The Pious Poor Patron – Sacrificial Giving
Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others… she, out of her poverty, put in everything – all she had to live on.” (Mark 12:43-44)
The recently concluded Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON) in Kigali was a greatly reviving and hope-restoring global fellowship. The conference affirmed that repeated departures from the authority of God’s Word have torn the fabric of the Anglican Communion. It grieves the Holy Spirit and us that the leadership of the Church of England is determined to bless sin. We rejoice in the united commitment of faithful Anglicans on three fundamentals: the lordship of Jesus Christ; the authority and clarity of the Word of God; and the priority of the church’s mission to the world. To this movement we belong. Hallelujah!
Combining the subject of Sacrificial Giving with the Celebration of the Resurrection is an easy task: God gives us the excellent example when he let his only Son to come down to earth and suffer and die for our salvation. More than one-third of Mark’s Gospel takes place during Jesus’ final seven-day period leading to his crucifixion, death and resurrection. At the start of the passion week, a colt was ‘sacrificially’ given to transport Jesus Christ into Jerusalem. During his ministry in the temple in that final week, Jesus taught about sacrificial giving using the offertory audit results in which he observed a very generous widow – I call her the pious poor patron (Mark 12:41-44), and she is our main study character today, from whom we shall draw three important lessons.
Before getting closer to that widow, it is important to remind ourselves the reasons for which we need to give here in Kakumba Chapel: improvements are ongoing in our power and public address system equipment, and they need money; roofing and finishing the Musiime Hall block was approved by the Council, but it requires a lot of money; the recently concluded GAFCON is a running movement, and it requires money. There are many more reasons and causes; and God is counting on you to give, as observed in his encouragement while talking about the offertory episode in today’s Scripture reading.
These are the three lessons: First, take note that Jesus is attentively inspecting at offertory time and whenever we are giving, and so may the pastor. Much as he warns against the public display of the offering or alms, “to be seen… to be honoured by others”, the inspection is in order. Secondly, God is interested in both the amount and the proportion; in commending the widow’s sacrificial offering, our attention is drawn to considering a generous proportion in our giving. Thirdly, our possessions can only be sanctified by giving a portion to God; see what a blessed legacy that pious poor patron enjoys to date! But greater still in eternity, where moth and rust can never destroy your treasures. God bless you abundantly!