INTRODUCTION:

One Sunday morning in a little church, the sermon just seemed to go on and on. Unlike me, the preacher kept circling the point but never quite getting there. One of the little boys in the service that day was getting more and more restless. Mom was having a hard time getting him to sit still. Finally, in a whisper loud enough for the whole congregation to hear, he said: "Mommy, if we give him the money now, will he let us go?" (1)

That story is a good reminder that preachers need to follow the old KISS principle. You know: Keep It. Simple Stupid. It also reminded me of how everyone, even the little ones, like to put there two cents worth in.

And this morning, we find out the origins of that phrase, "putting your two cents worth in." It comes from our reading from Mark. Let's look at Mark 12:38-44.

Mark 12:38-44 (NRSV)

[38] As he taught, he said, "Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes, and to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces,

[39] and to have the best seats in the synagogues and places of honor at banquets!

[40] They devour widows' houses and for the sake of appearance say long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation."

[41] He sat down opposite the treasury, and watched the crowd putting money into the treasury. Many rich people put in large sums.

[42] A poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which are worth a penny.

[43] Then he called his disciples and said to them, "Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the treasury.

[44] For all of them have contributed out of their abundance; but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on."

According diagrams and to the Biblical Commentaries, within the Temple proper, was the area known as the Women's Court. There, along the walls, were thirteen large, metal, trumpet-shaped receptacles to receive offerings for various purposes.

It was across from this area where Jesus sat to teach. Now you have to remember that the atmosphere of the Temple was sort of like Lord's Acre, Round-Up Sunday, Sunday School, the time between Sunday School and Worship and Revival all rolled into one, all the time.

Jesus says that into this miasma of noise, motion, and excitement, people would come to make their offering. Some of the rich people put in large sums. And some of the rich people did it with great fanfare. You see, those receptacles sat in plain view and the clinking and clanking of their offering advertised to the crowds around the size of their offerings. The loud noise would cause people to turn and look.

Sometimes these rich people would go from one metal receptacle to another, loudly proclaiming just how generous they were, not with words but with the clinking and clanking of their coins in the receptacles. Jesus said that such donors have already received their reward (Matt. 6:1-2).

But Jesus, sitting there teaching amidst all the noise of the Temple, heard when the widow quietly placed her two mites in the offering receptacle. He heard and he pointed out her generosity. Why?

It was just a little thing but because she gave REVERENTLY, REJOICINGLY AND RECKLESSLY this widow's attitude in giving has become a paradigm for all giving. Since we're in a Capital Campaign, we need to examine the attitude of giving.

I. REVERENTLY:

A. The first thing to note about the widow is that she gave REVERENTLY.

But before we talk about her. Let me demonstrate how you can be one of those people Jesus was talking about. You've probably seen those kinds of people before. The one's who want everyone to know how much they give.

What you do is this. First, you have to prepare your wallet or purse. You go to the bank and get a brand new $20 bill or even a $50 bill, it just depends on how much yo want to be noticed. You also get at least twenty $1 bills. You can use as many as thirty but after that it starts to become problematic.

Second, you lay the $20 bill on the outside of all those ones and carefully place the whole bundle in your wallet or purse.

Third, you sit in the pew as the offering plate comes and pretend not to notice that it has started down your row. When it gets to you, you act surprised. Make a big deal about getting out your wallet or opening your purse while your neighbor holds the offering plate.

Finally, you carefully pull out the $20 and the ones, fold the $20 over the ones so it looks like a whole stack of $20s and carefully place it in the offering plate (so your neighbor can see how generous you are) take the plate and pass it on. That's if you really want to be like those people Jesus was talking about.

B. Let me tell you also, how to give REVERENTLY. I saw it one Sunday in the form of a five year old little boy who ran up and threw his arms around my leg and hugged the stuffing out of me.

He leapt out of nowhere in the busy crowd in the entry way of the church I was serving at the time. He nearly tripped me. But it was his hug of love that kept me from falling, just as it has been Christ's very own hug of love that has kept me from falling so many other times in my daily walk of faith.

When those little arms unwrapped themselves from my leg the little boy they belonged to yelled, "Hey preacher, look what I've got for Jesus this morning." I looked down and he proudly showed me his quarter for the Children's Offering.

His Mom and Dad had already started him on an allowance. They gave him 10 quarters a week. One of them (the first one) was for Jesus. The second one was for savings. And the other eight he could spend almost any way he wanted. I wish you could have seen the look of joy on that little boy's face when he gave his quarter to Jesus.

It was just a little thing but the widow's mite couldn't have been any more precious than that quarter at that moment. All the Angels in heaven must have been singing praises to God for this simple act of love, faith and unselfish giving. Like the widow, that little boy gave REVERENTLY.

II. REJOICINGLY:

The widow also gave REJOICINGLY. My spellchecker doesn't think that's a real word, but we're going to baptize it and use it anyway because we're called to give REJOICINGLY as well.

A missionary from India told about an army officer who stopped to have his shoes shined by a poor Indian boy on the street. He said the boy launched into his task with such enthusiasm and vigor that the man was utterly amazed. Instead of an ordinary, slipshod performance with an all-too-eager outstretched hand for a tip, the boy worked diligently until the leather sparkled with a beautiful shine.

The officer asked, "Why are you taking so much time to polish my boots?"

The young boy told the officer, "Well, sir, last week Jesus came into my heart and now I belong to him. Since then, every time I shine somebody's shoes, I keep thinking they're shoes that belong to Jesus, so I do the very best I can. I want Jesus to be pleased!" (2)

It was just a little thing, doing a great job instead of a good job. But it made all the difference. That young boy felt the joy of Christ in his heart and like the widow was living a life of rejoicing. And no matter what he did, he did it REJOICINGLY.

We're called to do the same and to give with the same rejoicing heart.

III. RECKLESSLY:

Finally, the widow gave RECKLESSLY.

She gave without thought to her own needs first. She gave her all out of love for God, knowing that, even though she was a poor widow, God would take care of her.

I just heard a story about a missionary who just got back from Tanzania. He worshipped in a small church where no one would attend without bringing an offering. Everyone brought an offering. If they didn't have money, they brought what they had. Produce, hand made items, livestock, food stuffs, whatever. Everyone brought an offering of some sort.

All of the offerings were brought to the front of the church and placed on, at or around the altar and dedicated to God and the work of God through the Church. After the worship service was over, the items which had been brought were then auctioned off.

The Missionary noted that one woman brought a single egg as her offering. It was just a little thing, but just like the widow in today's Scripture, she didn't have much but she gave all that she had.

She gave RECKLESSLY. But in acting and giving RECKLESSLY she gave an example of the depth of faith few of us have possess. In giving RECKLESSLY, she RECKLESSLY trusted God completely to provide for her ongoing, everyday needs.

I wonder what the Church would be like if we all trusted God that RECKLESSLY?

CONCLUSION:

A young preacher was invited to speak to one of the local service clubs. He felt flattered by the invitation until the master of ceremonies rose to introduce him. "Unfortunately," he said, "our original choice for today's speaker was unable to attend."

Then, in a clumsy attempt at humor, he pointed to a broken window pane which had been covered over with a piece of cardboard. "Our speaker," he said, "is like that piece of cardboard in the window. He's a substitute."

Being somewhat taken aback by the sloppy introduction, the young preacher decided to show them: Substitute or not he would deliver a good talk. And he did! When he finished the speech, he received a rousing ovation.

But when the emcee attempted to thank the speaker it was even more awkward than the introduction. "Reverend," he said, "we want you to know that you weren't at all like a cardboard substitute. You were a real pane!" (3)

Look, I don't want to be a real pain. I know we've talked a lot about giving this year and sometimes that is a real pain. But the simple truth is this, we're called to give like the widow. Not just a mite, but our all.

It's just a little thing but if we all give REVERENTLY, REJOICINGLY AND RECKLESSLY like the widow can you imagine what God can do?

Look around you at what God has already done with what we've given. It's just a little thing but that's what equal sacrifice, not equal giving can do.

That restless little boy at the beginning of the sermon asked: "Mommy, if we give him the money now, will he let us go?"

Just remember this: What we give may only be a little thing. But if we give God the money, REVERENTLY, REJOICINGLY AND RECKLESSLY there's no telling where we'll go. But it won't really matter because God will be leading.

1. Phillips, Bob, World's Greatest Collection of Clean Jokes, (Harvest House Publishers, Eugene, Oregon 1998) p. 57-58.

2. INFOsearch

3. Phillips, Bob, World's Greatest Collection of Clean Jokes, (Harvest House Publishers, Eugene, Oregon 1998) p. 41-42.

4.

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