Riches in Poverty

29 July 2018 Michael Cloete Malelane Baptist Church Riches in Poverty Reading: Mark 12:41-44 (NIV) “Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a fraction of a penny. Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.”” (Mark 12:41–44, NIV84) Introduction Jesus has just come through those encounters with various groups of people who were confronting Him. After many of these groups of people coming to Jesus and presenting their challenges to Him, eventually they came to the realisation that Jesus was not going to be tricked by their deceitful endeavours. He understood their ploys, and the traps that they were setting for him. And He used His supreme wisdom to silence his enemies. Then last week, we looked at the passage in which Jesus confronted the Scribes with a challenge of His own. He confronted them on two levels: He confronted their teaching about the Messiah (what views they held to). They held to far too low a view of the Messiah. They saw the Messiah merely as a man, a political deliverer. But Jesus pointed out through the Psalm of David that David called this Messiah who was to come “Lord” – even though it was his son (far off descendent). Clearly, the Messiah to come was far more than merely a son of David. He was also the Son of God. But then He also confronted the Scribes in terms of their character. The Scribes, although they were supposed to be teachers of the law who set an exemplary standard in terms of their conduct; although they should have been the ones who were at the forefront of caring for the wellbeing and souls of the people; although they should have been the leaders in terms of demonstrating care and love towards those who were oppressed and afflicted; although they should have been all these things, they were in fact found to be acting in quite the opposite way. Instead, they were those who were proud; they showed off their high positions; They attempted to gain respect from all the people in the market places; they took the chief seats and places of honour, both in the temple, and at feasts. And then to crown it all, they would exploit the widows of the community. They would find ways and means of extracting money from these helpless widows who were in a very real sense defenceless in that day. It is this scathing rebuke on and warnings against the Scribes that leads us into this passage that we look at today, in which a widow – who may very well have been one of those widows exploited by the Scribes – walks into the temple courts and gives a substantial contribution towards the temple. Not substantial because it is a large sum of money. But rather, substantial because she was a lady who, although having so little, gave such a large portion of her possessions towards God’s work. And so we are going to consider the unfolding of this amazing event recorded for us as Jesus looks on at those placing their offerings in the temple collection plates as it were, and we’re going to learn together some important truths concerning the stewardship of God-given resources. And all our resources are God-given resources! 1. Christ Observes the Acts of those Giving (v.41-42) Let us look then at our text this morning. The first thing that we see in our text this morning is that “Christ OBSERVES the Acts of those Giving.” At the beginning of verse 41, we read: “And He sat down opposite the treasury, and began observing how the people were putting money into the treasury;” Having finished his time of teaching in the Temple courts, Christ now moves to where the treasury was in the temple. This was a place where visitors to the temple could place their offerings. Remember that this is the Passover week. The Passover feast is about to be celebrated, and the temple at this time was filled with pilgrims. The normal population in Jerusalem of about 50,000 people was swollen to a mass of some 250,000 people at a time such as this. These pilgrims would then come into the temple and be able to make offerings to the temple and those who ministered. Further to this, we need to understand that in the temple, this place where they made the offerings that they did had 13 trumpet-like receptacles into which the pilgrims could place their offerings. Those receptacles were made out of brass. In that day, they didn’t do EFT transfers. They didn’t pay by cheque that was written out. They didn’t have bank notes like we have in our day. In those days all they had were coins. And those coins usually carried intrinsic value in them – unlike currencies of our day. And so as they took their coins and placed them in the offering receptacles, the offering that they made would be “heard”! And so, with these different people all coming in and putting their offerings in, Jesus comes sits opposite this place, and watches as these offerings are brought. At the end of verse 41, we read… “…and many rich people were putting in large sums.” In the midst of these various pilgrims were those who were very wealthy and had large sums of money. They no doubt had considerable influence within their various spheres. Listen to how Acts 8:27 describes Philip approaching the Ethiopian eunuch: “So he started out, and on his way he met an Ethiopian eunuch, an important official in charge of all the treasury of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians. This man had gone to Jerusalem to worship,” (Acts 8:27, NIV84) Here’s just one example of a man who was of considerable influence and power. He had great responsibilities. He had considerable wealth also. No doubt he was the kind of man who placed large sums into the treasury. We also recall the account of the rich young ruler who had approached Jesus, and asked Jesus: “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit the kingdom of heaven.” That man had very clearly been a devout Jew, someone who took God seriously, and took obedience to the law seriously. He most certainly would have made his fair contribution out of his riches into the temple treasury. And so we see that these various people were coming in and placing large sums of money into the treasury. Now if we just pause there for a moment, and consider what our response may have been, had we been observers in the temple courts. We would have seen these men dressed in fine clothes, with large sums of money (probably large sacks filled with coins) emptying their sacks noisily into these receptacles. No doubt we would have been impressed at the large sums being offered by these wealthy people. Perhaps just a little jealous of their financial means. As these “MANY rich people” place their money into the receptacles, Jesus is there watching. He however is not deceived by their show of wealth. Instead, he observes another person coming in and placing her offering into the receptacles. Verse 42: “But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a fraction of a penny.” (Mark 12:42, NIV84) Christ’s gaze is not riveted on the rich and wealthy, and those who are able to give much. Christ is a keen observer of life and people. But the truth is, that His gaze always goes far deeper, and has far more discernment than the superficial gazes and thoughts that accompany the typical person. Here is once again a demonstration of the fact that Christ always has an eye for the individual. You will recall that He heard the cry of the blind beggar Bartimaeus when everyone else was telling him to be silent. And so here, He sees the generous and sacrificial gift of a poor widow when no one else sees a thing. Everyone else would have been fixated upon those who were of high standing, those pouring in the large sums of money. But with Christ, he simply but dramatically shifts the focus of attention from the many to just one. And what a one she is: 1) a woman, 2) a poor woman, 3) a widow woman. One must marvel as you consider the picture, and the fact that this woman even chose to proceed with placing her gift in the offering. Not only was she “one of the least” given the cultural context of her day, but she would have put in an offering that would have been among the least. According to our text, she deposited “two small copper coins, which make a penny.” The two “coins” that she deposited were the smallest bronze Jewish coin in circulation in Palestine in that day. The two coins combined equalled what was equivalent of a day’s wage for a typical labourer. And yet this lady places her offering into the treasury. I would like to pose a question to you this morning. When you consider your own circumstances in life, are you tempted to compare yourself – what you have; what you own; what you look like; your gifts or abilities; your position in society - are you tempted to compare yourself, and who you are, and what you have with others, and then to feel intimidated by that? As people, we are prone to compare ourselves upwards. In other words, we tend to compare ourselves and evaluate ourselves against those who have more than us. And so there usually tends to be a sense of inferiority. And I think that this most happens more, the further down the chain you are. But this widow sets a wonderful example in that she is not concerned or embarrassed about bringing her offering, small as it may be. I’m reading a book titled “When people are big, and God is small” by Ed Welch – an excellent book! His argument in that book is that we are very concerned with what people think about us. This is called “The Fear of Man”. “Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe.” (Proverbs 29:25, NIV84) And so the question we must ask ourselves is: “Are we fully trusting in God, and our identity in Jesus Christ, or do we seek the approval of man?” What makes this question so important is because God is not evaluating merely what is taking place on the surface level of our lives, for others to see. Rather, God is looking deep within us and concerning himself with what is taking place in our hearts as live out our lives of worship to Him. 1 Sam. 16:7 reminds us, “For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.” And this is precisely what was unfolding as this poor widow brought her offering to the temple. 2. Christ Discerns the Motives of Those Giving (vv.43-44) This leads us to our second point for consideration this morning, and that is that “Christ discerns the Motives of Those Giving,” and we’ll see this in verses 43-44. Jesus saw what He came to see. But with piercing divine insight He saw not only the people bringing the gifts and offerings, but also the circumstances, and thus the heart with which those gifts were brought. He saw both the act and the motive behind the act. And, with the judgment he is about to render, He once again turns the value system of the world on its head. Once again, we see a grand reversal of what really counts in the eyes of God. 2.1 Sacrificial giving honours Christ even if the amount is not very large. We find that “Sacrificial giving honours Christ even if the amount is not very large.” In verse 43 of our text we read these words: “Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others.” (Mark 12:43, NIV84) Jesus calls the disciples to come close. He gathers them around him in order to teach them important Kingdom principles. He begins with those familiar words: “I tell you the truth.” That’s again the use of the word “amen” that Christ repeatedly used - a word appearing 13 times in the Gospel of Mark. It adds weight and importance to what Jesus is about to say. It has the ring of divine authority! He begins and ends by commending not the rich but the poor. Why? Why does Christ commend this poor widow? He commends the widow because she gave the most of all (v. 43)! Christ says that this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. No one else that has placed money into the treasury has given to the extent that this lady has given! And the reason that he says this is because “she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on” (v. 44). Does it not strike you that according to Jesus (and He must have had supernatural insight here into her situation and condition) this lady gave everything that she had. All she had to live on was bound up in two simple (close to worthless) coins. But she didn’t even keep one for herself. She gave sacrificially. She gave her all. There was nothing more she could have given. The amount was not large, but the sacrifice was great. 2.2 Comfortable giving fails to honour God, even if the amount is very large. But further on this grand reversal of what really counts, we need to see the other side of the coin here (excuse the pun). We find not only that “Sacrificial giving honours Christ even if the amount is not very large,” but we find that “comfortable giving often fails to honour God, even if the amount is large.” When Christ speaks here about this widow who gave more than all the others, the reason that he gives for the statement he makes is this: “…for they all put in out of their surplus…” The others “contributed out of their abundances” (v. 44). They gave a lot because they had a lot. Their giving was not sacrificial, it was comfortable. What they gave was not a hard decision, it was an easy one. What did it cost them in light of what they had? Not much. Did they truly give God their best? No, they gave to an institution, and a corrupt one at that, what was easy and convenient. And bottom-line: Jesus was not impressed. Warren Wiersbe says it well: “The rich made a big production out of their giving (see Matt. 6:1-4), but Jesus rejected them and their gifts. It is not the portion but the proportion that is important: the rich gave out of their abundance, but the poor widow gave all she had. For the rich, their gifts were a small contribution, but for the widow, her gift was a true consecration of her whole life” (Wiersbe, Be Diligent, 120). Why was Jesus so moved by the poor widow’s sacrificial giving? Well it was because she gave so much considering where she was in life. There’s not doubt about that. But wasn’t it more than that, in the sense that this widow’s sacrificial giving was a foreshadowing of His own? She gave all she had. So did Christ! At the end of the day nothing was left for either; each had given their all. Applications With that in mind, I’d like to turn our attention to considering some important truths with a view of beginning to develop a more biblical mindset concerning the resources with which we have been entrusted. Doesn’t relate only to money. And the real place to begin when considering this is that everything in all the world belongs to God. “The earth is the LORD’S, and all it contains, The world, and those who dwell in it.” (Psalm 24:1, NASB95) ““For every beast of the forest is Mine, The cattle on a thousand hills. “I know every bird of the mountains, And everything that moves in the field is Mine. “If I were hungry I would not tell you, For the world is Mine, and all it contains.” (Psalm 50:10–12, NASB95) “‘The silver is Mine and the gold is Mine,’ declares the LORD of hosts.” (Haggai 2:8, NASB95) In light of these and other Scriptures, we need to begin to reorient our thinking in such a way that at the very least we recognise that everything we have truly belongs to God. All that we are belongs to God. God has made us the people that we are, and has placed us into His world, giving us all that He has given us for His glory. If we fail to recognise that we are here for His glory alone, and that our lives are to be spent bringing glory to God, then we’re going to get our lives wrong. Taking this a step further, we need to then grow more and more in our appreciation of what God has done for us. The more we delight in and rejoice in the work that has been done for us on the cross; the more we recognise God’s generosity to us, the greater will be our generosity towards others. This truth is expressed by Paul in his second letter to the Corinthians: “But just as you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in your love for us—see that you also excel in this grace of giving. I am not commanding you, but I want to test the sincerity of your love by comparing it with the earnestness of others. For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.” (2 Corinthians 8:7–9, NIV84) It is also expressed in the words of the Apostle John in 1 John 3:16-18… “This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.” (1 John 3:16–18, NIV84) This ties in well with what we considered not long ago about the greatest command – to love God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength, and then to love your neighbour as yourself. These aspects are all the basis and foundation of our giving. Once we begin to develop in our minds the fact that everything in the world belongs to God, and that God has shown His great riches towards us, then we will be in a position to give in the right way and with the right perspectives in mind. With that said let us consider some further important aspects regarding this matter of stewarding our resources. 1. God has Given Us What He has for a Purpose a) To meet personal needs Each and every one of us has personal needs, and God provides us in order to meet those personal needs. “And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:19, NASB95) “If anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for his immediate family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.” (1 Timothy 5:8, NIV84) b) Giving, Particularly Within the Context of the Church God has always desired that His people care for those living within the community. “‘If a fellow countryman of yours becomes so poor he has to sell part of his property, then his nearest kinsman is to come and buy back what his relative has sold.” (Leviticus 25:25, NASB95) ““If there is a poor man with you, one of your brothers, in any of your towns in your land which the LORD your God is giving you, you shall not harden your heart, nor close your hand from your poor brother; but you shall freely open your hand to him, and shall generously lend him sufficient for his need in whatever he lacks.” (Deuteronomy 15:7–8, NASB95) Proverbs 28:27 sets out the principle and importance of giving in these words: “He who gives to the poor will never want, But he who shuts his eyes will have many curses.” (Proverbs 28:27, NASB95) When we get to the New Testament, this aspect of giving is continued. In the book of Acts was the great example, in the early church, as each person gave, selling their property etc. so that they could contribute generously to those in need. In Galatians 6:10, we read: “Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.” (Galatians 6:10, NIV84) Paul gave the instruction to the Romans: “Share with God’s people who are in need.” (Romans 12:13, NIV84) This aspect of concern for the poor was a key motivator not only in the church, but in Paul’s own life. Listen to these words in Galatians: “On the contrary, they saw that I had been entrusted with the task of preaching the gospel to the Gentiles, just as Peter had been to the Jews. For God, who was at work in the ministry of Peter as an apostle to the Jews, was also at work in my ministry as an apostle to the Gentiles. James, Peter and John, those reputed to be pillars, gave me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship when they recognized the grace given to me. They agreed that we should go to the Gentiles, and they to the Jews. All they asked was that we should continue to remember the poor, the very thing I was eager to do.” (Galatians 2:7–10, NIV84) c) Giving is Done for the Furtherance of the Gospel Colossians 3:23-24… “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.” (Colossians 3:23–24, NIV84) 2. God Requires us to Give According to our Means In the Old Testament Law, God required giving according to means: “Then he shall sacrifice the doves or the young pigeons, which the person can afford,” (Leviticus 14:30, NIV84) “Three times a year all your men must appear before the Lord your God at the place he will choose: at the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the Feast of Weeks and the Feast of Tabernacles. No man should appear before the Lord empty-handed: Each of you must bring a gift in proportion to the way the Lord your God has blessed you.” (Deuteronomy 16:16–17, NIV84) In the New Testament, we find this same principle coming out. Acts 11:29… “The disciples, each according to his ability, decided to provide help for the brothers living in Judea.” (Acts 11:29, NIV84) Also in 2 Corinthians, as Paul is reminding the Corinthian believers about their commitment to make a contribution to those in need (many things taught in this passage that are helpful) he says this: “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, NIV84) 3. Heart Motivation is the Critical Factor What is of critical importance is the motivation of our hearts when we give. This is the thrust of the teaching of Christ in this event in the Temple Courts. Very often in the church there is a completely wrong motivation for the giving that takes place. Different forms of this (expand on each): 1. Some give because they’re made to feel guilty. 2. Others give because they want to gain “a hundredfold” – sow a seed!! These should never be the motivations for our giving. There are many Scriptures which speak to our motivation of giving. Consider the following Scriptures with me: In the book of Exodus, when God commanded Moses to build the tabernacle where God would dwell amongst His people, these were the words that He spoke: “Tell the sons of Israel to raise a contribution for Me; from every man whose heart moves him you shall raise My contribution. (Exodus 25:2) Exodus 35:5 ‘Take from among you a contribution to the Lord; whoever is of a willing heart, let him bring it as the Lord’s contribution: gold, silver, and bronze, This kind of giving, based on what was in their heart, continued later on in the lives of the Israelites: 2 Kings 12:4 “Joash said to the priests, “Collect all the money that is brought as sacred offerings to the temple of the Lord—the money collected in the census, the money received from personal vows and the money brought voluntarily to the temple.” (2 Kings 12:4, NIV84) 4. God rewards Remember that generous giving must flow out of a rightly motivated heart. But we do see that God rewards those who give generously. NB!!! • We must think in eternal perspectives, not just temporal… • We must think in spiritual terms, not just physical… “A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed.” (Proverbs 11:25, NIV84) “He who gives to the poor will lack nothing, but he who closes his eyes to them receives many curses.” (Proverbs 28:27, NIV84) “A generous man will himself be blessed, for he shares his food with the poor.” (Proverbs 22:9, NIV84) “and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday.” (Isaiah 58:10, NIV84) Paul speaking to the Corinthians… “Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.” (2 Corinthians 9:6, NIV84) It is a strange and lovely thing that the person whom the New Testament and Jesus hand down to history as a pattern of generosity was a person who gave a gift of so little value in monetary terms. We may feel that we have not much in the way of material gifts or personal gifts to give to Christ, but 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 imaginings.