The Treasure Trove of Generous GivingSýnishorn

Principle #2: Inspect the Giver's Motivation

Giving must always have a pure motivation.

I say “must always” because many times we give without pure motivation. We want to be seen. We want to be recognized. We want to be acclaimed. We want to get a certificate. Look, I’m not against you writing things off on your taxes, but if the only reason you give is so you can get a tax break, you’re giving for the wrong reason.

Before we see what true motivation is, what isn’t it?

Before the widow arrives, the wealthy were introduced: “And many that were rich cast in much” (v. 41, emphasis added). Jesus is comparing much with what we would think is little. Jesus is saying that these people were giving with false motivation. They were giving so they could beat their chest because they were rich. There was no sacrifice in what they were giving. They just wanted to hear the clink, clink, clink in the box. They wanted to turn heads. They wanted to be seen. They wanted to put their check in the offering and hold it up high before dropping it in, as it were. They weren’t giving much to lay up treasure in heaven; they were giving from their much so they could have more influence in the community.

Well, what is true motivation then?

As we continue in Mark 12, now we see what pure motivation looks like. “And there came a certain poor widow, and she threw in two mites, which make a farthing” (v. 42, emphasis added). In our modern context, it’s like saying, “She threw in two nickels that made a dime.” The nickels or the dime didn’t matter, because in both estimations it was not much, especially in comparison to what these rich guys just gave. But then notice something that we often miss, where we read, “And Jesus sat over against the treasury, and beheld how the people cast money into the treasury.”

Why is the “how” more important than the “what” when giving?

Did you catch that detail in the previous verse? It doesn’t say He beheld what they put in, although He knew because He’s God. It says He beheld how they did it. You see, giving has an attitude with it. Because giving is not just what we do, it’s who we are, and Jesus was checking the motivation of their hearts. It wasn’t what they were giving that was problematic. It was how they were giving and the underlying reason for their giving. We need to give with no expectations at all, other than to know God is going to bless us for simply being obedient. That’s how we should give. In this story, God is giving us an understanding that while what she gave didn’t seem to be much, it’s how she gave that was far greater.