The principle of contribution

“One day Jesus sat down opposite the temple treasury, and watched the crowd putting money into the treasury. Many rich people put in large sums. A poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which are worth a penny. Then He called His disciples and said to them, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the treasury. For all of them have contributed out of their abundance; but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.” Mark 12:41-44

Upon reading the above text, I decided to do a study on how much money this widow really had. A more accurate understanding of the currencies and the denominations used can be gained by looking into the original Greek text. For example the word “penny” appears in the New Testament a few times in most modern translations (“farthing” in traditional translations), but the root word has several meanings. I would like to illustrate how much money this widow had by comparing two verses: i.e. Mark 12: 42 and Matthew 10:29.

Matthew 10:29

Are not two sparrows sold for a penny [in Greek - assarion]? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father.

Mark 12:42

But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, [in Greek - two lepta] worth only a fraction of a penny. [In Greek - kodrantes]

A total of three denominations are mentioned in the above two verses, namely – assarion, lepta and kodrantes. There is another common denomination we find in the bible – denarius (plural denarii), which is the normal daily wage for a labourer. The following are the conversion rates that relate them.

1 assarion = 1/16 denarius

1 kodrantes = 1/64 denarius

1 lepton (plural lepta) = 1/128 denarius

Based on the above equations and according to Jesus in Matthew 10:29:

The price for 2 sparrows = 8 lepta.

Therefore I assume the price for 1 sparrow = 4 lepta.

The money the widow had = 2 lepta.

In other words, all that the widow had could not even buy a sparrow! Jesus used that illustration in Matthew 10:29 to emphasize that even the smallest, most insignificant creature is taken care of by the Father – Not one of them will fall to the ground without the Father. The object Jesus picked up, to depict the lowest “value” was a sparrow. What the widow contributed was lower that than the lowest as per Jesus’ example. Yet, Jesus considered that the most profound contribution over all the contributors to the treasury.

Legalistically speaking, her contribution really bothers me because she does not have enough resources for any of the “offerings” that would put her in right standing with God. The price for a sin offering was that you had to sacrifice a lamb. If you could not afford a lamb, you could sacrifice two doves or two young pigeons. How can she afford any of these if she cannot even afford a sparrow? Can you imagine her pain and sense of unworthiness? When a woman has her menstrual period, she is considered ceremonially unclean for seven days. On the eighth day after the bleeding stops, she must bring two turtle doves or two pigeons and present them to the priest at the entrance of the Tabernacle. The priest will offer one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering. Through this process, the priest will purify her before the Lord for the ceremonial impurity caused by her bleeding. How can she afford any of this if she cannot even afford a sparrow? Can you imagine her shame and helplessness?

Has it ever occurred to you that you have been “poor” – poor in availability, poor in strength, poor in finances, poor in talents, poor in gifting, poor in ministry, poor in service, poor in receiving opportunities and so on and so forth? Has that brought on you a sense of “disqualification”? The widow does not “qualify” in more ways than one. And yet, even though she lacks the resources that will aid her to rid herself of sin and uncleanness, she makes a contribution which Jesus says is greater than all. She lacks the resources to minister to her own needs, yet according to Jesus, her contribution has been the greatest. Could it be possible that I can be so helpless that I cannot even help myself and yet contribute to God’s temple in manners kings and rulers can’t?

Why was this widow’s contribution considered great? Jesus says “she put in more than all that have contributed” Notice the word “all”. Jesus does not use the word “any.” He used the word “all.” If Jesus had said, “she put in more than “any” that have contributed” it would mean she is the highest individual contributor. However, the manner in which Jesus said it suggests that she contributed more than all of them put together! Such a statement requires us to study the definition of “contribution” as per Jesus’ vocabulary. As per His vocabulary, the greatness of a contribution does not depend on what you give, or how much you give, but on how much you have left, after you give. The lesser you have left after the contribution, the greater the contribution! The widow did not have anything left. The widow did not have anything left!!!

If that is how Jesus defined contribution, I begin to see the glorious gospel through the light of that definition. How? You see when the widow contributed, she had nothing left. Likewise, when Jesus shed His blood for me, he did not have any more blood left. When Jesus gave up his life for me, He did not have any more life left. When the Father gave up His Son, he did not have any more Sons left. When I was forgiven of my sins, I did not have any more un-forgiven sin left. When He erased the record that stood against me, there were no more records left. When He rose again, death no longer had any power left. When He stripped the principalities and powers, they had no more authority left. Oh! What a contribution! What a glorious gospel! Oh I am not ashamed of it because it is the power of God unto salvation to every man that has faith!

Jesus says the widow “put in everything she had, all she had to live on” In other words, after she put in what she did, she had nothing to live on. Nothing to live on. Nothing to live on. The greatest contribution we can make to God is not our preaching, because we can still live on after we give Him that. It is not our money because we can still live on after we give Him that. It is not our talents because we can still live on after we give Him that. If we can ever give Him something after which we have nothing left, then that is the greatest contribution. If we give him our life – all of it, we have nothing left. Am I reckoning myself daily to be crucified with Christ so that it is no longer I that lives?

On my 21st birthday, a friend of mine gifted me a copy of My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers. On the inside of the front cover, my friend had written the following:

"This is true:

For God so loved the world that He gave up His Son for Sujith

This also must be true:

For Sujith so loved God that he gave himself up for Him"

Thirsty?

Click here to read Exodus 17:1-7

"...the people thirsted there..." Exodus 17:3

In this passage of scripture we see the Israelites camping at a place called Rephidim. They had reached Rephidim not according to their own plan, but according to the plan of the Lord. The reason why they were at Rephidim was because they had obeyed the Lord’s command to journey in stages and God had specifically led them there. “…the whole congregation of the Israelites journeyed by stages, as the Lord commanded…” Exodus 17:1. In other words, the Israelites were walking under the perfect will of God.

They carried with them the testimony and experience of a fascinating account of God’s power and provision. God with his mighty hand had delivered them from slavery and from Pharaoh. He had split open the red sea before them. They had seen their enemies dead on the seashore. Bread had rained from heaven for them each morning and quails in the evening. Now, the Lord had led them to Rephidim.

It was obedience to the Lord’s command that brought them to Rephidim. However, at Rephidim there was no water for the people to drink. Walking in the perfect will of God, yet lacking provision! Is it possible to walk in complete obedience to God and yet lack His provision? Note verse 3 – “…the people thirsted there for water…” The keyword in that phrase is “there.” Where? - At Rephidim. Where? - At the very place that they God had led them to. What caused them to reach that place? – Their obedience to the Lord’s command. Was it not natural for the Israelites to expect God to provide them with water? They were not asking for anything extravagant. Just plain water to drink. After all, God had provided bread and meat from heaven. Has it ever occurred to you that God has withheld his blessings that you really, really, really need and you could not figure out why?

It was such a test that the Israelites encountered at Rephidim. The people complained against Moses and said, “Why did you bring us out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and livestock with thirst?” Why did they say that? They said that because even though they were slaves in Egypt, they at least had water to drink. Even though they were being lashed by whips by the Egyptians, they at least had water to drink. Even though they had to work and toil hard to make bricks for Pharaoh, they at least had water to drink. In other words, they would have preferred to be in Egypt under slavery than come to Rephidim and die of thirst. In other words, they preferred security over freedom.

Why did God bring them out of Egypt? Was it to give them food, water, clothing and a good home? No. The primary reason was that they would worship God! That a relationship between the Israelites and God would be established and that they would become heirs to the covenants of promise. Food, water, clothing and every other blessing was a by-product – not the main product. The main product was that they would have the privilege to have God to speak to them and live amongst them and have a relationship with them.

Allow me to expand along this line of thought with an illustration. I love the beach for its sheer beauty and hence I visit it whenever I can. That is the main product – the sand and the waves. However, when I go to the beach for the sand and the waves, I am also allowed other privileges: The privilege of feeling the sea breeze; The privilege of watching birds fly around; The privilege of observing fishermen casting nets; The privilege of witnessing the joy of a child playing in water; all this and a lot more. All these are by-products of the main product.

If you were to take any of these by-products away, I would still return to the beach. This reveals the real reason behind my visit to the beach. If you were to take the fishermen away, I would still want to visit the beach. If you were to take the birds away, I would still want to visit the beach. However, if you were to take the sand and the water and waves away, I would not return to the beach, regardless of the presence of the by-products. The entity, upon whose elimination, I lose the desire to visit the beach, is the essential and actual stimulus behind my visit to the beach.

Coming back to the Israelites, when the entity of water to drink was eliminated for a while, they expressed that it would have been better for them to remain in Egypt. What does that reveal? It reveals that all along it was not God they were after but His blessings! They considered His blessings the main product! When God withholds His blessings from your life for a while – as elementary as drinking water – do you feel your faith staggering? Do you feel the flame diminishing? Do you start complaining and murmuring? Do you start questioning God’s love? If you are honest and take a close look at yourself you will come to the humiliating revelation that you have been serving God for your own means. You considered His blessings to be the main product. You will realize that your devotion to God is based on the work of His hands and not on Him. Search your heart today. Why do you serve God? Is it because you need Him to serve your means? There were plenty of people around Jesus when He was alive and doing miracles, but there was only one at His tomb when He was dead and doing nothing.

Let us look at God’s response to the complaint. “The Lord said to Moses, ‘Go on ahead of the people, and take some of the elders of Israel with you; take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go. I will be standing there in front of you on the rock at Horeb. Strike the rock, and water will come out of it, so that the people may drink.’ Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel” Exodus 17: 5-6. God provides water for them, not at Rephidim, but at Horeb, where God stood. In other words, the Israelites had to travel from the “place they thirsted” to the “place where God was.”

The journey from Rephidim to Horeb is one every believer has to take. Sooner or later God will engineer circumstances in your life that will make you realize that you have not been seeking His face, but the work of His hands. Once this revelation comes, be humble enough to take the journey from Rephidim to Horeb.

The word Rephidim means “support”. The word Horeb means “desolate”, “parched”, “dry” etc. The Israelites questioned God’s capability on whether He could give them water at the place of “support.” God’s response to the complaint was to lead them to the “parched, dry, desolate” place and made water gush from it to quench their thirst. You could call this a mighty display of God’s power. You could call it the magnificent provision of God. However, I must add God has a tremendous sense of humour!

How much did those spices cost?

Click here to read Mark 15:42-16:7

“…bought spices so that they might go to anoint Jesus' body…” Mark 15:1

All of us love to serve God and want to be used by God. At times we make plans on how exactly we are going to serve God because we sense a need in the body of Christ. Over the years, I have also “sensed” a “need” and made appropriate plans only to find out that my view of the “need” was not really a need. Maybe you are making plans to serve God in some particular because you see a “need” in the body of Christ. What if you were to find out later on that those plans availed nothing? It can be quite disappointing.

We read of one such instance in the bible. Mark 15: 47 says, “Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses saw where He was laid.” Two women saw where the body of Christ was laid for burial. The Amplified Bible puts it this way: “they were attentively observing where He was laid.” The next verse, Mark 16:1 says, “When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might go to anoint Jesus' body.” A few women attentively observed where the body of Christ was laid, and they “sensed” that there was a “need” to anoint the body of Christ. So after Sabbath was over, they bought spices and came to execute their “service” based on their understanding of the “need.”

When they came to the tomb, they found out that Jesus had risen from the dead and He wasn’t there! What were they going to do with all those spices they bought? I wonder how much it cost them to buy those spices. I wonder who took the trouble of carrying those spices all the way to the tomb. Maybe they shared the load. They had bought the spices on the previous day, so the spices had to be stored overnight at someone’s house. Let us suppose it was at Salome’s house. I wonder if anyone at home would have asked her what she intended to do with those spices. I am sure she would have told them about the “service” she and her friends were going to do the next day. I wonder if they had discussed between them on how they were going to anoint his body. “You do the hands, I’ll do the legs.” Maybe. Maybe not. Anyway, what’s the use? At least if Jesus had been there they could have showed Him the spices to let Him know how much they loved Him. What a waste. A waste of time. A waste of money. A waste of…

A few days earlier a sinful woman in the house of Simon the leper had broke open an alabaster jar full of expensive perfume and poured it on Jesus. In response to this act, Jesus says in Mark 14:8: “She poured perfume on my body beforehand to prepare for my burial.” Note the word “beforehand” The need of the body of Christ to be anointed for burial was already taken care of “beforehand!” Well you would say, if only those 3 women knew! It is not fair! It is out of their love for Jesus that they planned all this. Now all those plans have gone down the drain! How sad!

I have been there many times and the disappointment hardly lasts long. Why do I say that? Because they received a revelation of Christ that no one else had. Nobody else knew that Jesus had risen from the dead! These 3 were the first ones to receive that revelation. Not only that, they were also entrusted with preaching the news of the resurrection to the Apostles of the New Testament church! Can you imagine that? Mark 16: 7 “But go, tell His disciples and Peter, 'He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.'” WOW! The service they had planned to do was to anoint the body. However, an angel from heaven ordained them to the service of preaching the news of the resurrection to Peter & Co. Who cares about the spices now? :) A new revelation! A new ministry!

Sometimes the reason our eyes see a version of the “need” is so that we will get to the place where we can be entrusted with a greater ministry. If those three women did not act upon their “sense” of the “need,” they would have never got to the tomb. i.e. the place where they received a new revelation and a new commission. Never be disappointed when plans regarding service go wrong. It is often the place where a new revelation is born and a new commission is given. Never sulk about the price you paid for the spices. How much did those spices cost? I don’t know. But I do know the resurrection gospel is far more precious than that.

Having said all this, I get reminded of the story of a little boy whose name was David. His plan of service was to go and give food to his brothers. He found his brothers weren’t where they were supposed to be. His plans went wrong. He wasn’t disappointed though. He continued to search for his brothers and eventually found them. It turned out that his brothers were angry with him for being there. How rude! David had taken the trouble to come all the way there to give them food. However he did meet a man THERE called Goliath. The rest, as they say, is history.

The repeated lesson

Click here to read 2 Kings 4:42 - 44

“So he repeated…” (2 Kings 4:43)

There are many lessons that God teaches me – but some lessons can be really humiliating because I’ve learnt them before and yet I’ve failed to apply them. These lessons often pertain to the service I render unto God. We all at some point in time or the other have prayed that God would use us. It feels good when we sense that God is using us. However it is at times like these that I have often received the harshest rebukes from God, because my views about service to God tend to go a little out of focus.

In this passage of scripture, we read about a man from Baal-shalishah bringing food from the first fruits to Elisha. Now, Elisha was at a place called Gilgal and there was a famine there. This man whose name we do not know, brought twenty loaves of barley and fresh ears of grain. Now this is ample food for one person but not enough for a hundred, which was the number of people that was present there at that time. “Elisha said, “Give it to the people and let them eat.” But his servant said, “How can I set this before a hundred people?” (2 Kings 4:42, 43) Notice that it was not the man who brought food that said this. It was Elisha’s servant who did.

We are also servants of a Master and He often tells us things to do, that in our estimate, may seem absurd and insignificant. “So he repeated…” (2 Kings 4:43) When it comes to serving God, this is one lesson I believe the Master often repeats and emphasizes. So what is the repeated lesson? Read on… Most miracles in the Bible have a brief description about it. For example from the New Testament: “He took the five loaves, broke it and distributed…” or “He said “Lazarus, come out!...” or “He made mud out of saliva and put it on his eyes…”; from the Old Testament: “He told Naaman to go and wash in the Jordan seven times…” or “When their feet touched the waters, the Jordan was cut off…” or “God said “Let there be light” and there was light…” etc.

This particular miracle however has no explanation to it whatsoever. We do not know whether the loaves where multiplied. We do not know whether the loaves were broken. We do not know if the loaves were prayed over. How did all of them eat and yet there was food left? We do not know if the hundred people lost their appetites. We don’t even know what they ate. Why do I say that? - Because the man who came with the food brought both barley loaves and fresh ears of grain. Now the barley loaves can be eaten, but the fresh ears of grain obviously cannot unless they are cooked. Elisha says, “Give it to the people…” “it”? What’s “it”? He could have said “Give the loaves to the people…” But the Holy Spirit, under whose inspiration the Scriptures are written, did not choose to write it that way. The servant says “How can I set this before a hundred…” “this”? What’s “this”? He could have said “How can I set these loaves before a hundred…” but that’s not how it is written. So Elisha repeated “Give it to the people…” “it”? What’s “it”? Is the master talking about the loaves? Or is he talking about the fresh ears of grain? I hope not! Or is he talking about both? I have no clue!

The repeated statement: “Give it to the people and let them eat, for thus says the Lord, ‘They shall eat and have some left.’” Our understanding of ministry needs and the ways to meet them are sometimes very different from the Lord’s. According to the servant, the food was not enough to feed a hundred. According to the Master, the issue is not whether there is enough food or not. His concern is that the servant obeys the spoken Word. How often have we neglected obedience in private and given importance to service in public? Beware of measuring your walk with God according to your “usefulness” to Him in public. How much of a use you are to God does not depend on how much or little you work for Him, but on your degree of obedience to Him. The work you do for Him, should be an impulsive outpouring that comes from a life of obedience in private.

Look at what Philippians chapter 2 says in verse 7 and 8 about Jesus “…He emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human form, He humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death – even death on a cross.” These verses talk about His birth, and they talk about His death – but everything that happened in-between His birth and death is summed up in one phrase “obedient up to the point of death”. All the healing, all the preaching, all that He did from His birth to His death is summed up in that one phrase – “from the time he was born, till he died, he was obedient”. Think of that for a moment!

The first time Jesus revealed His glory caused His disciples to believe in Him. (John 2:11). This happened at the wedding at Cana. What caused the glory of Jesus to be revealed which in-turn caused the Apostles of the New Testament church to believe in Him? - Few servants who obeyed the Master in filling jugs with water. Did the servants have any clue that their obedience in private would cause the glory of Christ to be revealed? No. Did they know that their obedience in private would result in Peter, John & Co. to believe in Christ? No. Did any of us exist when Christ lived on earth and lived a life of obedience? No – But what He did back then causes lives to be transformed even today.

When we are so caught up in serving God, He often has to speak to us and say, “Martha, Martha…” Maybe you have a desire for God to use you and He has been dealing with areas in your life that requires obedience. You might say to yourself, “Oh well, that is really absurd and insignificant.” “Do I really have to do that?” Whenever there is an inner debate, stop. Proceed with the matter of obeying God no matter how insignificant it may seem. A person who constantly lives life this way really has no idea how much he or she is being used by God.

Setting “it” before a hundred people according to the servant made no sense to him – but when the servant obeyed the Master, it turned out to be a blessing to many. So what is the repeated lesson? It is the lesson of realizing that your usefulness to the Master depends on your obedience in private. It is the lesson of trusting the Master’s sense of service and not your own. It is the lesson of the Master compelling His servant to obey the spoken Word. “So Elisha repeated…”

“When we walk with the Lord in the light of His Word,
What a glory He sheds on our way!
While we do His good will, He abides with us still,
And with all who will trust and obey.”