[Biblemat] A) JESUS, THE POOR WIDOW, AND US

[J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com]

Brethren and Friends, Jim Sasser here.  A very good Thursday
morning to each and everyone.  May God bless you and yours.
Here is an article from my ancient files:

JESUS, THE POOR WIDOW, AND US

     "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.  And there came a certain poor widow, and
she threw in two mites, which make a farthing.  And He called
unto Him His disciples, and saith unto them, Verily I say unto
you, That this poor widow hath cast more in, than all they 
which have cast into the treasury: 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" (Mk. 12:41-44).

     Many times this poor widow's example has been used to
motivate people to give more.  In this lesson, we are more
interested in Jesus than we are in the poor widow even though her example is 
of supreme interest.  There are three
things relative to Jesus which stand out in this scene.

JESUS WATCHED: -- We are told that Jesus sat over against
the treasury and watched how the people gave.  Can you ima-
gine how that must have affected the people?  Judging by
today's attitudes, this must have seemed nosey and uncouth
to many.  What one gives is a private matter to some.  They
have used Matt. 6:3, where Jesus said not to let thy left hand
know what thy right hand doeth an excuse to keep their giv-
ing a secret thing.  However, Jesus saw how all of these gave.  This is not 
an isolated instance.  The Lord saw how
Cornelius gave and it made a difference Acts 10:2).  The Lord
saw how Ananias and Sapphira gave and what He saw made
a difference Acts 5:1-4.  And He sees how we give.  In Heb. 4:
13 we are told that all things are open and naked to the eyes
of Him with Whom we have to do.  We may hide what we give
from the government for a time, but we cannot hide this from
the Lord.  Jesus watches.

     But why would Jesus watch these as they gave?  It was
not because He was having such a hard time making a living.
Although He was poor with no place to lay His head (Lk. 9:58)
He did not need their tithes for He was rich.  Recall Psa. 50:9,
10: "I will take no bullock out of thy house, nor he goats out
of thy folds.  For every beast of the forest is Mine, and the cattle upon a 
thousand hills."  Still, Jesus watched.  He still
does!

JESUS RATED AND GRADED: -- As grating as this may have
seemed to some, Jesus rated and graded the giving of all of
those who gave on this occasion.  he said that the rich had 
given much.  He said that the poor widow had given more than the rich.  He 
was using a measuring stick other than the
buying power of the money by which we measure.  But he
rated and graded just the same.

     The Lord has always graded the gifts of His subjects.  He
graded the gifts of Cain and Abel.  For reasons of His own, 
the givts of one were worth more than the gifts of the other
(Gen. 4:1-5).  The Lord had graded and rated the gifts of the
Jews at one time saying that they had robbed Him in tithes
and offerings (Mal. 3:8).  Have you ever wondered about your
grades in this matter?

     The Lord even rates and grades our offerings by the motives we have in 
giving.  He knows if we have given to be
seen of men (Matt. 6:2-4).  He even rates and grades accord-
ing to our attitudes in giving.  He grades on the basis of whet-
her or not we give sincerely (2 Cor. 8:8), or whether or not we
give liberally (Rom. 12:8), or whether or not we give cheerful-
ly (2 Cor. 9:7), or whether or not we give out of a sense of 
duty only.  The Lord knows about mites and millions.  He knows about the rich 
and the poor.  He rates and grades.

JESUS REACTED: -- Jesus reacted to what He saw.  He called
His apostles to Him and immediately commended the poor
widow.  He did not condemn the rich people and their giving.
They had given much.  But He said the poor widow had cast
in more than all the others.  I keep wondering that if this scene took place 
today, would Jesus react toward my giving
and toward your giving by commending what we do.  I do 
know that all in heaven are concerned with what we do.  The
angels are (Lk. 15:10).  The Holy Spirit is (Eph. 4:30).  The
Lord knows and cares.  He blesses according as we give.  Do
we believe that?  We conclude with a scene from Mk. 10:28-
30 with assurance given to the apostles: "Then Peter began
to say unto Him, Lo, we have left all, and have followed Thee.
And Jesus answered and said, Verily I say unto you, There is
no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father
or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for My sake, and the
gospel's, but he shall receive an hundredfold now in this time
houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children,
and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come etern-
al life."  ------- Curtis E. Flatt, in Gospel Guide, Vol. 27, No. 9,
Sept. 1995.   </HTML>
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