"Doing The Best With What We Have" - 36m:38s

Scott McFarland
01/06/19 - Sun AM Worship

Scripture Reading:  Matthew 25: 14-21

What Do You Have?

And he sat down opposite the treasury and watched the people putting money into the offering box. Many rich people put in large sums.  And a poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which make a penny. And he called his disciples to him and said to them, "Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the offering box.  For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on."

—Mark 12:41-44

This is an interesting part of the Gospels, if you’ve ever read it.  Have you ever felt like you didn’t have much to offer God? I find it interesting what the woman puts into the offering.  In our terms, two small copper coins don’t mean much, but in those days they were together worth about 1/32 of a day of work.  In today’s terminology, assuming you work 8 hours a day, that works out to be about 15 minutes worth of work. Assuming a $15/hr. wage, that is $3.75.  $3.75.  $3.75 put into the temple offering got this woman praise by Jesus over all the other large and generous gifts.  What made the difference? It was where this woman’s heart was. She was giving out of her poverty, whereas the others were giving out of their wealth.  It didn’t hurt the others to give, but it hurt this woman. That could’ve possibly been her lunch money or her last meal. Maybe it was all she had left in her savings.  Whatever it was, it was enough to make a difference. How about you? Are you giving anything back to God—your time, your money, your talents? You have something to give…everyone does.

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