Sermon Tone Analysis
Overall tone of the sermon
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Introduction
We are continuing a series called “All In”—looking at men and women throughout biblical history who demonstrated a kind of whole-hearted, all-in engagement with God.
And we can’t talk about folks who went all in without talking about The Widow’s Mite (small coin).
Speaking of poor folks: A little boy once went up to his preacher and said: “Preacher, when I grow up I’m going to give you a lot of money.”
The preacher said, “Well, that’s sure nice of you—but why do you want to do that?”
The boy said, “Because my dad said you’re one of the poorest preachers we’ve had.”
I don’t know about you, but when we start talking about money, I get a little fidgety—because talking about dollars and cents is really to talk about our most pressing anxieties and our disordered loves.
And that is where his real concern is—Do we love him?
Do we trust him?
The Temple Scene
It’s a well-known story: Jesus is doing some “people watching” in the Temple—next to the offering box.
(Makes you fidgety, right?)
He sees that many rich people making large contributions.
But then he takes special notice of one poor widow lady who puts in two very small coins—which in his estimation is the biggest offering of the day.
What’s often not mentioned is that this little story rounds off a major section in Mark’s gospel (beginning in ch.
11) about Jesus’ visit to the temple in Jerusalem.
This section has sometimes been subtitled “The Barren Temple.”
Jesus goes to the temple, finds it barren/fruitless and essentially pronounces judgment on the whole temple system.
The first scene in the section is the temple cleansing (turning over the tables and chairs of money-changers and pigeon-sellers/rebuking them) and the final scene is observing this poor widow make her contribution to God.
In the larger context, we see that the Lord was clearly not pleased with what was going on in the Temple.
Look at what he says just before he encounters the poor widow:
There was a lot of show in the temple, but little of what pleased God.
Now, just before his final exit, he notices one beautiful act that showed up all the temple activity.
In fact, this woman embodied of the very things he taught about during his temple visit.
The Poor Widow’s Offering
Herod’s temple had four courts: Outer Court (Jews and Gentiles), Court of Women (Jewish men and women), Court of Israel (Jewish men), Court of Priests (most exclusive).
Court of women had 13 shofar-chests (boxes shaped like a trumpet/ram’s horn).
‘How much noise can I make with this gift?!’ Jesus: When you give, “sound no trumpet” (Matt 6:2).
So Jesus sees all this noisy giving.
And then he sees a poor widow and among all the clanging coins, he hears a very tiny tink, tink.
The coins she put in were the smallest unit in circulation in Judea.
Mark translates for Roman readers, explaining that together they would add up to the smallest Roman coin.
It’s like saying to us, “She put in a penny.”
Jesus notices what surely seemed to everyone else insignificant and inconsequential.
Other gifts made a lot of noise as they were offered, but the little tink, tink of her two little coins resounded in heaven.
I’m reminded that the most significant things that happen at church don’t happen on the stage, they happen in our hearts.
The Lesson
Jesus was not pleased or impressed with the temple system (which the offerings supported), but that did not affect his delight in the heart of the giver.
She was not giving to the temple; she was giving to God.
There were plenty of gifts that looked big on the surface, but hers was biggest by the Lord’s standards.
“everything she had” - They gave what they could spare; she gave what she could not spare.
It was a remarkable act of trust.
And an act love...
“all she had to live on” is lit.
“her whole life”
We best hear what he is saying when the echoes of his temple teaching are in mind.
When he was questioned about taxes:
Caesar’s image is on the coin.
God’s image, his likeness, is on you.
Give God yourself.
When questioned about the greatest command:
She gave God her whole life.
She loved God with her all.
God measures what you bring to him—not in dollars in cents but in love and trust.
Cranfield - The gifts of the rich, though large, were easy gifts.
The widow’s gift, though tiny, meant a real surrender of herself and trust in him; and therefore an honoring of God as God—as the One to whom we belong entirely, and who is able to care for us.
Conclusion
What do we do with this?
Should way say, “Let’s pass the trays again, but this time go ‘all in’!”?
I have a personal resolution to be a more faithful giver in 2019.
But this message goes much deeper than saying let’s make more noise in the contribution trays.
God delights in our trust (and he’s worthy of it).
Let’s aim to make our giving an act of trust (which can’t be measured as a percentage/tithe, it is something no calculator can measure, but something between you and God).
Loving God is something that calls for all.
You can’t love God in fractions.
Are there pockets of your thought-life/social-life/habits/relationships held back.
God is looking for the person who gives “her whole life.”
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