Mark 12:41-44
41 Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts.
42 But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a few cents.
43 Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others.
44 They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.”
Now several weeks ago at First Friday Pastor Zack at Calvary Chapel pointed out that Jesus is examining all these peoples gifts based not on what they had offered, but what they had left over afterwards.
Now a story from my own life. Several years ago, on my birthday, I recieved a small box from my sister Lily which contained in it a couple quarters, nickels and dimes totaling up to a dollar. Now, she was what, seven at the time. She didn't have a job, she didn't have an allowance. A gift from her was usually a picture or a poem or something she made, but this year she decided that for whatever reason that she would give me a dollar.
And I still have that box, with the money that she gave me all those years ago, and to this day I cannot think of that gift without tearing up. Not because of how big it was, but because it was, I suspect, everything she had. Every single cent she possessed in the world. And she gave it for no other reason that she loved me.
And it reminded me of this parable, because that's exactly what that widow was offering. Everything she had. Sure, it was pocket change but the number wasn't the important part, the important part was she gave everything she had.
And I promise you this isn't about money. Its never about money because money is only numbers. But I ask you how many other things in our lives do we hold back because we don't think we have enough to make a worthy offering.
I can't pray out loud, I don't know what to say.
I can't sing during worship, they have such a better voice, I don't know the song very well.
I can't help that person doing that thing, I'm not very strong.
I can't share in front of the group, I have stage fright.
And so often it seems that we hold off on trying something until we feel like we'll be able to do it well. Because hey, isn't it better to not do something than to do it wrong? Sure seems like it. But if that was true then we'd never do anything, and if that was the case I certainly wouldn't be trying to lead this youth group, because half the time I don't think I have any idea what I'm doing. And don't even get me started on leading worship. That's something I never thought I'd be able to do.
In Paul's first letter to his young protege Timothy he tells the youth man what has probably become the theme verse to half the youth groups in America:
1 Timothy 4:12
12 Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity.
Don't be discouraged because of your inexperience, because of what you haven't done. Because God is not looking at what you give, but what you're holding back. And what you are supposed to do are not things that need two to three years experience.
Because you don't have to sing like Phil Wickham or David Crowder to worship and you don't need to speak in tongues to pray and you don't need a degree from bible college to preach and you certainly have to attend a seven week training course to love someone.
Because if we are willing just to let go and give it our all and trust God then He's going to make up the difference. He's going to make our worship beautiful, He's going to give us words to pray, He's going to show us things in His word that will blow our tiny little minds. He will love people through us.
So at this time, when we look forward with anticipation to a day we devote to remembering a time when God sent His son to earth to save us, and we celebrate that gift by exchanging gifts with those we love...
Remember this, that God gave everything He had to see us freed of the burdens and condemnation of sin that would have otherwise locked us into an endless cycle of laws and an endless search for unattainable perfection.
But He promised to make up the difference in our lives if we would just trust Him and throw ourselves into this whole Christian thing head first.
Remember that we should love Him enough to give our all, even when we think our all isn't even enough to be worth mentioning. And that He will make up the difference.
Let us pray.
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