A WORTHY SACRIFICE
Kimberly Lawrence
Today's Scripture: “‘Truly I tell you,’ he said, ‘this poor widow has put in more than all the others.’” Luke 21:3, NIV
Theme: No matter how little you have, it’s enough to please God by your sacrifice.
TRUE DEPENDANCE
As we consider today’s Scripture and theme, I feel like I need to set the stage a bit. Today’s verses from Luke are often referred to while teaching about tithing and sacrificial giving, just as 1 Corinthians 13 is likely to show up in a wedding ceremony. The Widow’s Offering illustrates how God differentiates those who give from their excess versus those who give all they have. Jesus observes a poor widow in the temple offering her two small copper coins… all that she had. It’s important to understand exactly what that meant during that time.
Worldly financial wealth can be a measure of value on some level. It can mean the difference between security or anxiety, freedom or dependance, confidence or doubt. If we aren’t careful, it can even become part of our identity. This widow would likely have experienced tremendous uncertainty because of her situation. She would have been completely dependent on her husband and, upon his passing, would have gone to live with her father or possibly an adult son. Widows were legally subordinate to their male relatives. She would have been totally without resources and the ability to provide for herself. When we consider the totality of her life, the “cost” of giving her two coins is put into perspective. She would have had no margin, no abundance and no earning ability to replace her tithe. In giving, she would have been entirely dependent on God’s provision, yet she gave. That demonstration of faith and trust is what Jesus pointed out in the temple.
IT'S NEVER ABOUT THE AMOUNT
I’ve heard Christians ask, “Do I tithe on the gross or the net?” I’ve also encountered believers who wish to trade acts of service for financial giving or those who want to shift focus to how the church spends “their money” to justify a lack of obedience in this area. Make no mistake – God doesn’t need “your” money. Sacrificial giving is a matter of the heart, not a matter of the wallet. He is therefore pleased with your sacrifice, no matter how big or small it is, because it represents more than the value of money given. It represents faith and trust in Him rather than in ourselves.
God knows how hard it is for us to part with our worldly wealth. It can become like a security blanket. That’s why Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you, only with difficulty will a rich person enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God” (Matthew 19:23-24, NIV). In case you didn’t catch it there, you can also find it in Luke 18:25 and Mark 10:25. I guess He wasn’t kidding! It’s not that God doesn’t accept or love people of wealth; it’s that he knew the difficulty they would have surrendering ALL OF IT to Him and releasing their clutch on worldly riches. "For, where your treasure is, there your heart will be also" (Matthew 6:21, NIV).
Make It Personal: So, how do we get this right? Let’s start by asking God to reveal the areas of our lives that we’ve, maybe unknowingly, placed above Him. Then, ask Him to provide us the strength, courage and trust in Him to surrender those same things to Him. Let’s ask that our offering be both sacrificial and magnified, used for His work and to His glory.
Pray: God, I want to please You and to trust You with all that I have. Forgive me when I’ve clung too tightly to what has always been Yours. Enable me to give freely and sacrificially with confidence that You will do amazing works with my offering. Thank You for blessing me with exactly what is needed. I give all glory and honor to You. Amen.
Read: Luke 21:1-4, Matthew 19:23-24, Matthew 6:21
Weekly Memory Verse: “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Matthew 6:19-21, ESV