THE WIDOW WITH TWO MITES

MARK 12:4

A. "AND THERE CAME A CERTAIN POOR WIDOW, AND SHE THREW IN TWO MITES, WHICH MAKE A FARTHING"
  1. Of all the nameless women in female biography this poor widow stands out in bright colors:
    1. She cast in all her living
    2. She gave all she had
  2. The Son of God took notice of this sacrifice and called the disciples attention to her deed:
    1. "This poor widow hath cast more in than all they which have cast into the treasury" - Mark 12:43
    2. "For all they did cast in or their abundance; but she of her want did cast in all that she had even all her living" - verse 44
B. WIDOW WITH TWO MITES
  1. Gave her all:
    1. The occasion was the Paschal Week, women from all over brought a special offering to the treasure; we know not how many women gave and how much
    2. But, He who knows our every action, measured the value of all offerings; and He said, "This poor widow hath cast more in than all they which cast into the treasury"
  2. The sacrificial offering of the poor widow unfolds to us four specific truths on the subject of giving:
    1. The motive of giving - love to God and His cause are the only acceptable motive in the sight of God
    2. Said Jesus about Mary Magdalene, "She loved much" - Luke 7:47
    3. Faith in the paternal care of our heavenly Father - she must have read the story of the poor widow with a few drops of oil in the vessel - 2 Kings 4:1-7; the poor widow who had enough meal to feed her son and herself - ready to die - I Kings 17:9-16
    4. Her knowledge of God who cares for the raven - Luke 12:24
    5. Also, that we give to receive - "Give and it shall be given to you" - Luke 6:38 Said the Lord, "It is more blessed to give than to receive" - Acts 20:35
C. WHAT A TIMELY LESSON FOR GOD'S REMNANT PEOPLE
  1. The motive of giving - what is it?
    1. To the poor widow it was love to God and the services in the temple
    2. To others it might have been soothing a guilty conscience - Mark 7:11-12
    3. God and the giver only know the true motive of giving
  2. Is our all on the altar of sacrifice laid?
    1. That poor widow did and we never read that afterward she starved to death
    2. When we place our all on the altar of sacrifice, that includes our means too
  3. God is reasonable:
    1. He says that the tithe is His - Mal. 3:8-11; Lev. 27:30-31
    2. Also, a free will offering is to be brought into His courts - Mal. 3:8-11; Ps. 20:3
  4. What is of special significance to us is how God measures our gifts to Him:
    1. He weighs the motive in our giving
    2. He blesses the gift and the giver in harmony with the spirit of giving
    3. The poor widow gave all her living for she had childlike confidence that God is able to sustain His own; His storehouse is never empty
    4. Let us remember the poor widow who gave all her living and give with the same motive and in the same spirit
    5. We need not but to remember the Giver of all good gifts; He gave the best He had in the universe - His only begotten Son - John 3:16
    6. He is still the great Giver; for of His mercies we freely receive the gift of life
    7. God gave the spirit of giving that possessed the poor widow


Design © John Bryant 2011