The Widow's Offering

In this part of the sermon: Martin details the setting of Jesus' observation in the Court of the Women, explaining the 'treasury' and the 'shofaroth.' He then describes Jesus' focus on the rich casting in…

Martin quotes Alfred Edersheim's description of the Court of the Women and the 'shofaroth' (trumpet-shaped offering chests) in the temple, providing historical and architectural context for Jesus' observation.

Well, I found it very helpful in my investigation of that question to come across a very helpful description in a book entitled The Temple, Its Ministry and Services as They Were in the Time of Christ, written by Alfred Edersheim. And he describes a section in the temple that was called The Court of the Women. And it was in that Court of the Women, that this event took place. And I read now his description of those circumstances to the end that when we come back to the passage, you'll be able to draw up, as it were, from the well of the faculty of imagination, a picture of the situation as Mar...

6:02 - 7:29 Read in full sermon

The point: If you are to have the commendation of our Lord upon your giving. Something of the element of sacrifice and faith must be present in the amount that you give.

Martin quotes Lenski, who depicts the widow with a child and questions if she starved, emphasizing that her gift was 'pure gold' due to her faith, not its monetary value, and that her act cannot be mechanically reproduced but her faith can be emulated.

Did this widow star? I think not. The great painter Tissot depicts this widow with a little child on her arms. It makes the image of the woman more poignant.

42:55 - 43:07 Read in full sermon

The point: In the working through of the budgeting of our tithes and offerings to the Lord are giving in the face of unusual needs. Is to ask. I asked the Lord. O God, give me the spirit of that poor widow, the spirit of sacrifice …

Martin recounts the story of the widow of Zarephath and Elijah, where she was asked to bake for the prophet first, illustrating the principle of seeking God's kingdom first and trusting in His provision.

To at least have a little bit. little margin in there to prove you to be the god you say you are to those who seek first your kingdom you see wasn't that the principle with that widow to whom the prophet came he found her gathering a few sticks and she had a little handful of meal and a little oil and he said what are you doing she says i'm baking a cake for my son and myself it's our funeral meal that's all that stands between us and starvation then we're going to die and you remember what the prophet said bake me a cake first i represent jehovah the god of israel and when the prophet said ba...

45:21 - 46:46 Read in full sermon

The point: Start regulating your giving so that the element of sacrifice and faith begin to enter. And then you begin to see the family realize that God's not just someone that the pastors talk about. God is the living personal bei…

Martin shares a personal anecdote from family worship where he showed his children unexpected money that arrived to meet needs, confirming God's faithfulness and teaching them that 'God does answer prayer.'

Lord, I would prove you. I would not tempt you, but Lord, I would prove you. And some of you have the joy of having one confirmation after another that God means what he says. I wouldn't give up those days when our children would sit and at family worship, I'd show them some money that came from an unexpected source to pay the next Christian school installment payment or some other need, and sometimes almost to the dollar, and see the kids say, Daddy, God does answer prayer, doesn't he? Yes. To know that prayer is more than a notion. Their daddy preached it. It was a

54:16 - 55:03 Read in full sermon