She, Out Of Her Poverty, Put In All

And it ought to serve as a good reminder to us when we read this text or when we give ourselves that there isn't anything hidden from God. A counterexample to this would be Ananias and Sapphira. They thought they could hide something from God about money, right? Everyone was selling all they had and they were bringing money and they were putting it at the apostles' feet to be distributed to the poor. And Ananias and Sapphira, they went and sold a piece of land and what did they do? They came in under the pretense of, look at what we're doing. We're giving all this money. But what had they actually done? They'd held back a portion of the money. They'd even maintained control of the land that they sold. And they were struck dead for it because they thought they could hide something from God. And so I want you to see from the beginning this simple little thing where it says Jesus, you know, he looked up and he saw what the rich were putting in and he looked up and he saw what the poor were putting in. I want you to know he sees everything you do. There's nothing you do that's hidden from his sight. You may have it hidden from everyone else. There may not be another soul in the world that knows.

but you've hidden nothing from God. Nothing's hidden from his eye. In Hebrews 4.13, we read, there is no creature hidden from his sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of him with whom we have to do. Everything is open. Everything is laid bare. Nothing is hidden. Not even our thoughts. Not even the stuff that goes on in our head is hidden from him. Even if we know it's wrong and we know that it's wicked and we decide, I'm not going to do that, but I really want to. Even that's not hidden from him. He sees and he knows. And so it would be good for us to have something in our life that reminds us of that. And that's really what I think is going on here. It would be helpful for us, for them. I think it was helpful that they realized everyone can see what I'm doing, what I'm giving, what I'm not giving.

Money is important to me. It has to do with me being able to eat and live. Everybody can see what I do. It would be a helpful reminder to us that God sees everything. And that if he sees everything, what benefit is there in us playing these games with one another that we hide everything from them? We downplay and we dress it up and we act like it's not so bad or it's not so often or it's not wicked. What benefit is there in us doing that with our behavior and our sin? We're spinning a web. We're the only ones that are going to get caught in it. So that's the first thing. That's privacy. I want you to know that you may have some level of privacy with one another, but you don't have any level of privacy with God. He formed you in your mother's womb. He knows you. He loves you and cares about you, and there isn't a thing that you even think that he's unaware of. And it's quite a humbling thought to know that

That God knows all of your thoughts and that he would still love you. It's an amazing thing. He knows your past. He knows what you've said. He knows what you think. He knows what you want. He knows the ultimatums that you set up in your mind for him. He knows your frustrations and your bitterness and your anger. And he knows your fears. And he knows your pride. And he knows your laziness and your selfishness. If nobody else does, he knows it perfectly. He knows it better than you do. Nothing's hidden from his eyes. And these are the sinners that he came to save. He didn't send his son in ignorance of who he was coming to save. And so I don't want you to love privacy instead of loving God. I want you to love God, who knows you and who sees you, and who doesn't make any bones about what you think or do. So that's thing one, privacy. Now we come to the widow, who most likely has heard the scribes' encouragements, warnings.

admonitions, whatever, about her giving. She's not ignorant of their expectation. She's probably one who's been told that she needs to give and she needs to trust God. She's one of the ones having her house devoured. But Jesus takes the rich putting their money in and he takes this poor widow putting her money in. And the comment he makes is that she has put in more than all of them, that she has done better. And the language underneath of this is not that she put in more than him. It's that she put in more than all of them. All the rich people. She put in more. And if you look at it and you go, well, how in the world is that possible? Because she put in a couple bucks and they're in there putting in, you know, any one of them is putting in more money. How is it that she put more in? Jesus says, well, she put in more because they gave out of their surplus. They gave without a cost. They gave out of what was extra to them.

There was no sacrifice in their giving. But she gave all that she had. And isn't giving all that we have to God the very definition of being a Christian? That we would entrust God. You say, well, I thought we were talking about money. And I say, yeah, money, okay. How about the rest of your life? What does it mean to be a Christian except to give all that you have, all that you are, all that you want, all that you need to God to be a steward and to bless and to grow? And to multiply and to give back to you. Who's given up father or mother or brother or sister in this world who won't receive back in this world mothers and fathers and brothers and sisters and in the next life, eternal life? Who's ever given anything to God and hasn't received it back greater, with more blessing, multiplied, better than what they had before?

If you want to know what it means to be a Christian, this is what it means. It means to take everything that you have, every physical thing you have, every desire you have, every ache and pain and burden and fear and bitterness and every bit of what you've got, everything that's good, everything that's bad, everything that you want, and lay it at the Lord's feet. For him to do with what he will do with it. That's what she does. And part of me wants to say, well, she shouldn't be given that last little bit of money. That's all she's got. Now, just think for a minute. Let's just make up a scenario. You don't get paid till next Friday. All right? You haven't stored up. You got 10 bucks to make it till next week. Whatever it is you need to do with it. You need gas in your car. You need food. You need to pay your light bill.

Insurance is due on Wednesday. Whatever it is, just the next week's normal whatever financial responsibilities. There they are. You got $10. What help is that $10 to you? It's no help to you. Why in the world would you hold on to your $10 and reject God? These are the sorts of circumstances that the poor find themselves in. They don't have a surplus. There's no cushion. There's no safety net. There's poverty. They're destitute. Destitute means you're without the basic things that you need in life. That's what it means to be destitute. That's the kind of poor we're talking about here. I just saw on Facebook, Jim Striedelmeyer put up a thing about his small group, and he said, great, we had a bunch of people, 50 people at small group. And I'm going, 50 people at small group? And then what he says is, please pray for the people in our group who are having to deal with the cold. What's that mean? That means all these people came to his house because he has heat.

and they're going to go back out of his house, and they're going to go to a place where there isn't any heat, either because they don't have a house or their heat's turned off or something like that. So they came to his house because it's warm. They came to his house because there's food. And what's he say to them? What's he say to me for them? He says, pray for them because they're facing a very difficult thing. Now, does $10 change their life? These people who are facing the cold? It doesn't change their life. If you've been poor, if you see the widow's poverty and you go, I understand something of that. I grew up like that. I'm living like that now. I'm right on the verge of living like that, wherever you're at. Those of you who've lived that way will understand what I'm saying. Those of you who haven't, I want you to understand something about it. Different things go on in poor people's minds than go on in people's minds who don't have money. The rich face their temptations to never have enough.

But their enough is in their surplus. They're not worried about their heat. They're not worried about their food. They're not worried about keeping their lights on. They're worried about their retirement. They're worried about their college funds. And they're worried about their investments and these kinds of things. But those aren't the concerns of the poor. The poor is not worried about their retirement because they don't ever expect to retire. It's not, you know, you say, well, if they just worked harder. And I say, well, Do you think the widow did something wrong? That's why she's only got two copper coins. She's failed somehow. And say, well, no, I didn't say that. And I say, okay, well, just have a category in your mind for poor people who have been made poor and placed in that position by the Lord. They're poor. And they're not ever going to be millionaires. So people who live in that environment, that's their world, that's where they live, face certain types of temptations. And their temptations,

run along the same lines as the rich people, but they're much more serious. They want to just give up. Poor people just want to quit because they don't see any path forward financially. And they've never been taught how to work. They've never been taught how to communicate. They've never been taught how to not do drugs. They never finished high school. They've never been taught how to read. And so what you'll find with poor people is two different types, I think, generally. You'll find those who are the most bitter, nasty, mean people you'll find. And it's not that they're more bitter or more mean or more nasty than rich people. It's just that they don't have the buffer of money to cover up their nastiness and their bitterness and their anger. So it's just right out there for you to see and to despise. And there's another type of poor person that you'll find. And they tend to be the sweetest, kindest, most generous people that you know.

Both people are poor. Neither one of them have money. Their needs are very, they have different conversations at their dinner table each week than you or I do. And what I want us to be aware of is to say, if she had kept her money, she wouldn't be in this situation. That's not always the case. And there's something more important for this widow than her last two copper coins. And so when she gives her last two copper coins to the offering, what is she, declaring to be true? What does she believe? What she believes is that God will take care of her and will provide for her. And this is a lesson that poor people are particularly able to learn because they don't have a surplus. They're able to see the kindness of God coming directly to them and meeting their needs in ways that can't be met any other way because they don't have a plan B.

Let me ask you this. The rich people, they gave out of their surplus. They gave a portion of their money to the offering. If the widow had had a lot of money, how much do you think she would have put in the offering? Do you think she would have become like the rich people who only gave out of their surplus? No. And the reason is because of the back of house interests that she has. Her interests. Whether she's been taken advantage of, been told lies by the Pharisees and the scribes or not. What you see in this widow is faith. She trusts God. And she doesn't have the margin to make mistakes. Not financially. And at that very point, she trusts God. With her last two little copper coins. And Jesus commends her for her faith. For giving out of her poverty when she had nothing else left to do.

Nothing else left to give. Now you remember I said that some poor people are either very bitter or they tend to be the most generous people you'll ever meet. They'll give you everything and they don't have anything to give. But whatever they have, they'll give to you. It's interesting to me in my study and as I read throughout the week what comes up. And so I read this article and I didn't fact check it thoroughly. I did a little bit, but not enough. And what it was doing was comparing generosity in America and saying, who are the most generous people in America? And it started off real big saying, Americans are the most generous people in the world compared to other people in other countries. Americans are by far the most generous people. And in America, the most generous people are the religious people. And of the religious people, the Protestants do better than the rest of them. And of the Protestants, the evangelicals do the best.

In that category. And then he goes on and says, do you know which state is the most generous state in America? Some of you may have read the article, I don't know. You know, Isaiah? Oh, you want me to wait and give you time to think? He wants to be right, sir. The most generous state, and I did actually fact check this, in terms of personal, private donations. People got a problem, I'll give you five bucks to help it, okay? Mississippi. Now, you know what else is true about Mississippi? It's the poorest state in the union. Highest percent of poverty of any other state, and yet the most generous. Now, you have to understand those things I just told you about Mississippi the same way that you understand what Jesus says about her. Does Mississippi give more dollars than New York? No, not by a long shot.

Because there aren't as many dollars in Mississippi. But in terms of percentage of what we give based on what we have, Mississippians put everyone else to shame. They don't give more volume, but they do give more of what they have. And it's not out of their surplus. And so here's the thing I want you to burn into your brains. If you don't remember anything else, remember this one sentence. Poverty is the foundation of generosity. Okay? Poverty is the foundation of generosity. Unless you're poor, you don't understand generosity. You can't be generous unless you understand poverty. And you say, well, I don't know about all that. That doesn't sound, what do you mean? And I say, forget about your money for a minute, okay? Forget about your money. Generosity is a gift that God gives to his people. It's a mercy and it's a kindness that only they have.

And the reason that they have it and the reason that they're attuned to other people's needs is because first, they're attuned to their own needs, their own poverty, their own depravity, their own sinfulness, their own brokenness, their own need. Whether they have money, whether they don't have money, whether they came from money or whether they've squandered it all like the prodigal son, wherever they come from, they understand that they are sinners and they don't deserve anything good from anybody. They haven't been faithful. They haven't said what they should have said. They haven't done what they said they were going to do. At every turn, they go, yeah, that wasn't perfect. That wasn't what it was supposed to be. And you remember at the beginning when I talked about privacy, and I said, you know, you don't want to covet privacy. You don't want to love privacy. Because what privacy does is it shields your poverty from you. What is Facebook but a shield? Anybody put the messes up on Facebook?

That are real? Well, occasionally they do. Occasionally, right, Michael? They put the real truth up. And what's everyone do when the real truth comes up on Facebook just for a minute? You got to take that down. You can't have that up there. That's private. And we lie to ourselves. You know, I would think that nobody ever got divorced if I believed what Facebook told me about their marriages. I would believe that they never even fight. And that all they do is eat beautiful food. Liars. May we not be those liars who shield our poverty from our own eyes. This is what, when Facebook says, hey, remember this great time you had four years ago? Shield. Remember all that drama and that crazy and that bad stuff you got going? Remember these good times? Shield. Don't know your poverty. Don't know your need. Don't pay attention to it. Don't be aware of it. Unhelpful. Un-Christian. Not for God's people. Poverty is the foundation of generosity.

We have to see our needs. When we look at the widow, I don't want you to get caught up in her money. You deal with God and your money and your giving. You give and it should be sacrificial. It shouldn't simply be out of your surplus. That's all the more I've got to say about your giving. Leave the money out of it and now say, was she poor in any other way? Did she have any other needs? Was money the thing that would fix all of her problems? Not a chance. This widow trusted God. She knew her needs and she came to him to care for her, to provide for her, to sustain her. And this is what it means to be a Christian, to know your needs, to know your poverty, to see who you are and to remember it. Facebook will never put that sort of stuff up in front of you because you never put it on there in the first place. Who puts on Facebook, you know what I did today? Here's what I said. Here's the lie I told my boss. Here's what I did to my kids.

Nobody puts that stuff up because you don't want to remember it. And I tell you that you have to remember it. You have to remember it. Especially as you come into the Advent season, it's very beneficial for us to remember our poverty. Because all of the prophets and all of the saints of old looked forward with hope of deliverance. Being set free from all of the mess and the oppression and the pain and the poverty that they lived in. That's what they looked forward to. But if they were comfortable and everything was good and they were happy and Facebook was real, who needs Jesus? They don't. But I do. And you do. So don't keep anything back from God. Don't keep anything back from God. Don't be like Ananias and Sapphira. Be like the poor widow. Ananias and Sapphira were rich and they ended up dead. And the widow was poor. But she had life.

So don't be ashamed of your poverty. Don't be ashamed of other people's poverty. Don't be surprised when you see that other people have problems, are poor, got drama, are sinners, however you want to describe it. Nothing to be ashamed of because they're no different than you. Be generous with them. Be gracious with them. Be kind to them. This is our work. This is our place as Christians, especially during this season of generosity. The season of gift giving, the season of kindness. As Christians, if you're going to participate in it, you have to see that the gift of salvation is better than any, it's really what everyone needs and it's free. Poor people can give poor people this gift. And so if you're a poor person and you know other poor people, this is the season for it, for loving them and caring for them and bearing with them.

and entering into their weakness and their struggle and their trial and treating them the way you've been treated. But to be able to do that, you've got to trust God with what you've got going on, your own mess. Remember that poor people who are generous don't give out of their surplus. They give out of their poverty. And so if you're to love other people, you have to love them out of your poverty. Don't hide your sinfulness. Don't lie about it. Don't sugarcoat it. That's your poverty. Give to them out of it. And you'll have treasure in heaven. And you'll be with Jesus. And the things that you deal with in this world, whether they're physical or spiritual or emotional or financial or whatever it is they are, there'll be an end to them. And it'll be a happy end. So seek that end. Let's pray. Father, we believe, help our unbelief. We are poor and without hope in this world apart from your son, Jesus. Would you help us to love him and to love others?

Father, would you fill us with eagerness and anticipation at seeing you? Would you help us not to keep back our burdens? Help us, Father, not to hide our poverty, not to deceive others and even ourselves, but to be honest. Father, protect us from bitterness and weariness from the burdens that we carry. Give us extra strength, extra grace, extra mercy. to bear up under the trials of this world and still give to others. Father, we pray that you would make us faithful, that you would give us great joy in being known by you and loving you. Father, help us to look forward to the day when we'll see you face to face and all of the cares and all of the burdens and all of the trials and all the pain and all the tears that we endure on a daily basis here will be wiped away.

never to return again. Father, we look forward to that day. Thank you for sending your son into this world to save us. We look forward to his return. We pray in Jesus' name, amen. The officers, please come forward. What we have here in this meal is a reminder and a proclamation to one another of the hope that we have. This bread and this cup represents Jesus' body and his blood, broken and shed. For the forgiveness of our sins. This meal is a representation of the payment of our poverty. You were poor. This is the repayment. This is the settling of your debts with God. And so it's something that we rejoice in. It's something that we are happy about. It's something that gives us comfort and joy. Because when we take the bread and we take the cup, we remember and we proclaim, Jesus died for sinners just like me. This.

is the proof of it because he told us to do this. For everyone who loves him and who trusts him and who's confessed their sins and their faith in Jesus Christ, this meal's for you. It's not for healthy people. It's not for perfect people. It's not for rich people. It's for poor people. And so if you're poor and you know your poverty, then you're qualified. This meal's for you. If you say, I'm not poor. I'm not willing to have my poverty seen. I don't want people to know about my sin. You know what? I don't even think it's wrong. Well, then, this meal's not for you. And that's a sad thing. And it's a grief to those who love you. Because this meal represents those who belong to Christ, those who love him and who are called by him, and those who will be with him in heaven. And so if you aren't a Christian, and if you don't love his son, and you haven't submitted your life, all that you have, you haven't given it to God, then it's a sad thing. And it's a dangerous thing. Because if you die in that condition, it'll be too late. So if you're a Christian,

and you're not under discipline, church discipline, where you've been told you can't have this meal, we welcome you to this table. If you haven't closed with Christ, if you haven't submitted yourself to him through submitting yourself to his church, if you haven't been baptized, then this meal is not for you. And you say, well, I want it to be. And I say, that is what you should say. If that's not true of you yet, and you say, I want it to be true of you, you are in the right place. You can come talk to me, you can come talk to any of these men, and we'll work through the process of of becoming a Christian, of being baptized, of being added to Christ's visible body. If you're a member of that, then this meal is for you. And I want you to listen to these words that Paul wrote. And I want you to be encouraged and strengthened. In 1 Corinthians 11, Paul says, For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you.

that the Lord Jesus, in the night in which he was betrayed, he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, this is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me. In the same way, he took the cup also after supper, saying, this cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this as often as you drink it in remembrance of me. For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes, until his second advent.