KJV - Luke 21:1-4 And he looked up, and saw the rich men casting their gifts into the treasury. (2) And he saw also a certain poor widow casting in thither two mites. (3) And he said, Of a truth I say unto you, that this poor widow hath cast in more than they all: (4) For all these have of their abundance cast in unto the offerings of God: but she of her penury hath cast in all the living that she had.
NIV - Luke 21:1-4 As he looked up, Jesus saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury. (2) He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins. (3) “I tell you the truth,” he said, “this poor widow has put in more than all the others. (4) All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.”
The giving of our financial means is a dangerous topic to discuss; either from the pulpit or in a setting like this. So much so, I know a gentleman with which I work that says he does not go to any religious assemblies because of this topic. He claims that every time he goes to a worship service, all they can talk about is everyone giving more money. Either this friend of mine has extremely bad timing or he is going to the services of groups that have their priorities misplaced. I do have a sense of his discomfort because I have tuned into some religious programming and their only topic was “Send Us Money” thinly veiled with other ramblings. Many many times not even thinly veiled! In fact, those kinds of televangelists have caused a term to be created called “Prosperity Gospel”.
Just because other religious groups have followed the path of chasing “Filthy Lucre” (Titus 1:11), does not mean that we should be chased off of the legitimate topic that the Bible teaches. And so today we shall.
Sometimes as Christians, we tend to be like children. If we ask our children to do something for us, we are giving them an option to say no. We have to rephrase it and say: “If you don’t do it, I will have to punish you”. All too often I see Christians with that same mindset. They don’t seem to respond to choosing a pattern of behavior simply because it is the best thing to do to bring glory to God, but only when there is a “Thou Shalt” or “Thou Shalt Not”. In this passage, Jesus is using this opportunity to teach us what is the best pattern of behavior that we should employ. He is not threatening us. He is not ordering us. But simply pointing to an example that we should follow.
Jesus observes many people dropping their offerings into the temple treasury, but one particular person really captures his attention: The one that drops in the least. What is really surprising is that he uses her as an example that we SHOULD follow! The last statement says it all.
NIV - Luke 21:4 All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.”
Jesus isn’t really concerned with specific dollar amounts. He is more concerned with the proportion of our giving. Do we make him a priority with our money or do we give him only what is “left over”?
There are far greater principles in giving than just the amount of money that is actually collected. In some ways we can look at it that God does not NEED anything from us because he already owns it all. The giving of our means is as much for us as it is for God. Notice how these principles plays into our giving.
1. Faith or Trust: Do you really believe that God is going to take care of you if you give more or do you believe that you have to withhold money to take care of yourself?
Matthew 21:22 And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.
2. Priority: Is God a priority in your life when it comes to your money?
Matthew 6:33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
3. Sacrifice: There is an element of sacrifice in the giving of our means. Does the amount that you give hurt you at all or is it so small that it has little effect on you? Remember Jesus gave his life for us. Can we really out give God?
Romans 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
Are you giving enough? Or are you holding back from God. That is a question that only you can answer. You must periodically search yourself to see if you are giving all that you can and should!
Reflecting His SON,
Dennis Hogan
Minister, North Hardin Church of Christ
1804 Sam Steward Dr.
Radcliff, KY 40160
Questions, comments or further explanation? Contact me at: dennis.hogan@icloud.com
If you have friends, family, or acquaintances that you feel could benefit from RTS, please forward
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