Sermon Tone Analysis
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Introduction
What is “sacrificial giving”?
Do we really understand what that means?
Is it about the size of the check your write or the number of hours you spend doing ministry both in and outside of the church?
Mark 12:4
Prayer
The message of this seems pretty cut and dried: It’s not about the amount you give, but it is about giving sacrificially out of deep devotion to God.
This message seems pretty cut and dried: It’s not about the amount you give, but it is about giving sacrificially out of deep devotion to God.
I think we miss a lot if we leave it there.
In some translations is says she gave money that she couldn’t afford to give.
That falls so far from the truth because she was a widow…she had no one to support her.
She was part of the people poverty stricken with no hope of getting better.
A widow, female, no husband, sons, or anybody to care for her.
That small offering may have been meaningless to other people…but it was the difference between eating or not eating for the next day or two.
We miss a lot if we choose not to dig a little deeper.
Some translations say she gave money that she couldn’t afford to give.
Obviously true, but there is so much more.
In that culture, if a widow didn’t have sons or a relative to support her, she was on her own.
She was part of the people that were poverty stricken with no hope of betterment.
This poor widow’s small offering may have been meaningless to other people…but, for her, it was the difference between surviving a few more days
Here’s another example: the woman in that seemingly threw away more than a year’s wages by pouring perfume on Jesus’ head?
What’s up with that?
A year’s wages.
Think about how much that is for you.
What would possess you to give all of it to God?
These two women are examples of individuals who gave their “all” - the widow gave a miniscule amount and the woman with the perfume gave an extravagant and expensive gift…they both equally represent their “all”
What does it mean to give one’s all?
How do you define “all”?
What would possess Jesus to give His all for the world?
On the other end of the spectrum we have Judas Iscariot.
Of all the people imaginable, how could one of Jesus’ inner circle betray Him for 30 pieces of silver?
What possessed him to do such a deplorable thing?
Judas, at some point, made a choice — greed, pride, riches…over the one person that loved Him more than any other could.
Judas, instead of giving his all for Jesus, threw away his all for fleeting “treasure”
Here’s the thing we must grapple with:
Jesus gave all He could possibly give for you; how much are you willing to give to Him? How much will you actually give to Him?
Transitional: Although money often represents a person’s willingness or unwillingness to give...
I’ts not about money - It’s about the heart
Exposition:
The widow in was destitute.
She gave two small coins: 1/64th of a day’s wages.
That was all she had…not all she had for that day…but ALL she had.
No back up plan…no stash of cash somewhere for a rainy day.
Poor people often begged at the temple gates
It’s not about the money, it’s about the heart
Proud giving
Illustration: buckets
Proud giving
Jesus sat near the place (near or in the women’s court)where people came to bring their offerings…He watched the people
Right before this…here is what He said
The treasury was in or near the Court of the Women.
A colonnade ran around it and, against the wall, were 13 (some say 7) chests or “trumpets” where they were to drop their contributions.
They were shaped like trumpets.
Nine were for temple taxes, the others for voluntary gifts.
(or 6 for temple taxes…).
Mark 12:
The treasury.
In the Court of the Women, which covered a space of two hundred feet square.
All round it ran a colonnade, and within it, against the wall, were the thirteen chests or “trumpets” for charitable contributions.
These chests were narrow at the mouth and wide at the bottom, shaped like trumpets, whence their name.
Their specific objects were carefully marked on them.
Nine were for the receipt of what was legally due by worshippers, the other four for strictly voluntary gifts
Illustration: buckets
Humble giving
The widow gave miniscule gift in public…for all to see: nothing to brag about…oblivious to what people thought…her heart was devoted to God so she gave it all.
She could have kept one coin...
Here story reminds us of the Greatest Commandment
Mark 12:29-31
Challenge: What do you give to God and why do you give it?
How do you define “all”?
In offering all she had to live on, the widow was giving herself to God.
She bore God’s image, and in the language of the parable that brought that argument to an end she gave what belonged to God.
Her story also reminds us of the discussion of the greatest commandment (12:28–34).
Transitional: Although the possession of valuable items often highlights the value of what a person is willing to give...
It’s not about the “stuff” - It’s about the heart
Exposition: For the woman with the perfume — it wasn’t about the specific value of what she gave, it was what motivated her to give - her love and devotion for the Master
The “stuff” (alabaster jar of perfume) she gave was the best way she knew at the time to worship Jesus— “she did what she could”
“Stuff” as one more way to worship
Greed leads to betrayal
Greed leads to deep sorrow and hopelessness
“Stuff” as one more way to worship
“Stuff” as one more way to worship
In chapter 14, Mark writes that the Passover was only 2 days away — the setting where we hear about the woman who gave a foolish gift.
In chapter 14, Mark writes that the Passover was only 2 days away — this is the setting where we hear about the woman who gave a foolish gift.
Jesus rebuked the people —
The woman didn’t knowingly come to anoint Jesus’ body for burial - in her heart, she came to give all she could because of her love and devotion to Him.
it’s not about the stuff…it’s about the heart...
it’s not about the stuff…it’s about the heart...
“Stuff” as a source of pride
It’s not about appearances: It’s about the heart
in the
“Stuff” as a source of pride
It’s not about appearances: It’s about the heart
It’s not about appearances: It’s about the heart
It’s not about appearances: It’s about the heart
Greed leads to deception
In , Judas complained — “Why didn’t someone sell this perfume and give the money to the poor?
It was worth a year’s wages.
It’s not about appearances: It’s about the heart
“He (Judas) did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it.”
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