gift of gratitude

Mark 12:43

"And He called unto Him His disciples, and saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That this poor widow hath cast more in, than all they which have cast into the treasury:"

Jesus knows this situation from every perspective. It is probable that this widow lost her home to one of the scribes! AND! She keeps on giving more to the Temple!!! Her two little mites made very little noise in the trumpet shaped collection box. The scribes MUCH that was cast in sounded like a Las Vegas slot machine paying out.

Jesus noticed the widows offering and points it out to His Disciples. Money is important, Jesus often teaches about it. We need money to pay for things. If we let it; money worries consumes us and controls us. The tithe began in the Old Testament to support the priest. They established worship and the Temple. Even today, we need to be able to pay for our church. It takes a lot of giving to support a pastor and his family. It can be done. It can be a success. But, it takes money.

The thing that Jesus teaches about money is to control it and not let it control you. The tithe is a great place to start. It's like training wheels for a bicycle. You get used to giving, and pretty soon, you're giving beyond the tithe. Giving out of gratitude and NOT out of obligation! We recognize that God provides everything we have. Ourselves, our time and our possessions. God is faithful, and just.

Comments

Elisha’s example

1 Kings 19:19-21 "19 So he departed thence, and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen before him, and he with the twelfth: and Elijah passed by him, and cast his mantle upon him. 20 And he left the oxen, and ran after Elijah, and said, Let me, I pray thee, kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow thee. And he said unto him, Go back again: for what have I done to thee? 21 And he returned back from him, and took a yoke of oxen, and slew them, and boiled their flesh with the instruments of the oxen, and gave unto the people, and they did eat. Then he arose, and went after Elijah, and ministered unto him." In Luke 9:54, after James and John sought to call down fire on a Samaritan village that rejected Jesus, they referenced Elijah, saying, “even as Elias did?” Jesus then taught three lessons about rejection: 1- Discipleship demands sacrifice, embracing hardship and forgoing earthly security. 2- Following Jesus requires immediate, un...

I will make you

Matthew 4:19&20 "19 And He saith unto them, Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men. 20 And they straightway left their nets, and followed Him." In our "Follow Me" series, we study Jesus calling His disciples in the Gospel of Matthew. By the Sea of Galilee, a thriving fishing hub, Jesus saw Simon and Andrew casting nets as humble fishermen. His disciples were ordinary workers, not wealthy or educated elites. Jesus approached them and said, "Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men." Remarkably, they immediately left their jobs to follow Him. This brief exchange conveys a profound truth: Jesus says, "I will make you." Only God can transform us to accomplish His purpose. We should often pray, "Help me, God," seeking Jesus' guidance to follow His plan for our lives.

God’s patience

2 Peter 3:9 "The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." God did not immediately punish King Solomon when he allowed his foreign wives to build altars for false gods. Despite multiple compromises, God remained patient. Over time, Solomon’s endorsement of idolatry defied God’s covenant, leading to divine judgment, including the loss of the kingdom for his son. Some mistake God’s patience for indifference or inaction, but He follows His plan in His timing. If our nation, culture, church, or we ourselves stray like Solomon, we can repent and return to God’s path. And, should do so sooner than later! Amen!

Sermon Notes; a Daily Devotional

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