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Glad tidings of good things 01-27-00

The Best Giver in the Church: Part 1

Allen Webster

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Who will be the best contributor in the church this year? It could be any person in the congregation. Someone might say, “I’m living on a fixed income, it couldn’t be me.” Yes, it could. Another might say, “I just lost my job, it certainly can’t be me.” Yes, it could. A college student or young person might say, “I don’t even have a job, it couldn’t be me.” Yes, it could. How? Read on.

The New Testament has many examples of good givers. Barnabas sold land and laid the money at the apostles feet (Acts 4). Christians in Antioch gave to brethren in Judea whom they had likely never met (Acts 11). The Macedonians gave “beyond their power” (2 Corinthians 8). None of these is the “best giver” in the New Testament, though. That honor resides with a widow whose name we do not even know. Her story is so impressive it is told twice in the New Testament (Mark 12:41-44; Luke 21:2-4). Three points from this passage are worth our consideration.

Jesus Watched

“And Jesus sat over against the treasury, and beheld how the people cast money into the treasury: and many that were rich cast in much” (Mark 12:41; Luke 21:2-4).

The scene is the Temple in Jerusalem where Jesus is inside a part of the temple called “the treasury” (gazophulakion). Barclay explains that this refers to a part of the Court of the Women where thirteen collection boxes were set up (cf. 2 Kings 12:9; Matthew 27:6; John 8:20). It was nearest the “Beautiful Gate” and opposite the Court of the Gentiles. These receptacles were called “the trumpets” because they were shaped like trumpets. The “trumpets” were set with the narrow part at the top and the wider part at the bottom so the coins would make a loud clanging when dropped. As the collection was taken, noise from the drop-ping coins filled the temple.

Jesus Is Interested In Money.

This shows that Christ is concerned with what we do with our money. Sometimes people say, “I wish the preacher would preach the Gospel and stop talking about money.” But it is impossible to preach the Gospel without “talking about money.” Almost half of Christ’s recorded sayings relate directly or indirectly to money. One out of every six verses in the Gospel Accounts concerns man and his possessions. Nineteen of thirty-eight parables deal with material possessions. Sixteen times more is said about stewardship in the New Testament than about baptism and thirty-two times more than about the Lord’s Supper. Christ said more about money than about repentance, the new birth, heaven, and hell (as vital as these subjects are). We will one day give account for how we made and invested our money (Matthew 25:27; Luke 19:23).

Jesus Watches the Collection.

Jesus sat directly opposite (against, katenanti) the treasury, where He watched people as they gave. The word sat (kathizo, “hover”) indicates a continuing presence and beheld (theoreo) literally means, “to be a spectator.” Try to put yourself in this scene. How would you feel if the one passing the plate Sunday stared at you while you gave? Would you feel uncomfortable? Jesus observes our giving just as He sat over against the treasury and observed theirs. Some possibly gave a little more that day since Jesus was watching. If Jesus should sit beside me Sunday morning, would I give more?

Give as you would if an angel awaited your gift at the door.
Give as you would if tomorrow found your giving here all o'er.
Give as you would to the Master if you met His loving look.
Give as you would of your substance if His hand the offering took.

Many of the religious leaders were corrupt, but the temple was still the place where God put His name and where sincere people could worship Him. Jesus did not criticize the people for supporting the temple ministry (Matthew 23:1–3). With the Word, Weirsbe, Luke

Jesus Judges the Contributors.

Every collection is a kind of judgment. Christ cannot help but judge us when we give. He saw much that was commendable that day in the temple. He saw many rich men cast in large gifts. That was fine. They were interested enough to attend the service. They were interested enough to support it financially. Godless people do not have all the wealth. Some rich men are not too tired on Sundays to come to God’s house. They do not all have to relax on the golf links. Not only were the rich men present with their gifts that day, but they were liberal givers—“many that were rich cast in much.” These did not throw in pennies when they could give $100 dollar bills. For a rich man to give a mite would have been shameful, but they did not. Jesus did not condemn these givers, but, then again, neither did He commend them.

We judge ourselves at offering time, too. If the collection plate offends, bores, annoys, or angers us, we have serious symptoms of heart trouble. If on the other hand, we rejoice in the privilege of giving, we show kinship to the Lord (James 1:17). When we give, we either sadden or gladden Jesus. We win either His approval or disapproval. We call forth either His commendation or His condemnation. We judge ourselves and are judged by our Lord by what we do with the wealth He put into our hands that week.

This widow’s giving fascinated Jesus because it was costly to her. One artist painted a picture that had a lovely and fascinating crimson that no other artist could imitate. They studied it and sought in vain for its secret. It was not until the artist died and they prepared his body for burial that they understood. They found above his heart a half-healed wound. The secret of the fascinating picture that had cast its spell upon them was that the artist had dipped his brush into his own heart’s blood as he painted. They could not paint as he painted because they were unwilling to pay the price he paid.

The widow was commended that day for she had put her heart into the collection basket—not just her coins.