Serving the Lord

Sermon notes from Sunday morning 7 August 2016

Mark 12 verses 41 – 44

This portion of scripture comes as a challenge to us about how we serve the Lord.  We notice a woman who gave all she had to the Lord.  As she looked around the treasury and on those who would come in to the offering plates, all she had was 2 mites which made a farthing.  It was something frowned upon but it earned the approval of the Lord himself.  As we come today the Lord is not looking on the outward appearance but the inward.  Are we about to give everything we have to the Lord?  There are a couple of phrases that crept up amongst sports stars and athletes competing in the Olympic Games – it is all or nothing.  What a strategy before the race took place.  Training, building up muscles so that on the day they can give all.  As the people of God have we been studying the word of God this week?  Thinking of it as we come today, are we ready to give our all to the Lord?

Notice a position that is described.  The position this woman took up.  She was a widow woman – verse 42.  They had gathered in the house and the Lord was there.  The Lord is not in vast crowds but he has promised “where 2 or 3 are gathered in my name there am I in the midst”.  He knows everything that is going on in every life right at this moment.  God is wanting to know are you willing to give all to the Lord out of your heart?  This woman knew what difficult times where.  She was a widow woman.  She knew the pain of bereavement.  Jesus points to someone who has felt the pain of death, to come through trial.  There is a difficult stage in your life and he points to it.  He is going to teach from this widow woman a great lesson.  Maybe only income was with her husband yet prepared to take out of her purse 2 mites.  Giving first in her life to the Lord.  It is great to be saved today, to look back to the point in your life when you came under the convicting hand of the Lord, when you accepted Christ as Saviour, when you heard the message of the gospel, that time you bowed your knees to Christ, took him as Lord and Saviour and allowed him to come into your heart.  Here is a woman whose only means of income was gone.  She did not know what would happen tomorrow.  She didn`t have a husband to bring in the wages for her.  We are not told the circumstances of her husband`s death or what she had gone through yet she is here in the treasury giving all she had to the Lord.  Sometimes we have a difficult trial in our lives and we want to throw all from us as soon as possible.  This woman didn`t blame the Lord through her trial.  Like the woman with the alabaster box.  She broke it for Jesus.  The disciples complained but Jesus told them to leave her alone.  She had given all to the Lord.  The Lord wants you to do all you can.  He will not exert you.  No doubt that day the Pharisees were there, the religious leaders were there and both gave of their great abundance.  Maybe you are thinking well what do I really have, I don`t really have that much.  You begin to see all you have and the abundance of others.  The Lord is asking from you today.  This widow woman watched as the people gave in to the treasury.  This woman was despised.  The Jewish people would have despised her because she was a widow.  Maybe you think you are despised because of what you are offering to the Lord today.

The poverty she did not deter.  As she made her way to the box she saw others giving far more and she thought she had nothing to offer.  She made sure the poverty she had would not deter her.  What was so special about her gift?  It caught the attention of Jesus.  She was giving everything she had.  Not only that but she was trusting the Lord for tomorrow.  When God would execute his plan of salvation, to send forth his only son who did he choose to bear – his only son.  He looked down into poverty and chose a young girl who had nothing whatsoever to offer but what she had to offer was everything.  No great name, no great experience.  Maybe you are in the same position today.  Do you ever sit back and think what that means?  You give your all to the Lord.  There is a mission and outreach to be done.  We need to be going out.  No longer can we depend on opening the door and the people will come flocking in.  Have you a concern for those going out into a lost Christless hell?  God used a widow woman in the days of Elijah.  She had nothing to give. She was going to make a cake, give some to her son and die.  Elijah said that was fine but give him first and she as a result never hungered again.  God uses what we give him here and now.  Are you ready to say “Lord use me today in the work of God?”  Remember the story of the man going into the far country and left the talents with his servants.  To one he gave 5, to another 2 and to the third just one.  He wasn`t making any difference in them, he knew the people he was giving them to.  When he came back the one with 5 talents had doubled his as had the one with 2 but the one with just one talent had buried his.  When his master returned he dug it up and gave it back to the master.  He had nothing from the talent.  How will it be in the day when Christ calls?  Will there be those we have helped to win who will join with us?  Will we have to stand before God with hands empty and say “I am sorry”?

The pledge that was determined.  She wanted to give 2 mites to the Lord.  She was going to give everything she had.  How many times have we sat in meetings, been challenged by God but forget about it as we leave?  She had a pledge made in her heart.  She was surrendered to the will of the Lord, ready to give her all.  The Lord loves a cheerful giver.  Remember when Peter was summoned to go to the house of Cornelius.  Peter was up in the roof top and saw a vision of all manner of unclean animals coming down onto a sheet from heaven.  Peter was told to arise, kill and eat.  Peter being a faithful believer said “not so Lord”.  The Lord was teaching a lesson.  He was taking him into a Roman house, a man outside of the Jewish nation, a Gentile.  He was using Peter to do that.  He had to teach him this lesson.  Here was a woman with a pledge that was determined.  She was saying “all that matters are these 2 mites for the Lord.”  In Luke 7 a woman came into Pharisees house began to wash the Saviour`s feet with her tears.  She washed the feet of the Saviour.  Think of that for a moment.  Sometimes through difficult times have you had enough tears to fill a basin to wash your feet?  I don`t think so.  The custom of Jesus` day was tears were to be kept in a bottle and stored.  “put thou my tears into thy bottle, are they not in thy book?”(Psalm 56 verse 8)  Perhaps this woman brought this bottle of tears with her and poured it out.  She began to wash and dry the Lord`s feet.  That bottle would have represented every time a tear fell in her life.  The pain and the joy were both reflected there.  Every experience was given to the Lord and the Lord commended her for it.  Here was a woman who felt she had so much to thank the Lord for. The Pharisees sitting at the other side never once offered a kiss to the Lord.  This woman was a sinner, realised Jesus could give her what she wanted.

There is a prize to be delighted in.  This woman gave more than anyone else.  The Lord saw it.  That was the prize.  There is coming a day when the Lord will judge the nations of the world “naked and ye clothed Me, I was sick, and ye visited me; I was in prison, and you came to Me. Then shall the righteous answer him saying, Lord when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? Or thirsty and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? And the king shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.” (Matthew 25 verses 35 – 40)  It is going to be the small things.  The 2 mites were all this woman had and she gave them to the Lord.