May the words of my mouth and the meditation of our hearts be pleasing
in your sight, O Lord, our Rock and our Redeemer. Amen.

Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a fraction of a penny. Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything--all she had to live on." (Mark 12:41-44)

The Greatest Giver Is Watching Us Give

In Christ's name and to his glory, dear friends: The Holy Scriptures tell us Out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks. (Matthew 12:34). This means that the heart controls the body, that the inside determines what the outside does. Heart and hand are connected. This is important information for understanding this Gospel for today. Jesus wants to teach us something about what we do with our hands - giving gifts. But to do that he tells us something about hearts. He does not merely speak to our ears, but to our hearts, for our hearts control what our hands do. So let us look at this Gospel about the widow's offering. In it our hearts hear the truth that THE GREATEST GIVER IS WATCHING US GIVE.

This little Gospel gives us something that happened on the Wednesday of Holy Week, just two days before our Savior's suffering and death. Jesus had just had a run-in with his vocal enemies. Jesus did most of the talking. He scolded the Pharisees and the religious leaders for their superficial religion. They knew what to do so that it appeared that they were close to God, but on the inside they had no need for God (Mark 12:38f; Matthew 23). Leaving them, Jesus sat down near the place where people were throwing their gifts into tall, trumpet shaped receptacles.

Our Savior is watching the givers and their gifts. Right away we are struck with how differently Jesus is able to observe people than we are. We can sit at the mall and watch and wonder. I wonder how long that couple has been married? I wonder why that person looks sad, happy, confused, etc. I wonder what they are talking about? Jesus doesn't have to wonder. Jesus knows. He not only sees the outside; he sees the inside, the heart. It says in another Gospel, Jesus did not need man's testimony about man, for he knew what was in a man. (John 2:25) And his watching always has purpose. We watch others to pass time. Jesus watches people so he can help them. He calls his disciples close to him and speaks as if to say, Let me tell you something about sinful human nature so that you too may detest the sin of mankind, cling to me, see me as the source of rescue and renewal, and escape the corruption of the world.

Jesus observes here that there are two kinds of givers. The one kind is the rich who threw in large amounts. Now remember, Jesus is not just looking at hands. More, he is looking at the hearts to which the hands are connected. The absence of commendation shows that the Savior sees the gifts of these many as lacking something. The Greek words simply say, Many who had much threw in much. These many "had much." Was what they brought their leftovers - what they could safely give without causing much more than a ripple in their standard of living? These many "had much." As they came were they filled with a sense of indestructibility? Were they like the rich man who said, You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry. (Luke 12:19) Were their gifts void of all praise and worship toward God, brought out of obligation, a sense of "I guess I have to"? Likely there was a smattering of these attitudes sprinkled among the many that are the one kind of giver.

The other kind of giver is the poor widow who put in two very small copper coins worth only a fraction of a penny. Again, remember that Jesus is not just looking at hands. More, he is looking at the hearts to which the hands are connected. His words of commendation speak volumes about that heart. Out of her poverty, she put in everything - all she had to live on. This gift was not the leftovers from much; this was a true sacrifice. There was no feeling of indestructibility, but a complete and humble trust that God will provide. This gift was not an obligation but an act of praise and worship. It was praise and worship that came forward despite difficulties - widowed, down to her last pennies. Here is the gift that the Savior commends. She has put more into the treasury than all the others. Note well, in Jesus' eyes she gave more than all the others combined. She most likely escaped the attention of everyone but her Savior. And if anyone did see her two small coins compared to the "much" of those who "had much" her gift would have made as much noise as a pin dropping to the floor. But the Greatest Giver does not watch gifts like we do. He watches as only God can - he sees the heart that moves the hand to action.

Friends, let us apply this to ourselves. The Greatest Giver is watching me give and he knows. He is watching my heart. He sees every sin against the first commandment. You shall have no other gods. We don't have to say, But God I have no idols set up in my family room. He already knows that. But he also sees our love for things that he gives - how much time we spend amassing what makes us feel comfortable, safe. He knows we tend to look at the financial page to see how secure is our retirement or our job rather than to Holy Scriptures where God says: Do not worry; I know that you need food and clothes and I will provide. (Matthew 6). He knows we say, "Give us this day our daily bread" in one breath and with the next say, "Give me lots more than that because I really need more than enough for today." He knows that all too often our offerings are seen as budgetary support rather than an act of worship and praise.

The Greatest Giver is watching me give and he is watching with purpose. He roused me out of bed and got me moving today because he loves me more than life itself - literally more than life itself. It is the "the Greatest Giver" in whose presence we sit this hour. All godly giving has its beginnings in God giving his Son to us. Jesus, standing before the Almighty Lord on behalf of us, lived in perfect obedience to God as we had not. His obedience is credited to us. Then, again standing in for us, he suffered the God-forsaken curse that sin deserves at a place called Calvary. We are the redeemed children of God.

Now, this Greatest Giver says, Come here, let me assure you of something. You can take God at his word. Trust him. You know how much he loves you. He won't steer you wrong. Trust him when he says he will give you enough so that you can be generous and still have enough for yourself. Trust him when he says you will be blessed as you give--Honor the LORD with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops; then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine. (Proverbs 3:9-10)

If I asked you today how much you can give, you would probably look in your checkbook. But that is not where you find the true answer to that question. Look to Holy Scripture, to your Lord - the Greatest Giver, to the fact that this Giver is our Savior who lives in our hearts through faith. There alone will you begin to find the proper answer. You and I can give as much as people who know they are saved by grace, who know that the Lord will provide, who know that the Lord will be blessing as we give. Amen.