Puttin' In My Two Cents

This morning I want to jump right into the Scripture and take a look at teaching that Jesus shared from His observations.

Mark 12:41–44 NLT

41 Jesus sat down near the collection box in the Temple and watched as the crowds dropped in their money. Many rich people put in large amounts. 42 Then a poor widow came and dropped in two small coins. 43 Jesus called his disciples to him and said, “I tell you the truth, this poor widow has given more than all the others who are making contributions. 44 For they gave a tiny part of their surplus, but she, poor as she is, has given everything she had to live on.”

AHHHHH, GIVING!

The subject that most people don’t want to be spoken on… lol

Giving our finances to the Lord is a very Biblical and God ordained thing --- that is taught throughout the Bible.

It is also one of the most challenging areas of Scripture to apply to our lives...

It was IMPORTANT to JESUS too!

More so than the amount of the actual gift, but what remained after the gift was given!

WHY?

It could be revealing to motivation, heart attitudes, and FAITH!

Before we look at three ways to give from this passage, let me first say that Jesus did not condemn anyone in this teaching, but He did reveal deep truths.

1. Giving with Expectation

The first picture we see is a picture of people who were giving with expectation.

This whole setting takes place in the Court of Women in the Temple — This was not a court ONLY for WOMEN, BUT the ONLY PLACE a WOMAN COULD GO IN THE TEMPLE.

In this court were 13 Trumpet shaped receptacles for giving offerings. One for the temple tax - which was not a tithe - and the others were for various offerings.

Into this court would come people bringing their gifts, and often the wealthier, religious leaders would make a bit of a show of it. Giving with the expectation of recognition - being looked up to, finding position and authority...

Their gifts came with an expectation of recognition.

Is this any different than those who give to have their names mentioned, advertised, put on a plaque or gazebo, or pew, or monument of some sort???

Just recently we heard of a billionaire - Robert Moorehouse - who gave 40 million dollars to pay off student debt of the graduating class he spoke for. His net worth is 4.5 billion, so that gift was less than 1% of his net worth.

That does not remove the fact that it was still a generous gift. The gift however, came with great recognition.

Often giving comes with great expectation - of honor, recognition, having one’s name remembered - sometimes for “self centered” reasons. Often to find a different kind of gain.

(Movie, I watched about a guy who gave away $100, 000. four times to people in need so he could take credit so he could run for public office) Reality is - this stuff happens, and it happens in churches as well.

People throw their charities around for political, social and power grabbing reasons.

Some give so they can gain CONTROL! Power over leadership. I remember one time having a person of wealth in a church who came to a midweek Bible study and found out that money would not persuade decisions made at the church - and left the next week...

IN some ways, this was taking place in the TEMPLE that day as Jesus watched.

Sometimes, giving with expectation is to gain a tax write off...

Does it mean that these gifts do not have purpose, benefit or value --- it absolutely does not - and MUCH GOOD in our WORLD and in the CHURCH has occurred because of people who have given even with EXPECTATION

Matthew 6:3 NLT

3 But when you give to someone in need, don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing.

I know this is specific to helping someone in need - and can even be an argument for preserving someone’s need and not exploiting them — but there is much to be said about giving without expectation.

The reality is not all giving with expectation is truly giving to the Lord, if there is another expectation or benefit to that gift, then its purpose is somewhat skewed.

2. Giving as Worship

In many ways — all giving to the Lord is a form of worship - but when one gives to the Lord with a THANKFUL HEART for all HE HAS DONE — than we are giving with recognizing not ourselves - but the Lord from whom all blessings flow

Psalm 24:1 NLT

1 The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it. The world and all its people belong to him.

1 Corinthians 10:26 NLT

26 For “the earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it.”

Psalm 89:11 NLT

11 The heavens are yours, and the earth is yours; everything in the world is yours—you created it all.

All that we have COMES FROM GOD --- all that is in the earth belongs to Him, and we are just stewards over those things He has entrusted to us...

When we honor God with our giving, we are demonstrating to Him our thankfulness and our WORSHIP for what He has entrusted us with!

There is so much false teaching that comes against the Biblical principle of tithing — in some ways, established churches, governments, etc turned it into a taxation - and because of abuses in church and world history some have ridiculed it...

Reality is, The Lord instituted the tithe before the law of God was ever given with the Abraham giving the tithe to Melchizedek, it was established in the Levitical law of God, and even Jesus recognized to bring the tithe was still the right thing to do...

Matthew 23:23 NLT

23 “What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are careful to tithe even the tiniest income from your herb gardens, but you ignore the more important aspects of the law—justice, mercy, and faith. You should tithe, yes, but do not neglect the more important things.

If you are here this morning and you are not aware of what a tithe is - it is bringing the Lord a tenth (tithe means tenth) of your income or increase and giving it back to God.

It is an act of WORSHIP and THANKFULNESS!

Really, the purpose of this tithe, was to teach YOU AND I that what we have comes from God and belongs to God, and by bringing this part GOD has requested of us back to HIM, we honor HIM and recognize where all that we have comes from. IT is an opportunity to HONOR and WORSHIP God from the hardest thing we have to let go of — our money!

I am confident, that as Jesus watched people give that day, He saw people giving of their wealth, their tithes AND their OFFERINGS — people who were giving out of gratitude of what the Lord had brought into their lives. These people may not have been giving EVERYTHING they OWNED…

The word of God does not ask us to give ALL THAT WE OWN — in fact - there were many giving large gifts to the church in the book of Acts, but they still were not giving EVERYTHING --- and even those who gave of great sacrifice - it was by choice, not force.

I guess God instituting the tithe would be fare to all - it was 10% - the same percentage - you gave according to what you have.

2 Corinthians 9:7 NLT

7 You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. “For God loves a person who gives cheerfully.”

This giving was in reference to offerings that were being brought (not the tithe) but the principle of not being coerced or pressured to give to something special, and giving with cheerfulness is what Giving as WORSHIP is all about!

3. Giving as Trust

This brings us to the special lady in the room!!!

She was not seeking to be seen or called out or even remembered for all time. This was a poor widow. In fact - realize that she was exempt under Jewish law to have to give the Temple Tax.

Yet, she brought in her 2 coins - the smallest denomination possible - like our pennies. For a common laborer they would be worth a day’s wage - so giving two of them was giving the poorest of incomes 2 days wage.

She came and put them in the receptacle and Jesus sees, and HE KNOWS this was all she had.

The power of her gift was not how much she gave, but what was left after her gift --- NOTHING!

She gave it all!!!

Jesus was not making a demand of all of us to GIVE IT ALL. He was recognizing the power of her gift and that she gave more than everyone else ( a real statement to those giving large gifts for recognition) - and He was recognizing that God the Father sees the heart and the sacrifice given!

The special thing about this gift is it required her to TOTALLY TRUST IN GOD FOR HER NEED.

I have heard so many excuses through the years of why people cannot give to the Lord, to their storehouse of spiritual supply.

I have bills to pay

I have to buy food

My baby needs diapers

I need this vacation

I want to buy something

I have to much debt

We can make grand excuses - but what it comes down to is our LACK OF TRUST FOR GOD TO SUPPLY OUR NEEDS

Paul wrote to the Philippian church when they gave sacrificially to his missionary work...

Philippians 4:19 NLT

19 And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.

This woman was giving out of her desperation, trusting in God to meet her every need!!!

There was not a small amount to work with after she had given, or 90% to work with after she had given - there was nothing left.

It reminds me of the widow who used the last of her supplies to make the prophet a meal, and out of her sacrificial obedience - her and her son’s needs were continuously met until the famine was over!

Psalm 62:8 NLT

8 O my people, trust in him at all times. Pour out your heart to him, for God is our refuge. Interlude

1 Timothy 6:17 NLT

17 Teach those who are rich in this world not to be proud and not to trust in their money, which is so unreliable. Their trust should be in God, who richly gives us all we need for our enjoyment.

Funny, if we compare ourselves with the worldwide population, even the poorest in America are wealthier than the majority of the world. In many ways we are rich compared to those who have no bed, no refrigerator, no smart phone or computer, no car… yet we trust so much in our money...

TRUST ONLY IN GOD!!! - who gives us all we need for our enjoyment!

Yes, God wants to supply!

This woman GAVE from her TRUST in the LORD to do just that!

CONCLUSION

SOOOO,

What is the motive of how we give --- do we give???

Expectation

Worship and Thankfulness

TOTAL TRUST???

Luke 6:38 NLT

38 Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full—pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back.”