First Presbyterian Church                                                                  Rev. Dr. Michael J. Imperiale

Salt Lake City, Utah                                                                                November 12, 2006

“What is Two Cents Worth?

Mark 12: 38-44

Introduction

There’s Merrill Lynch, Prudential, UBS, Janus, Fidelity and hundreds of other financial management groups. They have all kinds of plans and programs to put your money to work them (I mean, for you).

God also has a financial management plan with several funds to invest in. One of the most important lessons you or I can learn in life is how to invest our money in a godly, purposeful, eternally significant way. God’s has a treasury fund; we call it worship. God has a mutual fund; we call it fellowship. The Lord has a growth fund; he calls it discipleship. There’s an equity service fund; it’s called ministry. And God offers a global fund; we call it missions.

By giving a significant percentage of your income, assets, savings, investments, planned and future giving to First Presbyterian Church (if indeed it is your home church), you are investing in God’s financial strategy for the spread of the gospel, for the experience of faith, for your own spiritual growth and maturity, and for the blessing of many others.

I. Jesus and Giving (Mark chapter 12)

At the end of Mark chapter 12, we see Jesus noticing the crowds in the temple courts as they made their financial offerings. “Many rich people threw in large amounts. But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a fraction of a penny.” Surely the finance committee was thrilled with the hundred dollar bill or the check for $5,000. But they probably did know what to do or even notice the two pennies. But Jesus called his disciples over to him and said, “I know the truth about all this. The poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. Why? Because they gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything – all she had to live on.”

This brief story comes on the heels of six previous encounters in Mark 12 between Jesus, the chief priests, the teachers of the law, and the elders in Jerusalem. Later today, read all of Mark 12.

In a parable of harvest time, the vineyard owner went to collect some of the fruit from his vineyard. The tenants seized, beat and sent the owner’s rep away empty handed. How often we enjoy to the full all of the blessings God gives us, and give back little in comparison or nothing at all.

Next is a debate on paying taxes. And Jesus nails the argument. “Give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s.” Almost all of us pay our taxes. Yes, we use all our deductions and proper strategies and shelters. But we do pay quarterly or yearly our fair share according to our income and resources. But what about giving back to God what is God’s? Both Old and New Testaments advocate tithing, 10% of your earned income. Whether that’s based on gross or net really doesn’t matter; Jesus would say to give what your heart says.

Arguments follow concerning marriage in heaven, what’s the greatest commandment, and whose son is the Messiah. After Jesus warning about religious manipulators who “devour widow’s houses and for a show make lengthy prayers, he tells about the amazing, faithful, blessed giving of this widow and her gift.

Here’s the lesson of the widow’s offering. First, real giving is sacrificial. The amount of the gift never matters as much as the cost to the giver. Real generosity gives something that will be missed. You’ve got to ask yourself if your giving to God’s work through the church is any sacrifice at all. It’s a sign of our times that gifts have to be coaxed out of church people. It’s a failure of our Christianity when people won’t give unless they get something back. Those at the temple who gave large amounts probably had significant power and control over the programs, the building, the decisions, the color of the carpet, etc. The church certainly doesn’t want to lose “big givers.” What about the widow. Who cares? What difference could she possibly make? Hardly even noticed… except by God! Real giving is sacrificial.

Secondly, real giving has a certain recklessness. The woman might have kept one of her coins. The tragedy is that we often give to God just part of ourselves, just part of our activities, just part of our lives. There’s an insecurity that keeps us from giving our all. But when we give sacrificially and recklessly, giving to Christ all of who we are and what we have, the Lord can do with us and with our giving things that are far beyond our imagining.

The apostle Paul put it this way for the Corinthian believers. “Remember this: whoever sows sparingly will reap sparingly.” That makes sense. “And whoever sows generously will also reap generously.” Well, yeah! “Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion… You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and your generosity will result in thanksgiving.”

II. The Value of Giving Your Two Cents

Someone said that giving is to be measured not by its count, but its cost; not by its amount, but its portion; not by what is given, but by what is kept. So God invites you and me to invest in his purposes for your life, for the church and for the world.

Invest in God’s treasury fund, worship. There’s nothing we can give that God needs. But when we give an offering to the Lord, an undesignated, planned, proportional gift where and when we worship, we’re saying, “Lord, I love you.” Giving is first and foremost an act of worship.

Invest in God’s mutual fund, fellowship. It’s good to use some of our money to encourage fellowship, to show love for one another, to build relationships. Anytime you go out and buy a nice card and write a note of encouragement, you invest in the mutual fund. Or when you invite a church friend you know needs someone to care or talk with, take him or her out and pay for lunch. That’s investing.

Invest in God’s growth fund, discipleship. Anytime the church offers classes, small groups, prayer meetings, seminars, etc. we’re investing in God’s growth fund. Whenever you go out and buy a Christian book or cd that helps you grow in your faith, God smiles because you’re using your money in a good way.

Then there’s God’s equity service fund called ministry. The Lord didn’t put us on this earth to live just for ourselves. Pastor Rick Warren wrote the amazing yet simple Christian books The Purpose Driven Church and The Purpose Driven Life. He reminds us that “Everything we have in life is because of God’s generosity. We wouldn’t have anything – we wouldn’t even be alive – if it weren’t for God’s generosity. And God wants us to be generous like he is.”

God particularly wants us to become generous with the poor, the needy, the homeless, the friendless, the lonely, the hurting. But I urge you to be wise in helping the poor. Please do not give money to people who come into the church or to those you may meet on the street. Our Deacon fund here, our support for Crossroads Urban Center, and other agencies have the best way of helping people. There is proper intake information, assessment of the need and follow-up. Giving cash to someone you don’t know is likely to be used in damaging ways. But, if someone needs something to eat or gas for their car or a prescription filled, or whatever the presenting need is, and you want to give your time and attention, great! Go to the store, gas station, drug store with them and pay for it directly.

Whenever we give to the church, to ministry groups, or to directly meet and specific need, we’re investing in God’s equity service fund.

And lastly, God has an amazing, effective global fund. Jesus promised that the good news would go to the whole world. First Presbyterian Church, our PCUSA, and our mission partners have missions and missionaries for evangelism, education, economic development, medical services, agriculture, and such all over the world. Just imagine when you and I get to heaven and we meet brothers and sisters in Christ from nations and continents all over the world who will say, “Thank you for investing in me! I’m here in the family of God in the kingdom of heaven because of you.”

Jesus wants us to take some of our money and use it to help others see the love of God in action, to spread the great news of salvation and grace in this life first and in the life to come forever.

Conclusion

What was the widow’s two cents worth? She worshiped the Lord from her heart and risked it all. Only God knows how many thousands of people have been inspired by her to give their all to the Lord. What is your two cents worth? Or two hundred or two thousand or two million? Only God knows what amazing things he will accomplish in your life and the lives of countless others when you give and invest in God’s purposes and plans. Worship, fellowship, discipleship, ministry, mission.

Let us pray together.