The woman with 2 mites who gave her all to the Lord - how much are you prepared to give?

Sermon notes from Sunday 7 August 2016

Mark 12 verses 41 – 44

This portion is a challenge to us all on how we serve the Lord.  From this portion we notice a woman who gave all she had to the Lord.  She only had 2 mites that made a farthing, 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 approach.  Are we about to give everything we have to the Lord?  For an athlete it is “all or nothing”.  What a strategy before the race took place, building up his muscles so that on the day he could give his all.  As the people of God have we been studying the word of God this week?  Are we ready to give our all to the Lord today?

Notice a position that is described.  This was a widow woman – verse 42.  They had gathered in the house and the Lord was there.  The Lord is not in the vast crowds but he has promised that “where 2 or 3 are gathered together in my name there am I in the midst of them.” (Matthew 18 verse 20)  He knows everything that is going on in every life right at this time.  He wants to know are you willing to give all to the Lord out of your heart?  This woman knew what difficult times where in that home.  She knew the pain of bereavement.  Jesus points to someone who has felt the pains of death, has come through trial and difficulty.  He knows the difficulty you have gone through today.  He is going to teach from this widow woman a great lesson.  Maybe her only income was her husband yet prepared to take out of her purse 2 mites, give first in her life to the Lord.  It is great to be saved today, to look back to the point in life when came under 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.  Is that how you describe yourself today?  Remember what you did with the Lord.  Opened up your life and allowed him to come in.  Here is a woman who could not know what would happen the next day, didn’t have a husband to bring in the wages for her.  Not told the circumstances of her husband’s death.  She had gone through trial yet she is here in the treasury giving all she had to the Lord.  Sometimes we have a difficult trial in our lives.  She didn’t blame the Lord for her trial.  Like the woman with the alabaster box.  She broke it for Jesus.  The disciples complained but the Lord told them to leave her alone.  She has given her all to the Lord.  No doubt the Pharisees were there giving 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 for your all today.  This widow woman watched as the people gave to the treasury.  This woman was despised 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.  She probably 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 he sent forth his only son who died on Calvary.  He chose to bear his only son.  He looked down into a poverty stricken town.  He chose a young girl who had nothing whatsoever to offer but what little she had was everything.  Not a great name, no great experience.  Maybe you are in the same position today.  Do you sit back?  Does that mean you give your all to the Lord?  To the mission and outreach work?  To be in we need to be going out.  No longer can you depend on opening the door and the people flock in.  Have you a concern for those going out into a lost Christless hell?  God used the widow woman in the days of Elijah.  She had nothing to give. She was going to make a cake.  Had come to the end of her tether and she would eat it and then die.  Elijah told her to do all that 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 far country and left the talents with his servants.  He wasn’t making any difference in them.  He knew the people he was giving them to would bring them back multiplied.  Except for one who just hid it.  He dug it up when his master returned.  He didn’t use it.  He didn’t double it.  He had nothing from the talent.  How will it be in the day when Christ calls?  Will there be those you have helped to win join with you?  Will you have to stand before God with hands empty and say “I am sorry Lord”?

A pledge that was determined.  She wanted to give 2 mites to the Lord. She was going to give everything.  How many times have we sat in meetings and been challenged by God but forgot about it.  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.  Peter was summoned to go to the house of Cornelius.  He was up on the roof top when he saw a vision from Christ.  All manner of unclean animals were coming down onto the sheet from heaven.  Peter was told to arise and eat.  Peter being a faithful believer said “not so Lord.”  The Lord was teaching him a lesson.  He was taking him into a Roman house, to a man outside of the Jewish nation, a Gentile.  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 a Pharisees house and 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 tough times have you cried enough tears to fill a basin to wash your feet in?  The custom of the day was tears were kept in a bottle and stored.  “Thou tellest my wanderings put thou my tears in thy bottle; are they not in thy book?” (Psalm 56 verse 8)  Perhaps this woman brought this bottle with her tears and poured it out.  She began to wash and dry the Lord’s feet.  That bottle would have been opened every time a tear fell in her life.  Pain and joy were both reflected there.  She was pouring out this bottle to the Lord.  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 and realised she needed Jesus in her life.  Similarly in this story the woman gave her all to the Lord.

There is a price to be delighted in.  This woman gave more than anyone else and the Lord saw it.  One day when the Lord will judge the nations of the world will he say “For I was an hungered and ye gate me meat; I was thirsty and ye gave me drink; I was a stranger and ye took me in; naked and ye clothed me; I was sick, and ye visited me; I was in prison and ye came unto me … Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.”  It is recorded in heaven.  It is going to be the small things that are recorded – things like giving our all to the Lord and being used by the Lord in doing so.