The most remarkable example of giving in the history of human kind is portrayed in Luke 21:1-4 and Mark 12:41-44. The gift was given by a poor widow who gave only one half of a penny, but it was all the money she had on this earth. As she gave, One was observing her, and that One was Jesus Christ Himself. What did Jesus see? He saw three things:
- He saw “HOW” she gave
- He saw the AMOUNT she gave
- and He saw the amount she had left, and it was NOTHING.
Some rich folks gave to the same collection on the same day, and they gave thousands of dollars. Yet Jesus was bold to say “All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth, but the widow out of her poverty gave every penny she had. Yet Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, this poor widow gave more into the treasury than all the others.” (Mark 12:43).
The question arises in the mind of the thoughtful and compassionate, “What happened to this poor widow who gave every penny she had to the Lord through her church? In order to answer this question, we must raise another question, “Why did this widow give so much in the first place?” There is no indication from the narrative that she was under any pressure from others to do so. But the fact is that this widow was depending upon God, not her money, to sustain her, and while the Bible does not tell us what happened to her we know from the teaching of the Bible that God met her need in the future. Listen to God’s promise to a people who sacrificed in supporting the apostle Paul as he preached the gospel: “My God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory through Christ Jesus.” (Phil. 4:19). Notice the promise is “all your need; not all your greed or all you want.” And note that God gives “according to His riches in glory through Christ Jesus.”
Illus: In my first pastorate I encountered a rich man and asked him to make a contribution to our church in order for us to purchase a heating system. He replied, “I am not giving to your church, because while I have confidence in you, the next pastor may be a “scalawag” and destroy the church. However, he said “I want to give you a gift.” I insisted that he give to the church, not myself, and that I had not come to him for a gift to me personally. Nevertheless, he dialed his secretary and said, “Mary, please write a check for $_____ and mail to Wm. L. Bennett, 4309 Duke Station. How much would you think he gave me? The huge sum of $100.00. Thus he gave out of his riches but not according to his riches. If the latter, how much do you think he would have given me?
Now may I ask, what has been your experience in giving? Permit me to give a brief testimony. I gave only pocket change to God before I became a pastor, but when I became a pastor I from the very outset gave a tithe plus an offering every Sunday. Later on I began to increase my giving to 20%, then 30% and for a time 50% of my income. I gave so much in my first pastorate that the treasurer of our church said jokingly to the church in a business meeting that I gave more back to the church than the church paid me. Not true, but it was what I have stated above.
What has happened to me during those years of liberal giving? God has given more and more and more and more all the time until today He is giving me beyond my wildest imagination, not just materially but spiritually and ministerially. “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” (Acts 20:35). Who spoke these words? None other than Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God who gave His all for you and men and God has given to Him “the Name above all Names in heaven, and that every tongue shall confess that He is Lord to the glory of God the Father.” (Phil. 2:9-11).
Think of Abraham as a human example in giving. God commanded that he sacrifice his all in the person of Isaac. Abraham did not hesitate, but proceeded to the mount to sacrifice (take the life) of Isaac on the altar. But God stopped him and gave a gift to take the place of Isaac, and “Abraham called that place “Jehovah Jireh,” that is the Lord will provide (Gen. 22:14)