The Indescribable Gift!

A lot of times we recognize big givers by listing their names' on buildings, or give them other types of recognition. While there is nothing wrong with this per se, in today's reading Jesus gives a different kind of recognition to a poor widow who gave everything she had.    

The Widow’s Offering

21 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.”

Jesus teaches us today how he looks at our giving.  This example is specifically tied to money, but could be applied to all kinds of giving like one's time or talents.  Here are three themes we notice.  

1. Jesus SAW both the rich and the poor widow putting their gifts into the temple.  God sees what we give and how much we give. It matters to him. But Jesus is not just interested in the amount we give but how we give. 

2. Jesus said that the widow had put in more than ALL the others. Obviously he was not talking about the actual amount but the amount of spirit she put into the gift.  The value of the widow's gift had to do with her willingness to give and the humble way in which she did it than the actual amount. 

In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus says, if we give a gift to be seen by others we have already received our reward in full.  

1 Samuel 16:7 says, "Man looks at the outside appearance but God looks at the heart." The widow's heart was pure and Jesus saw it. 

3. She gave out of her poverty.  For the rich men in the story, their gift might have been a drop in the bucket.  But for the widow it was very costly.  The widow didn't say as we are often tempted to say, "I will give when i have more!".  We describe what she did as "sacrificial giving".  Sacrificial giving is giving up something of great value in response to the great value of who you are giving it to.  God doesn't need our money.  It is our chance to offer our very best back to God.  

In the Old Testament in 2 Samuel 24 David had to buy a threshing floor from Araunah the Jebusite to build an altar for the Israelites.  Araunah offered it for free but David said, "No, I insist on paying you for it. I will not sacrifice to the Lord my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing.”

Jesus was a lot like the widow in this story.  He died on the cross for us not receive praise from the people but in obedience to the Father. Jesus put in more than all the other prophets and kings before him.  He gave everything.  Jesus' willingly going to the cross for us was the greatest act of sacrifice. Jesus gave up everything for you and me, so that we could be set free from sin and death.  

As think about how might you give like the widow this week remember God sees what you give and how you give. Let's make sure to give God a gift that doesn't cost us nothing!