February 25, 2010
Mark 12
Pastor Paul Turbedsky
Mark 12:43-44
“…I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything – all she had to live on.”
These are Jesus’ words after observing people putting their offerings into the temple treasury. He gives us a lesson on how God evaluates our giving.
The weight or significance of a person’s gift is not determined by the amount, but by the measure of generosity and sacrifice. Many give only a token out of abundant wealth that does not involve sacrifice or generosity. Their giving may be out of duty, shame or some false sense of obligation.
While the widow described in Mark 12 gave a very small amount, it was “all she had to live on.” Her giving represented her immense, heartfelt generosity and love of the Lord. Jesus saw that her amount was very little in terms of a hard money count, but noted that it was more than what anyone else gave in terms of sacrifice and generosity.
Christ evaluates our lives by the quality of our love – not by the quantity of it (i.e. productivity, quotas, outward success). It is about His love for us and our love for Him, our faith in Him, and the giving of ourselves to Him through service and devotion.
Let love and generosity be the measures of your giving. Do not give out of your scarcity, but be a joyful giver out of your generosity. May the motive behind our giving come from our hearts, in gratitude for all of God’s blessings and as an expression of our love for Him.
Paul Turbedsky served in administration and sports medicine before responding to God’s full-time ministry call and joining the Grace Covenant pastoral staff.
