Sermon Tone Analysis

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Luke 12:41-44

 

q    The Sighting of the Woman’s Gift.

/“Jesus . . . .

watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury”/

/ /

God watches over his children.

When we think we are unnoticed we are most noticed.

(Our Father who sees in secret . . .

)  Funny about that but there are times when our children want us to watch them when they are most proud of themselves and we watch to show them our love but it is in the times when we watch without their knowledge that we find the greatest joy.

The times when their conduct is honourable and right and they are not displaying it.

I believe that God finds his greatest delight in us when we are not conscious of his watchful eye.

Anyone can put a better foot forward when they need to.

The famous actor Robert Redford was walking one day through a hotel lobby.

A woman saw him and followed him to the elevator.

"Are you the real Robert Redford?" she asked him with great excitement.

As the doors of the elevator closed, he replied, "Only when I am alone!"

The Cross Of Words

 

I am afraid we modern Christians are long on talk and short on conduct.

We use the language of power but our deeds are the deeds of weakness.

We settle for words in religion because deeds are too costly.

It is easier to pray, "Lord, help me to carry my cross daily" then to pick up the cross and carry it; but since the mere request for help to do something we do not actually intend to do has a certain degree of religious comfort, we are content with repetition of the words.

-- A. W. Tozer

 

It is character that causes us to behave rightly when no one is watching or when we think that no one is watching.

God is watching you today as you sit in the pew – as you offer Him your worship, he sees your heart.

He is either thrilled at your expressions of love or grieved because he wonders whether or not you even want to be here.

q    The Setting of the Woman’s Gift

 

/“They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty”/

 

Her love for God was evident in her religious activity.

You can’t say that for everyone.

There seems to be a spiritual “numbing” effect that takes place when we repeat things over and over when the meaning has escaped us.

It is almost hypnotic in it’s effect on us.

(Key Stations as a Night Watchman)

 

q    The Scope of the Woman’s Gift.

/ /

/“. . .

but she, out of her poverty, put in everything . .

.” /

 

She abandoned herself to the providence of God.

She held nothing back.

Someone has said that God sees our giving more in light of what we keep than what we give.

(Christmas fundraiser)  

 

q    The Substance of the Woman’s Gift.

/“But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a fraction of a penny.”/

God delights in making something great of the things in our lives that are small.

Poor is an attitude.

Here was the poor caring for the poor.

Patti Brown - thru it all.

Iona Smith - rich people.

In reality, this lady was very wealthy.

She was caring for people who were poor – not conscious of the her own poverty.

Greed can grip the poor just as it can the rich.

A miserly attitude always diminishes a person regardless of their economic status.

q    The Selflessness of the Woman’s Gift

 

/“but she, out of her poverty, put in everything--all she had to live on."./

She believed that God would provide.

Pretty basic trust that we can exercise in God.

Luke 12:29 Are not two sparrows sold for a penny?

Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father.

[30] And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered.

[31] So don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.

q    The Summation of the Woman’s Gift

 

/"I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others/

 

Gifts that are given to God find their ultimate worth in His assessments.

The gifts that we give find their worth in the eyes of the person to whom they are given.

It is their assessment that really matters for a gift is designed to please the receiver not the necessarily the giver.

We might as well learn to give people the things that please them.

* *

*12:41-42.*

From the court of the Gentiles (cf.

11:15) where He conducted His public teaching, *Jesus *entered the court of the women.

Against the wall of this court were 13 trumpet-shaped collection receptacles for receiving worshipers’ freewill *offerings *and contributions (Mishnah /Shekalim// /6.

5).

From a vantage point *opposite *(/katenanti/; cf.

comments on 11:2) one of these receptacles Jesus was observing how (poµs, “in what way”) the Passover *crowd *was *putting their money into the temple treasury *(lit., “the receptacle”).

In contrast with *many *wealthy *people *who gave *large amounts *(lit., “many coins” of all kinds—gold, silver, copper, and bronze), one unnamed *poor widow *gave *two */lepta// /(Gr.).

A /lepton /was the smallest bronze Jewish coin in circulation in Palestine.

Two /lepta// /were worth 1~/64 of a Roman denarius, a day’s wage for a laborer (cf.

6:37).

For his Roman readers Mark stated their value in terms of Roman coinage, namely, *a fraction of a penny.*

* *

*12:43-44.*

With solemn introductory words (*I tell you the truth; *cf.

3:28) *Jesus said *that she had given *more . . .

than all the others.

*The reason was (/gar, /“for, because”) the others *gave out of their *material *wealth *at little cost to them, *but *the widow *out of her poverty *gave *everything.

*Proportionally she had given the most—*all she had to live on.

*In giving to God sacrificially she completely entrusted herself to Him to provide her needs.

She could have kept back one coin for herself.

A Rabbinic rule stating that an offering of less than two /lepta// /was not acceptable related to charitable gifts and does not apply here.

Jesus used her example to teach His disciples the value God places on wholehearted commitment.

Their own commitment to Jesus would soon be severely tested (cf.

14:27-31).

This incident also illustrates Jesus’ total self-giving in death.[1]

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[1]Walvoord, John F., and Zuck, Roy B., /The Bible Knowledge Commentary/, (Wheaton, Illinois: Scripture Press Publications, Inc.) 1983, 1985.