THE WIDOW AND HER TWO MITES

Pastor James J. Barker

Text: MARK 12:41-44



INTRODUCTION:


  1. A Baptist church was holding a business meeting. They needed to raise a large amount of cash in order to purchase a bigger building to accommodate their growing congregation.
  2. Several church members took their turn speaking and then the pastor called on one of his members and said, "Well, brother, what do you think?"
  3. The man answered, "You can count on me to put in my two mites just like the poor widow."
  4. The pastor shouted out, Hallelujah! Now I know we can buy that building!" The man said, "Preacher, I don’t understand – I said I’m going to put in my two mites – how will that help?"
  5. The pastor said, "Brother, the Lord said that the widow had cast more in than all the rest put together because she gave "all that she had." If you give all that you have we can definitely buy the building!"
  6. As we look at this wonderful story we see that it immediately follows our Lord’s warning concerning the greedy and phony Pharisees (cf. Mark 12:40).
  7. Our Lord was teaching in the outer court, called "the court of the Gentiles" (cf. 12:35), and from there He passed through into the treasury area which stood before the sanctuary. In this court were 13 golden chests shaped like trumpets, with a large opening at the top to receive the coins.
  8. Each chest bore an inscription indicating the use to which its contents would be put. This is similar to our church where we designate our tithes and special offerings – building fund, faith promise missions, radio ministry, Christian school, etc. As I give out the exposition, please do not miss the application.
  1. OUR LORD KEEPS HIS EYE UPON THE TREASURY (12:41)
    1. Recently, one of our ushers suggested (perhaps he was joking; probably half-serious) that one Sunday I should take his place and pass around the offering basket. He said I would be amazed at all the people who only throw in two or three dollars!
    2. Actually, I used to be an usher and I can honestly and thankfully say that I did not see too much of that. And I don’t think I’d want to take him up on his suggestion because quite frankly it would break my heart to see people who profess to love God be so selfish and disobedient when it comes to giving (cf. Mal.3:8,9).
    3. But whether or not I ever do take up an offering, please keep in mind that our Lord Jesus Christ is watching closely each and every Sunday (cf. Mark 12:41).
    4. Are you concerned with what He thinks? He gave His life for you, and are you now robbing Him?
    5. "Upon all giving, there rests the light of a Divine scrutiny and appraisement" (G. Campbell Morgan).
    6. I remember when Bro. Julio Torres was here, he told me that many Spanish people (maybe because of their Roman Catholic back-ground) throw only a few dollars into the offering and they call this limosna. God does not say to give limosna, He says to bring your tithes and offerings.
    7. A few years ago a member of Pastor Rod Bell’s church was accused by the US Navy of stealing money. He went to Bro. Bell and said it was all a misunderstanding, that it could be explained, and that he was completely innocent. He asked Pastor Bell if he would testify as a character witness. Later on, Bro. Bell went to the church treasurer and asked if the man tithed and the treasurer said, "I think so – he’s a good giver." At the trial, Bro. Bell said, "I found out from our church treasurer that this man tithes. This is important, because if a man is willing to rob God, he’s definitely capable of robbing the US Navy."
    8. Always remember that our Lord is watching and observing what people give just like He was back in the temple (Mark 12:41). Our Lord is concerned with what you give and He has a lot to say about giving (cf. Luke 6:38).
  1. IT IS NOT SO MUCH WHAT YOU PUT IN THAT MATTERS – IT IS WHAT YOU KEEP FOR YOURSELF THAT REALLY MATTERS (12:42-44)
    1. Our Lord says that the others were all giving out "of their abundance" (12:44); but it is the poor widow that He commends because she gave sacrificially – "but she of her want did cast in all that she had, even all her living" (12:44).
    2. Do you have this kind of faith? Do you have this kind of devotion?
    3. The Lord estimates our giving, not by how much we give – it is how much we keep for ourselves. He judges our motives and He knows what is in our hearts.
    4. Like the man who always got uptight when the offering came around. One day he meant to put his usual one dollar in but accidentally dropped in $20. He tried to grab it back but it was too late. Later on he told his wife, "Well, the Lord is going to bless me now for giving $20 and his wife replied, "No, He is not; as far as God is concerned you only gave $1 because that is what you meant to give.
    5. The Bible is an immensely practical book and it has a lot to say about money and how God expects us to use it:
      1. Your financial situation is determined by God (I Sam.2:7).
      2. God gives us the power (or the ability) to acquire wealth (Deut.8:18).
      3. Everything belongs to God (Ps.24:1; 50:10-12).
      4. God wants us to be generous with what we have (Acts 20:35).
      5. God wants us to give on the Lord’s Day (I Cor.16:2), proportionally, systematically, i.e., regularly, methodically, and prayerfully; cheerfully (II Cor.9:6,7), and generously (II Cor.8:1-3).
    1. There was a special offering being taken up one time for missions and one church member leaned over to another and whispered, "Brother, how much are you going to give?" The second replied, "Oh, I suppose I could give $100 and not feel it." The first man said, "Brother, give $200 and feel it – the blessings come when you feel it."
    2. Let’s not hold back from the Lord. Let’s be like that poor old widow who gave all she had. Many Christians are like the little girl whose daddy gave her $2 and told her one was for the Lord and one was for candy. As she skipped down the street she fell and one dollar flew away and she said, "Oh well, there goes your dollar, Lord!"
  1. GOD CAN MARVELLOUSLY MULTIPLY OUR TITHES AND OFFERINGS TO FURTHER THE GOSPEL (12:43,44)
    1. Luke tells us that the people casting their gifts into the treasury were rich (Luke 21:1), and yet our Lord says, "Of a truth I say unto you, that this poor widow hath cast in more than they all" (Luke 12:3; Mark 12:43).
    2. You might think that your $20 or $30 cannot make much of a difference but it does. Some of you children who give 50 cents to faith promise, keep in mind that the Lord can use that and multiply it just like He did the loaves and the fishes.
    3. "Little is Much When God is in It."
    4. Years ago there was a preacher named McCabe who was attempting to raise $1 million for missions. One day while going through his mail, he found a letter from a young boy and in the envelope there was a nickel. The letter read:

      5. Dear Bro. McCabe:

      I’m sure you’re going to get a million dollars for missions. And I’m going to help you get it too. So here’s a nickel toward it. It’s all I’ve got right now, but if you need any more, you just call on me.

      This became one of Bro. McCabe’s most effective stories in his campaign to raise the money for missions, and by it he was eventually able to reach his goal. God used that boy’s nickel and multiplied it.

    5. When you consider what it cost to build that great temple, and how much it cost to sustain it, and how much it cost to support the priests and their families, and all of the other free-will offerings and charities – there were 13 chests for offerings in the temple; and yet our Lord considered the poor widow’s two mites more generous, more important, more significant than all of the other gifts that were given!
    6. He called His disciples together to teach them about giving, using her as a great example of godly, sacrificial giving (Mark 12:43).
    7. Are you giving this way or are you holding back? Can you sing with a sincere heart, "Take my silver and my gold, not a mite would I withhold"?

CONCLUSION:

  1. A young man was planning on going to Africa as a missionary but at the last minute was unable to go because of his wife’s health. He was very disappointed but after praying about it, he told the Lord: "If you will help me, I’ll make a lot of money and give it out to support missions.
  2. His father was a dentist who had started to make his own unfermented wine for churches to use for the Lord’s Supper. The young man took over his father’s business and made a fortune manufacturing Welch’s grape juice. He gave hundreds of thousands of dollars away to the work of missions.

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