The Shepherd’s Voice
Archive for November 8th, 2009
Readings for Sunday, November 8th
1 Ki 17:8-16
Ps 146
Heb 9:24-28
Mk 12:38-44
The Shepherd’s Voice – Sermon Video*NEW, NOW ON VIDEO (.m4v) or embedded below
Last week we talked about death, what is it good for? There was stress, disappointment, despair, frustration, but Jesus turned death in to delight. God’s (δόξα) glory was revealed when Lazarus came back from the dead and God was glorified in the process.
Today, you could say, “Two Copper Coins” what are they good for? In our gospel text we have a poor widow dropping two copper coins into the collection plate.
This story, however, is not about the amount. It’s not about what organization you give it to. It’s not about whether the money will be spent wisely or foolishly. It’s not even about the woman in the story. “Two Copper Coins”
The amount of “Two Copper Coins” is referred to in Luke 12:6. Luke tells us Jesus was talking about money and he said “What is the price of five sparrows—two copper coins? Yet God does not forget a single one of them. And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows.”
Jesus was saying two copper coins can’t buy much. In fact two lepta (Λεπτόν) or two copper coins in Roman terms were worth only 1/64 of a Roman denarius, a day’s wage for a laborer, two copper coins were a fraction of a penny.
What can we buy for a penny today? Nothing, nada, zip. This story as I said is not about the money. What we give to God is not about the money. God doesn’t need our money. Everything belongs to God already what difference can two copper coins make when someone has limitless funds already. So let’s change gears and talk about the organization.
Is giving about who we give our money too? Oh, we believe it is, we think it’s really important. Someone asks us to give to the heart fund, or the cancer fund, or the police association or for local hunger drive. How much will go to the recipient we ask?
Or maybe we say, Oh, I give at church, I only give to organizations that work hard at getting the most to each recipient, I only give to things that benefit the Lord’s work. We, yes me included have lots of excuses about why we can only give to worth while causes. That’s a good thing right. That’s being a good steward. That’s being noble, being wise.
Well, let’s look at the beginning of our story today. Jesus said, “Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes.” When Jesus is talking about the scribes he’s referring to those who wrote the early scriptures, and the Levites, and those who were set apart for ministry, the law keepers, the ones who keep the books, the well educated. Jesus says BEWARE! Watchout!
Jesus said beware of these people because they demand respect in the marketplaces, they want to sit at the head tables, they devour widow’s houses and they say long prayers. Watch out for the religious folks who walk around in long robes because they are hypocrites. Notice, Jesus never tells the widow not to give her money to them.
If Jesus was worried about who the gift was going to or how it was going to be spent he would have stopped the widow from giving the two copper coins. He didn’t!
Jesus talked about these folks because he wanted to show a contrast in this story. Jesus wasn’t happy with the corruption that existed in the religious community, in fact Jesus said, “They will receive the greater condemnation.” They will be condemned!
Jesus was never happy with the religious community. He criticized them on many occasions, but here he contrasts them to a poor widow. Why?
In the religious community it was about wearing long robes, about tradition, about the money, about following the law, about being legalistic. What does this tell us about our own religious community today, about following tradition instead of being open to the living Word of God, about being legalistic instead of being love-istic. That’s a sermon for another time.
Today we are talking about two copper coins and about a window who doesn’t even merit a name. Could it be that not only who we give to is unimportant, but who gives is really unimportant as well? Giving is NOT about us, it’s about God.
This is not to say that YOU are unimportant, scripture is clear about that – even while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us, (Rom 5:8) Jesus was willing to sacrifice himself on our behalf. And we know God desires all people to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth. (1 Tim 2:4) No, we are all important in God’s eyes, but back to two copper coins.
I said it’s not about the woman, not this specific woman in this story. Giving is NOT about us. Well, you may be asking well then what is this story about?
One thing that we learn about the Bible is that it has authority because its stories are our stories. Last week when we talked about Lazarus dying unexpectedly, about how tragic it was, about how frustrating for Mary and Martha, we live that story out in our own lives.
This week in our story about the widow, the two copper coins Jesus observed how people were giving in the temple and said “For all of them have contributed out of their abundance; but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.”
The main point of the text is NOT that Jesus wasn’t condemning the religious folks, he was calling them a bunch of hypocrites, crooks, and cheats. The main point is NOT Jesus being concerned about who you give to, whether it’s a good cause or not.
The main point here is that Jesus is talking about giving as an act of worship, an act of the heart, an act of love. Giving is about God! She out of her poverty, she gave herself.
In this widow’s case it doesn’t even makes sense what she is doing. She’s poor. Out of her poverty ὑστέρησις (hysterēsis) she put in everything she had. The base word, Latin root for here is the same one as hysteria, a reluctance, internal friction in the moving parts.
Isn’t that what like much of our giving is like; I can so relate to this idea. Out of the hysteria in our lives, out of our feeling of poverty, our internal friction, we give or not.
Many contribute out of their abundance, that’s a good thing, that’s worthwhile, God wants us to give, but it’s not why we should give. The act of giving is an act of worship. An act of love, an act of the heart. I remember a story of giving that influenced me….
Rick Warren and his wife were challenging their personal giving in 1993. The Saddleback Valley Church was facing a big question about building a new sanctuary. They had been meeting in a tent up to that point in time. Rick says God was wrestling with him about what they should give. He and his wife seriously and prayerfully considered what they should give. At the time he was making $50,000 per year. He was living in a 1200 Sq Ft house. He had made bedrooms in his garage for his kids and he was frugal. He and his wife separately discerned what they should pledge and then came back together with a number that neither one of them could believe. Separately they believed they should give $100,000 for the building. He said he wanted to be bold; he wanted to show leadership and commitment so he shared this with the congregation. His faith was being challenged. Rick says when he and Kay made this commitment he had no idea where or how God would send the money for this commitment, he felt foolish even making the commitment, but he felt he needed to make it as a model for leadership. When he announced it to his church his knees were shaking. This was four weeks before he had to make the offering. Four days before the offering he received a call from a book publisher who offered him a contract to publish a book called Purpose Driven Church. He had been talking about for years. The contract had an upfront fee of $150,000. This incident allowed his faith to grow more than almost anything else he has ever done.
Now I’m not saying give to this church. Jesus didn’t rate the religious community very favorably, that wasn’t the point. Jesus said, she put in everything. Her giving was an act of worship.
Worship comes from the old English words “worth-ship.” Worship involves worth, putting ourselves in a positions where we honor, hold in high esteem, acknowledge the worth of something. In this case we believe God is worth it. We invest time, talent and treasure in God.
Paul when writing to the Roman church said it this way. “I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.” Out of her poverty, she gave everything she had….
The widow’s example is one of presenting her whole self, all she had was, two copper coins.
The incarnate God, Jesus Christ emptied himself, on our behalf and became a living sacrifice. (Phil 2:7) This was God’s example to us, for us of giving everything.
Two copper coins, an example of giving as an act of worship, she gave all she had.
Two copper coins it’s our story as well.
The Shepherd’s Voice – Two Copper Coins from Good Shepherd Lutheran Church on Vimeo.
Sermons from Good Shepherd Lutheran Church – Buena Park, CA
The incarnate God, Jesus Christ emptied himself, on our behalf and became a living sacrifice. (Phil 2:7) This was God’s example to us, for us of giving everything. Two copper coins, an example of giving as an act of worship, she gave all she had. Two copper coins it’s our story as well.
