Rev. Jim O’Neal, Senior Pastor

Sun Lakes United Methodist Church

9248 E. Riggs Road, Sun Lakes, Arizona 85248

(480) 895-8766

Mark 12:41-44 NRSV

⁴¹He sat down opposite the treasury, and watched the crowd putting money into the treasury. Many rich people put in large sums. ⁴²A poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which are worth a penny. ⁴³Then 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. ⁴⁴For 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.”

A. Introduction

1. Desperate Bank Robber

a. A man had been laid off from work. His wife was in the hospital and needed an expensive operation. Their insurance had run out and the bills were piling up. In desperation he made a very bad decision and decided to rob a bank. Nervous, he paced back and forth in front of the bank. Finally, he rushed in and shouted at the teller, “Don’t stick with me, this is a mess up!”

b. Today’s economy is a real “mess up.” Some people are having a very hard time economically. All of us have been affected in some way be it the losses in the stock market, declining home values, or the rising costs of energy and food. Indeed the Recession has come to your house and my house.

2. Today’s Scripture: Mark 12:41-44

a. Hard times have occurred numerous times in human history. The widow in today’s Scripture was struggling economically. She had very little to live on. She was a very poor person, but still she loved God, wanted to worship in God’s House, and she wanted to support the work of her congregation. So she went to the Temple, and the Lord tells us that she quietly made her way through the crowd of people gathered there. Some of the well-to-do worshippers were dropping in large amounts of money. Shyly this widow put in two copper coins, worth only a fraction of a penny. This was the least one could put into the Temple treasury. Rabbinic law forbade putting just one coin in the offering. The smallest allowed were two coins. This widow put in the least amount possible. Some would have scoffed at such a trivial gift, but not Jesus. He said to his disciples, “I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything — all she had to live on.” (Mark 12:43-44)

b. This widow was caught in the midst of hard times, and we can learn from her story.

B. Understand that some people are having hard times.

1. Home Foreclosures

a. Just ten days ago the Associated Press released this bit of news: “The number of U.S. households on the verge of losing their homes soared by nearly 15 percent in the first half of the year as more people lost their jobs and were unable to pay their monthly mortgage bills. The mushrooming foreclosure crisis affected more than 1.5 million homes in the first six months of the year, according to a report released Thursday (July 16, 2009) by foreclosure listing service RealtyTrac Inc.” The data further stated what we probably already know: Nevada and Arizona are one and two in having the nation’s highest foreclosure rates. In Arizona the foreclosure rate for 2009 increased by almost 40 percent from what it was in 2008.

b. Yes, all of us have been affected by this economy, and we know that some people are having very difficult times.

2. Credit Card Debt and Cyrus McCormick

a. Another bit of news released this past week is this: The total household debt in America is 13.8 trillion dollars! Roughly $124,000 per household. Now a portion of this is for mortgages and cars, but a good portion is for credit cards. To pay their bills, too many have turned to credit buying. For a lot of people the card is easy to get, and sadly for many individuals the amount owed is now out of reach. And paying the minimum with the high interest rates means that they will never get ahead. To further make things more difficult a number of companies have now raised their interest rates. Some folks are in over their heads and will be filing for bankruptcy.

b. We have one man to thank or blame for the creation of credit buying. And that man is Cyrus McCormick. Yes he invented the grain reaper in 1831, and this would revolutionize farming. But his invention was only half of his formula for success. Farmers liked the idea of the reaper, and they could see its benefits. In the long run it would be far more efficient and cheaper than paying men to pick the grain by hand. However, the initial cost was for the time quite high. So McCormick invented the installment plan. For a down payment the farmer got the reaper right away, and all he had to do was pay a little each month. The installment plan has made it possible for Americans to obtain a high standard of living. The down size is, of course, that some people get in over their head and the money runs out before the month is over. Too many of our neighbors are deep in debt, and living paycheck to paycheck. They know what hard times are.

C. Trust God!

1. Swimming Lessons

a. William Willimon in THE UPPER ROOM devotional magazine tells about taking his four-year-old son to the YMCA for swimming lessons. He had misgivings about this endeavor. He wondered how much a four year old could learn about swimming. To his surprise the teacher said, “I wish we could have gotten him a little earlier. It’s so much easier to teach younger children to swim.” “Younger children?” Willimon asked in disbelief. “Oh, we like to get them before they can walk,” she replied. “Don’t forget, a baby is in water for nine months before it is born. Also, babies are still very trusting and will allow you to do more with them.”

b. How true that is. Somewhere along the line we have become cynical and have lost that child like quality of trust. Do you trust God to get you through life?

2. Setting the Sails (ENCYCLOPEDIA OF 7700 ILLUSTRATIONS, page 403)

a. Hudson Taylor went to China as a missionary. He traveled by sailing ship, as that was the mode of travel in that era. The ship became becalmed close to the shore of an island inhabited by hostile cannibals. The ocean current steadily drifted the ship toward the shore. Soon spear-carrying natives could be seen coming toward the ship in dugouts. The captain of the ship came to Pastor Taylor and asked him to pray for God’s help. “I will,” said Taylor, “provided you set your sails to catch the breeze.” The captain did not want to do this. There was no wind. The sailors would laugh. He wanted to spend his time arming his men and preparing for a fight with the natives. The captain was not truly trusting in God. Finally as the enemy got closer the captain agreed to raise the sails. Hudson Taylor immediately knelt and prayed in earnest. While still engaged in prayer there was a knock at the door of his room. Taylor asked, “Who is there?” The captain responded, “Are you still praying for wind?” “Yes,” was the reply. “Well,” said the captain, “you’d better stop praying, for we have more wind than we can manage!” God answered their prayers and they escaped from harm.

b. Trust means more than sitting back idly and waiting for God to do everything for you. Trust is believing that God will answer, and then stepping out in faith. Trust is putting up your sails when you have prayed for wind. Trust can, also, be some other things. It is taking a class to prepare you for the new job that God is going to give you. Trust is sending out resumes and going to interviews expecting that God has a job opening just for you. It is going back to school at seventy years of age to get a degree or a skill to share with the world. Trust is planning a big family reunion six months from now even if you are facing surgery or chemo-therapy. It is the widowed person reaching out to others knowing that God will give them a new Christian friend.

3. Today’s Scripture: Mark 12:41-44

a. The widow in today's Scripture lesson had such a faith. She never quit trusting God. Those two small coins were all she had left, and she was willing to turn them over to God. That’s faith! No wonder Jesus praised her.

b. How about you? Do you trust God to get you through the hard times? Are you willing to turn it all over to God? Are you willing to step out in faith? God will answer.

D. Conclusion: Last Sunday and today, I have shared three truths to help us handle the situation when the recession reaches our house.

1. Understand that some people are having hard times.

2. Don’t give up!

3. Trust God!

(4)

When The Recession Reaches Your House

1. Understand that some people

are having hard times.

2. Don’t give up!

3. Trust God!

Mark 12:41-44 NRSV

⁴¹He sat down opposite the treasury, and watched the crowd putting money into the treasury. Many rich people put in large sums. ⁴²A poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which are worth a penny. ⁴³Then 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. ⁴⁴For 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.”