The Widows Mite

Mark 12:41–44 NKJV

41 Now Jesus sat opposite the treasury and saw how the people put money into the treasury. And many who were rich put in much. 42 Then one poor widow came and threw in two mites, which make a quadrans. 43 So He called His disciples to Himself and said to them, “Assuredly, I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all those who have given to the treasury; 44 for they all put in out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all that she had, her whole livelihood.”

Intro: Tithing.

Many question whether or not tithing is of the N.T. In the N.T tithing is mentioned in Lk and Matt. Dealing with the Scribes and Pharisees. They gave a tithe but for the wrong reason.

In Heb we see the tithe mentioned, there it is dealing with the tithe in the O.T it was of the law.

Some say that since we are no longer under the Law we no longer have to tithe. But scriptures tell us that Abraham tithed to Melchizedek. Which was before the law. So, if tithing was in place before the Law, I believe it is still important now.

Now what I see in the New Testament, in these verses and other is something that goes beyond the tithe, and that is sacrificial giving (what the widow does) an giving with the right attitude (heart).

We also see it with the boy that gave his lunch to Jesus. John 6:9

Jesus requires sacrificial giving. Matt. 19:16-22 (rich young ruler) this is the kind of people the Lord wants serving him.

Jesus spoke of money often. He spoke of money more than anything else except the Kingdom of God. 11 of the parables talked about money.

Why did Jesus talk about money so much? Jesus knew how much people love money. Almost everything in this world revolves around money. Why? Because people love their money.

He wants us to love Him more than anything or anybody.

I Tim 6:10 “For the love of money is the root of all evil”

The New Testament: An Expanded Translation Chapter 6

for a root of all the evils is the fondness for money, which certain ones, bending their every effort to grasp, have been led astray from the Faith and have pierced themselves through with many consuming griefs

Root: Source. Jesus knew that the love of money of is the source of all evil. The love of money is why people do not give sacrificially, because money has become more important then God work.

It is the reason people would rather keep for themselves then give it to God who it belongs to anyway.

If more people Christians give with the right heart, what great things we could do for the Lord.

You see I don’t want people to be to give for the benefit for the Pine Grove, but for the Lord.

The Lord knows your giving and He knows your heart when you give.

When money becomes the main focus in the church, we have lost focus on what is the re important, that is wining the lost to Jesus.

Elab a Soul winner: (gospel conversation)

If I had a choose

A. Gives $10.000 am month, but never wins a soul to Jesus.

B. Gives $10.00 a month, but win souls for Jesus.

Give me the Soul Winner.

What is someone gave our church $100.000

What would your thought be on what we should do with it?

Put away, save it, invest.

You it to reach the lost. How, by feeding people, helping someone in need, helping a missionary,

Luke 12:16–21 NKJV

16 Then He spoke a parable to them, saying: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully. 17 And he thought within himself, saying, ‘What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?’ 18 So he said, ‘I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods. 19 And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry.” ’ 20 But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?’ 21 “So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.”

Matthew 6:19–21 NKJV

19 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Jesus knows your heart when it comes to money.

Mark 12:41–42 NKJV

41 Now Jesus sat opposite the treasury and saw how the people put money into the treasury. And many who were rich put in much. 42 Then one poor widow came and threw in two mites, which make a quadrans.

VS 41

1.This was at the Temple. The treasury was located in the Court of Women it was a space of about 200 Sq feet. Inside against the wall was 13 trumpets shaped boxes. The trumpets bore various inscriptions, designating to what purpose the various gifts were directed. 9 were for legal dues, temple taxes, 4 for voluntary contributions.

1. (This scripture we are looking at today place during the Passion Week) at this point Jesus and His disciples were at the temple in Court of women. It had been a busy day for Jesus.

a. As the people are coming into to give Jesus is watching. He watched how they gave. There were a lot of people there, the Passover was 4 days away.

b. Read verse again.

Jesus “saw how” the people gave. KJV Beheld: To gaze on for the purpose of analyzing. Greek word is “theoreo” English Word Theater.

c. Here is Jesus eagerly watching as they cast their money into the treasury.

d. The disciples were watching too. (but they were focused on what the rich were putting in)

e. Jesus is watching how we give, he watching our hearts when it comes to money.

“And many who were rich put in much.”

Rich: Wealthy.

KJV Cast: Throw in/ to place.

Much: Great amount.

d. Elab on how they would throw money into the treasury.

e. By casting their money in this way the rich would attracted attention. That’s not the right way to give. Elab

f. How should we give?

2 Corinthians 9:7 NKJV

7 So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.

Mark 12:42 NKJV

42 Then one poor widow came and threw in two mites, which make a quadrans.

Widow: Elab on Widow in the bible. They were to be taken care of. (Deacons)

We have have a lot widows here at Pine Grove over the time I have been. I Know they have been good tithers How do I know that they give? Because our biggest offering comes at the first of the month.

1. She was a poor widow.

a. The word poor here, is not just poor as we may think. It is poverty stricken.

b. It the Greek word used for a beggar. To crouch or cower like a beggar. Deeply destitute. Someone who was completely lacking resources.

2. She had 2 mites. 2 small copper or bronze coins (the smallest of the cons) worth about a ½ cent.

a. Here this widow who was deep in poverty, a beggar. Someone had given her 2 mites.

b. What was the heart of the person that gave to her? Ealb

c. Whoever gave it to her, and whatever their intentions were, it was still a gift from God.

d. She gives it back to God.

3. Your job is a gift from God. (retirement, Whatever you receive is a gift from God, from salvation any money you receive, to the spiritual gifts and talents that God’s has given you.

a. Some will say, I work, or I worked many years so it’s mine. The job you have or that you retried form, it is a gift from God. James 1:17

James 1:17 NKJV

17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.

b. It is amazing that is seems that in a lot of churches today the ones that have the least amount to give do most of the giving.

c. The Lord knows your giving. He know your attitude when you give.

Give with the right attitude, right heart.

Mark 12:43 NKJV

43 So He called His disciples to Himself and said to them, “Assuredly, I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all those who have given to the treasury;

VS 43

1. Jesus calls his disciples over; he uses this great sacrifice to teach then a great lesson. This was something he did often.

a. All those that came in that day to give gave an offering to the Lord. The Passover was in 3 days. Elab

b. The rich gave more than the poor widow. They contributions were generous….their incomes were abundant so their offering were large.

c. But in the eyes of the Lord the widow gave more. Why?

d. Because the Lord measured the given, not on what was given but on what was left over.

a. The widow sacrificed more than the rich because she gave all that she had.

b. The rich gave a just a small percentage of what they had.

c. The widow had nothing left, but the rich still had much.

God counts what we have left more than what we give.

d. God counts the amount of the sacrifice not the amount of the money.

e. The gift that matters if the gift that cost the giver.

f. What impresses the Lord is not the size of the gift, but the sacrifice that we make in order to give. That means you are giving with the right attitude.

Give even when can’t .

Mark 12:44 NKJV

44 for they all put in out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all that she had, her whole livelihood.”

1. Little did she know that the Lord was watching her and using her sacrificial giving as an example.

Not only was her gift a great sacrifice, it was a great blessing that Jesus would use to show His disciples, and would be written down and out it Gods word for all of us.

a. The poor widow gave all that she had; the rich gave of their “abundance” (to be in excess)

her whole livelihood”translates “deep poverty”. She gave what she could not afford to give.

She put in KJV Cast here means to place.

c. She could not afford to give but she gave any all she had. Why did she do this? How could she do this? The word living: Livelihood.

HW I Kings 17:8-16

This is for Christians. PGBC members. Where is your heart when it comes to money? Keep, store, give to reach lost souls?