Your Giving Reflects Your Heart - Mark 12:41-44
Your Giving Reflects Your Heart - Mark 12:41-44
By Pastor Lee Hemen
December 12, 2010 AM
The human heart is an amazing organ that pumps literally hundreds of thousands of gallons of blood through miles of blood vessels night and day for decades. Yet it can be stopped by the smallest of obstructions. The spiritual heart can be an amazing thing as well. When it is truly given to the Lord it can produce a wealth of goodness, greatness, and joy. However, it too can be hampered by the smallest of obstructions. Obstructions of greed, selfishness, an unforgiving spirit, or narrow-mindedness can stop the beating of the spiritual heart. There is a cure though and it is found in a life of sacrifice. A heart that reflects Jesus is strong in him.
Here in Mark’s gospel we find Jesus and his disciples back in the temple, specifically in the Court of the Women. As they sit there they notice those who come and go as they give to the care of the temple. In these few verses we discover a wonderful truth that a person’s giving reflects their heart. Let’s discover how…
READ: Mark 12:41-44
CPR is done in emergency situations on those who need to keep their heart pumping. Sometimes, Christians need spiritual CPR done to their hearts as well -- especially where giving is concerned. Sadly, it often needs to be applied during this time of the year. We can get so focused on the giving and getting of presents, we forget what real giving is all about. Here in Mark’s gospel a poor widow teaches us that…
I. Actions reflect our heart’s intention! (Vv. 41-42)
1. An offering is not an offering unless it is freely given! Mark records Jesus as a people watcher. He loved to see what people did and he saw their intent which was frequently reflected in their actions. We find Jesus sitting “opposite the place where the offerings were put and [he] watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury.” Individuals were coming and going. They were focused on placing their offerings into the “horns” which were placed in the Court of the Women. Barnes relates, “In that court there were fixed a number of places or coffers, made with a large open mouth in the shape of a trumpet, for the purpose of receiving the offerings of the people; and the money thus contributed was devoted to the service of the temple - to incense, sacrifices, etc.” As Jesus watched “Many rich people threw in large amounts.” These rich folks were the same ones who loved “to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men.” (Matthew 6:5) And these were the same rich folks, who loved “to be greeted in the marketplaces and to have men call them ‘Rabbi.’” (Matthew 23:7) Jesus would relate, “I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full.” The old adage that actions speak louder than words rings true here. These hypocrites manifested the same spirit about giving as they did about their prayer; it was done in public places for public accolades. It was done for public praise! In contrast, Jesus also watches as “a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a fraction of a penny.” We call this a “mite”, from the French, miete, which signifies a crumb, or very small morsel. The Greek word is lepton, which was the smallest coin minted at that time, worth about 1/64 of a day’s wage. It reminds us of the woman who told Jesus that, “even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.” Only a morsel could she give and only a morsel did she expect in return, but her action speaks volumes. We live in a day and age where people actually think that their words of compassion carry the same weight as someone else’s acts of faith. There are those who measure their giving by their intent and billionaires who give a pittance compared to their amassed wealth. Far too often, however, Christians are the ones guilty of giving, like Dickens' Scrooge, mere morsels to Jesus and expecting a banquet in return. We should never forget that our actions reflect our heart’s intention.
EXAMPLE: Visible reminders are good for our lives. I keep pictures of those I love near my computer. I often reach out and touch them as I work and pray for them. These are not some good luck charm or talisman, but rather a way for me to be reminded of those who mean a lot to me. Believers should be the visible reminders of Jesus to the world around them. We should be visible reminders of his compassion, his sacrifice, his grace, his forgiveness, and his charity. Are you willing to serve, to give as you should, to witness, and to be a visible reminder to others of Christ in you? What are your visible reminders of Jesus? Open the moth-ridden coin purse of your life, unwrap your generosity this year and give of your time, talent, and treasure. Jesus would remind us that our giving reflects our heart. It is a visible reminder of who we believe in and trust with our lives.
This elderly widow taught more with her actions that day in the temple than all of the teachers of the law, the scribes, Pharisees, or Sadducees. In that moment in time one anonymous grey-haired widow woman became a teacher for millions of believers for thousands of years. I know that this never even entered her mind when she came to give her two small coins to honor God. What she did teaches all of us this morning that our giving does indeed reflect our heart. We also discover that…
II. Real wealth is reflected in a rich heart! (Vv. 43-44)
1. What we consider to be of value in life might well be worthless in the kingdom of God! There were those in Jesus’ day who thought that by the shear amount of time they gave in following the letter of the law or the volume of cash they spent would reflect well for them in eternity. Interestingly, this concept has not changed much. There are still those who think that by doing more good works or by occasionally giving large amounts of money to their favorite charity, gains brownie points for eternity. As Jesus and his disciples sat there in the Court of the Women, he watched those who came and went giving money. After noticing what the widow did, Jesus calls his disciples to him. He realizes it is a teachable moment. He tells them, “I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others.” I betcha they immediately thought, “What! She only placed two tiny tin coins in the horns.” The others made a display of their giving and you could hear their money clanging together as it went down the tubes, but her two pathetic coins probably did not even make a tinkle as they went in. This little widow did not necessarily give more in volume, but she gave more in self-sacrifice, self-denial, and sincerity of soul. Jesus puts her giving into perspective by telling his listeners, “They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.” Jesus isn’t telling his listeners to give everything they own to the temple, nor is he asking them to give him all they have, rather, he is relating a deep spiritual truth. A person’s real wealth is reflected in a rich heart toward God. She gave not to prove her devotion; her devotion was proven by her heart’s attitude as she gave. She trusted God to take care of her needs. Paul would tell the Corinthian church, “For if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what he does not have.” (2 Corinthians 8:12) This widow woman had a rich and deep abiding faith in God and a devotion to his temple. It did not matter to her what others gave, all that mattered is what she gave. And guess what, it also mattered to God! God does not despise the humblest offering, if made in sincerity. He loves a cheerful giver. Real wealth is reflected in a rich heart!
EXAMPLE: Dave Branon of RBC Ministries asks, “Got Botox? A lot of people do. Some take Botox treatments for health matters, but many take them because they want to look young again. Appearance is so important to some Botox users that they allow themselves to be injected with botulinum toxin type A so that their wrinkles will disappear for a while. Later, the treatment must be administered again. Botox is expensive, and it comes with possible negative side effects. But that doesn’t stop people from giving it a try so they can look better. Of course, looking good is not a bad thing, but a more important consideration is how we look on the inside. How much are we willing to sacrifice to have beautiful character?” I would ask, “Are we willing to take some ‘Botox for the soul’— to inject ourselves with sacrificial giving? Like the widow?" We may find that few practice self-denial in their giving. Most give out of their abundance, what they can spare without feeling it pinch, kind of like simply throwing it away. Among all those who give, how few actually deny themselves one comfort, even the smallest thing, that they may advance the kingdom of Christ instead! I pray you are counted among those who are wealthy in their giving! Never forget, real wealth is reflected in a rich heart!
Conclusion:
Actions reflect our heart’s intention and real wealth is reflected in a rich heart! What does your giving reflect about your heart?
----
Pastor Lee Hemen has been the outspoken pastor of the same church for 25 years in Vancouver, WA. He writes regularly on spirituality and conservative causes and maintains several web blogs. This article is copyrighted © 2010 by Lee Hemen and is the sole property of Lee Hemen, and may not be used unless you quote the entire article and have my permission.
By Pastor Lee Hemen
December 12, 2010 AM
The human heart is an amazing organ that pumps literally hundreds of thousands of gallons of blood through miles of blood vessels night and day for decades. Yet it can be stopped by the smallest of obstructions. The spiritual heart can be an amazing thing as well. When it is truly given to the Lord it can produce a wealth of goodness, greatness, and joy. However, it too can be hampered by the smallest of obstructions. Obstructions of greed, selfishness, an unforgiving spirit, or narrow-mindedness can stop the beating of the spiritual heart. There is a cure though and it is found in a life of sacrifice. A heart that reflects Jesus is strong in him.
Here in Mark’s gospel we find Jesus and his disciples back in the temple, specifically in the Court of the Women. As they sit there they notice those who come and go as they give to the care of the temple. In these few verses we discover a wonderful truth that a person’s giving reflects their heart. Let’s discover how…
READ: Mark 12:41-44
CPR is done in emergency situations on those who need to keep their heart pumping. Sometimes, Christians need spiritual CPR done to their hearts as well -- especially where giving is concerned. Sadly, it often needs to be applied during this time of the year. We can get so focused on the giving and getting of presents, we forget what real giving is all about. Here in Mark’s gospel a poor widow teaches us that…
I. Actions reflect our heart’s intention! (Vv. 41-42)
1. An offering is not an offering unless it is freely given! Mark records Jesus as a people watcher. He loved to see what people did and he saw their intent which was frequently reflected in their actions. We find Jesus sitting “opposite the place where the offerings were put and [he] watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury.” Individuals were coming and going. They were focused on placing their offerings into the “horns” which were placed in the Court of the Women. Barnes relates, “In that court there were fixed a number of places or coffers, made with a large open mouth in the shape of a trumpet, for the purpose of receiving the offerings of the people; and the money thus contributed was devoted to the service of the temple - to incense, sacrifices, etc.” As Jesus watched “Many rich people threw in large amounts.” These rich folks were the same ones who loved “to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men.” (Matthew 6:5) And these were the same rich folks, who loved “to be greeted in the marketplaces and to have men call them ‘Rabbi.’” (Matthew 23:7) Jesus would relate, “I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full.” The old adage that actions speak louder than words rings true here. These hypocrites manifested the same spirit about giving as they did about their prayer; it was done in public places for public accolades. It was done for public praise! In contrast, Jesus also watches as “a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a fraction of a penny.” We call this a “mite”, from the French, miete, which signifies a crumb, or very small morsel. The Greek word is lepton, which was the smallest coin minted at that time, worth about 1/64 of a day’s wage. It reminds us of the woman who told Jesus that, “even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.” Only a morsel could she give and only a morsel did she expect in return, but her action speaks volumes. We live in a day and age where people actually think that their words of compassion carry the same weight as someone else’s acts of faith. There are those who measure their giving by their intent and billionaires who give a pittance compared to their amassed wealth. Far too often, however, Christians are the ones guilty of giving, like Dickens' Scrooge, mere morsels to Jesus and expecting a banquet in return. We should never forget that our actions reflect our heart’s intention.
EXAMPLE: Visible reminders are good for our lives. I keep pictures of those I love near my computer. I often reach out and touch them as I work and pray for them. These are not some good luck charm or talisman, but rather a way for me to be reminded of those who mean a lot to me. Believers should be the visible reminders of Jesus to the world around them. We should be visible reminders of his compassion, his sacrifice, his grace, his forgiveness, and his charity. Are you willing to serve, to give as you should, to witness, and to be a visible reminder to others of Christ in you? What are your visible reminders of Jesus? Open the moth-ridden coin purse of your life, unwrap your generosity this year and give of your time, talent, and treasure. Jesus would remind us that our giving reflects our heart. It is a visible reminder of who we believe in and trust with our lives.
This elderly widow taught more with her actions that day in the temple than all of the teachers of the law, the scribes, Pharisees, or Sadducees. In that moment in time one anonymous grey-haired widow woman became a teacher for millions of believers for thousands of years. I know that this never even entered her mind when she came to give her two small coins to honor God. What she did teaches all of us this morning that our giving does indeed reflect our heart. We also discover that…
II. Real wealth is reflected in a rich heart! (Vv. 43-44)
1. What we consider to be of value in life might well be worthless in the kingdom of God! There were those in Jesus’ day who thought that by the shear amount of time they gave in following the letter of the law or the volume of cash they spent would reflect well for them in eternity. Interestingly, this concept has not changed much. There are still those who think that by doing more good works or by occasionally giving large amounts of money to their favorite charity, gains brownie points for eternity. As Jesus and his disciples sat there in the Court of the Women, he watched those who came and went giving money. After noticing what the widow did, Jesus calls his disciples to him. He realizes it is a teachable moment. He tells them, “I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others.” I betcha they immediately thought, “What! She only placed two tiny tin coins in the horns.” The others made a display of their giving and you could hear their money clanging together as it went down the tubes, but her two pathetic coins probably did not even make a tinkle as they went in. This little widow did not necessarily give more in volume, but she gave more in self-sacrifice, self-denial, and sincerity of soul. Jesus puts her giving into perspective by telling his listeners, “They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.” Jesus isn’t telling his listeners to give everything they own to the temple, nor is he asking them to give him all they have, rather, he is relating a deep spiritual truth. A person’s real wealth is reflected in a rich heart toward God. She gave not to prove her devotion; her devotion was proven by her heart’s attitude as she gave. She trusted God to take care of her needs. Paul would tell the Corinthian church, “For if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what he does not have.” (2 Corinthians 8:12) This widow woman had a rich and deep abiding faith in God and a devotion to his temple. It did not matter to her what others gave, all that mattered is what she gave. And guess what, it also mattered to God! God does not despise the humblest offering, if made in sincerity. He loves a cheerful giver. Real wealth is reflected in a rich heart!
EXAMPLE: Dave Branon of RBC Ministries asks, “Got Botox? A lot of people do. Some take Botox treatments for health matters, but many take them because they want to look young again. Appearance is so important to some Botox users that they allow themselves to be injected with botulinum toxin type A so that their wrinkles will disappear for a while. Later, the treatment must be administered again. Botox is expensive, and it comes with possible negative side effects. But that doesn’t stop people from giving it a try so they can look better. Of course, looking good is not a bad thing, but a more important consideration is how we look on the inside. How much are we willing to sacrifice to have beautiful character?” I would ask, “Are we willing to take some ‘Botox for the soul’— to inject ourselves with sacrificial giving? Like the widow?" We may find that few practice self-denial in their giving. Most give out of their abundance, what they can spare without feeling it pinch, kind of like simply throwing it away. Among all those who give, how few actually deny themselves one comfort, even the smallest thing, that they may advance the kingdom of Christ instead! I pray you are counted among those who are wealthy in their giving! Never forget, real wealth is reflected in a rich heart!
Conclusion:
Actions reflect our heart’s intention and real wealth is reflected in a rich heart! What does your giving reflect about your heart?
----
Pastor Lee Hemen has been the outspoken pastor of the same church for 25 years in Vancouver, WA. He writes regularly on spirituality and conservative causes and maintains several web blogs. This article is copyrighted © 2010 by Lee Hemen and is the sole property of Lee Hemen, and may not be used unless you quote the entire article and have my permission.
Comments