Mark, 12, 38 to 44
And in his teaching he said, Beware of the scribes, who desire to walk in long robes, and [to have] salutations in the marketplaces, 39. and chief seats in the synagogues, and chief places at feasts: 40. they that devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayers; these shall receive greater condemnation. 41. And he sat down over against the treasury, and beheld how the multitude cast money into the treasury: and many that were rich cast in much. 42. And there came a poor widow, and she cast in two mites, which make a farthing. 43. And he called unto him his disciples, and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, This poor widow cast in more than all they that are casting into the treasury: 44. for they all did cast in of their superfluity; but she of her want did cast in all that she had, [even] all her living.
Jesus teached his cortege and the attendend crowed in the temple. And what he said sounds really heard if you read in a new evangelistic bible translation. Dear Reader if you give anything in your church, your congregation of christians, do you give it away from your opulence? I think Jesus is talking hear very clearly about that it’s not a great act of art to give anything away from your opulence. It’s nothing kind of greatness to give away from those things you anyway have to much. Be sure, I don’t like to tell you that it is bad to give away from your opulence, no it isn’t. All I give away, anyway I have to many of it, could also help others who need it urgently. But I think, Jesus likes to go deeper into the importance of giving something to anything other. I’d like to tell you this like the following. We’ve two kinds of giving. One is, to give away and it doesn’t hurt me, because I have much of it. The other is, giving away and it hurts me a little or some more.
Number one, giving away from my opulence doesn’t hurt me and leads me not in any handicaps. However, it is not a bad thing! But it could lead us to a sight of giving which is no more good. If I get into a situation in which there is no more opulence for me, I don’t like further on giving away anything. And this could make it impossible for us to realize the order of our Lord, to be a reliever for those who are committed to me by the Lord. No more living in opulence means not already to be a poor. I still have as much as I need to live, but nothing or only a little about this. Number two is this act of giving which hurts. It is an act of sacrifice which could lead one in problems, perhaps great problems. Perhaps, for example, it is the last money you have in your hands. This could us really lead into great problems. So, we dither if we should give all or only the half of it. So we could buy something for the other half. Or we realize that we are also someone of these poor people if we give all away. What shall we do? Perhaps, than we don’t do it.
A proverb says: “The world belongs to the brave hearts”, I will say it conversly “Heaven belongs tho the confidentials”. If we give anything aways that costs us very much, if it hurts, we are able to belief in the Lords promises for us. He said, all we give with our confidence in him, with our whole heart, we’ll get it back from him. And often 2 or more times more as we have it given away. He likes to make us to brave hearts. Brave enough to be hurt for our brothers, sisters and friends in adversity. A very deep compliance to Jesus as our messias, our saviour, will make us like confidentials. Confidentally in all fibres of our body. Sure, doubts and the satan will destroy our confidence in Jesus, they will damage our brave heart in Jesus.
And the often win these little battles, but the victory is done on golgatha. And Jesus also had the triumph about doubts and treatments there. We can believe, when he says: “Why do you fear about, what you are getting on tomorrow? See the birds in the sky and the flowers about the fields in their beautiness. They don’t seet, they don’t harvest and the father although feeds them.”
If you allow, I’ll go back to the opulence. Why are there people in opulence or they are really rich? And why are there other people who are poor and very poor? I think it’s a little bit a kind of blessing from God and a little of examination. Perhaps poor people are touchstones for the opulent and rich. So the Lord and the people themselve can see what dark chambers theirs hearts contain. My belief is, if the Lord blesses someone with opulence or richness, than surely not for him alone. A part of this, what he gets from the Lord, he shall give to those who doesn’t have enough. If a believer doesn’t do this, the blessing can change into a malediction and our character traits become stinginess, animosity and envy. We are able to avoid this.
What is more beautiful than happy and relaxed laughing out of the mouth of a poor man or woman, when his or hers problems ended for a little time. Sharing joy is much beautiful than piling money. Try it!
The deep confidence in the careness of the father about everyone of us shall lead us into braveness. Walking with a brave heart about the pain barrier to be a friend or brother for those who need my help. Our earnings for it is sure enough in Jesus and Jesus won’t owe anything to anybody. That’s true.
