus saw her and was so moved by her action that He praised her.

What was different about this woman? Why did she deserve praise while the others deserved condemnation from Jesus? In our giving, Jesus is not concerned with how much we bring, but with the state of our hearts when we give. The rich made a show of their wealth. They did not honor God but instead built up their own stature and fame. This woman, whom no one noticed, gave God all she had. She didn’t do it for personal gain or glory; she did it out of her devotion to God and her faith, trusting that God would be with her no matter the circumstances. J.A. Bengel said about her not withholding one of the coins, “She was silently saying to God, 'I love you. Here’s my heart, my life. It’s not much, but it’s all I have.” This is no new truth. All throughout the other Gospels and Jesus’ teachings, He constantly worried about the heart's motivation over the results of our works. When we give, the state of our heart matters more than the amount we can give.

Imagine you hired someone to frame out a house. You have a guy that can cut 20 pieces of wood in a set amount of time, and you have another guy that in the same amount of time can only cut 5 pieces of wood. However, the one that cuts 20 pieces has about 2-3 of those pieces that are exactly to the right measurement. However, the other guy that can only cuts 5 pieces of wood has the perfect measurement every time. Which one would you choose.

The motivation behind our giving is important, but we can also see that the model of giving shown here is costly

Proper Giving is Sacrificial

The kind of giving we are to strive for is sacrificial. It should cost us something. In this woman's case, we see that she gave all she had left. A paltry insignificant sum to those around her, but to this woman, it was a treasure. This is not the only place where we see giving like this. In 2 Samuel 24:24, the Bible says, “24 The king answered Araunah, 'No, I insist on buying it from you for a price, for I will not offer to the Lord my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing.” David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for twenty ounces of silver.” David understood that proper giving and worship to God involved sacrifice. Even Paul talks about the Macedonians in 2 Corinthians 8, who gave well beyond their means and helped send them on their journeys. Even though they sacrificed a lot, Paul says they urged the missionaries to let them help so they could partake in the works of God.

               If it costs us nothing, then we should ask whether we are truly giving enough. I am not speaking purely from a financial perspective, but from everything we do. In the case of sacrifice, we withhold because we fear the unknown. We wouldn’t say it out loud, but a surplus of money, time, and resources comforts us because we know we always have a fallback. However, in these times, I am reminded of what the Father withheld from me: nothing. He gave His son freely to us. He withheld nothing from me, so who am I to withhold anything from Him? Now, I must live my life constantly giving to God what is His and embodying this lifestyle of faith. In Exalting Jesus in Luke, the author says, “We really must forget everything and everyone else as a source of security and provision.” God will provide, so fear not in giving Him your all. In her situation, would you give both coins or would you withhold one just in case?

God Can Do Great Things with Any Sum

We may understand that the condition of our heart matters when we give, and that our gift should cost us something. But since her gift is so small, did God really need it? Why would He expect her to give when the sum wouldn’t make a difference to the total, and the money could have helped her more?

Lets take a moment and really put her gift into perspective. I mite would have been the smallest denomination of currency they had. It would have been the equivalent of our penny, but potentially, even smaller in value. This woman truly had nothing.

               However, God can use whatever gift it may be, large or small, to further His kingdom and receive glory. God is in the business of subverting expectations and transforming insignificant offerings into great things. In this case, He used this woman’s small offering as an example for all of us on how to give. She may not even realize it, but she has been an example for all believers, even in ancient times, of the kind of giving that pleases the heart of God. Another example is in the feeding of the five thousand; God used one basket of bread and fish to feed so many. He took a small offering and made a miracle happen. Therefore, for us, it means that we should never withhold from God, even when our gift seems minuscule.

           I was at the Passion conference in 2017. I remember we broke for lunch one day, and the group I was with decided to walk a little further to beat the crowds of the restaurants close to the dome. We found a Walgreens with a pre-made sandwich section, so we all agreed to grab something and then sit for a second and eat. When we left, I saw a homeless man walking by and felt convicted. I said, " Hey, can I share half my sandwich with you? He replied with a smile, and I knew the answer was yes. I said the only thing is you have to sit and eat with me, and we can talk for a little while, and he agreed. As we were going to sit, he broke the sandwich in half and shared it with another of his friends. I was sitting there with two homeless men because of one half of a sandwich. I remember I bought a new bible at the conference, so I gave them my Bible and began walking them through the Romans Road. Neither accepted Jesus there, but I know a seed was planted. God used half of a sandwich. If he can use that, He can use anything.

God can take what we deem as little and make great things happen. That is why He does not care about the amount of the gift. He doesn’t need big gifts to do big things. God uses the faithful to do big things and that is the difference.

Conclusion

As we break into small groups remember, God cares about our hearts when we give. Our giving should be sacrificial and cost us something. Finally, no matter the size of the gift God can use it for His Kingdom and His Glory.