Week 49: Giving God Our Best

Scripture: Luke 21:1-4

He looked up and saw rich people putting their gifts into the treasury; he also saw a poor widow put in two small copper coins. He said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them; for all of them have contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in all she had to live on.”

Giving God Our Best

In mid-August, I received a phone call to consider taking on a new assignment as an Adjunct Professor at Lincoln University. I gladly accepted for two reasons: I am an Alum, but teaching at the collegiate level is one of my dream jobs. While I didn’t know what this all would entail, I realized that there would be something I had to be prepared for. One of those things being, I would have students. I know that you’re an intelligent people, so you thought that probably went without saying. I received a class roster with all 65 of their names, and suddenly this became real. So, I found myself having to preparing to give something to a people whom have never encountered me. I wrote lectures, prepared PowerPoints, created lesson plans and a syllabus; all of these components take a sacrifice of my time, talent and treasure. Because I loved people whom had never encountered me, I did all of this without considering the cost. Only to find that though I have some students who are extremely enthusiastic, I would likewise have students whose contributions to the class were less than their best. One student in particular, who might I add is extremely bright, would rather be a class clown than to be publicly identified as smart. Whenever there is a slight exposition of his intelligence, he will follow it up with a non-sensical comment that makes us disregard the previous comment. As a good professor, this is where it becomes about me, I approached this student about their unwillingness to be the fullness of their potential. The student responded, without much consideration, and said “Prof, you can’t handle my best”.

While his comments may seem foolish, many of us have this same mentality when it comes to God. We give everyone our best and offer God the crumbs of our existence. Some weeks we talk to everyone in our inner and outer-circle, but always seem to forget to pray. We read magazines, Newspapers, watch talk-shows, soap operas, and TV dramas, but never make time to read the scriptures. We give to every charity and cause we can think of but are often hesitant to give similar pledges of gift to God. The issue is that we may still be thinking of ourselves as individuals who need not learn how to joyfully respond to the will of God. A God who does all for us deserves our best, but my teaching alone can’t teach us that. Gratefully, for students with our behavior, there is a professor, who is far greater than I. A Professor whose classroom is filled with people who want to put forward their best efforts. I hope you don’t mind, if we satellite into that classroom today. The professor of this course is exposed in this text as our Dear Big Brother, Jesus. While some may have thought that Jesus was simply in the temple preparing for worship, Jesus was actually laying a foundation for what he was teaching. Jesus finds himself in the middle of a semi-religious and semi-political crowd. You don’t believe me, please journey with me into chapter 19.

Following the triumphal entry of Jesus, he comes to the temple. Upon arrival, he finds merchants and moneychangers in the temple courts. These good people were offering a place to exchange foreign coins for offering or even an opportunity to purchase a dove for the sacrifice. These were well intentioned people, except for the fact that they were marking up the costs of these things. The people would use these services because of their convenience, as they were eager to be participants in worship. But this made Jesus upset, as he knew that his people were being cheated, and this is where Jesus does his legendary cleansing of the temple. This is where we get to see Jesus flip a table, and swing around a whip. I love this image of Jesus, and if I can be transparent with you; this is the image that I go to when I hear people say, “what would Jesus do”. But this image proves the nurturing nature of Jesus, as he is cleansing the temple to ensure that the people who are following him are not cheated by thieves. So, after Jesus cancels the fundraiser, (you know the church fundraiser); he realizes that there is a further need for teaching, and continues teaching the will of God for the days to come.

The issue here is that the ones who claim to be religious are not willing to sacrifice anything for the purpose of the Gospel. Jesus is challenging them to consider God from a more conscious perspective. The Chief Priests and Scribes were a walking representation of God when the people were in the church, and even they were missing the mark on their obligations. In Chapter 20, the scribes found themselves trying to trap Jesus with a question of whether they should offer tribute (or an offering) unto Caesar, to which Jesus responds, “render unto Caesar that which is Caesar’s and unto God what is God’s”. Jesus doesn’t disregard our earthly obligations, but there is still a heavenly obligation as well. But as if this is not enough, Jesus transitions from this point, to where we find ourselves in the text today. Jesus is standing in the midst of the temple, during the offering time. In most churches, unlike Temple Lutheran Church, this is a tense time of the worship service because everyone can see who is giving and also who isn’t giving. These people didn’t have the luxury of pledge cards or offering envelopes. They had to come to the table and publicly give their gifts to God, unashamed of what society was going to think of them.

What you will find interesting about this, is that the people would often find themselves giving to impress each other rather than to glorify the kingdom. They are giving gifts to get their names on a plaque for the public to see their giving amounts and glorify them for their gifts. But what we see is that Jesus, the son of God, doesn’t offer any accolades or acknowledgment to the people who seem to be good gift givers. These people were in the midst of a society filled with judgement and piety. They spent more time talking about their status and ability than living their faith. People would’ve forgotten that they were religious if they didn’t see them in the temple. Honestly, they might’ve forgotten themselves if it wasn’t for the reminder of the people in their society. And if the truth be told, they didn’t live out their faith outside of their religious community. Some of you would argue that these are just ridiculous allegations, but the reality is that if they had lived out their faith outside of the temple, they would remember that there were some people that they were supposed to be respectful to and caring for. They were responsible for caring for the Widow, the orphan, and the Foreigner. They were so proud of their capability but were falling short on their obligation from God.

But thanks be to God that this isn’t a moment of Judgement, but rather a teaching moment, as God placed a willing vessel in their midst. A Vessel who was deemed worthless in their contextual understanding. For a lesson on Giving, God chose to use a widow. A widow was someone who was often without stable living conditions. A Widow was a person of the lowest socioeconomic stature in society. If you are a widow, who did not have any sons, you did not have access to sustainable Financial Security, but God chose Her. This makes me excited because even though people don’t think I am worthy of God’s accolades and acknowledgements, God looks beyond my status and puts me in the forefront of place I am not worthy to be in. The reality of the situation is that the assembly probably had not even seen this widow woman prior to the moment of her giving. She walks to the altar and lays her offering down on the table. Much to her surprise, Jesus then stops the procession to offer the lesson on giving, and she becomes the prop for the lesson. She only gave 2 copper coins or in our understanding; two pennies. She gave a very modest offering, one of which she probably wanted to be private; however, her sacrifice was not modest. The text argues that she gave out of “all she had to live on”. She gave God her absolute best.

Though I was not there I would expect that the value of the gift from the rich people would be of more substance. And that being the case, the crowd must have become confused when Jesus stopped the offering procession to tell them that this Widow gave more than them. I know she only gave 2 pennies and that is chump change to us, but this woman didn’t have much to give to begin with. she was dealt a bad hand. She was a widow, and as if this couldn’t be worse, the text revealed that she was a “poor” widow. Which suggests that she was in a far worse financial state than the average widow. She had given everything that she had, and at that point put her gift and giving on an assignment. She believed that no matter what happens, God will take care of her. She was the epitome of someone without a pot to piss in, nor a window to throw it out of. She was Poor Poor. I mean “Wish Sandwich” poor and Jesus says that she has given more than all of them. And to answer the burning question in your hearts, Yes, she had; because giving is not about the amount of your gift but rather your willingness to sacrifice for a God who sacrificed it all for us. Sacrifice is something that is common in the bible and is seen all throughout the scriptures. She didn’t have to wrestle with the question that many of us are wrestling with now: What do you give to a God who is given us his all? What sacrifice is worthy of the sacrifice God has given to us? What gift can I give that truly express my gratitude for his sacrifice? The answer to these questions are contextual. I cannot answer this question for you.

She gave her best, without the pushing of others, but simply as a joyful response to all that God had done for her. Your best may look different, feel different or even be more valuable, but it’s your gift to God. While this widow is the giver in the story, there are some givers in this room who give just like this widow. People who willingly give the gift of their time, talent and treasure; and can reap from the seeds of generosity that they have sown. Because:

·         This kind of Gift Gives you favor with God like Abel

·         This kind of Gift Gives you an endless supply like the Widow in Zarephath

·         This kind of Gift Gives you multiplication like the 2 fish and 5 loaves

·         This kind of Gift Gives back to you:

o   good measure

o   pressed down

o   shaken together

o   and running over, will be put into your lap;

·         This kind of Gift will allow you to be

o   troubled on every side, yet not distressed

o   perplexed, but not in despair 

o   Persecuted, but not forsaken

o   Cast down, but not destroyed

Because of gifts like hers, I can join in with the Hymnwriters and Say:

If when you give the best of your service

Telling the world that the Saviour has come

Be not dismayed when men don't believe you

He'll understand and say well done

Misunderstood the Saviour of sinners

Hung on the cross He was God's only son

Oh, hear Him calling His Father in Heaven

Let not my will, but Thine be done