What do you have to offer Jesus?
The more I read the gospels the more I love Him. God, who left paradise, where He was worshiped day and night, came down to earth to be sought after, tried and crucified for you and me. What can I give Him in return for everything He endured for me?
Perhaps all this time He was only seeking to teach His followers; those who would be left to build His church very soon. We see this is the case in the last paragraph of Mark 12;
"And he sat down opposite the treasury and watched the people putting money into the offering box. Many rich people put in large sums. 42 And a poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which make a penny. 43 And he called his disciples to him and said to them, “Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the offering box. 44 For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.” (Mark 12:41-44)
Jesus sat down to teach His
disciples several very important lessons through this one act of the widow.
We’re often impressed by the
size of the gift or act of kindness, but not Jesus. Mark was careful to tell us
that, “Many
rich people put in large sums.” (v. 41) But
the sum of all they were giving did not seem to impress Jesus at all. The truth
is we can give large sums of money as well, or serve others until our hands are
blistered and our back is sore, but it may all be to very little advantage to
us except that it may impress others.
Jesus explains in Matthew 2:21-23, “Not
everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of
heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many
will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name
and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never
knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’
Imagine how sad this scene
will be one day when these people will finally realize that all they had done
was not good enough to admit them into heaven.
Jesus wasn’t saying that unless we give all we have to the church it won’t matter. No, Jesus wanted
them, and us to realize that this widow’s act of generosity was a work of God
in her heart. This is why Jesus valued it as so much, it was God at
work in this widow’s life.
God is not looking for us to
give up all our material possession, or time and talents to help others. All
God desires is our heart, our entire being. He told us as much in Mark 8:34, “…"If anyone wants to come after Me, he must deny
himself and take up his cross and follow Me.” Our cross is our purpose,
or reason we’re here.
It
also goes along with His greatest commandment which Jesus had just finished
teaching on, “One of the teachers of the
law came and heard them debating."... “Of all the commandments, which is the most
important?”
“The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel
When we are wholly
surrendered and totally in love with our Savior and Lord, I believe we’ll
discover an endless supply of grace and blessings.
We don’t know what happened to this poor widow
after she gave up all the money she had, but I’m sure she was well cared for by
God all the rest of her days.
How wonderful it would be to
have a heart that is wholly sold out to our Savior and walking so intimately
with Him that we would never have worry about our future.
Jesus wants that for all of us too!
Blessings,
sue