11/7/2021 - Trust in God who Gives All
With his tongue in his cheek, Martin Luther said, "The last part of the Christian to be converted is his pocketbook." Christians are rich in all kinds of good works - music and worship, Bible reading and devotion, faithfulness to morality and piety. The irony is that when it comes to regular, faithful, generous offerings, our good works are not rich, but poor.
You may already know that in the Old Testament, the LORD mandated a 10% Israelite offering to support the work of the priests. That requirement, more commonly known as a "tithe," does not apply to New Testament Christians like us. God honors you with the freedom to choose the percentage of your income to devote to the Church. Why is it, then, that we New Testament Christians who have the full forgiveness of the Gospel, the complete revelation of Jesus, the power and life purpose of taking the Word to the world, and the certain promise of heaven on average give 80% LESS than an Israelite?
Today's lessons are the LORD's powerful argument to add generosity to our list of good works. Specifically, God is inviting us to be generous with our offerings that support the ministry of the Church. We often reason that if we give generously to church we won't have enough to live on. That sinful mindset forgets that if he wanted to, God could provide for us with miracles like he did with Elijah. More importantly, it exposes the miserly attitude of our hearts: I'm going to fund my lifestyle on the back of God's work. That's why Jesus commends the poor widow in the Gospel lesson. From the generosity of her heart, she gave all she had.
That, after all, is the way God's heart beats for you. You'd be hard-pressed to find a stingy bone in God's body. Everything about God is lavish! His love, his forgiveness, his providence, his peace are everyday evidences of his generosity. On top of that is his grace. For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich (2 Corinthians 8:9). Can we whose hearts have been won over by the generous sacrifice of Christ in turn win over another by sacrificing our money generously? God is inviting your faith-filled answer.
God bless your worship.
FIRST READING
1 Kings 17:8-16
God supplies Elijah by a miracle.
SECOND READING
2 Corinthians 8:1-9
Excel in the grace of giving.
GOSPEL
Mark 12:38-44
Like God, the widow gave all.
Sermon: Mark 12:38-44
Theme: Will You Get Giving?