1 00:00:02,800 --> 00:00:10,560 Speaker 1: Life audio. 2 00:00:11,360 --> 00:00:13,800 Speaker 2: What if the way you measure your faith isn't the 3 00:00:13,840 --> 00:00:16,840 Speaker 2: way that God measures it. We tend to look at 4 00:00:16,880 --> 00:00:21,560 Speaker 2: what's visible, stands out what feels good on the outside, 5 00:00:21,640 --> 00:00:25,080 Speaker 2: but God is looking to something really different. In Mark 6 00:00:25,160 --> 00:00:28,160 Speaker 2: chapter twelve, we meet a woman who gives all that 7 00:00:28,240 --> 00:00:31,120 Speaker 2: she has, but what she has is very little, and 8 00:00:31,200 --> 00:00:47,360 Speaker 2: yet somehow Jesus says she gives more. Hey, everyone, welcome 9 00:00:47,360 --> 00:00:48,880 Speaker 2: back to how to say the Bible. 10 00:00:49,000 --> 00:00:49,640 Speaker 1: My name is Nicole. 11 00:00:49,720 --> 00:00:52,320 Speaker 2: Unis super glad to be with you today. As we 12 00:00:52,400 --> 00:00:55,880 Speaker 2: continue our journey through the Gospel of Mark, and we 13 00:00:56,000 --> 00:01:00,400 Speaker 2: continue to really be challenged by what Jesus is confronting 14 00:01:01,000 --> 00:01:03,760 Speaker 2: in the chapters that we've been reading, it is meant 15 00:01:03,880 --> 00:01:05,080 Speaker 2: to disturb us. 16 00:01:05,200 --> 00:01:08,000 Speaker 1: So if you still feel like Jesus is you're. 17 00:01:07,959 --> 00:01:11,119 Speaker 2: Like buddy, your little beanie baby in your pocket, then 18 00:01:11,360 --> 00:01:13,520 Speaker 2: we really have to pay more attention to what he's saying. 19 00:01:13,600 --> 00:01:16,800 Speaker 2: Because it's very, very easy to read these passages and 20 00:01:16,840 --> 00:01:20,000 Speaker 2: believe that we're kind of the one who's standing next 21 00:01:20,000 --> 00:01:23,280 Speaker 2: to Jesus, who's kind of already like on team Jesus. 22 00:01:23,360 --> 00:01:26,040 Speaker 2: But we're really meant to see these things as disruptive 23 00:01:26,080 --> 00:01:29,679 Speaker 2: to our hearts. Certainly the people around Jesus were experiencing that. 24 00:01:29,840 --> 00:01:32,920 Speaker 2: If you were a disciple who was walking with Jesus, 25 00:01:33,200 --> 00:01:35,200 Speaker 2: take note of the fact that over the last few 26 00:01:35,280 --> 00:01:37,160 Speaker 2: chapters the disciples. 27 00:01:36,680 --> 00:01:39,200 Speaker 1: Keep being amazed at Jesus's teaching. 28 00:01:39,280 --> 00:01:42,360 Speaker 2: They keep being what I would almost say is alarmed 29 00:01:42,720 --> 00:01:46,720 Speaker 2: by Jesus's teaching because they have a mindset, a framework, 30 00:01:46,720 --> 00:01:50,200 Speaker 2: an operating system that they're living in, and Jesus is 31 00:01:50,280 --> 00:01:53,840 Speaker 2: disrupting that framework and that operating system, and he does 32 00:01:54,120 --> 00:01:56,440 Speaker 2: the very same thing with us. It may not look 33 00:01:56,520 --> 00:01:59,200 Speaker 2: the same, it may not be the exact same story, 34 00:01:59,240 --> 00:02:00,920 Speaker 2: and we might have to do some of that work 35 00:02:01,280 --> 00:02:05,080 Speaker 2: in order to understand first century Judaism and then bring 36 00:02:05,160 --> 00:02:08,320 Speaker 2: that into our twenty first century lives. But when we 37 00:02:08,360 --> 00:02:11,120 Speaker 2: do the work, and when we build that bridge, we 38 00:02:11,240 --> 00:02:15,800 Speaker 2: have these relevant, applicable concepts that are just as real 39 00:02:15,880 --> 00:02:18,560 Speaker 2: and true today as they were at the time. It 40 00:02:18,600 --> 00:02:22,079 Speaker 2: continues to amaze me, as with a background in psychology 41 00:02:22,120 --> 00:02:24,400 Speaker 2: and in my life as a therapist and having spent 42 00:02:24,480 --> 00:02:27,720 Speaker 2: a lot of years studying the Bible, it just continues 43 00:02:27,800 --> 00:02:31,560 Speaker 2: to amaze me how much God makes it very clear 44 00:02:31,560 --> 00:02:34,640 Speaker 2: that He understands exactly who we are as humans, and 45 00:02:34,680 --> 00:02:37,520 Speaker 2: that exactly who we are as humans has not changed 46 00:02:37,600 --> 00:02:40,520 Speaker 2: since the Bible was written. The same things that we 47 00:02:40,560 --> 00:02:43,240 Speaker 2: are tempted to today were the same things that we're 48 00:02:43,240 --> 00:02:46,760 Speaker 2: tempting then. And what we see as very, very tempting 49 00:02:46,800 --> 00:02:49,880 Speaker 2: then was a system in which it was easy to 50 00:02:49,919 --> 00:02:51,919 Speaker 2: say if you were in or if you were out. 51 00:02:52,360 --> 00:02:54,840 Speaker 2: It was a system that said, do these things so 52 00:02:54,880 --> 00:02:56,680 Speaker 2: that you can be good, so that you can know 53 00:02:56,760 --> 00:03:01,400 Speaker 2: that you're okay. And into that comes gesa who truly 54 00:03:01,440 --> 00:03:06,000 Speaker 2: I think we sometimes even miss how mystical his thinking was, 55 00:03:06,120 --> 00:03:11,000 Speaker 2: and how confusing but also disrupting, but also amazing. It 56 00:03:11,280 --> 00:03:13,920 Speaker 2: was the way that he would tell stories, the way 57 00:03:13,919 --> 00:03:16,280 Speaker 2: that he would draw analogies, the things that he would 58 00:03:16,320 --> 00:03:19,200 Speaker 2: point out. And we see that exact same thing right 59 00:03:19,280 --> 00:03:22,079 Speaker 2: here in our chapter in Mark twelve, because we see 60 00:03:22,160 --> 00:03:24,839 Speaker 2: that Mark twelve is full of teaching and confrontation. 61 00:03:25,360 --> 00:03:27,240 Speaker 1: So Jesus is taking moments. 62 00:03:26,919 --> 00:03:29,960 Speaker 2: That are happening around him as all of these people 63 00:03:30,040 --> 00:03:32,760 Speaker 2: are coming to Jerusalem, that the city would be swelling 64 00:03:32,800 --> 00:03:35,560 Speaker 2: with people who were all coming for the Passover, that 65 00:03:35,600 --> 00:03:38,240 Speaker 2: would be the high holy day of the Jewish faith. 66 00:03:38,240 --> 00:03:42,040 Speaker 2: And so people are making pilgrimages to come to Jerusalem, 67 00:03:42,040 --> 00:03:44,040 Speaker 2: and so there's all these things happening. We know that 68 00:03:44,120 --> 00:03:47,080 Speaker 2: Jesus has just cleared the temple in the last chapter, 69 00:03:47,240 --> 00:03:51,000 Speaker 2: and now Jesus is watching people give, and he's going 70 00:03:51,080 --> 00:03:53,880 Speaker 2: to use that giving, that understanding as a way to 71 00:03:53,920 --> 00:03:58,000 Speaker 2: identify the greatest commandment. And he observes how that greatest 72 00:03:58,040 --> 00:04:01,080 Speaker 2: commandment is playing out through this moment where we're kind 73 00:04:01,120 --> 00:04:05,320 Speaker 2: of bystandards of something that's happening. So this chapter really 74 00:04:05,440 --> 00:04:10,160 Speaker 2: is about performative religion as opposed to authentic devotion. And 75 00:04:10,480 --> 00:04:12,760 Speaker 2: let's just admit that we're all performative in one way 76 00:04:12,840 --> 00:04:15,839 Speaker 2: or another. We very much. It's very easy to put 77 00:04:15,880 --> 00:04:18,520 Speaker 2: on masks. It's easy to put on a mask that says, 78 00:04:18,720 --> 00:04:20,880 Speaker 2: what do I need to be a good blank? I'm 79 00:04:20,920 --> 00:04:23,039 Speaker 2: going to be a good father, a good mother, a 80 00:04:23,040 --> 00:04:25,200 Speaker 2: good boyfriend, girlfriend, What does it look like to be 81 00:04:25,240 --> 00:04:26,680 Speaker 2: a good worker? What does it look like to be 82 00:04:26,720 --> 00:04:29,479 Speaker 2: accepted by my friends? It's very easy to kind of 83 00:04:29,880 --> 00:04:32,600 Speaker 2: shift around and get ourselves to a place where we 84 00:04:32,680 --> 00:04:36,000 Speaker 2: feel secure, where we feel comfortable. And a lot of 85 00:04:36,040 --> 00:04:38,200 Speaker 2: times in religion that can look a certain way too. 86 00:04:38,279 --> 00:04:40,840 Speaker 2: It looks like acting a certain way, talking a certain way, 87 00:04:41,240 --> 00:04:44,039 Speaker 2: perhaps like dropping certain words, being able to kind of 88 00:04:44,080 --> 00:04:47,040 Speaker 2: speak Christianese. It kind of makes us feel like, hey, 89 00:04:47,240 --> 00:04:48,359 Speaker 2: just so you know, like I'm. 90 00:04:48,160 --> 00:04:49,440 Speaker 1: Good, You're good, We're good. 91 00:04:50,120 --> 00:04:52,400 Speaker 2: Very very easy to fall into that, And what we're 92 00:04:52,400 --> 00:04:54,719 Speaker 2: being reminded of over and over again is that's a 93 00:04:54,800 --> 00:04:58,120 Speaker 2: trap that is very easy to fall into over and 94 00:04:58,160 --> 00:05:00,960 Speaker 2: over again in our lives, but that Jesus invites us 95 00:05:01,040 --> 00:05:03,800 Speaker 2: to something very different, That Jesus invites us to really 96 00:05:03,880 --> 00:05:08,200 Speaker 2: understand what devotion looks like. And the reality is when 97 00:05:08,200 --> 00:05:12,800 Speaker 2: we believe this, it's actually very freeing at first. If 98 00:05:12,839 --> 00:05:14,840 Speaker 2: that's been a place where you found a lot of life, 99 00:05:14,880 --> 00:05:18,120 Speaker 2: then it feels pretty hard. But if you felt marginalized, 100 00:05:18,160 --> 00:05:20,200 Speaker 2: if you've ever felt like you kind of like don't belong, 101 00:05:20,400 --> 00:05:23,040 Speaker 2: if you have felt like you experience yourself as like 102 00:05:23,080 --> 00:05:24,840 Speaker 2: on the outside, or I don't know that I'm good 103 00:05:24,920 --> 00:05:26,760 Speaker 2: enough for I don't know if I can say the 104 00:05:26,839 --> 00:05:29,240 Speaker 2: right things or know the right Bible verses or whatever. 105 00:05:29,320 --> 00:05:31,120 Speaker 2: I want you to know that Jesus is looking at 106 00:05:31,120 --> 00:05:33,760 Speaker 2: you and saying that is not what religion is about, 107 00:05:34,000 --> 00:05:36,720 Speaker 2: and that he invites you into a relationship with him, 108 00:05:36,760 --> 00:05:40,680 Speaker 2: into devotion with him, and that is what he's measuring. 109 00:05:40,760 --> 00:05:45,440 Speaker 2: His metrics are completely different. So Jesus is shifting the 110 00:05:45,480 --> 00:05:48,320 Speaker 2: metric of devotion in our passage today. So we're going 111 00:05:48,360 --> 00:05:51,039 Speaker 2: to be in just a short little passage today, Mark twelve, 112 00:05:51,360 --> 00:05:53,840 Speaker 2: Verses forty one through forty four, and we'll talk a 113 00:05:53,839 --> 00:05:56,040 Speaker 2: little bit about some of the things that are happening 114 00:05:56,400 --> 00:05:59,560 Speaker 2: around this as well. Okay, So it says that Jesus 115 00:05:59,640 --> 00:06:03,440 Speaker 2: has just confronted the teachers of religion right before this, 116 00:06:03,920 --> 00:06:06,920 Speaker 2: and he's talking about listen to this. The teachers love 117 00:06:07,040 --> 00:06:09,839 Speaker 2: to parade around in flowing robes, and they like to 118 00:06:09,880 --> 00:06:13,600 Speaker 2: receive respectful greetings as they walk in the marketplace. They 119 00:06:13,680 --> 00:06:17,560 Speaker 2: love the seat of honor, yet they shamelessly cheat widows 120 00:06:17,600 --> 00:06:20,520 Speaker 2: out of their property and pretend to be pious by 121 00:06:20,560 --> 00:06:24,600 Speaker 2: making long prayers in public. So Jesus is very much 122 00:06:24,720 --> 00:06:30,120 Speaker 2: incisively saying, I know that there is a difference between 123 00:06:30,120 --> 00:06:32,960 Speaker 2: your public life and your private life. I know that 124 00:06:33,000 --> 00:06:36,200 Speaker 2: there's a difference between how you're performing and how you 125 00:06:36,440 --> 00:06:40,720 Speaker 2: actually experience me. And he's calling out that division in 126 00:06:40,800 --> 00:06:43,960 Speaker 2: these religious leaders. And from that place, it then starts 127 00:06:43,960 --> 00:06:47,479 Speaker 2: in verse forty one. It says Jesus sat down near 128 00:06:47,520 --> 00:06:50,600 Speaker 2: the collection box in the temple and watched as the 129 00:06:50,600 --> 00:06:54,560 Speaker 2: crowds dropped in their money. Many rich people put in 130 00:06:54,680 --> 00:06:58,240 Speaker 2: large amounts. Then a poor widow came and dropped in 131 00:06:58,320 --> 00:07:02,479 Speaker 2: two small coints. Jesus called his disciples to him and said, 132 00:07:02,520 --> 00:07:05,839 Speaker 2: I tell you the truth. This poor widow has given 133 00:07:05,960 --> 00:07:09,400 Speaker 2: more than all the others who are making contributions, for 134 00:07:09,480 --> 00:07:12,880 Speaker 2: they gave a tiny part of their surplus. But she, 135 00:07:13,480 --> 00:07:17,240 Speaker 2: poor as she is, has given everything she had to 136 00:07:17,320 --> 00:07:30,840 Speaker 2: live on. Jesus uses a living picture to illustrate an 137 00:07:30,880 --> 00:07:34,400 Speaker 2: incredibly important spiritual point. So let's talk a little bit 138 00:07:34,440 --> 00:07:36,840 Speaker 2: about the backstory. Let's talk about what was happening here. 139 00:07:36,880 --> 00:07:40,000 Speaker 2: So the temple giving system, this would have been people 140 00:07:40,040 --> 00:07:42,560 Speaker 2: giving offerings to the temple. This would have been the 141 00:07:42,600 --> 00:07:47,280 Speaker 2: obedient thing to do as a good Jewish follower of God, 142 00:07:47,320 --> 00:07:49,480 Speaker 2: that you would be giving some of your money. And 143 00:07:49,520 --> 00:07:52,840 Speaker 2: it says that offerings were placed in trumpet shaped boxes 144 00:07:52,880 --> 00:07:55,080 Speaker 2: in a public area, so it was very It was 145 00:07:55,120 --> 00:07:57,080 Speaker 2: in a place where people could see what you were doing. 146 00:07:57,320 --> 00:07:59,200 Speaker 2: And so if you were giving a large gift, just 147 00:07:59,240 --> 00:08:02,160 Speaker 2: imagine like taking all your coins into this trumpet box, 148 00:08:02,440 --> 00:08:04,400 Speaker 2: it would be very visible that you were giving a 149 00:08:04,480 --> 00:08:07,080 Speaker 2: large gift and it would draw a lot of attention, 150 00:08:07,640 --> 00:08:11,000 Speaker 2: and giving at that time was tied to social honor 151 00:08:11,080 --> 00:08:13,920 Speaker 2: and recognition. And once again, I'm sure you guys are 152 00:08:13,960 --> 00:08:17,360 Speaker 2: tired of me saying it, that's exactly the same today. 153 00:08:17,440 --> 00:08:20,720 Speaker 2: You ever seen somebody's name on a building. When you 154 00:08:20,840 --> 00:08:24,040 Speaker 2: give a lot, you get social recognition in a lot 155 00:08:24,120 --> 00:08:27,320 Speaker 2: of our standard like philanthropic places. Now, it's not a 156 00:08:27,360 --> 00:08:29,560 Speaker 2: bad thing to give money away. It's a great thing 157 00:08:29,640 --> 00:08:33,240 Speaker 2: to give charitably, it's a wonderful thing. But the reality 158 00:08:33,360 --> 00:08:36,880 Speaker 2: is that Jesus is saying that giving can be performative. 159 00:08:37,360 --> 00:08:40,040 Speaker 2: It doesn't because especially when giving means that you're going 160 00:08:40,120 --> 00:08:42,240 Speaker 2: to get a lot of recognition for being a good 161 00:08:42,360 --> 00:08:45,800 Speaker 2: generous person. There was that same kind of concept was 162 00:08:45,840 --> 00:08:48,400 Speaker 2: happening here where if you were giving a lot, then 163 00:08:48,440 --> 00:08:50,480 Speaker 2: you had a name for yourself that it was obvious. 164 00:08:50,520 --> 00:08:53,360 Speaker 2: And he's specifically pointing out, as he just did, these 165 00:08:53,400 --> 00:08:56,360 Speaker 2: religious leaders want to get a lot of attention. There's 166 00:08:56,360 --> 00:08:58,960 Speaker 2: another place in the Gospels where Jesus talks about wanting 167 00:08:59,040 --> 00:09:01,400 Speaker 2: this kind of attention and he says, I tell you 168 00:09:01,440 --> 00:09:03,880 Speaker 2: the truth, you have been paid in full, which is 169 00:09:03,920 --> 00:09:07,440 Speaker 2: a really interesting thing that Jesus says. Because the way 170 00:09:07,480 --> 00:09:09,640 Speaker 2: I interpret that, what Jesus is saying is, Hey, if 171 00:09:09,679 --> 00:09:11,840 Speaker 2: you're getting a lot of public recognition, if you're getting 172 00:09:11,880 --> 00:09:13,560 Speaker 2: a lot of pats on the back, if you're getting 173 00:09:13,559 --> 00:09:16,000 Speaker 2: a lot of collaps for what you're doing, that's going 174 00:09:16,000 --> 00:09:18,040 Speaker 2: to be the full extent of your reward. 175 00:09:18,720 --> 00:09:19,760 Speaker 1: You got it. Good for you. 176 00:09:20,360 --> 00:09:23,200 Speaker 2: But if you want eternal reward, if you want to 177 00:09:23,240 --> 00:09:26,640 Speaker 2: experience what eternal reward looks like on the other side 178 00:09:27,000 --> 00:09:29,079 Speaker 2: of Earth and when we're in heaven, it's not going 179 00:09:29,120 --> 00:09:31,199 Speaker 2: to be about the out of boys that you get 180 00:09:31,200 --> 00:09:33,560 Speaker 2: here on earth. It's going to be about what you're 181 00:09:33,600 --> 00:09:36,160 Speaker 2: doing from this place in your heart. And so this 182 00:09:36,240 --> 00:09:38,480 Speaker 2: is then how he points out what's happening with this 183 00:09:38,559 --> 00:09:42,240 Speaker 2: widow who gives very very little. So why does a 184 00:09:42,280 --> 00:09:45,160 Speaker 2: widow matter? So widows at that time would be among 185 00:09:45,160 --> 00:09:48,360 Speaker 2: the most vulnerable in society. Women at this time did 186 00:09:48,360 --> 00:09:49,920 Speaker 2: not have the right to vote or the right to 187 00:09:49,920 --> 00:09:52,280 Speaker 2: own property. So if you were left as a widow 188 00:09:52,640 --> 00:09:55,040 Speaker 2: and you did not have a son or a lineage 189 00:09:55,040 --> 00:09:57,120 Speaker 2: of sons to care for you, then you would have 190 00:09:57,160 --> 00:10:01,480 Speaker 2: limited access to income, You would be unprotect your survival 191 00:10:01,640 --> 00:10:06,240 Speaker 2: was uncertain, and so her offering represents a great risk 192 00:10:06,480 --> 00:10:11,600 Speaker 2: that she's taking. Her offering represents great dependence because she 193 00:10:11,640 --> 00:10:14,040 Speaker 2: would be a person for whom those two small coins 194 00:10:14,040 --> 00:10:17,480 Speaker 2: were very important. Those two small coins might have represented 195 00:10:17,520 --> 00:10:20,800 Speaker 2: her next meal. And so when we look and see 196 00:10:20,920 --> 00:10:24,160 Speaker 2: what's happening here, that these rich people are coming up 197 00:10:24,200 --> 00:10:27,160 Speaker 2: and they're getting a lot of acclaim for dropping their 198 00:10:27,200 --> 00:10:30,320 Speaker 2: money in a very public way, in a way that 199 00:10:30,400 --> 00:10:33,720 Speaker 2: brings them recognition and honor. But then we have this 200 00:10:34,000 --> 00:10:39,080 Speaker 2: one poor woman who has every reason to want to 201 00:10:39,160 --> 00:10:42,199 Speaker 2: hold onto her coins, who has every reason to need 202 00:10:42,240 --> 00:10:44,800 Speaker 2: to take care of herself, and out of her faith, 203 00:10:45,280 --> 00:10:48,560 Speaker 2: she actually follows through on what God's asking. That's what 204 00:10:48,720 --> 00:10:52,520 Speaker 2: Jesus notices. That's what Jesus says, changes the metric of 205 00:10:52,559 --> 00:10:55,000 Speaker 2: what it looks like to give the other thing that 206 00:10:55,240 --> 00:10:57,720 Speaker 2: just stands for all of us to notice. It's a 207 00:10:57,800 --> 00:11:01,360 Speaker 2: really important concept. Is this idea that everything we have 208 00:11:01,600 --> 00:11:04,640 Speaker 2: Jesus has given to us already, Like everything we have, 209 00:11:05,280 --> 00:11:08,240 Speaker 2: God has given to us. The breath in our lungs, 210 00:11:08,360 --> 00:11:10,480 Speaker 2: the place where you are, the house that you live in, 211 00:11:10,559 --> 00:11:13,480 Speaker 2: the food that you eat, everything has been given to 212 00:11:13,559 --> 00:11:16,480 Speaker 2: us by God because He created everything. And so when 213 00:11:16,520 --> 00:11:19,880 Speaker 2: we think about what it means in his economy that 214 00:11:19,920 --> 00:11:22,480 Speaker 2: you give a lot, it's kind of like, well wait, no, 215 00:11:22,720 --> 00:11:25,040 Speaker 2: like you're just giving him back a portion of what 216 00:11:25,120 --> 00:11:28,720 Speaker 2: he already gave you. That's the reality of it. And 217 00:11:28,760 --> 00:11:30,760 Speaker 2: when I think about giving, and when I think about 218 00:11:30,800 --> 00:11:34,679 Speaker 2: the opportunity to give. I once heard a really incredible speaker. 219 00:11:34,800 --> 00:11:37,679 Speaker 2: It was a person who had been raised up through 220 00:11:37,720 --> 00:11:41,200 Speaker 2: a Compassion International project. If you guys are familiar with Compassion, 221 00:11:41,200 --> 00:11:45,160 Speaker 2: it's one of my favorite global organizations to support. Compassion 222 00:11:45,200 --> 00:11:48,760 Speaker 2: International offers everything wrap around care in every way for 223 00:11:48,920 --> 00:11:50,800 Speaker 2: children who stay in their own families and in their 224 00:11:50,840 --> 00:11:54,120 Speaker 2: own homes, but they come to Compassion projects where they're fed, 225 00:11:54,160 --> 00:11:56,120 Speaker 2: they're educated, they learn about the love of Christ. 226 00:11:56,520 --> 00:11:57,520 Speaker 1: All of these things happen. 227 00:11:57,600 --> 00:12:01,120 Speaker 2: We've sponsored children for most of our lives and have 228 00:12:01,320 --> 00:12:04,440 Speaker 2: seen some of our Compassion children graduate out of the 229 00:12:04,480 --> 00:12:07,320 Speaker 2: program and go to college. So I'm listening to one 230 00:12:07,320 --> 00:12:09,720 Speaker 2: of these Compassion speakers speak if you've ever gotten to 231 00:12:09,760 --> 00:12:12,560 Speaker 2: hear someone speak, and he's telling the story of his 232 00:12:12,600 --> 00:12:15,160 Speaker 2: own life. He's telling the story of what happened in 233 00:12:15,200 --> 00:12:18,800 Speaker 2: his life through Compassion. And at the end of his message, 234 00:12:18,840 --> 00:12:21,319 Speaker 2: as he's talking about the opportunity to sponsor a child. 235 00:12:21,640 --> 00:12:24,600 Speaker 2: He just says, I begin to think about the fact 236 00:12:24,720 --> 00:12:27,720 Speaker 2: that our God is a God of abundance, who has 237 00:12:27,840 --> 00:12:30,440 Speaker 2: and provides everything, who actually is the one who holds 238 00:12:30,520 --> 00:12:33,920 Speaker 2: every single resource that you think you have, and that 239 00:12:34,040 --> 00:12:37,640 Speaker 2: when you get invited to give, you're actually just invited 240 00:12:37,679 --> 00:12:40,480 Speaker 2: to participate in what God's already doing. And I think 241 00:12:40,480 --> 00:12:42,200 Speaker 2: that God's like, Hey, I'm going to invite you to 242 00:12:42,240 --> 00:12:44,600 Speaker 2: do this, and you can participate or not, because I'm 243 00:12:44,640 --> 00:12:47,240 Speaker 2: still going to do it. So do you want to 244 00:12:47,240 --> 00:12:49,280 Speaker 2: be a part of what I'm doing? Do you want 245 00:12:49,280 --> 00:12:52,959 Speaker 2: to be a part of seeing the goodness of God 246 00:12:53,040 --> 00:12:56,240 Speaker 2: being moved forward? Like how amazing is that that God's like, 247 00:12:56,840 --> 00:12:58,520 Speaker 2: I can do this with or without you, but I'm 248 00:12:58,520 --> 00:13:01,040 Speaker 2: inviting you to do it with me. And that really 249 00:13:01,120 --> 00:13:04,120 Speaker 2: is the mindset of how giving works, and it's really 250 00:13:05,120 --> 00:13:08,440 Speaker 2: unlocks a different way of seeing our provision because, like 251 00:13:08,520 --> 00:13:11,280 Speaker 2: we've talked about over these last weeks, man, it's easy 252 00:13:11,320 --> 00:13:14,480 Speaker 2: to start holding very tightly to things that God has 253 00:13:14,520 --> 00:13:17,960 Speaker 2: freely given us. Oh, it's easy to start thinking these 254 00:13:18,000 --> 00:13:19,959 Speaker 2: things that I'm holding on to, these things are mine, 255 00:13:20,320 --> 00:13:23,280 Speaker 2: I earn, these things I deserve these things. I worked 256 00:13:23,280 --> 00:13:26,600 Speaker 2: hard for these things. It's almost like if you've raised 257 00:13:26,600 --> 00:13:29,000 Speaker 2: a child and you have little your little four year 258 00:13:29,000 --> 00:13:31,959 Speaker 2: old who's holding tightly to a toy that they bought 259 00:13:32,000 --> 00:13:34,200 Speaker 2: while they sit at a table that you purchased, while 260 00:13:34,240 --> 00:13:36,080 Speaker 2: you care for them in a life that they themselves 261 00:13:36,120 --> 00:13:38,160 Speaker 2: would like can't even keep themselves alive for one day, 262 00:13:38,440 --> 00:13:41,880 Speaker 2: and they scream it's mine, and you're like, no, it's 263 00:13:41,920 --> 00:13:44,800 Speaker 2: definitely not yours. And I think that God, in all 264 00:13:44,840 --> 00:13:47,280 Speaker 2: of his love and compassion, you know, invites us to 265 00:13:47,320 --> 00:13:51,280 Speaker 2: see him as our father, who has everything, who has 266 00:13:51,440 --> 00:13:55,880 Speaker 2: every resource under control, and he graciously allows us to 267 00:13:56,000 --> 00:13:58,880 Speaker 2: steward some of the resources that he has, and then 268 00:13:58,920 --> 00:14:02,280 Speaker 2: he asks us in fame to participate. 269 00:14:01,520 --> 00:14:02,880 Speaker 1: With him in giving back. 270 00:14:03,320 --> 00:14:06,400 Speaker 2: And so when this widow gives these two tiny coins, 271 00:14:06,640 --> 00:14:09,720 Speaker 2: what Jesus says is she's given more than all these 272 00:14:09,760 --> 00:14:12,520 Speaker 2: other people. He doesn't say she's given as much as 273 00:14:12,559 --> 00:14:13,320 Speaker 2: these other people. 274 00:14:13,640 --> 00:14:14,560 Speaker 1: He says she's. 275 00:14:14,400 --> 00:14:18,560 Speaker 2: Given more than all of them, because they, whatever they gave, 276 00:14:18,679 --> 00:14:21,560 Speaker 2: did not give out of that same level of dependence 277 00:14:21,880 --> 00:14:25,760 Speaker 2: and trust that she did. This same reality still exists 278 00:14:25,840 --> 00:14:29,320 Speaker 2: where it's kind of a standard reality that the more 279 00:14:29,880 --> 00:14:43,160 Speaker 2: income people have the less percentage they give away. And 280 00:14:43,200 --> 00:14:45,440 Speaker 2: so even though it might seem like a lot of 281 00:14:45,480 --> 00:14:47,560 Speaker 2: money's being given away and maybe that name's on a 282 00:14:47,560 --> 00:14:51,280 Speaker 2: building or whatever, whatever, the reality is as a percentage, 283 00:14:51,360 --> 00:14:54,800 Speaker 2: it's far less. And so we have to confront the reality. 284 00:14:54,840 --> 00:14:57,120 Speaker 2: If you're a person of abundance, if you're a person 285 00:14:57,120 --> 00:15:00,200 Speaker 2: who God has given that you have enough to live on, 286 00:15:00,240 --> 00:15:02,200 Speaker 2: that you have enough, and you can ask the question 287 00:15:02,960 --> 00:15:05,320 Speaker 2: what am I doing to participate in what God is 288 00:15:05,360 --> 00:15:07,800 Speaker 2: doing and how he is given. So just like we 289 00:15:07,880 --> 00:15:09,880 Speaker 2: talked about the rich young ruler, and at that point 290 00:15:09,960 --> 00:15:12,520 Speaker 2: I said, hey, guys, this isn't about just giving away 291 00:15:12,520 --> 00:15:15,480 Speaker 2: all your money. I do want to say in this passage, 292 00:15:15,560 --> 00:15:18,320 Speaker 2: this is about giving. This actually is about giving of 293 00:15:18,360 --> 00:15:22,000 Speaker 2: our resources because it is the way that we understand 294 00:15:22,040 --> 00:15:25,080 Speaker 2: our heart. Oftentimes you may have heard it said in church, 295 00:15:25,440 --> 00:15:27,920 Speaker 2: if you want to know what you value, don't tell 296 00:15:27,960 --> 00:15:29,800 Speaker 2: me what you do with your money, show me your 297 00:15:29,800 --> 00:15:33,800 Speaker 2: bank account, because it's when we know we put our 298 00:15:33,840 --> 00:15:36,200 Speaker 2: priorities are very clear by the way that we use 299 00:15:36,240 --> 00:15:38,840 Speaker 2: our resources, and so we might say with our mouth 300 00:15:38,880 --> 00:15:41,240 Speaker 2: that we want to be generous, that we care about 301 00:15:41,240 --> 00:15:43,600 Speaker 2: the poor, that we care about oppressed groups that we 302 00:15:43,680 --> 00:15:46,320 Speaker 2: want to be part of the solution in our world 303 00:15:46,320 --> 00:15:48,560 Speaker 2: of all of the systems of injustice that we live in. 304 00:15:48,920 --> 00:15:50,720 Speaker 2: But I would tell you if you care about it, 305 00:15:50,760 --> 00:15:53,160 Speaker 2: by what's in your bank account, And it does matter. 306 00:15:53,200 --> 00:15:56,680 Speaker 2: And what's even more clear here is the number doesn't matter. 307 00:15:57,000 --> 00:16:00,200 Speaker 2: It's the heart with which we give that matters. US 308 00:16:00,280 --> 00:16:04,280 Speaker 2: has warned about this performative religion, and then he gives 309 00:16:04,280 --> 00:16:07,800 Speaker 2: this juxtaposition with this beautiful story of this widow. He 310 00:16:08,320 --> 00:16:13,240 Speaker 2: contrasts exploitative religion with genuine trust. And so when we 311 00:16:13,240 --> 00:16:15,520 Speaker 2: ask the question what does it mean for me? I 312 00:16:15,560 --> 00:16:17,920 Speaker 2: would encourage you, maybe you want to do an audit 313 00:16:18,120 --> 00:16:21,640 Speaker 2: of the resources that you have. Resources are your time 314 00:16:22,080 --> 00:16:24,520 Speaker 2: and they're your money. And if you did an audit 315 00:16:24,600 --> 00:16:27,440 Speaker 2: on your time and your money, what would it tell 316 00:16:27,480 --> 00:16:30,600 Speaker 2: me that you value? If we separated your calendar and 317 00:16:30,640 --> 00:16:32,880 Speaker 2: your bank account from what you're saying with your mouth, 318 00:16:32,920 --> 00:16:33,720 Speaker 2: what would it say? 319 00:16:34,280 --> 00:16:37,480 Speaker 1: And what adjustments might you want to make in. 320 00:16:37,480 --> 00:16:40,440 Speaker 2: Order to align what you want to do in your 321 00:16:40,480 --> 00:16:43,520 Speaker 2: heart to what you're actually doing in your life. 322 00:16:44,160 --> 00:16:46,120 Speaker 1: All right, everyone, thanks for being here. We'll see you 323 00:16:46,120 --> 00:16:46,600 Speaker 1: next week. 324 00:16:50,600 --> 00:16:53,200 Speaker 3: How to study the Bible with Nicole Unis is a 325 00:16:53,200 --> 00:16:56,680 Speaker 3: production of Life Audio and Salem Media. If you like 326 00:16:56,720 --> 00:16:59,160 Speaker 3: what you heard today, please take a second to rate 327 00:16:59,240 --> 00:17:01,920 Speaker 3: and review the POW podcast in your favorite podcast app 328 00:17:02,280 --> 00:17:04,680 Speaker 3: so that more listeners like you can find the show. 329 00:17:05,520 --> 00:17:09,440 Speaker 3: For more faith filled inspirational podcasts, visit us at live 330 00:17:09,520 --> 00:17:18,320 Speaker 3: audio dot com.