Romaine Park Burnie Church Service – 27/03/2022, Nick Booth :- Jesus watches what we Give and how we Live – Luke 20:45-47, 21:1-4.
Over the years, I have had a number of conversations with people that go something like this.
- “I don’t hear God speak to me” or “I can’t tell if God speaks to me or not!” or the more emphatic “God doesn’t talk to me!”
I generally reply with something along these lines: I believe that God does talk to us and most times it is that we don’t understand what we are hearing or thinking to be God’s voice. Simply, we aren’t able to distinguish God’s voice from our own or from the noise that fills our modern lives.
Then I will then give the example of a phone calls before the days of call number display, when someone would call. The first call or 2 or 3 and you would not be able to identify the person that you were speaking to – but after a number of calls, well then you would simply hear the voice and reply with hello or g’day and that person’s name.
I actually think that hearing God’s voice is a matter of spending more time with him, knowing his word and learning how to distinguish His voice from the noise. Yes, God does speak to us (not generally audibly although that has been known to happen to some) Most normally He speaks through his word and through the conviction of the Holy Spirit. He also speaks through circumstances, through His peace that guards and indeed guides our hearts. He speaks through friends, through the pastor (smile), through conversations with people and through dreams and visions. And all these are biblical ways that God speaks to us, but it is vital that we get to know His word because none of these other ways will ever contradict what God has already revealed in His word.
Hear are a couple of verses to help you know that this is normal. Jesus said “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me”. John 10: 27
Or Paul writes that “14For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God.” Rom 8:14
Another way that I have encouraged people to hear God and get to know His leading is to put your money or your service on the line.
I remember a time (and forgive me if I have told you this story before) where I was incredibly humbled to know that God had led me to be part of an incredible story of provision for someone. As a young man of 21 and 22, I would dedicate a second portion of my income to give to missions, or to a need that God might bring to my attention. The first portion was my tithe that always went to the church where I was cared for. This second tithe, on this occasion was about $100, so as I pulled it out of my wallet, I asked God where or to who do you want me to give this amount. The amounts might be slightly wrong, because as you can tell, 21 and 22 was a long time ago for me…. But it was something along those lines.
So, I had a prompting from God’s voice inside came to me as I opened my wallet with something along the lines of what about that other $20? Couldn’t you give that also? As the person that I was going to give it to came to mind, I simply thought sure, why not.
I set out to visit the family who (A single mum with 4 teenage sons from our Youth group). She thought that I was there to do a visit for her sons but I asked if I could speak to her first. I pulled out the amount of money and she began crying: saying you won’t believe this!
She told me that the day before, she had been given notice to leave her house because she owed over $2000 dollars that was due the next day. She had prayed for this unimaginable miracle to come. She said, all day, people had come knocking on her door with money and that this $120 was the last of what she needed for the exact amount that she needed to pay.
Can I tell you, to this day, I am incredibly humbled by the fact that God included me in a financial miracle and let me in on it. The fact that I was led to the person and subtly directed to increase the amount had me walking away that day saying and crying to God. “God you spoke in the bible through a donkey – thank you for using me in this miracle”. I knew that what was incredible here was that I had simply been willing and available.
Now I hope that you are aware that the bible makes it very clear in so many passages that God watches out for widows and orphans. So if I had just given an unnecessary gift to that lady – no harm no foul! But this case taught me a bit more about being willing to follow little internal prompts.
The book of James tells us that pure and undefiled religion is this: that we care for the widow and the orphan. Let’s look at today’s text about a widow that Jesus was watching out for and indeed watching.
Let’s read today’s passage from Luke 20: 45 – chap 21, verse 4
45 While all the people were listening, Jesus said to his disciples, 46 “Beware of the teachers of the law. They like to walk around in flowing robes and love to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces and have the most important seats in the synagogues and the places of honour at banquets. 47 They devour widows’ houses and for a show make lengthy prayers. These men will be punished most severely.”
As Jesus looked up, he 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 “Truly I tell you,” 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.”
I don’t know about you, but I find it a little tough to talk about money, but clearly, Jesus takes an interest in our giving as well as in our way of living.
In this story: Jesus is actually doing some “people watching”. He’s in the temple and next to the offering box. (That sounds a little uncomfortable, right?) He sees that many rich people making large offerings. But then he takes special notice of this one poor widow lady who puts in two very small coins—and in his estimation this is the biggest offering of the day.
But this story happens in a larger context, Jesus was very displeased with what was going on in the Temple. Did you hear what he said just before he sees the poor widow:
46 “Beware of the teachers of the law. They like to walk around in flowing robes and love to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces and have the most important seats in the synagogues and the places of honour at banquets. 47 They devour widows’ houses and for a show make lengthy prayers. These men will be punished most severely.”
So many things happening in the temple displeased Jesus but this woman’s act had the opposite affect. After teaching, Jesus was sitting down opposite the treasury and watching the people putting money into the offering box. Many rich people put in large amounts. And a poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which make a penny.
Just as a bot of background – Herod’s temple had four courts: The Outer Court (Jews and Gentiles), The Court of Women (Jewish men and women), Court of Israel (Jewish men), Court of Priests (most exclusive).
Court of women had 13 shofar-chests (boxes shaped like a trumpet/ram’s horn). ‘How much noise can I make with this gift?!’ Jesus: When you give, “sound no trumpet” (Matt 6:2).
So Jesus sees all this noisy giving. And then he sees a poor widow and after all the clanging coins, he hears a very tiny clink, clink. The coins she put in were the smallest coins in circulation.
Jesus notices what no one else seemed to care about. Other people’s gifts made a lot of noise as they were offered, but the little clink, clink of her two little coins caught heaven’s attention.
- God sees our gift.
Jesus was sitting at a place in the temple and watching people’s offerings.
Can you imagine that. I mean, we watch out that people don’t catch a glimpse of our pin numbers. We don’t like people seeing our bank balances. We are careful to not be overly flashy with our cashy, and as we give, we hopefully realise that our giving isn’t just for others but is really that we give to God by giving to others.
Of course, there were some people who gave loudly to impress, or like Ananias and Saphira in the Bible, maybe they give to try to gain position and prestige with people. But God sees the heart and will reward accordingly.
The message in the text and in this teaching moment of Jesus to the disciples is that it is not the size of the Gift but the willingness and the sacrifice of the giver that God is really seeing.
Here are some points about the woman’s giving
- She gave out of poverty.
So many people around her were giving and still had lot’s left over, this lady came and placed her two small coins. The gifts of the rich are not noted or remembered here. This lady had a generous heart for she gave from poverty. It’s sad that we make false assumptions like: My little bit will make no difference.
It is just not true! Because giving is an act of worship to God therefore the significance is not in the amount of the gift. The gift is a reflection of our hearts. It shows how much we are willing to trust God. It demonstrates our understanding of the fact that all that we have belongs to God. It actually shows how closely we hold or cling to our material possessions. The Bible tells us that it shows us what our real treasure is.
I can’t tell you how many times I have heard… “Pastor, if I won a million dollars then I’d give….. such and such an amount.” Well, I don’t believe it… Because if we can’t give when we have a little, we certainly won’t give when we have a lot.
You see the Lack of money is not the root of all evil – it is the Love of money that is. You can love money when you have a little bit of it or when you have a lot of it.
Money reveals our hearts. It is so important to realise that God needs our hearts long before he needs our money. He can do anything with people whose hearts belong to Him, whether they are rich or poor.
- She gave everything.
Really this is the New Testament picture of giving. It is an act of worship and the Old Testament idea of a tithe is merely a shadow of what we know today. Many disregard the idea of tithing as Old Testament Law. (well, no, it actually predated the law because it was practised by Abraham.
But on this point you are right, Jesus calls people to rise to a higher level of living than the Law could ever produce. The Law was capable at best of producing a change in our behaviour, an external approach. But under the New Covenant, we find that the Law has been written on our hearts and it produces an internal change that must also impact on our external way of living.
People whose hearts have been filled with grace make far greater givers than any who give out of the legalistic perspective. The conclusion is then that any present day Christian who loves the Lord ought to look to his starting place where the OT Law ended, … at the tithe. The tithe is only what is reasonable.
THE SELFLESSNESS OF HER GIFT – She gave her security all that she had to live on. She put her full trust in God!
Giving 10% makes absolutely no sense from an economic standpoint. Many people see it as foolishness. What would you have said to the old lady as she offered you the two small coins, knowing that she gave away her last bit of earthly wealth. Would you have encouraged her to put the coins in her purse again or would you have received them? God will never fail those who put their trust in Him.
Will you trust God with more than just your money today? God is not after your money – he is after your full life. He calls us to surrender not just our money but our lives to Him. The reason why money can be so difficult for some of us is that it really does represents our present and future.
Dear Lord,
I admit that I am a sinner. I have done many things that don’t please you. I have lived my life for myself only. I am sorry, and I repent. I ask you to forgive me.
I believe that you died on the cross to save me. You did what I could not do for myself. I come to you now and I give my life to you. From this day forward, help me to live every day for you and in a way that pleases you.
I love you, Lord, and I thank you that I will spend all eternity with you.
Amen.
We would love if you wanted to Contact Us to share your commitment or participate into our ministry by Giving today.
.
