The Lutheran Hour
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"And Then What?"
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Text: Mark 12:44
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Christ is risen! He is risen, indeed! As your life is lived; as your story unfolds, may the crucified and ever living Lord Jesus be with you always. In Him is our trust; in Him is our hope. God grant it be so for all who hear this message today. Amen.
“Like sands through an hour glass, so are the days of our lives.” Whether you like soap operas, or dislike, detest, and despise them, you probably recognize their names. Let’s see, there’s “All My Children,” “As the World Turns,” “Bold and Beautiful,” and “Days of Our Lives,” “General Hospital,” “One Life To Live,” “Passions,” “The Young and the Restless,” and of course the granddaddy of them all, with over 15,000 broadcasts, “Guiding Light.” Now, I have to admit that I’m not a soap opera fan. I’ve got nothing against those who are, but I’m not one of them. Why? The reason is simple: as an average American male, my life span is somewhere around 74 years. From what I can see, 74 years is not long enough for the soap opera writers to finish a plot; and I don’t want to leave this earth without tying up as many loose ends as is possible. When God sends for me, I don’t want to say, “Sorry, Lord, I can’t go… I’ve got to wait and find out whether Rob is going to be truthful with Louise who is pretending to be carrying Richard’s best friend’s barber’s baby. I don’t want to have to wait and find out if Gwen is going to get together with Gary and get away from Gloria and her children, Gabrielle, Gwendolyn, and Gwyneth. No, I don’t watch soap operas. I like to know how things are going to turn out, and I’ve yet to see a soap opera that is ready to give me that information.
I want to know how things turn out; you do, too. Can you imagine the movie, Gone With the Wind ending with Rhett Butler standing at the door of his home? That is the one ending which isn’t acceptable. Rhett can come back in, or Rhett can walk down that misty path, but the movie can’t end with him standing there staring at Scarlett. The movie Titanic can’t finish with the hero and heroine jumping into the cold Atlantic. We want to know how it turns out for them. Do they live; do they die? We want to know. Is there anything more unsatisfying than watching an athletic event which ends in a tie? We want to know who has the best football team; we want to know who is the best boxer. We want to know how the story ends.
You know that’s the way I feel about the Bible when it speaks about the widow and her mites. Sounds like she’s got bugs, doesn’t it? No, a mite was the smallest of coins way back in those days. Today, if you took both of those coins together, they would be worth less than a penny. But, I’m getting ahead of myself. If you’ll be patient with me, I’d like to spend just a minute or two telling the lady’s story with those who’ve never heard it. Several days before Jesus was crucified, He, along with His disciples, sat down in one of the courtyards of the great Jewish temple. From their vantage point they could see the people giving their gifts to God. It had to be fascinating. There were rich people and poor people, locals and those from far off.
Understand, when the Jews collected their offerings, they didn’t “pass the plate” as most churches do today. Back then it was customary to put your gift to God into one of 13 metal horns, each of which led directly into its own separate offering box. Each offering box had its own purpose. Put your money in one horn and your gift went towards paying the priests; place your cash in another and it was used to provide for those who were in poverty or to help with the maintenance of the temple. The colorful sight of young and old, men and women, rich and not-so-rich stepping up to those boxes had to be wonderful to watch; the noise as those coins hit the metal horns had to be fascinating as well. Remember, there was no silent paper money, no classified credit cards, no confidential checks. Since the coinage was based on gold, bronze, and silver content, you could, without too much practice, tell what people were giving… or not.
That day, Jesus and His disciples might have seen a fine-looking fellow from Phoenicia put in his money as he fulfilled a promise made long ago. There could have been a Pharisee, who with much fanfare and flourish made sure his coins gave a substantial ring. Then they might have watched as an aged Alexandrian shuffled steadily ahead to share his small offering. The priests on duty certainly smiled when they saw a heavy purse open and heard an avalanche of glorious gold sliding into the temple’s trumpet shaped offering boxes. Everyone would have been impressed by such a show, by such style, by such largesse. All eyes and ears would have been pleased to see an individual who was faithful in fulfilling his duties. Such a person would have captured the eyes and ears of all who were gathered there that day. The eyes and ears of everybody, except for one.
That one, need I tell you, was Jesus. Jesus spent His time that day looking at the heart of the givers and not the heft of their gifts; Jesus watched not the quality of an individual’s clothes, but preferred, with Godly omniscience, to gaze upon the condition of their souls. And, as Jesus watched, He saw a widow approach the trumpeted collection boxes. Her arrival went quite unnoticed by the rest; her gift, two small, bronze coins, less than a penny, were quickly given. Then, having surrendered her small, almost silent offering, the lady went back to the duties of her day.
It was then, just before the lady would have been swallowed by the crowd that Jesus pointed her out to those around Him. No, He didn’t go up to her and praise her face-to-face. That would have been embarrassing to her. As God’s Son, He knew that her gift was a personal thing, a private thing. He respected the widow’s devout act of devotion which she had made to her loving Lord. And when Jesus spoke of her to His disciples, He didn’t talk about her past life, about the loneliness she had felt at the loss of her life’s partner. No, as the lady shuffled away, Jesus, in effect, said, “We have seen some pretty big gifts today; but the truth is, that lady, the one right there, she has, with her two small coins, made the biggest gift of all. Everyone else has made contributions which they will hardly miss. On the other hand, that lady has given what she couldn’t afford; she has given completely, totally. She has given her all.”
Jesus would have appreciated what that lady did… the complete sacrifice she made. His entire life had been spent making a complete sacrifice for us. Only, Jesus’ contribution would not be counted out in cash; could never be measured in money. If you wish to see complete sacrifice, look at the next days of the Savior’s life. Before the week was out, Jesus would be betrayed. One of His friends would turn Him over to His enemies with a kiss; another would, with words and oaths, deny ever having known Him; the others would run away, leaving Him to His terrible fate, leaving Him to suffer in silence. Before the week was finished, Jesus would be convicted for crimes He did not commit. The Supreme Court of His country would illegally try and retry Him. They would lead in liars to tell stories about Him; and they would declare Him worthy of death because He had told the truth; because He had said He was the Son of God. He would be judged by a Roman procurator, who even though he knew Jesus was innocent, still sentenced the Savior to be scourged and crucified. Jesus, before the week was out, would be dead. He would be forced to carry His cross to the crest of skull-shaped Calvary; and upon that cross He would be crucified as crowds who, having come for the show, called out insults as He died. That, my friends, is complete sacrifice; for it was made without complaint, without a struggle; without a defense.
But I am not done. Before the week was out, Jesus would show the completeness of the Father’s compassion, the greatness of His grace, as He, who had never committed a sin; who had never broken a commandment, would willingly shoulder the sins of every human this wicked world has produced. Look within your own heart and see all that you have done wrong in your life: every curse, every falsity, every bit of envy, hatred, and lust. Look at your actions, your thoughts. Each of those Jesus carried, and millions, no billions more. Every hurt that has ever been inflicted; every pain that we have produced, Jesus saw and carried to the cross. This was His complete sacrifice… begun, continued, and completed so you might be saved from the sins you have done, so you might be saved from the struggle with Satan, so that your death would lead to life. Jesus’ complete sacrifice was made so that He, in His resurrection from the dead, might show you He is victorious and is willing to share His victory with all who believe on Him as their forgiving Lord and Savior. This day, if you do not know the sacrificing Savior, the caring Christ, then may the Holy Spirit move you from hell to heaven; and lead you from the devil’s darkness into Jesus’ blood-bought light. May this day be the day for God to give you a faith… a faith… a faith like that of the widow lady.
The widow lady. Goodness, I almost forgot about her. If you remember, the last time we saw her, she, having made her gift, was blending back into the crowd. Don’t you wonder what happened to her? I do. You know, the Bible is God’s complete, inspired, inerrant Word. It gives all we need so we might receive eternal life. For this I am most thankful to the Lord; but I must confess, there have been times, as I’ve read and studied, that I’ve thought some stories end abruptly. I’ve found myself asking, “And then what?” I really wish one of the Gospel writers would have told me what happened to Jesus’ stepfather, Joseph. Yes, I know I’ll find out when I get to heaven… but I’d sure like to know now. I’d like to know, where did the Wise Men go after they gave their gifts? I’d like to know what happened to Pontius Pilate. I don’t need to know; but I would like to know.
I would like to know, “How did the story of the widow end? What happened to her?” I’ve been through the New Testament a whole bunch of times, and there’s nothing there. I’ve looked through some church history books and haven’t found anything there. What happened? Did she live a long life; did she find a rich widower, get married, and live happily ever after? Did she, as she left the temple, stumble over a bag of a billion dollars, turn it into the local police, and when it wasn’t claimed, it became hers? Or, did the lady, as she walked out of the temple, fall down, break a leg, get an infection, and die? Did she live in poverty the rest of her life? I just don’t know and, truth be told, nobody else knows, either.
Of course, that doesn’t stop some people from making guesses as to what happened to her. For example, I’ve listened to some preachers on the radio and TV. After hearing some of their messages, I’m not very encouraged as to her prospects. You know, they say things like, “If you give to God; He’s going to give back to you. If you give a dollar, God will give you a dollar; if you give God ten dollars; He’ll give you the same back. If you give a large amount; God will bless you.” Now, if I were that widow, I’d find that kind of logic pretty discouraging. She only had two mites, the smallest amount a person could give to the temple. Now, using the logic of those tele-evangelists, the lady would have finished her life in abject and total poverty. She had given less than a penny to the Lord, and if God only gives back what we give to Him… it looks like poor people are going to stay poor.
Thankfully, God doesn’t work that way. He doesn’t depend on us to jump-start the relationship between us. And, if you think what I’ve said is just a matter of opinion, with some tele-evangelists believing one thing, and me believing another, you might be right. But let me share the reasons why I believe the way I do; the reasons I think they’re wrong. I’d like you to take a look at Adam and Eve. After they sinned, humanity’s first parents were completely helpless, completely homeless, and, worst of all, they were bound for hell. Now God didn’t sit around in heaven, twiddling His thumbs, and say, “They got themselves into this mess; they can get themselves out. I’m just gonna’ wait until they get this situation figured out. Until then, they’re on their own.” God did nothing of the sort. Because God is gracious… and that means He gives what we don’t deserve, He, all on His own, without any logical reason, promised to send a Savior to redeem this terrible world which was just full-to-the-brim with transgressions.
And that’s not the only time God took the initiative. When the Children of Israel were in Egyptian slavery, God didn’t wait for them to figure some special way of escape. If He had, they probably would still be making mud bricks. Once again, God set the wheels of freedom in motion. God sent Moses to lead the people. God sent some miracles to persuade Pharaoh that letting His people go would be a good thing. God set up the plan, implemented the plan, and completed the plan. His people didn’t do anything, including being appreciative. When God’s people marched out of Egypt, do you know what God did? One thing He didn’t do was wait for the people to take the lead. He gave them food, day and night. He gave them water in the barren wilderness; He led them with a pillar of cloud and fire. He even made sure their clothes didn’t wear out. And His people? Did they reciprocate in kind? You would think so; but you would think wrong. God’s people complained. They had complained when they were in Egypt; they complained when they were out of Egypt and they complained when God wanted to take them into the Promised Land. In spite of what God’s people didn’t do, God kept blessing His people.
But I’ve wandered. I was talking about the widow lady. What happened to her? Some people would say she prospered and lived happily ever after. If you think that, I’m not going to argue. There are certainly a lot of people in the Bible whom God decided to bless because they were faithful. In spite of occasional slips and sins made by Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph, God still took care of them. He blessed Daniel when he was in the lion’s den; He delivered Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego from being toasted in the fiery furnace. God has a wonderful track record of bestowing blessings upon His people. God gives to His people in abundance. How does He say it? Oh, yes, “…Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over” (Luke 6:38).
Still, I think it’s dangerous to tell faithful Christians that they are guaranteed that they will have an easy life. Some of the most faithful Christians I know are brothers and sisters around the world who are persecuted by their governments. As a parish pastor, I’ve seen numerous committed Christians endure one tragedy after another. Life isn’t easy for them. No, I’d feel really uncomfortable making that kind of guarantee. “Just my opinion?” you ask. Not really. Jesus said, “If anyone would come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me” (Luke 9:23). Jesus promises a cross to His faithful people; and Paul, one of Jesus’ most faithful people was able to list what that had meant in his life. He said, “Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure” (2 Corinthians 11:25-27). No, being a Christian doesn’t guarantee that you will live a life that is simple, safe, secure; free from shadows, sadness, and sorrow. There’s no guarantee for you, or for the widow at the temple.
We’ve come back to that widow, haven’t we? Would you like to know the rest of her story; how things turned out for her? As I’ve already said, I can’t supply the particulars; but there are some things I can say. I know that, “like sands through an hour glass, so were the days of her life.” But unlike a soap opera which never ends, this lady’s time on earth eventually ran out. But, between the day when she put her mites into the temple’s collection box and the day when she breathed her last, I believe she continued to trust her Heavenly Father, and His Son, her Savior, who had watched that day in the temple. If that is so, I also know that God never let her down. If her life was hard, He was there to help her. If she was sad, Jesus was there for her to lean upon. In her loneliness, the risen Savior remained her friend, and when her story was over; when the last chapter of her life had been written and the book was closed, even then He was there. She shut her eyes in this world for the last time, and opened them in heaven. Her Savior took her right past death and brought her to an eternity of happiness she could never have imagined, a place beyond her fondest dreams.
To be with us always is the promise Jesus has made to His people. It is a promise still in force. So, even if your life seems filled with all the sadness, sorrow, and suffering of a soap opera, I want you to know the rest of your story. God says to you, as He once said to the prophet Isaiah, “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are Mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. For I am the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior” (Isaiah 43:1-3). Would you like those words to be God’s words for you? Call us at The Lutheran Hour. Amen.
LUTHERAN HOUR MAILBOX (Questions & Answers) for November 12, 2006
Topic: WorthinessANNOUNCER: Now Pastor Ken Klaus answers questions from listeners. I’m Mark Eischer.
KLAUS: Hi, Mark.
ANNOUNCER: A listener writes, “There are times when I feel I’m not as close to God as other people are, those who are more worthy than I am. Am I not praying enough?
KLAUS: First the part about not as being as close to God as others are — God in His divine love wants to be close to everybody in this world. He wants to be close to me, to you, our listener, the baby in the crib, the golden ager in the nursing home. God is near to both believer and unbeliever. But unbelief continuously pushes Him away.
Now the problem comes in that some people, for any number of reasons, don’t really believe God is there with them, loving them, reaching out to them, saving them. For them, God may as well not exist.
ANNOUNCER: But, certainly that doesn’t mean that God isn’t near to them, or that He isn’t trying to save them.
KLAUS: Right. We may not know God, or recognize Him — but He is still there.
ANNOUNCER: Now I think we’re getting close to what this person’s asking.
KLAUS: Good. And we need to make another distinction here. There are some people who know more about God than others do. That makes it seem like God is closer to them or they’re closer to God.
ANNOUNCER: But it isn’t necessarily so?
KLAUS: No, knowledge is a good thing, but knowledge about God isn’t the same thing as faith in God. Jesus says we need to have faith like a little child if we’re going to get into heaven. Jesus nowhere requires that you have to have a Ph.D in theology in order to get into paradise. Likewise, there are people who are more vocal about expressing or sharing their faith. They may seem to be closer to God.
ANNOUNCER: But that’s really not the situation. As you said, God is close to everyone, and we need look no further than His Word and Sacraments in order to find Him.
KLAUS: Right. God is close to us, but we may not be close to Him. That’s why I especially like the story of the man who came to Jesus with a problem. His son was possessed by the devil, and he asked Jesus if it were possible for the Savior to help them out. Jesus replied, “Everything is possible for the person who believes.” Now what I like about this story is what the man said next, “Lord, I do believe, help me overcome my unbelief.” I don’t have to tell you that Jesus healed the boy and He helped with the man’s unbelief, as well. “Lord, I believe, help me overcome my unbelief.” Our unbelief is what puts distance between us and God.
ANNOUNCER: And it has nothing to do with our worthiness?
KLAUS: Of course not. Jesus came to seek and save the lost. Jesus came to bring light to those in darkness, heal those who were sick. All of those, the lost, those in the dark, those who are spiritually sick, can’t do anything for themselves. Their worthiness is zip, zero, zilch, nada. Jesus brings a gift of forgiveness and salvation to the unworthy.
ANNOUNCER: And like the Bible says, we are saved by grace, not by our works or anything that we can do.
KLAUS: Absolutely right.
ANNOUNCER: Which takes us to the next part of our listener’s question, that part about whether they’re praying enough.
KLAUS: Right. The quality or quantity of an individual’s prayer is not going to increase that person’s worthiness before God. We can’t do anything to make ourselves more worthy.
ANNOUNCER: But you’re not saying we shouldn’t pray, are you?
KLAUS: I hope nobody heard me say that. Prayer is a good thing, a commanded thing, a right thing. But what is even better for this person is that he is open to the Lord’s leading. Do you recall the story how King David came to write Psalm 51? He’d moved away from God. He had committed adultery and murder. God sent the prophet Nathan to call David to repentance. Like we said before, God hadn’t moved, but David had. Well, David did repent; he was forgiven. And then he wrote Psalm 51. The verses that are most important to what we’re saying today are, well here, Mark, why don’t you read?
ANNOUNCER: OK. “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from Thy presence; and take not Thy Holy Spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of Thy salvation; and uphold me with Thy free spirit.”
KLAUS: What David is saying is, “God You are close to me, like you’ve always been. When I sin, bring me back and bring me closer to You. Remake me.
ANNOUNCER: And God did that?
KLAUS: He did. Just as He will for the sake of Christ, bring our caller closer to Him as well.
ANNOUNCER: Thank you, Pastor Klaus. This has been a presentation of Lutheran Hour Ministries.
Music selections for this program:
“A Mighty Fortress” arranged by John Leavitt. Concordia Publishing House/SESAC
“Who Trusts in God, a Strong Abode” arranged by Henry Gerike. Used by permission
“Prelude on Repton” by John Behnke. From For All Seasons, vol. 2 by John Behnke (© 2001 John A. Behnke) Concordia Publishing House/SESAC
“The God of Abraham Praise” by Michael Burkhardt. From Hymn Improvisations, vol. 1 by Michael Burkhardt (© 1993 MorningStar Music Publishers)