In Luke 21:1-4 we see Jesus caring about, noticing and commenting on the people’s giving. What matters to Jesus should matter to us. If Jesus is our Savior and our Lord, then we care about what He cares about.
As we study this passage, we learn some important things about giving:
Jesus sees what we give.
He saw the rich and the poor alike bringing their offerings to the temple as part of worship. He sees our hearts, our faith, what we depend on, what we keep for ourselves, our motives- He sees it all. He notices what we do in all areas, even in the area of our finances and giving.
Giving is for everyone, all the time.
We give in the times when we are rich, have plenty, no needs unmet, security for the future. We give in the times when we are poor, when we don’t have enough, when what we give we could really use instead. Regular giving allows God to work on His timetable, not ours.
Giving is an act of worship.
In the Old Testament, they brought their gifts to the temple as part of their worship. In the New Testament, they brought their money and laid it at the apostles feet. Worship is any way we declare God’s worth in our lives – singing, praying, obedience, Scripture, and giving are all ways we worship. Giving is a big deal to God because it involves worship.
Giving is about faith, not about finances.
Jesus wasn’t an accountant (he had one on his staff), but He didn’t need one to know that the widow didn’t give more money, but she still gave more. More faith – that’s what is behind giving. Jesus was looking for who gave more faith in their giving.
As we move forward in giving, we need to:
- Determine to care about giving because Jesus cares about it
- Consider what Jesus would say about our giving
- Search the Scriptures to see what they say about giving
- Pray, repent, ask God for wisdom, submit to His plan for giving in your life
- Obey: don’t delay, or you won’t obey. Delay is the killer of obedience