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Luke 21 1-4 THE WIDOW HAS PUT IN MORE THAN ALL 08 Luke 21 3-4 Giving as a community

📖 Luke 21:1-4
9th Mar 26 | 13:18
00:00

30Apr2021 - *Giving as a community* - _Luke 21:1-4_ - THE WIDOW HAS PUT IN MORE THAN ALL (8) - _II Corinthians 8:1-5_ 

We have been learning precious lessons on giving from the poor widow. We, definitely, cannot just be good listeners and hearers. We have to be those who bring the lessons of God’s word into our daily application.  

The word must be flesh in us only then the word of God will be a double-edged sword that will pierce the heart of the people, for they will experience the word being lived out in front of their eyes.

 

We have now come to the end of this study. Let us consider these two verses once again. _Luke 21:3-4 So He said, "Truly I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all; (4) for all these out of their abundance have put in offerings for God, but *she out of her poverty put in all the livelihood that she had*."_ 

What the widow did, she did willingly. There was no compulsion or obligation upon her to give. This is how it needs to be for us. Our giving to God must be from a willing heart, without any strings attached to our giving. 

_II Corinthians 8:12 For if there is *first a willing mind*, it is accepted according to what one has, and not according to what he does not have._ 

She put in a very small amount of money into the treasury. We may say, how can such a small amount be a blessing to anybody?

Remember the feeding of the five thousand. The boy who gave his five loaves and two fish to Jesus did it willingly. He came to know that the crowd needed to eat. He could have kept his food for himself and no one would have reprimanded him for doing so. He had full rights over his food, which was enough for him, but he gave
and the rest is history.

He placed the little that he had into the hands of Jesus. Jesus received the five loves and two fish from the small boy blessed it, broke it and gave it to the crowd to eat. This is what will happen when we place what we have, willingly, into the hands of our Lord.

This is what is happening here with this poor widow. She was placing her two mites into the hands of God, for the Lord to take it, bless it, multiply it and use it to meet the need of the people.  

This is a wonderful principle and the blessing of giving into the hand of our God. The Lord blesses, multiplies and uses what is given willingly and sacrificially, for His purpose. Let us, friends, open our hearts and our purses, as this poor widow and give into the hands of our God.

 

While giving, the need, the occasion and the circumstances must be looked into. We give as good stewards for the wellbeing of all.

 

_I Peter 4:10 As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, *as good stewards of the manifold grace of God*._ 

 

*We must identify with the need around us, feel responsible and give*. Though what we give may be very small in comparison to the largeness of the need. We place it into the hands of God, who will receive it from us, bless it, multiply it, and will meet the need.  

The poor widow takes us to the next stage in giving. _but she out of her poverty put in all the livelihood that she had_

She had no fallback option. She was alone and so she should have said, “I must be very cautious with the money that I have, for this is my earning and this is my survival.” This money was her livelihood. By giving this money away, she was prepared to remain hungry, till her next earning.

As I consider the level of giving of this poor widow, I am ashamed of myself. I do give for the work of God’s kingdom and I tell myself that my giving is quite good, considering my circumstances. But, my giving is nowhere close to the standard of giving of this poor widow. She has set a high benchmark of giving for all of us.  

 

Please do not misunderstand me. I’m not in any way saying that all of us must do exactly what the poor widow has done. We must do, joyfully, what the Lord lays in our heart to give for His purposes. _II Corinthians 9:7 So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver._ 

Giving from an individual also produces giving from the community. Giving has a snowballing effect. 

_Exodus 35:21 Then *everyone came whose heart was stirred*, and everyone whose spirit was willing, and they brought the LORD's offering for the work of the tabernacle of meeting, for all its service, and for the holy garments._ 

 

From giving individuals, we must graduate to becoming *a giving community*. This was how the churches in Macedonia were in their giving. 

 

_II Corinthians 8:1-5 Moreover, brethren, we make known to you the grace of God bestowed on *the churches of Macedonia*: (2) that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded in the riches of their liberality. (3) For I bear witness that according to their ability, yes, and beyond their ability, they were freely willing, (4) imploring us with much urgency that we would receive the gift and the fellowship of the ministering to the saints. (5) And not only as we had hoped, but they first gave themselves to the Lord, and then to us by the will of God._ 

The Lord loves to see us being a giving community that loves Him deeply.  

 

*Thought to ponder*

 

The identity of the church, over history, has been that of a giving and caring community. Let us ensure that this identity of ours is further enhanced, not diminished, in a time such as this. 

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