God’s Hope for Your Heart from Mark 12
JESUS SEES YOUR SACRIFICE
And he sat down opposite the treasury and watched the people putting money into the offering box. Many rich people put in large sums. And a poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which make a penny. And he called his disciples to him and said to them, “Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the offering box. For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.” (Mark 12:41-44)
It was common in Jesus’ day for wealthy people to make a big deal out of their giving. So common, in fact, that in Matthew 6:2, Jesus specifically told His disciples not to give that way.
But this woman couldn’t have drawn much attention if she wanted to.
This poor, widowed woman brought a small gift, a tiny offering, a seemingly insignificant sum in comparison to what others were able to give. Her contribution was a pittance, and would have made almost no difference to the Temple’s bottom line at the end of the day. It’s likely her presence didn’t even register with most people, or if it did, her gift provoked pity at best, and ridicule at worst.
But Jesus sees with different eyes.
Maybe you feel like what you have to give is insignificant. Maybe you want to serve God in some way, but you feel like what you’re able to do just isn’t much. Maybe you’ve already been trying, been doing, been serving or giving but you feel like it’s not making a difference at all.
If that’s you, take heart! Don’t get discouraged by your ability or lack thereof, because in God’s economy, the most important thing isn’t the size of the gift, but the heart of the giver. It’s not the amount of the offering in the plate, but the amount of surrender in the person. God is less concerned with the product of your hands, and more interested in the process of shaping your heart.
Don’t stop serving and giving, and don’t lose heart. Stay faithful, because as you keep going, God has a fresh hope prepared for you though this truth: Jesus sees your sacrifice.
-Pastor Phillip
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