Mark 12:41

Verse of the Day Devotion.  Mark 12:41

“And He sat down opposite the treasury and began observing how the multitude were putting money into the treasury; and many rich people were putting in large sums.” – Mark 12:41  

This verse of the day will be focused on what is important in regard to giving.  I call this, as others do, the widow’s offering.  This begins with Jesus observing the giving of many.  “And He sat down opposite the treasury and began observing how the multitude were putting money into the treasury; and many rich people were putting in large sums.” Mark 12:41.  Now the treasury might have been located in the court of women and consisted of thirteen trumpet-shaped receptacles for both the temple tax and money given voluntarily for various purposes. This is not fully understood however it is seen by many in this way.  Because of this difficulty, many usually interpret this as a reference to one of the thirteen trumpet-shaped offering boxes that stood in the Women’s Court, six of which were designated for freewill offerings. Many people came to give their offerings, and many of the rich were giving large amounts. 

And while He was watching, “a poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which amount to a cent.“ Mark 12:42.  The two very small copper coins mentioned here were two lepta in the Greek. The lepton was the smallest coin in circulation in Palestine and was worth 1/64 of a denarius, which was a day’s wages for a common laborer.  Needless to say, it was a coin of very little value. Now as was their way, the rich probably made a show in giving their offering, both in how they did it, and in ensuring that people heard the coins as they were put in the receptacle.  But for this poor woman, she no doubt quietly placed them in the receptacle. And because the coins were so small and had little weight, and therefore were probably not heard, especially with all the noise of the other contributors.  

Now, Jesus calls His disciples to Himself and says, “Truly I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all the contributors to the treasury; for they all put in out of their surplus, but she, out of her poverty, put in all she owned, all she had to live on.” Mark 12:43-44. Jesus let the disciples know that the thing of most importance is not how much is given but the extent to which the gift is a sacrificial one. Or to put it another way, the most significant thing is not how much is given but how much is left for one’s personal use afterwards. A major element of Jesus’ teaching is that attitude is more important than action. The widow’s total giving demonstrates an attitude of absolute trust in God.

There are several things this story of the widow’s offering teaches us. First, God sees what man overlooks. The big gifts in the temple were surely noticed by people, and this was probably their purpose, and also what the disciples were watching. But Jesus saw something they did not. He saw the humble gift of a poor lady. This was the gift Jesus found worthy of comment, and this was the gift He wanted His disciples to see. Other gifts given that day made a lot of noise as they jingled into the receptacles, but the widow’s gift may not have may not have been by those there, but it was still heard by God.

Second, God’s evaluation is different than ours. The widow’s gift added up to a penny, according to man’s estimation. But Jesus said that she had given more than anyone else that day. How could this be? The difference is one of proportion. The rich gave much but they still retained their fortunes; the widow gave everything, all she had to live on. Hers was a true sacrifice; the rich had not begun to give to the level of her sacrifice.

And lastly, God commends giving in faith. Here was a woman in need of receiving charity, yet she had a heart to give. Even though the amount was negligible, what could her offering buy. But she gave it in faith that God could use it. The widow’s faith is also evident in the fact that she gave the last of her money. Like the widow of Zarephath, who gave her last meal to Elijah (see 1 Kings 17:7–16), the widow in the temple gave away her last means of self-support. Does this mean the widow left the temple completely destitute, went home, and died of starvation? No. The Bible teaches that God provides for our needs. (See Matthew 6:25-34). We don’t know the details of this particular widow’s future, but we can be certain that she was provided for due to our loving God. As Paul said so well, “And my God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:19

It is interesting that just before Jesus commented on the widow’s gift, He commented on the scribes who devour widows’ houses. ”And in His teaching He was saying: “Beware of the scribes who like to walk around in long robes, and like respectful greetings in the market-places,  and chief seats in the synagogues, and places of honor at banquets, who devour widows’ houses, and for appearance’s sake offer long prayers; these will receive greater condemnation.” Mark 12:38-40. The religious officials of the day, instead of helping the widows in need, were perfectly content to rob them of their livelihood and inheritance. The system was corrupt, and the darkness of the scribes’ greed makes the widow’s sacrifice shine even more brightly. “Let each one do just as he has purposed in his heart; not grudgingly or under compulsion; for God loves a cheerful giver.” 2 Corinthians 9:7. And He is faithful to take care of His own.

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries.

Luke 16:19

Verse of the Day Devotion Luke 16:19

“Now there was a certain rich man, and he habitually dressed in purple and fine linen, gaily living in splendor every day.” – Luke 16:19

Today we will look at the Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus.  Here is this parable as found in Luke’s gospel.

“Now there was a certain rich man, and he habitually dressed in purple and fine linen, gaily living in splendor every day. And a certain poor man named Lazarus was laid at his gate, covered with sores, and longing to be fed with the crumbs which were falling from the rich man’s table; besides, even the dogs were coming and licking his sores. Now it came about that the poor man died and he was carried away by the angels to Abraham’s bosom; and the rich man also died and was buried. And in Hades he lifted up his eyes, being in torment, and *saw Abraham far away, and Lazarus in his bosom. And he cried out and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool off my tongue; for I am in agony in this flame.’ But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that during your life you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus bad things; but now he is being comforted here, and you are in agony. And besides all this, between us and you there is a great chasm fixed, in order that those who wish to come over from here to you may not be able, and that none may cross over from there to us. And he said, ‘Then I beg you, Father, that you send him to my father’s house, for I have five brothers—that he may warn them, lest they also come to this place of torment. But Abraham said, They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them. But he said, No, Father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent! But he said to him, If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be persuaded if someone rises from the dead.” Luke 16:19-31. 

This is an account of a very rich man who lived a life of extreme luxury. However, outside the gate of this man’s house was an extremely poor man named Lazarus who only hoped “to be fed with the crumbs which were falling from the rich man’s table; besides, even the dogs were coming and licking his sores.” Luke 16:21. The rich man was completely indifferent to the struggles of Lazarus, showing him absolutely no love, sympathy, or compassion. Then a time came when they both died. Lazarus went to heaven and the rich man found himself in hell. Calling out to Abraham, whom Lazarus was with, the rich man  requested that Lazarus come to him and cool his tongue with a drop of water to lessen his agony in this fire. He then asked Abraham to send Lazarus back to earth to warn his brothers to repent so that they would not join him in hell. Both requests were denied. Abraham told the rich man that if his brothers did not believe in Scripture, neither would they believe a messenger, even if he came straight from heaven.

There is some question as to whether this story is a true, real-life account or a parable, since two of its characters are named, making it unique among parables. But real or not, there is much we can learn from this passage. First, Jesus teaches that heaven and hell are real, and  He spoke of both throughout His ministry here.  Second, He shows that once we die our destination, and these are the only two places we could ultimately end up in, will be permanent. There are no more chances.  The decision we make in this life, to truly accept Christ as Savior or not, is fulfilled with no opportunity to reconsider after we die.  And it is either heaven or hell, with no other possible destinations.

We are called to love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength.  He called this the most important or greatest commandment.  Then He said a second is like the first, to love our neighbor as we love ourselves.  These two commands are the basis of all the Law and the Prophets. And true followers of Christ will exhibit these two things: loving God and loving others. They will give themselves completely to God and His service.  Also, they will not be indifferent to the plight of the poor like the rich man in this story was. God loves the poor and is offended when His children neglect them.  “He who mocks the poor reproaches his Maker; He who rejoices at calamity will not go unpunished.” Proverbs 17:5. In fact, those who show mercy to the poor are in effect ministering to God personally. “For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me. Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You drink? And when did we see You a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You? And when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You? And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.” Matthew 25:40.

James wrote the following regarding our lives, “Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away.” James 4:14. Our time here on earth is exceedingly brief. Perhaps the greatest lesson to learn from this story, then, is that when death comes knocking on our door there is only one thing that matters: our relationship with Jesus Christ. “For what will a man be profited, if he gains the whole world, and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? ” Matthew 16:26.  Eternal life is only found in Christ. “And the witness is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life.” 1 John 5:11-12. The truth is, if we wish to live apart from God during our time on earth, He will grant us our wish for eternity as well. As one pastor aptly said, “If you board the train of unbelief, you will have to take it all the way to its destination.”

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries. 

Luke 16:1

Verse of the Day Devotion Luke 16:1

“Now He was also saying to the disciples, There was a certain rich man who had a steward, and this steward was reported to him as squandering his possessions.” – Luke 16:1

Today we will look at the Parable of the Dishonest Steward.  Here is this first part of this parable as found in Luke’s gospel.

“Now He was also saying to the disciples, There was a certain rich man who had a steward, and this steward was reported to him as squandering his possessions. And he called him and said to him, What is this I hear about you? Give an account of your stewardship, for you can no longer be steward. And the steward said to himself, ‘What shall I do, since my master is taking the stewardship away from me? I am not strong enough to dig; I am ashamed to beg.  I know what I shall do, so that when I am removed from the stewardship, they will receive me into their homes.  And he summoned each one of his master’s debtors, and he began saying to the first, How much do you owe my master? And he said, A hundred measures of oil.’ And he said to him, Take your bill, and sit down quickly and write fifty. Then he said to another, And how much do you owe? And he said, A hundred measures of wheat. He said to him, Take your bill, and write eighty.” Luke 16:1-7. 

Now, the first seven verses of Luke sixteen lay out the story Jesus told His disciples.  However, in verse fourteen we see that some Pharisees were listening as well.  The parable begins with a rich man calling his steward before him to let him know he will be letting him go due to his mismanaging his resources. A steward is a person who manages the resources of another. This steward had authority over all the master’s resources and could transact business in his name. This requires the utmost level of trust in the steward. Now, it appears the master is not aware of the steward’s dishonesty, for the steward is being released for apparent mismanagement, not fraud. This explains why he is able to conduct a few more transactions before he is released and why he is not immediately tossed out on the street or executed. The steward, realizing that he will soon be without a job, makes some shrewd deals behind his master’s back by reducing the debt owed by several of the master’s debtors in exchange for shelter when he is eventually put out. When the master becomes aware of what the wicked servant had done, he commends him for his shrewdness. Then Jesus adds, “for the sons of this age are more shrewd in relation to their own kind than the sons of light.” Luke 16:8. What He was saying here is quite interesting.  The people who are not followers of Christ are more shrewd in working for what they say is most important, money, fame etc. then those who were His followers.

After completing the parable, He now tells them what it means. 

“And I say to you, make friends for yourselves by means of the mammon of unrighteousness; that when it fails, they may receive you into the eternal dwellings. He who is faithful in a very little thing is faithful also in much; and he who is unrighteous in a very little thing is unrighteous also in much. If therefore you have not been faithful in the use of unrighteous mammon, who will entrust the true riches to you? And if you have not been faithful in the use of that which is another’s, who will give you that which is your own? No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one, and love the other, or else he will hold to one, and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.” Luke 16:9-13.

The basic idea is that He was telling them that whatever resources they had, needed to be used to plan ahead, not for this world, but for the eternal life ahead of them.  The word ‘mammon’ is from the Aramaic word mammon, which originally meant ‘that in which one puts their trust in,’ hence wealth.  Jesus calls it ‘unrighteous mammon’. According to the theologian Adam Clarke, “Riches promise much but yield nothing: they excite hope and confidence and deceive both: in making a man depend on them for happiness, they rob him of the salvation of God and of eternal glory.”  In other words, riches cause us to look at them for hope and confidence instead of God, which they cannot truly provide. Remember verse 9, “And I say to you, make friends for yourselves by means of the mammon of unrighteousness; that when it fails, they may receive you into the eternal dwellings.” Luke 16:9.  We must invest our resources in the Lord’s work, and not wait until we think we have enough.  As an example, In a survey taken in 1992, people were asked how much money they would have to make to have the American dream. Those who earn $25,000 or less a year thought they would need around $54,000. Those in the $100,000 annual income bracket said that they could buy the dream for an average of $192,000 a year. These figures indicate that we typically think we must double our income in order to find the good life, instead of finding it now. Jesus then tells us, “If therefore you have not been faithful in the use of unrighteous mammon, who will entrust the true riches to you? And if you have not been faithful in the use of that which is another’s, who will give you that which is your own?” Luke 16:11-12.  In both instances, He speaks of using these things for the glory of God.

Then He closes with a very well-known verse. “No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one, and love the other, or else he will hold to one, and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.” Luke 16:13.  Jesus states that serving two masters is simply an impossibility. If you think that you are successfully serving two masters, you are deceived. One can have both money and God; but one cannot serve both money and God at the same time.  Whichever you would not give up at any cost is who or what you serve.  Pray about this, for money will be with us in this life, but God will be with us forever in the life to come.

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries.