She gave all that she had

Mark 12:38-13:13  from the daily reading in the One Year Bible

In His teaching He was saying: “Beware of the scribes who like to walk around in long robes, and like respectful greetings in the market places, ³⁹ and chief seats in the synagogues and places of honor at banquets, ⁴⁰ who devour widows’ houses, and for appearance’s sake offer long prayers; these will receive greater condemnation.”

⁴¹ And He sat down opposite the treasury, and began observing how the people were putting money into the treasury; and many rich people were putting in large sums. ⁴² A poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which amount to a cent. ⁴³ Calling His disciples to Him, He said to them, “Truly I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all the contributors to the treasury; ⁴⁴ for they all put in out of their surplus, but she, out of her poverty, put in all she owned, all she had to live on.”

13 As He was going out of the temple, one of His disciples said to Him, “Teacher, behold what wonderful stones and what wonderful buildings!” ² And Jesus said to him, “Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone will be left upon another which will not be torn down.”

³ As He was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter and James and John and Andrew were questioning Him privately, ⁴ “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign when all these things are going to be fulfilled?” ⁵ And Jesus began to say to them, “See to it that no one misleads you. ⁶ Many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am He!’ and will mislead many. ⁷ When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be frightened; those things must take place; but that is not yet the end. ⁸ For nation will rise up against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; there will be earthquakes in various places; there will also be famines. These things are merely the beginning of birth pangs.

⁹ “But be on your guard; for they will deliver you to the courts, and you will be flogged in the synagogues, and you will stand before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them. ¹⁰ The gospel must first be preached to all the nations. ¹¹ When they arrest you and hand you over, do not worry beforehand about what you are to say, but say whatever is given you in that hour; for it is not you who speak, but it is the Holy Spirit. ¹² Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and have them put to death. ¹³ You will be hated by all because of My name, but the one who endures to the end, he will be saved.

In today’s text it says:  He sat down opposite the treasury, and began observing how the people were putting money into the treasury; and many rich people were putting in large sums. A poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which amount to a cent. Calling His disciples to Him, He said to them, “Truly I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all the contributors to the treasury; for they all put in out of their surplus, but she, out of her poverty, put in all she owned, all she had to live on.”   This is more than about money. God doesn’t need the money we give to the church. Certainly the church does have need of money in order to operate, but God does not need our money. In Matthew 6:19-21 Jesus says:   “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal;  for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”   It is a heart issue, not a money issue. The widow gave all that she had. She held nothing back.

Perhaps it is easier to trust God for everything when what you have is not enough. One of the greatest challenges to the faith of many in our culture and society today is how much we have. Even the poor in our country, not the homeless and destitute, but those who have income, food and shelter, have more things, more comfort and conveniences than even kings and the wealthiest of the world had a few centuries ago. Do we, having so much, really understand what it is to give all? Again, it is more than about money. The widow gave all she had to live on. We are to give all, our very lives to live for Him. That is how we store up treasure in heaven. In Matthew 6:33 Jesus says:  "But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”   All these things, are food clothing and shelter, everything we need. If we put God first, if we seek His kingdom, living for Him, we will have all we need. Colossians 3:23-24 says:  Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve.

It is contrary to our human nature and to what the world tells us, not to hold back something for ourselves. It’s not that Jesus asks that we give all so that we have nothing and live a meager existence. He asks us to give all so that we will have more. In Mark 10:29-30, Jesus says:  “Truly I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or farms, for My sake and for the gospel’s sake, but that he will receive a hundred times as much now in the present age, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and farms, along with persecutions; and in the age to come, eternal life.”   Take note, Jesus says that we will receive a hundred times as much now in the present age. Plus we have the additional benefit of eternal life, the reward of our inheritance.

Jesus does say though that there will also be persecutions. In today’s text He says:  “When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be frightened; those things must take place; but that is not yet the end. For nation will rise up against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; there will be earthquakes in various places; there will also be famines. These things are merely the beginning of birth pangs. But be on your guard; for they will deliver you to the courts, and you will be flogged in the synagogues, and you will stand before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them. The gospel must first be preached to all the nations. When they arrest you and hand you over, do not worry beforehand about what you are to say, but say whatever is given you in that hour; for it is not you who speak, but it is the Holy Spirit. Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and have them put to death. You will be hated by all because of My name.”    We should neither be surprised nor fear the things we are seeing in our culture; the things Jesus says will come. It should not surprise us that believers are mocked and reviled because of the name of Christ. It shouldn’t surprise us that the world, our culture and society, our government, our schools and our media would try to teach our children that we are foolish and wrong to follow Christ. We shouldn’t be surprised if we are hated. It is not surprising that we are the ones who are called haters by those who hate Jesus. They judge us by their own standard and by that standard they will be judged. We should not be surprised, nor should we fear. Instead Jesus says:    “The gospel must first be preached to all the nations. When they arrest you and hand you over, do not worry beforehand about what you are to say, but say whatever is given you in that hour; for it is not you who speak, but it is the Holy Spirit… the one who endures to the end, he will be saved.”

Heavenly Father, Lord Jesus Christ; precious Holy Spirit my desire is to give all that I have and all that I am. Like Jesus did for me, I want to hold nothing back. All I need and all I desire is all that You have done for and given to me, now in this age and in the age to come.   Amen.