Sermon Preached by

The Rev. Fulton Porter, III

November 8, 2009

Pentecost XXIII

St. Thomas Church

Mark 12:38-44

Giving Your All

In the name the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, Amen.

In order to understand our Gospel text today we must understand the set of circumstances in which the savior found himself. For immediately before we come to the text which we are considering today, the latter part of Mark chapter 11 describes the atmosphere in which Jesus tried to exercise his ministry and his call.  The chief priests and scribes in the temple were looking for a way to kill him as he spread his message and became ever more popular with the common folk because of his message which challenged the established power structures and upset the status quo.  The scribes, the Pharisees and the Sadducees were becoming ever more vocal against this gospel.  Their dissatisfaction and disdain for the teachings of Jesus were out in the open.  There were no niceties of polite debate at this point.  Both parties let it all hang out.  The powers that be had a scorn and contempt for the gospel, that was evident for all to see, and Jesus could not even go to the temple to worship without being accosted with hostile questions and condescending commentary.  They tried to trip him up and make him look foolish with their questioning.  They asked him questions thinking they already knew the answer.

And so Jesus had to deal in this tension every time he went into the temple. Despite this tension and despite his disagreement about what went on in the temple, Jesus continued to go.  He did not let disagreeable personalities and conflict stop him form worshiping and serving God.  Jesus did not let contrary people stop him from coming to church.  For whenever he went to worship there were always those who were waiting to find fault and trap him in his words.  There were always those waiting not with constructive conversation but with caustic criticism.  But even so, Jesus went to the temple anyway, even though he could have taken his ministry elsewhere.  He went to the temple anyway because he was determined that nothing was going to interfere with his worship of God in the place that had been set aside as God’s house.

Some of us woke up this morning debating whether we were even coming to church because we didn’t want to deal with certain folk who always have criticism on their lips; people who always have confusion and conflict in their hearts.  Somebody woke up this morning and said I’d rather stay home than to deal with fake folks. But then you got on up and got dressed and came to God’s house because something in you was determined not to let people take away your praise.  I am reminded of the story that my former rector told, that I believe I have shared before, that illustrates this point:  One day, Johnny got up on a Sunday morning, and said to his mother.  "Mom, I don't want to go to church."  "Don't tell me that," she said,  "You have to go." "I don't want to." "Why?" she said.  "Two reasons. Those people down there don't like me, and I don't like them."  "You still have to go."  "Why?" he said.  "Two reasons,” his mother replied.  “First of all, you're forty-six years old. Second, because you are the pastor."

This is where Jesus found himself.  After having answered their trick questions about his authority, about paying taxes and about the resurrection and about the first commandment, he began to teach them about hypocritical displays of piety.  And like one who has had a long and tiring day at the office, dealing with the rat-race and the struggles of life; dealing with the conflict and tension in the world, Jesus sat down.  Sometimes we get so tired that we just want to sit down.  On the other hand, there are also those of us who ought to sit down but we won’t.  We’re doing too much or talking too much and we need to take a queue from Jesus and sit down.  Jesus sat down and began to watch the crowd.  And it seems to me that he was perhaps even frustrated and maybe discouraged as he was engrossed in constant confrontations, discussions and tensions. Sometimes when we’re caught up in our circumstances and engrossed in the challenges that we each must face as we walk life’s road and depression sets in.  But it seems that out of nowhere something or someone comes and inspires us to go on.  Something comes to uplift us and give us the will to persevere.

And so the gospel tells us that Jesus sat down and did a little people watching.  Sometimes all we need to do is watch God work in somebody else’s life to inspire us.  If God did it for them, I believe God can do it for me.  If God can heal her body, then there is hope for me.  If God can take a black man from Chicago and put him in the White House, then there is hope for me.  If God can put their marriage back together, then there is hope for me.  Sometimes we just need to look around us and consider the testimonies of others and we are inspired.

Just when we start to feel sorry for ourselves and we want to give up, God gives us the hope of somebody else’s testimony.  And so then we have to say to God, “thank you.”  Thank You for what you have already done.   I am not going to wait until I see results or receive rewards; I am thanking you right now.  I am not going to wait until I feel better or things look better; I am thanking you right now.  I am not going to wait until people say they are sorry or until they stop talking about me; I am thanking you right now.  I am not going to wait until the pain in my body disappears; I am thanking you right now.  I am not going to wait until my financial situation improves; I am going to thank you right now.  I am not going to wait until the children are asleep and the house is quiet; I am going to thank you right now.  I am not going to wait until I get promoted at work or until I get the job; I am going to thank you right now.  I am not going to wait until I understand every experience in my life that has caused me pain or grief; I am thanking you right now.   I am not going to wait until the journey gets easier or the challenges are removed; I am thanking you right now.  I am thanking you because I am alive. I am thanking you because I made it through the day's difficulties.   I am thanking you because I have walked around the obstacles.  I am thanking you because I have the ability and the opportunity to do more and do better.   I'm thanking you because FATHER, YOU haven't given up on me!

As Jesus sat opposite the treasury that day, I believe he was inspired and refreshed by what he noticed as he watched the people as they placed their offerings into the receptacles.  This was after they had done their primary sacrifice, after they had paid their tithe.  Each of these offerings was for a special purpose.  Watley says that they were offerings to purchase corn, oil or wine for sacrifices, temple administration and maintenance and perhaps even for the poor.  As the people made their offering one could hear the clanging sound of the metal coins hitting metal.  The bigger or larger the coin, the louder the clang.

Jesus took note of how people were making their contributions.  Perhaps some hurried by and threw something in as a matter of habit without giving much thought to the purpose to which they were giving.  Perhaps others stopped and carefully picked all of their small change out and gave that.  Perhaps they carefully scrutinized to what they are giving, walking to each receptacle and determining if it is a worthy cause to which they might give.  Sometimes these are the people who give the least.  There are those, perhaps who only gave to certain things and they looked for their favorite collection basket so that they might only contribute to the same thing over and over again and not to others.  Perhaps there are those who contributed very generously and they pause long enough to hear the receptacle clang loudly and watch to see who is looking at them with admiration.  They enjoyed giving because of the attention that they received.

And in the midst of this activity Jesus noted a woman who timidly approached the receptacle. There was nothing striking about her.  She was not particularly good looking or well dressed.  She was just an ordinary woman who could be easily lost in the crowd or never noticed.  She could have easily gone out of the temple unnoticed as she was walked past by the priests and Pharisees and scribes.  But Jesus was there that day and he noticed her.  Nobody else knew her name, but Jesus noticed her.

Sometimes we come to church and wonder if anybody even notices us.  We sit quietly in our seat and our names never get called.  No one ever asks us to do anything that gets any attention and it is as if we don’t even exist.  But Jesus knows that we are here.  Even if nobody else notices, Jesus sees.  He sees us when we sit down and he sees us when we sing.  He sees us when we pray and he sees us when we praise.  He sees us in our silent tears and our sorrowful situations.  Jesus sees, and Jesus knows when it seems that nobody else cares.

There have been times in my own life where I have felt invisible and insignificant.  There are times that I have wondered whether my life was of any significance because my self esteem was low and my self worth was low so I, like some of those that put their money in the receptacle and waited to be noticed would do things to be seen and do things to be noticed.  I spent money on clothes and spent money on things which I felt would bring attention.  I strove to achieve more and do more so that I could get noticed and be liked.  I always said yes to any opportunity to please people and in the process said no to pleasing God.  But I thank God for his deliverance day by day and when I fall back into the tenuous trap of building self-worth on the approval of others, God has placed in my life someone who reminds me that God sees and knows and loves me.

Yes, Jesus knew what this woman, this widow, had been through.  He knew she was struggling. He knew that perhaps she was raising her children alone.  He knew that she struggled with her grief.  He knew that she was ostracized.  He knew that she was marginalized, but he saw her and he cared.  And she offered two coins worth less than a half cent.  There was no loud clang in the receptacle, but her offering rang loud in Jesus’ ears, louder than all the others, because it was the sound of total commitment, the noise of sacrifice and the music of faith.

Everyone who gave that day gave something, so Jesus did not criticize their giving but he noticed that there was something special about this woman’s giving.  Everyone else who gave had something left over after they had given, but she had nothing.  She and she alone had cared enough to give her all!  But I believe she had more than the others.  She had more because she had through her act the appreciation of the savior.  She had a faith and devotion to a God that she knew would take care of her.  She had a faith that God would meet her every need because she dared to love God enough and believe God’s word enough to give her all!

But there is one more thing.  In order for this woman to give all she had in terms of money, she first had to give her heart and her life to God.  Some of us think that our stewardship begins and ends with the offering and there at times may even be a mentality that we can buy our way into heaven.  They know nothing about giving their time and their talents, but giving is a matter of dollars and cents.  There are others who feel that they have given their time and talents but will let the offering plate pass them by because they feel that they have rendered enough through their service.  However to give time and talent without money is not complete stewardship just as giving money without time and talents is incomplete.  It is just as one-sided to give service without money as it is to give money without service.

Stewardship is giving of out time and our talents and our money.  It’s great to put an envelope in the offering plate but a gift without the giver is empty.  How much of our time and talent have we committed to God?  Have we given our time to any church organization?  If we like to work with young people on our job or in our community, what about doing some work with the young people in this church?  If we have skills that we use every day in our various jobs and careers, I invite you to bring them to the church.  This is stewardship.  Even when we talk about tithing, we are talking about the total stewardship of our lives, our time, our talents and our treasure. This is what it means to give our all.  For unless we have given our time our talent and our treasure, we have not given our all.

The widow gave her all, and in giving her all she blessed Jesus’ spirit as he sat there after a grueling day of tense dialogue and debate with the forces that sought to destroy him.  After he saw the shallow gifts of some, his spirit was encouraged as he saw somebody giving their all. He knew that soon he would have to give his all.  Up until that point he had given his best.  But his best would not redeem the world.  He had to give his all.  He would have to be betrayed.  He would have to be deserted by his friends.  He would have to be lied about by his enemies.  He would have to be beaten and bruised.  He would have to be nailed to a cross on Calvary’s hill. He would have to give his all, his life.  And perhaps as he watched those who gave partial gifts, maybe he wondered why he should give his all when those for whom he had to sacrifice himself were giving so much less than their all?  But then came this widow woman who put into the treasury all that she had and his spirit was lifted because he realized that there was someone willing to give their all just as he would do.  And perhaps as our savior faced the abandonment and betrayal of his friends;  when he faced the awful prospect of a painful death and asked his Father to remove that bitter cup from him, perhaps he thought of this poor woman in his discouragement and garnered the strength to say “not my will, but your will be done.”

He gave it all up for us.  He gave up the celestial heights of glory.  He gave up his royal robes and princely power.  He gave up heaven to come to earth as a babe born in poverty.  He gave it all up so that we might become rich: rich in salvation; rich in faith, rich in hope; rich in love; rich in joy; rich in peace; rich in patience; rich in kindness; rich in power; rich in good works.

And it is only when we give our all that we can know the fullness of Joy and the fullness of peace and the fullness of faith.  The songwriter declared in a hymn that continues to challenge me in my own walk:

You have longed for sweet peace,
And for faith to increase,
And have earnestly, fervently prayed;
But you cannot have rest,
Or be perfectly blest,
Until all on the altar is laid.

Is your all on the altar of sacrifice laid?
Your heart does the Spirit control?
You can only be blest,
And have peace and sweet rest,
As you yield Him your body and soul.

Amen!