Monday Rewind – October 14, 2013 The government is still shut down, but Heaven isn’t. On Sabbath we concluded the “In Partnership with God” series with an acknowledgement that God has brought us to “the Jordan” at flood-stage. The end of our Kingdom Campaign is our “Jordan,” and for many, it couldn’t come at a worse time. So what do we do about stewardship when the government threatens to shut down or default? What happens to faith in the midst of a flood? What becomes of stewardship in the presence of extortion, political theater, and posturing? Rewind to Mark 12:38-44 for the surprise answer. As Jesus concludes His public ministry, His last teaching includes a warning against false piety and exploiting the poor. Jesus blasts the celebrity-loving scribes for “devouring widow’s houses” and profiting at their expense—a clear violation of the law (see Ex. 22:22-24). God’s judgment against the nation of Israel hinted at in Mark 12:40 is confirmed prophetically in chapter 13. But in between is the story of the widow’s offering. The widow’s offering is a bridge to understanding the apostasy of the nation, and an example of faithful devotion to God in spite of it. She is the unlikely answer to the question of what becomes of stewardship in the presence of extortion and extremity. The widow enters the Court of the Women to give her tiny offering for the temple services. Her destitution is likely due to the greed and fraud of the haughty scribes. The widow brings her two mites (or “thin ones”) to the temple at a time of personal flood stage. She comes with the last of her sustenance. Things could not be bleaker or tougher. But she comes just the same. Why? In contrast to the faithless scribes who depend on ill-gotten gain for their livelihood, the widow is depending on the faithfulness of God’s promise for hers. Shes a partner with God who believes the truth of Paul’s words: “And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus” (Philip. 4:19). Her generosity was fueled by love and faith in God to take care of her every need. The widow is not worried about the corruption in Israel’s government. Partners with God do not fear the governments of men because their citizenship is in heaven. Even if there is a shutdown of jobs, compassion, and fairness on the part of men, there is no shutdown whatsoever of the love, compassion, and provision on the part of Almighty God. This poor woman is not looking to man for support, but is counting on God to defend. We are in the same position as the widow. As we bring our tithes and our offerings and our pledges at “flood stage”--at a time when our government teeters on the brink of default, we, in faith, make our appeal directly to the Lord. Our stewardship in good times and bad, is meant to be a spiritual witness--concrete proof that God is faithful. It says, look at what God can do!” We do not know what happened to the widow in this story. All we do know is that Jesus applauded her faithfulness. The lesson to us is this: Even in the worst of circumstances, continue to give your best to God because He is faithful in giving His best to you. And as the widow teaches us, the best is not always the biggest, but it is always of faith, always motivated by love, and cheerfully given. The government may be closed, but Heaven is still open. There is no shutdown on the kingdom of God—no shutdown of His love, grace, His salvation, or His faithfulness--so among His partners, let there be no shutdown in our love, our trust, our sharing of the gospel, and in our sacrificial giving. This is our time of test; this is our crossing of the Jordan; this is our moment of decision to see whether we will trust in God as this widow did or trust in ourselves. Let’s step into the flood waters believing that “my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.”--Pastor Randy p.s. Please pray about the pledge you are making and bringing to church this weekend—commitment Sabbath. And join us on “Preparation Friday” night for a special time of prayer at 7 pm.
Posted on: Tue, 15 Oct 2013 03:12:34 +0000
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