A Savior is Coming - Pastor Diedra Walters

Saved to Serve - Pastor Johnnie Simpson Jr.

Anxious Sundays - Pastor Johnnie Simpson Jr

No Need For Repeats - Pastor Johnnie Simpson Jr

A Penny in a Pile - Pastor Johnnie Simpson Jr

Mark 12:38-44

 

³⁸ As he taught, Jesus said, “Watch out for the teachers of the law. They like to walk around in flowing robes and be greeted with respect in the marketplaces, ³⁹ and have the most important seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets. ⁴⁰ They devour widows’ houses and for a show make lengthy prayers. These men will be punished most severely.”

⁴¹ Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. ⁴² But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a few cents.

⁴³ Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. ⁴⁴ They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.”

 

Growing up that my grandparents would tell me nifty little catchphrases that explained their philosophy about something. My grandfather used to say, "you have to catch up to keep up," meaning that if you were behind on a bill, you need to figure out not just how you are going to pay the account that is behind, but also what decisions you need to make so that you are not in the same situation next week or next month.

 

Another favorite of mine was "a penny in a pile, makes a dollar after a while," meaning that while a penny doesn't seem like that much money, enough of them together can accomplish great work. Video game creators understand the concept; the games have microtransactions in them now. Play a game for free, but if you want some extra lives without waiting, just give them a little bit of money, and you get items to help you win.

 

Retail businesses also understand the concept; that is why they will ask if you want to round up your payment amount when you buy something. The cost might be $9.98, but you can round up two cents to donate to a charity. Those two pennies could be small to you, but enough pennies together will make a difference in someone else's life.

 

We see two pennies in a pile today in Mark chapter 12. The twelfth chapter of Mark begins with Jesus' temple teaching on the Vineyard parable and then moves to paying taxes to Caesar, the resurrection, the great commandment, and the question about David's son. Jesus then goes in on the scribes. Holding a religious office does not make you immune from hypocrisy.

 

Jesus moves from pointing out hypocrisy to taking advantage of impoverished people. The laws of Moses were designed to protect the least, the last, and the lost. The laws were designed to take care of widows and orphans. Jesus saw that the scribes, those put in authority to protect the others, had instead taken advantage of them. There were protections in place for the people, and the establishment sought to roll those protections back. Jesus said the scribes were exploiting the poor and insulting God with phony prayers. They wore their robes in the synagogue and the marketplace because they wanted people to see them.

 

When Jesus watched the widow fumbling about in her change purse for the last coins she had, he was curious. He called his students over to observe from a distance. Her two coins amounted to a penny. He and the disciples watched her drop them in the collection box. And knowing her situation, they were all amazed. Her bank balance just went from one penny to zero.

 

Jesus was highly impressed, especially since he had watched the Pharisees et al. put money into the treasury and lots of it. But these were the people who had oppressed the poor widows in the first place. It was ill-gotten gain.

 

This woman worshiped God with the coins that she had — all the coins she had. Jesus was inspired, and he said, "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" (vv. 43-44). That widow's penny had the power to inspire.

The widow gave out what she had, and it was not much, but a penny in a pile makes a dollar after a while.

Those coins represent more than money. They represent faith and belief and how these must be lived out in our lives in concrete acts and not solely by rituals that no longer hold religious power.

 

We marvel at such figures as Mother Teresa, the families of slain or injured soldiers, and teachers in tough inner-city schools. We lift them high on the pedestal with the poor widow, keeping them distinct and distant from our daily lives. The focus is on their giving and the inadequacy of ours—but nothing changes. We don't have to be Mother Teresa; there are penny-sized projects we can do independently. We don't have to save the world today, but I'm sure we can find something to do with a couple of pennies.

 

 

 

Smart Glasses - Pastor Johnnie Simpson Jr

Separation Anxiety - Pastor Johnnie Simpson Jr.

¹ My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from my cries of anguish? ² My God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer, by night, but I find no rest.

³ Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One; you are the one Israel praises. ⁴ In you our ancestors put their trust; they trusted and you delivered them. ⁵ To you they cried out and were saved; in you they trusted and were not put to shame.

⁶ But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by everyone, despised by the people. ⁷ All who see me mock me; they hurl insults, shaking their heads. ⁸ “He trusts in the Lord,” they say, “let the Lord rescue him. Let him deliver him, since he delights in him.”

⁹ Yet you brought me out of the womb; you made me trust in you, even at my mother’s breast. ¹⁰ From birth I was cast on you; from my mother’s womb you have been my God.

¹¹ Do not be far from me, for trouble is near and there is no one to help.

¹² Many bulls surround me; strong bulls of Bashan encircle me. ¹³ Roaring lions that tear their prey open their mouths wide against me. ¹⁴ I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint. My heart has turned to wax; it has melted within me. ¹⁵ My mouth is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth; you lay me in the dust of death.

 

It can be a terrible thing to be separated from someone or something you are used to for a long time. Feelings of abandonment and blame can come next. I wish we didn't have to feel these kinds of emotions. The trouble I see with separation anxiety is that you cannot avoid being alone no matter what you do. Eventually, you will have to face it. We see the Psalmist David give us some ways to handle it in scripture.

 

People quote Psalm 22 often. Scholars try to classify the psalm as either one of lament, petition, or thanksgiving. The answer is yes. Scholars say the psalm is about someone facing sickness possibly close to dying. The writer is facing a big problem, not something you can sweep under the rug, ignore, put on a solid face, and pretend everything is fine.

 

The Psalmist feels abandoned by God, and sometimes it is shameful to feel abandoned. The problem with the writer is not so much the sickness but the silence. Imagine getting into a disagreement with a loved one, and they don't yell and scream, they don't argue, they are completely silent. I know those who watch kids feel the same way; as long as you hear laughing, playing, screaming even, everything is alright, but once it gets quiet, it's time to go in the other room and see what they are up to, make sure the room is still intact. There is danger in the silence sometimes.

 

The Psalmist is:

Abandoned in verses 1-5

Abused in verses 6-8

Attacked in verses 12-13

Poured out in verse 14

 

The Psalmist says the bulls of Bashan surround them. Bashan was a region of ancient Israel northeast of the Sea of Galilee, now known as Syria. Bashan was known for the cattle raised there. During certain times of the year, the cattle were allowed to forage in free-range fashion. In the more populated areas, a herder might be around to make sure the animals did not hurt anyone, but out in the countryside, the herds were left unsupervised. While grazing, unsupervised, the animals start acting like wild animals. So, someone minding their own business in Bashan might suddenly find himself surrounded by bulls, and the chance to get hurt was real.

The bulls of Bashan were an actual situation for those folks. They are a metaphor for us, but one that we easily understand. The bulls represent demands we cannot ignore, obligations we cannot get out of, duties we cannot shirk, responsibilities we cannot evade. Not only are the bulls attacking David, but the largest and wildest bulls they have.

 

Sometimes we can overcome the pain with a little bit of an attitude adjustment. We may not be able to change the moment, but we can always change our minds.

 

The Psalmist calls to God in prayer. The Psalmist also remembers their upbringing, so they know that God loves them. Hold on to what you had until you get what else you need. Know that God loves you and call on him for deliverance.

 

It's ok to question, and it's ok to cry out to the lord. Not all prayers are going to be pretty.

 

It's ok to cry out, even Jesus did, quoting Psalm 22:1 in Matthew 27:46. Mark 15:34. But the crying out will give way to thanksgiving later in the psalm, just like Jesus crying out will give us all a reason to be thankful going on.