All that She Had

Mark 12:43-44 And he called his disciples to him and said to them, "Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the offering box. 44 For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on."



How many of us can truly say that we have given the Lord “all that we had?” Most of us, if we are honest with ourselves, are much more like the rich givers who gave out of their abundance rather than the poor widow who gave all. Jesus makes it clear that it is not the amount given but the sacrifice by which we give; and it is not about our bank account but our heart. The widow gave all her livelihood, therefore she could give no more. She emptied herself not knowing where her next meal would come. She placed her total dependence upon God believing that if she was faithful to Him, then He would be faithful to her. A key to this passage is that Jesus already knew the accounts by which each giver had to draw upon. It is He in His sovereign will who has given to us whether it be great or small. He is not impressed with large gifts given from our abundance. Instead, He rejoices in the smallest of gifts which are given in sacrifice. Which are these givers were rich in Jesus’ eyes? Certainly, it was the poor widow. She is rich in the kingdom of heaven.

Alone and Rejected

Matthew 27:46b …”My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”

Darkness had covered the land and also had invaded the soul of the Son of Man. He, who was the Light of the world was now experiencing the darkness of the soul which accompanies sin. He that knew no sin had been made sin for us and it left Him rejected and all alone exposed naked between heaven and earth. His only audience was those who had made a sport of mocking and ridiculing Him.

Much greater pain did he endure than the scourgings that had ripped his flesh and the nails tearing at his hands and feet. The greatest pain was that which tore His heart. He had been brought to total humiliation as He who had created all things had been rejected by His own creation. Even His closest friends had fled in this moment of His deepest agony. The sin that had been laid upon Him, our sin, had left our Creator and Redeemer all alone. Truly did the prophet proclaim, “He was despised and rejected by men, a Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as if it were, our faces from Him. He was despised, and we did not esteem Him” Isa 53:3. Not only did He experience the rejection of men, but also of His Father, who could not look upon Him due to our sin. Isaiah would later remind us of the consequences of sin, “Your iniquities have separated you from your God, and your sins have hidden His face from you. 59:2. When Jesus took our sin He also accepted its consequences: rejection from God.

On this darkest day of humanity this Man of sorrows was left alone, all alone, rejected by man and by God. And why? He did it for you and me. He became the Man of sorrows to carry our sorrows.

“Surely He has borne our griefs
And carried our sorrows;
Yet we esteemed Him stricken,
Smitten by God, and afflicted.
But He was wounded for our transgressions,
He was bruised for our iniquities;
The chastisement for our peace was upon Him,
And by His stripes we are healed.
All we like sheep have gone astray;
We have turned, every one, to his own way;
And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. Isa 53:4-6

What a Savior!

Shake the Dust Off

Matthew 10:14 And if anyone will not receive you or listen to your words, shake off the dust from your feet when you leave that house or town. ESV


Jesus did not send forth His disciples without first giving them careful instruction. He gave specific instruction concerning those who would not receive their words (the Gospel): “Shake the dust off your feet.” This idiom appears to have a two-fold meaning: 1) move on, and 2) don’t take any of their rebellious ideas with you. Jesus had said earlier, “The fields are white unto harvest,” meaning there are many ready to receive the Gospel. In practical terms Jesus is telling his disciples and us today, “Why should you labor in fields which are not ready and reject the Gospel when there are fields which are ready to be harvested and wait for the Gospel?” Many times we waste much time, energy and resources on those who clearly have no interest in hearing or receiving the good news of Jesus Christ. We must move on; and when we go we must not allow the negative or unholy spirit of those who reject to go with us. We must “shake it off” and move on to the fields white unto harvest.

Kingdom Living

From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." Matthew 4:17

Jesus proclaimed the “kingdom of heaven is at hand.” It is not something we have to wait for but that which can be and should be experienced now. The Sermon on the Mount as found in Matthew 5-7 is Jesus’ photo album of what “kingdom living” looks like. He begins with snapshots of kingdom dwellers. They are the poor in spirit, those who mourn (over their sin), those who are meek, those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, those who are meek and pure in heart, those who are peacemakers and yet, are persecuted for righteousness sake. He then reveals other snapshots of kingdom dwellers in daily life by fulfilling the spirit of God’s law as they love their neighbors as themselves. They never murder with their tongue or covet with their eyes. They love their enemies and are slow to judge. Kingdom dwellers do not fret over the things of the earth because they store their treasures in heaven. Their one desire is to please God and seek Him with all of their heart. Jesus warns that not everyone will enter into the kingdom. It is only populated by those who come to Him with a repentant heart and believing heart. As I flip through this album of “kingdom living” I must ask, “Do I see myself?” or am I only an imposter.