Reflections on "Always Something More" Malachi 3: 8-12; Mark 12: 41-44

This sermon was probably less connected to the iPhone and more connected to the theme of stewardship.  I enjoyed this sermon.

I had been to a seminar earlier in the week led by Amy-Jill Levine about the way in which Christian preachers use/abuse the Jewish tradition.  I received a copy of The Jewish Annotated New Testament, and it was neat that this passage had a comment about what Temple life was like at the time of Jesus. As you can tell, that impacted my sermon and gave me new insight into the passage.  A free book and a sermon illustration -- what a great seminar!

I am off this coming week.  Back to finish the iPhone theology series on November 22.

“Always Something More” November 8, 2015; FPC, Troy; iPhone theology series; Malachi 3: 8-12; Mark 12: 41-44

Introduction: My iPhone has an abundance of apps, toys, and tools for me to use. Frankly, I don't have that many apps, and it's still more than I use regularly. If somehow I used everything I had on my phone, there would always be something more for me to add or use.

When most of us look at our lives, most of us see abundance. Undoubtedly we can point to others who have more than we do, but for most of us, we always have something more than we need.

On this day when visiting stewards go out for visits, when we prayerfully consider our pledges for next year’s gifts to God through this congregation, when we ponder the question “What if we gave more?” I want to reflect for a few minutes on giving in a world when we always have something more.

Move 1: Everyone is invited

a. Widow is in the Temple.

1. Jesus is not surprised by her presence there.

2. Jesus has just shared words of concern for the plight of widows and how they were treated by the scribes, so if there had been something unusual about her presence in the temple, we would have expected him to say something about it.

3. but he does not.

4. Her presence is expected.

b. she gives an offering.

1. again, Jesus does not seem surprised that she has something to put into the Treasury.

2. some scholars think Jesus sees her giving as an example of the way the scribes are taking advantage of widows and the poor, but it does not read that way to me (The Jewish Annotated New Testament edited by Amy-Jill Levine and Marc Zvi Brettler) debunks this theory and makes the point that the Temple is where both rich and poor can contribute. See notes on this passage, 90)

3. Jesus is neither surprised that the widow is there in the Temple, nor that she has something to give to the Treasury.
4. Reminder that we all belong in the house of God, and we all have gifts to give back to God.
5. Giving is not the domain of the wealthy, or those who are the religious authorities, or those that seem like the most faithful among us, or those that seem to have an abundance.

6. giving is part of our discipleship. Just as all of us are called by God, so to all of us are called to be givers.

7.  God expects each of us to give; God gives each of us the opportunity to give.

8. Like the widow, all of us are invited to the Temple, so to speak.

Move 2: Reflect on giving out of our abundance.

a. Sounds sort of good: God gives to us abundantly; so out of our abundance we give back to God.

1. but that is not what Jesus describes about giving as he observes those who are giving to the Treasury in the Temple that day.
2. Jesus is unimpressed with the rich people who give large sums of money because they give out of their abundance.
3. Jesus is very impressed with the widow who gives very little, but whose giving comes out of her poverty.

4. Or As Eugene Peterson translates this passage, Jesus lifts up the widow fro giving that which "she couldn't afford," while the rich people gave what "they wouldn't miss" (to use Eugene Peterson's translation in The Message).
5. Jesus' comments challenge we have have so much.
6. We always have something more in our abundance, so we always have something more to give, but God wants more than just that something more we have; God wants us to follow the example of the widow who did not give merely out of her abundance, but gave out of her poverty.

b. In his book the Undertaking: Life Studies from the Dismal Trade, Thomas Lynch, a funeral home director shares stories about life that he has learned while dealing with death.

1. He tells the story of a priest who told him he wanted simple funeral, pine casket, Low Mass and pauper’s grave to set an example for the parish. No extravagant funeral for him.
   When Lynch told him he could set the example while he was alive by giving up his country club membership, selling his expensive car, sharing his savings, etc., the priest became angry. Lynch comments, “…the dead don’t care. Only the living care.” (6-7)

1. The truth is, most of care about our abundance.

2. there is always something more that we want to add to our abundance.
3. Jesus does not seem to care about our abundance.
4. He is more concerned with how much we give beyond our abundance.

Move 3: God always wants more and always has something more to give.

a. The Malachi passage has interesting words from God who challenges the Israelites to give their tithe as a test to see if God does not respond by pouring out blessings from heaven that they cannot imagine.

1. Is this some sort of holy quid pro quo -- give to God, and in exchange God will give back?
2. Giving as a way of buying God's blessing?

3. No, but Malachi certainly carries a challenge from God to the Israelites.

4. God challenges them to give. “Give your tithe,” Malachi challenges them, so that there is an abundance of gifts for God to use.
5. You can give your tithes in the assurance that God will provide for you in the future.

b. Colleague shared this story. Presbyterian grew up in northern Minnesota in a Norwegian Lutheran church. family pledged. One year, when he was about 12 years old, the church needed a new roof. The families in the church, including his parents, made a second pledge.

It was a hard winter. The cows were not giving much milk. There was plenty of hay to feed the cows, but no milk to make money for the pledge. His father was not only worried about the family's income, but also about the pledge for the new roof.

The spring payment on the pledge was about due, and there was not much money. Then a man drove into the farmstead in a big empty truck. He was from Texas. He explained they were in a drought back home so the neighboring farmers had pooled their funds to send a truck to MN, where they had heard there was plenty of hay. The rancher from TX has brought cash.

There was money for the pledge.

The Presbyterian elder who tells this story notes that every year when it comes time to make his pledge, he thinks about this story.

I suspect that he remembers that story not because of the size of the pledge, but because the pledge allowed them to see how God provided for them.

Conclusion: God says, “See if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you an overflowing blessing.”

We always have something more...we always have something more to give.