Sunday: Two Little Coins in the Offering
Daily Lesson for Sunday 1st of September 2024
Read Mark 12:41-44. How much did the widow give, and what did Jesus have to say about that?
The Jerusalem temple was an amazingly beautiful structure. The temple mount dominated the city, and the massive stones involved in its construction are a marvel to this day, some weighing hundreds of tons. The remodeling and expansion of the temple and the temple mount began under Herod the Great around 20 B.C., but the construction and embellishment of the structure continued into the A.D. 60s.
Image © The Classic Bible Art Collection – Formerly Standard Publishing at Goodsalt.com
Many people brought large offerings to deposit in 13 chests located in the Court of the Women near the temple. It was here that Jesus was sitting when He saw a widow approach and cast in two lepta. This would be equivalent to one thirty-second of a denarius, the usual wage for a day laborer. Hence, the woman’s offering was quite small.
Jesus, however, was impressed by her offering. Many rich individuals put in large sums, but He did not comment on their gifts as they deposited them. But this widow’s offering called forth His praise. He states that she gave more than everyone else. How is that possible? Jesus notes that they gave out of their abundance but she out of her poverty. They had much left; she gave everything she had to live on. This fact makes her gift extravagant, even though its monetary value was tiny.
This story contains a deep lesson about the management of resources. Giving to God’s cause does not depend on the actions of leaders to have validity. The religious leadership of the temple was corrupt, but Jesus did not thereby affirm withholding offerings. If ever there were corrupt religious leaders (Caiaphas? Annas?), those at this time were among the worst. And Jesus knew it too.
It is true that leaders have a sacred responsibility to use resources in accordance with the will of God, but even if they do not, those who give to the cause of God are still blessed in their giving, as this woman was.
On the other hand, withholding tithes or offerings when leaders do something displeasing means that the giving is tied to their actions instead of being made in thankfulness to God. However tempting it may be to do that, it’s wrong.
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What should this story teach us about the importance of being faithful in what we give to the Lord’s work? |
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Two cents is not a lot of money. In Australia, we stopped using one and two cent coins long ago. And even 5 cent coins have moved over the horizon. We are going on a camping trip as soon as I am well enough to drive again and one of the issues we face is that washing and drying machines in campgrounds require $1 or $2 coins to operate. That means we have to make a special effort and go to the bank to get a supply of these coins for the trip.
Yet here we have a story where Jesus is commending a woman for giving 2 cents. There are two things about this story that we need to understand:
There are lots of generous Christians among my circle of acquaintances who give generously of their money and time to helping others. They do not want publicity and in fact would be embarrassed if someone praised them for what they do. But, they manage food-banks and help out in open-kitchens. The provide management for women’s shelters. They take old people shopping when they can no longer drive themselves. They pay school fees for families in financial hardship. The list continues. You won’t see these folk seeking a photo opportunity or being honoured at a city charity night. Their reward is simply knowing that they have served God.
God needs our hands and feet to answer the prayers of the needy for him.
Amen Dr. Maurice. Beautifully said. When you give something out of your heart God will bless you abundantly. We should have an open hands for giving and helping others.
Returning our tithe and giving our offerings is never meeting God's needs for God is self-sufficient and lacks nothing. Psalm 24:1 says, "The earth is the Lord's, and everything in it." Tithe and offerings are spiritual issues. Jesus recommended the poor widow because her heart was right in her giving. No matter how much or small is our returning and giving, if our heart is not right with God, all amounts to nothing.
Returning tithe and giving offering have got many, great and sweet spiritual upliftment. Just to mention a few; acknowledging of God’s sovereignty and ownership ((Deuteronomy 14:22-23), expressing of faith and trust in God ((Malachi 3:10; Matthew 6:31-33), cultivating a heart of generosity and compassion (Acts 20:35), supporting the gospel mission here on earth (Philippians 4:15-18), expressing our gratitude and contentment (Philippians 4:11-13).
I wish to highlight one beautiful spiritual benefit of faithfully returning tithe and giving offerings. Tithing and giving offering is a great opportunity to release us believers from the captivity of material possessions. This spiritual practice helps us to rely not on our wealth but on God’s provisions. This helps us to break from the strong-hold of materialism and greed (1 Timothy 6:17-19).
Amen.I love the line which says that giving tithes and offerings releases us from the captivity of money and helps us to rely on God.
It is a powerful point making us have a great relationship with our maker
“Give abundantly of your resources to a religious organization run by corrupt, worldly-minded leaders who are not using the incoming $ gifts according with the will of God because this is still giving to God‘s cause and you will be blessed for giving.” Is that what I just read above? If so, I think that’s a dangerous interpretation of this story. God knows the heart, yes, and can overrule any situation for His purposes. But I don’t think anyone should knowingly give resources to be used corruptly. And furthermore, I don’t think it even matches with what Jesus was trying to say to his disciples.
So why DID Jesus think her offering was special?
Here’s one possible “moral of the story” that speaks to me. The woman wasn’t looking around to make sure everyone saw her putting in a generous offering. She most likely didn’t know Jesus was, at that moment, making an object lesson of her action. She didn’t need affirmation from people (John 5:44; Matt. 6:2-4). Her sacrifice was between her and God (Gal. 1:10). If she spoke, we might hear her say something like “I am Your unworthy servant; I have only done what was my duty” (Luke 17:10).
And in her heart, she must have recognized that she had nothing compared to God‘s abundance. And right there, as she compared herself with God (instead of with other people), she was encouraged to give all she had. She saw that by joyfully losing herself in God, she would gain everything. God was her everything and she would give all to her Everything (Matt. 13:44). She found so much contentment in God, she gave her last two pennies. It was like throwing coins into a wishing well KNOWING that your desires are already granted. She had a satisfying relationship with God and God was providing everything that mattered to her. What were her two pennies in the well of God’s abundance? She was able to give with real joy and abandon as an overflow of being aware that she was constantly receiving so much from God. How do I know she was joyful? Because Jesus pointed her out and we know that God loves only joyful giving. (2 Cor. 9:7-8 NIV; 2 Cor. 8:2 NIV).
So this is what speaks to me as to what maturity in Christ looks like. To be so full of God and enjoyment of Him that I feel deeply content, fully embracing the reality that I lack nothing and have everything (Ps. 23:1). And because of that I can grow to reach the inner state where I’m only concerned with what God thinks of me and completely unconcerned with what people think of me.
Desire of Ages p 614 in response to your first paragraph
Esther, your comment “She had… everything that mattered to her,” Is so true, the lady did not think of herself or what others thought of her. Her mind was focused on giving to God. I have seen God’s blessing upon our lives in so many ways. Giving to God without a second thought pays dividends we cannot and will not be able to understand.
That is what I gleaned from the story of the widow. To use it as an argument in favour of giving tithe to corrupt leaders and organizations was a bit of a desperate overreach.
Jesus affirmed a poor widow's giving from her necessity, to a religion whose leaders were plotting to kill him. Think about that the next time you're tempted to with hold God's tithe, or your offerings for some trifling. 🤔
That Jesus knew the religious leaders' hearts and yet always showed His humility to them,...beginning even when He was 12 and asking them questions in the Temple....and finally allowing Himself to be killed by them,... is a sobering reminder, Tim, thank you. It reminds me that Jesus also knew Judas' heart and yet He chose (or allowed) Judas to hold the purse strings for Himself and the 12, and allowed him to continue to embezzle funds that had been given to God. Throughout time, we know that God has allowed corruption amongst His people.
A balanced view also sees Jesus enacting God's judgment on the heretical Temple system. Last week, we saw Jesus curse the fig tree so that it withered, never more to receive resources of sun, rain, and nutrients from the soil. The tree had lots of leaves (action and bustle) but no fruit (righteousness). Time was up. The Jewish system was worshiping the Economy and materialism, enabling sin rather than worship. Looking like a source of spiritual nourishment, while offering none, is not acceptable to God, and on a day of His choosing it does come to an end.
On the heels of the fig tree incident, we saw Jesus - for the 2nd time in His short ministry - overturn all the money tables in the Temple and send all the greedy, thieving religious leaders out and away from His true followers. The coins rolled between the stones, not to be retrieved. The lucrative sale of animals was disrupted, and lambs and doves and other "sacrifices" fled the scene. Jesus sent the Temple stock market into a huge crash on those cleansing days. The priests did not receive their tithes, including, I'm sure, some holy priests who truly loved God. The time of separating wheat from tares is messy.
These are challenging scenes, then and now, and raise tough questions with far-reaching consequences as we near the end of time. Far beyond bitterly withdrawing over some trifling issues, God asks us to take in the big picture as wise serpents, while bowing to His will in trust and humility as doves. We need to pray for ourselves and our leaders and submit to God, even as He educates and disciplines His Church, as He promised He would in Revelation 3? How will we stand for religious liberty and freedom of conscience during future government mandates? Should the church be financially dependent on federal funding? Will we hear God's voice as He leads us into these end times and follow Him anywhere, even if that looks like changes? Are we willing to submit to government for the Lord's sake (Romans 13) while at the same time refusing to comply when it is in conflict with God's Word? Will we be strong in faith if we are ever in a situation where we must stand up to religious establishment and say "we must obey God rather than men" (Acts 5:29)?
Well said, Esther. I wonder if it might be acceptable to turn the tables over in our organization when prayerfully deemed appropriate and call for reevaluation of the use of money given. I have been were a great deal of money was used to acquire a newer bigger building when the current building was sufficient in every way.
I believe the woman was commended for giving to God not for supporting a broken system and leaders that were seeking His life.
Today, I believe in supporting the SDA organization, but not blindly and not by putting a whole tithe in one place, but by giving some to the organization and some elsewhere- always returning it to God.
Some self supporting ministries out there like to charge the GC for the mis use of tithes n offerings, which have caused some people to give their tithes n offerings outside the mainstream body.People that maybe withholding their tithe n offerings from the church need to have a good look at this story.Notice Jesus never told the givers to withhold from putting money into the treasury despite the corruption of the leadership in the temple.
She was giving to God. It was the established way. After the temple and its system fell, Christians distributed their tithes and offerings here and there but always as an offering to God.
There are lots of pastors around the world that have mega churches with thousands of members and they talk about tithe and offering in order to be healed and to get prosperity and that's why so many people get discouraged when they get known that those leaders are very wealthy with mansions and private jets. Tithe and offerings are biblical and we should respect that. But not for their own benefits but to preach the gospel.
Our Adventist church is a church of prophecy and we are the remnants, don't doubt about it with faults and virtues yes but we are going forward, we all one day are going to stand before God my brothers just do what is right. What is Jesus talking to you right now. Did Jesus knew he was going to kill and betrayed?, yes. But he didn't withhold He gave his life instead, He didn't criticized or mourn. He fulfilled his mission. Was is easy?. NO. As for us nowadays life is not easy. Don't forget we are on a mission my brothers, See the obstacle but try not to fall, Run towards the goal that Jesus will reward your courage, your faith and will come down aboundantly from 2 coins in thousands more.
Nothing that I give to the Lord can be considered enough. Whatever I can offer must be done humbly because Jesus' sacrifice for you and me is the only acceptable sacrifice.
Whatever we do in life must be done from hearts of genuine love for God.
I believe that this story of the “two little coins” goes beyond being faithful in returning our tithes.
The widow’s story models what a life of total surrender with a heart of thankfulness looks like. We can be faithful in returning tithe but still not be surrendered to Christ. I believe that the story of the rich young ruler who had kept all of the commandments from his youth illustrates this. Mark 10:17-27
The widow’s sacrifice suggests that she had laid all on the altar of sacrifice. Some would say she did not have much to give so it was easy, but it reminds me of the story of Abraham in Genesis 22:1-18 where Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice his most loved person demonstrated his total commitment to God. Total surrender results in sacrificial, generous, faithful giving.
So that “two coins” story is a reminder to me of how the love of God working in my heart pours out like a fountain, generous in its flow, faithful in its work and mighty in its ability to glorify God. I can never match the outpouring of blessings and love God has given and He knows that, but continues to give to me. Is it any wonder that He can have all that I am and have?
Amen!
What she gave was far beyond tithe. Her gift was a gift of abundant love and a show of faith.
I think we often confuse Jesus point just because she put the money in the temple box.
The giving of tithes and offerings is a faith response to what God has done for you.
It may be tempting to divert the tithe and offering to perceived or real needs in the community but that is NOT what the tithe is for.
May God help us to be obedient to Him in this regard!!!
Tithing is about our personal relationship with God and should be thought as our requirement to a loving God. Everything belongs to Him,and it's because of Him we are blessed with our abundance. Imagine he only requires 10 percent of your increase and we get to keep 90%, what if it was the opposite way around. Also how many of us are using cards where the interest rates are greater than 10%. (many even as much as 30% to 35%) We complain but still pay the bill. God continually blesses us so I think that humbly returning our tithes and offerings shows our appreciation for all of God's blessings (sunshine and rain, heartache and pain) towards us.
I am so touched by all your comments! Truly in these last days especially, we must be cheerful in our giving. All that we can give for the Gospel of Christ to go forth, and to help those in need. Be faithful in our tithes and joyful in in our offerings because it all belongs to God anyway. He has chosen us as His stewards, whatever the level. Praise God for His provision. The Lord is my Shepherd, therefore I lack nothing! Thank you Adonai!
the amount she gave was not important but it was that she gave her all. we are to give our all to Christ.
What is ‘giving’ all about? Is it giving to the church to cover the expense of maintaining an organization which is engaged in religious activities? Is the ‘giving’ of tithes and offerings sufficient? Someone spoke earlier about the heart needing to be right with God, and I agree. Regardless of the amount or the frequency of ‘giving’, when done with a judgmental attitude, the most generous, benevolent Giver in heaven might not respond in ways one expects.
I mentioned already that I believe that the widow placed her trust in God, not the religious system established by Him. She believed that He would honor her trust in Him to provide her sustenance. So she lived every day having sufficient means to sustain her until the next day. In spite of her poverty, she did not come to the temple emptyhanded.
I believe that it was her unconditional faith motivating her to participate in God’s ministry of healing the living souls by building faith and trust in the Giver of Life. Though she makes due with what she has to sustain her life in this world, she had already received and accepted the most precious, life-sustaining sustenance – God's Bread of Life and living Water from the Well which never runs dry – the Word of God through the Holy Spirit – John 8:35; John 7:38; Rev.7:17.
I see myself much like the rich young ruler – by the Grace of God comfortably established and secured by ‘safety nets’ this world can provide the prudent ‘investor’. My parents experienced want during wartimes, but never their children. I see the living soul being motivated to give because it first received and accepted the most precious gift of all – God’s Love! His Love casts out all fear, even the fear of death and dying.
Am encouraged through your comments.
I am a little disappointed that so much of the discussion has centred on tithes and offerings and by inference church financial management. The big picture is the contrast between the big showy givers and the anonymous "givers from the heart".
We ambush the intent of the illustration by adding the rider: therefore give tithes and offerings to the church! If we get the heart bit right first, maybe the other problems will diminish.
Thank you!
The author touches on it in the last 3 paragraphs I believe brother.Glad to have you back on here Maurice. God is good.
Thank You Maurice, this woman was not giving her tithes she was returning to JEHOVAH what was already HIS.
I don’t think she thought much about
what others gave she just loved her LORD so much she had to give!
I don't understand what the blurb at the end of the lesson was all about. What is going on today in the Adventist church that elicited such a comment about withholding tithes based on the actions of leadership. I don't see any connection with the scripture verse. What am I missing?
I think it's not so much what is going on but what people think is going on. I don't think the church is mismanaging money on a broad scale. But every corner of the world has some problem and there will always be people who want to divert their offerings for that reason. I think that's why the comment was made.
A good question. I think several of the above comments have touched on the “heart” of the message given by Jesus.
I think the connection is that this verse is too often used to encourage the giving of tithe even IF we see misuse of funds in our church or organization (as was the case in the temple system).
But Jesus is talking about our hearts not money. What she gave was from a heart deeply in love with her God- the only way to give. And as He pointed out- she gave all!
I do believe if we give to the church we have our faith in the the church that we physically appear at and participate in. We have the attitude of giving to give to God when we give to our Church, then we are placing our money in God's hand not our leaders. God impresses the minds of our leaders to do right. Even though we my see things that would be our understanding, when we get to heaven we will be told things we could only see now through our cataracts. And for Maurice, I would have my retinal tear repaired too, even if it did give me cataracts.
When Jesus said the widow had given more than all the rich men, she gave more in two ways. Not only was she giving a greater portion of her resources, but for two thousand years, around the world her story has inspired others to also give what little they can give. When you add all of that up it is litterally more than all the rich men gave that day.
Maurice thank you for the insight I have learned alot from ssnet since I joined here. I pray for you to have good health.
What I love about bible stories is how you can interpret them in many ways. How marvellous is God's work. Seeing this story from another angle, sometimes in life we can think we have nothing to give, but God shows us even the smallest of actions is plenty to Him, when we are giving our all, whether its money or using our spiritual gifts and talents. I also love the reminder that yes when it comes to giving to the church, we need to get out of the mindset that we are giving money to people. As long as we give with good intentions, a good heart and a spirit that loves God. What happens with our money after that should not be our concern because God knows what is in our hearts.
The gospel of Mark and Luke are connecting the offering of the poor widow in context with the characteristic of the scribes. They devour widows` houses and for a pretence they make long prayers. (Mark 12:40; Luke 20:47) After these remarks Mark and Luke are combining this passage with the offering of the poor widow. (Mark 12:41-44; Luke 21:1-4)
This poses the question: How did the scribes get rich? Answer: They got rich by devouring widows` houses. With a high grade of possibility they are among those rich who are showing off their generosity in giving offerings to the temple.
There seems to be a confrontation between those rich scribes on one side and the poor widow on the other side. This poses another question: How did this widow get poor? Her husband was dead. So she had no income. She was running out of money and running into financial difficulties and had hardly any more money to spend.
Thus she became an easy victim of those rich scribes who devoured her house, paying her as less money as possible in order to sell her house for as much money as possible making as much profit as possible.
There was no bitterness on the side of the poor widow as she, with a heart full of love for God, offered all she had left -- for the glory of God, having an open way for an experience as to how the loving God would be caring for her.
There is a confrontation between the rich scribes and the poor widow, between two differnt types of characters. This leaves us with the question: Jesus is coming soon. What types of characters will he meet at that day? (Matthew 25:34-41)
Winfried Stolpmann
Very insightful. Thank you
just now is trending "go woke go broke" and them this sabbath school lesson. we need to pray more than before. Its my dutty to return the tithes and offerings independent off the spiritual stated off the liders. at the same time if I know those liders are destroying doctrines and the 3rd angel message, I agree that the tithes needs to go to another conference that do not support false teaching and practices again the bible true. but what happen if any conference is following what we believe and aloud false practice and doctrines? this is a real concern and is not just me is almost all the church. it is necessary to be faith full. We are living the inminent return of hour Lord Jesus Christ. if somebody read this message just give your tithe trusting in God do not see the humans. it is hard but it is what is in the Bible. God help our souls.
I believe that if you have crooked leadership, you should divert your money to a conference that is upholding the standards of God and our denomination
I’m commenting on this topic 4 days later, but I wanted to share something my husband was impressed with after reading this story on Sunday. This story, like any in scripture, has so many layers of things we can learn. It’s interesting that Jesus brought attention to this woman shortly before telling the disciples of the destruction of Jerusalem. This woman was exactly who the snooty Jewish leaders were supposed to be taking care of. All through the Old Testament and the New Testament are admonitions for us, to take care of the widows and the orphans and the foreigners in the land. The Jewish nation on the whole, was not doing that, and they even looked down on these people as unworthy to worship with them or even speak to them. It seems that this behavior goes hand in hand with what they were about to do to their savior, and not too far down the road, ending up with their beautiful temple and city becoming just a heap of rubble. I have to ask myself if I am doing the work that Jesus gave us to do? It’s easy to give tithe and offering. Am I willing to give my time? That’s a lot harder to do, at least for me it is.