The Poor Widow's Gift

38 In His teaching He was saying: “Beware of the scribes who like to walk around in long robes, and like respectful greetings in the market places, 39 and chief seats in the synagogues and places of honor at banquets,

Mk12:

Mark 12:40 NASB95

40 who devour widows’ houses, and for appearance’s sake offer long prayers; these will receive greater condemnation.”

What were the scribes doing (v.40)?

There are scriptures in the O.T. that attest to taking care of poor, the fatherless, and the widows. (Deu47:17-22)

Deuteronomy 24:17–18 NASB95

17 “You shall not pervert the justice due an alien or an orphan, nor take a widow’s garment in pledge. 18 “But you shall remember that you were a slave in Egypt, and that the Lord your God redeemed you from there; therefore I am commanding you to do this thing.

Deuteronomy 24:19–20 NASB95

19 “When you reap your harvest in your field and have forgotten a sheaf in the field, you shall not go back to get it; it shall be for the alien, for the orphan, and for the widow, in order that the Lord your God may bless you in all the work of your hands. 20 “When you beat your olive tree, you shall not go over the boughs again; it shall be for the alien, for the orphan, and for the widow.

Deuteronomy 24:21–22 NASB95

21 “When you gather the grapes of your vineyard, you shall not go over it again; it shall be for the alien, for the orphan, and for the widow. 22 “You shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt; therefore I am commanding you to do this thing.

They were not doing that were they? They, the experts in the law that demanded perfect adherence to the Law were not keeping it themselves. One of the things Jesus denounced them on previously.

Note the lack of adherence (Mt23:2-4)

Matthew 23:2–4 NASB95

2 saying: “The scribes and the Pharisees have seated themselves in the chair of Moses; 3 therefore all that they tell you, do and observe, but do not do according to their deeds; for they say things and do not do them. 4 “They tie up heavy burdens and lay them on men’s shoulders, but they themselves are unwilling to move them with so much as a finger.

So now that gives you a little lead in to our passage today.

Open Story book to (pg.125; Mk12:41-44)

What do you see, what do you notice, what sticks out to you?

So here we have Jesus who now is taking some time to people watch, He sits looks on from the court of women as people come and go and give their offerings into the treasury.

(INSERT SLIDE WITH TRUMPET BOXES)

There were 13 boxes along the wall that were called “the Trumpets” each one had a specific reason someone would drop offerings into. Some were for purchases of the sacrifices to be given, some were for contributions for expences of the Temple.

Just a little more about the trumpet boxes, 11 of them were for voluntary offerings of money, 2 were for the half-shekel tax.

Trumpet 1-2 were half-shekel Temple tax (tribute) of the current and past year.

Trumpet 3 was for those who had to bring turtle doves for sin offering, they would drop the offering, the cost o the turtle doves into the box.

Trumpet 4 similar to box 3 but was for young pigeons

Trumpet 5 was contributions for the wood used to burn the sacriices

Trumpet 6 was contributions for the incense burned

Trumpet 7 was for the golden vessels in the temple that were used for ministry. If a man had put aside a certain sum for a sin-offering and had any money left over after it’s purchase it was put into Trumpet 8

Trumpets 9-13 were for what was left over from trespass offerings, bird offerings, offering of the Nazarite, of the cleansed leper and voluntary offerings.

What did Jesus notice while watching the people (vv.41-42)?

Many rich people giving large sums

Poor widow gave two small copper coins

The two coins in the original language says “lepton” which means thin one, this amounted to 1/40th of 1 pence.

What did Jesus do in (v.43)?

Called the disciples over to him. Remember his public ministry is now over, everything now is for the disciples

He taught them about the nature of the widow’s gift - it was more than “all” the contributions to the treasury

Why do you think Jesus said it was more (v.43)? (spend a few minutes here, flesh this out, get them engaged)

Now in looking at (v.44)

In (v.44) Jesus tells us the answer

What is the answer to Jesus statement made in (v.43) answer in (v.44)?

They gave from their surplus

She gave from her poverty.

Not only from her poverty but from all she owned; she would have to fully trust and rely on God to provide for her, do we do the same?

God does not care the amount given, but the heart given. not amount but attitude. some of the axioms found on this short teaching about giving being measured.

Not by its count, but by its cost

Not by its amount, but its portion

Not by what is given, but by what is kept

not by money, but by spirit

Do you remember Peter’s statement, question back in chapter 10 (Mk10:28-30)?

Mark 10:28 NASB95

28 Peter began to say to Him, “Behold, we have left everything and followed You.”

This is an illustration of such and the end result for them and for the woman was 100% trust in God that He will provide what is needed. Think of Jesus response to Peter, and would it not be the same to this woman who gave from her poverty?

Mark 10:29–30 NASB95

29 Jesus said, “Truly I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or farms, for My sake and for the gospel’s sake, 30 but that he will receive a hundred times as much now in the present age, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and farms, along with persecutions; and in the age to come, eternal life.

Now having said that there are a 3 points we can pull out of this section.

I. Giving must be sacrificial

Some points to ponder on when it comes to giving. The amount of the gift does not matter, the cost of the gift is a matter of heart, it is the sacrifice given. (2Cor9:7)

2 Corinthians 9:7 NASB95

7 Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

Sacrificial giving is cheerful, or in the Greek it was translated as hilarious giving

Sacrificial giving gives until it hurts

Sacrificial giving is giving up something so to give to God (do we really practice sacrificial giving?)

Is our sacrifice really a sacrifice if we are not giving up something? If there really is no cost to it?

William Barclay says “Few people will do without their pleasures to give a little more to the work of God”

II. Giving should have no hold back

Notice the woman gave not only from her poverty, she gave all she had, all she owned. Now think bigger, think Jesus is not just teaching physically He is teaching spiritually too. Are there parts of our life that we hold back from Jesus, that we keep tucked away? Maybe like a security line. Or maybe some activity that we have not surrendered to Him. She had total faith, total trust in God that He would meet her need. Jesus taught on that too, didn’t He

Matthew 6:25–26 NASB95

25 “For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 “Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they?

Matthew 6:27–28 NASB95

27 “And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life? 28 “And why are you worried about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin,

Matthew 6:29–30 NASB95

29 yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these. 30 “But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? You of little faith!

Matthew 6:25–26 NASB95

Matthew 6:30–31 NASB95

30 “But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? You of little faith! 31 “Do not worry then, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear for clothing?’

Matthew 6:30 NASB95

30 “But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? You of little faith!

Matthew 6:30–31 NASB95

Mt6:

She totally surrendered and had faith that God would provide. Think about this, this woman, this widow, this poor person was recorded for all history as an example of giving.

One more quote and will end for today “If we put all that we have and are at His disposal, he can do things with it and with us that are beyond our imaginations. - William Barclay.

Point to ponder The woman gave it all and demonstrated her faith. Her faith is on display for all to see when they read the Bible, what does your faith say?

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Related Media

Related Sermons