Mark 12:38-13:2 – Pandemic Pause: Living Generously
Overview
Our current worship series is called Pandemic Pause. We use the words, “Time out!” to pause a game when it’s getting a bit overwhelming, or we use those words to take a breather when we need to step back and consider the bigger picture. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could call a “time out” after living through this pandemic now for three-quarters of a year? But unfortunately, this pandemic isn’t a game. Still, as people of faith who lean on the wisdom of God to get through these times, we do have the opportunity to pause, step back, and look at the bigger picture. This worship series covers four ways a life of faith gives us a fuller perspective that empowers us not only to survive, but also thrive, in a pandemic-gripped world. Each week during this worship series, I’m offering a brief (ten- to fifteen-minutes long) video called a Brief Bible Dive about each Bible topic. The purpose is to get into the depth of the Bible story for the week, but within a manageable timeframe.
This Week
We continue by taking a deep dive into Mark 12:38 -- 13:2. Texans have a phrase for people who like to be extravagant and show off, but really have no real assets to support their lifestyle: “Big hat – no cattle.” The story we hear in Mark 12:38 -- 13:2 also involves people who like to show off what they don’t have, but in this case, what they don’t have is the experience of challenging sacrifice. Jesus and his followers were sitting down opposite the treasury and watching people make lavish displays about their giving, but then he pointed out a poor widow who gave everything she had left, just the value of a penny. He said that this poor widow contributed more than the ones putting in large sums. How can this be the case, since the other ones were certainly giving a lot financially? Jesus’s point was that even though they gave a lot as a total sum, if they weren’t feeling the giving as a sacrificial stretch, it would not help them grow as much in their dependence on God.
For those without online viewing capacity, please contact Deborah in our church office at office@bslcmi.org or 248-646-5041 for a printed transcript.
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