WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.725 --> 00:00:01.925 In the name of Jesus. 2 00:00:02.425 --> 00:00:02.825 Amen. 3 00:00:05.125 --> 00:00:07.125 It was February of 2001 4 00:00:08.025 --> 00:00:14.525 I just got to Texas after moving from Brazil with my family and being 5 00:00:14.525 --> 00:00:15.125 the assistant 6 00:00:15.125 --> 00:00:17.625 Pastor, of course of a big church. 7 00:00:17.625 --> 00:00:23.625 They assigned me to make shouting calls Community calls hostile calls. 8 00:00:24.625 --> 00:00:27.525 And one of my shut-ins was Mrs. 9 00:00:27.525 --> 00:00:28.525 Verena Moore. 10 00:00:29.525 --> 00:00:33.925 She was a widow and she had been a missionary with her husband in 11 00:00:33.925 --> 00:00:34.825 Argentina. 12 00:00:35.725 --> 00:00:36.225 When Mrs. 13 00:00:36.225 --> 00:00:37.725 Moore got to Argentina 14 00:00:38.525 --> 00:00:43.625 she only spoke English when she left back to the country here in US 15 00:00:44.125 --> 00:00:47.325 she was able to speak German and Spanish. 16 00:00:49.025 --> 00:00:54.725 After they moved back to US, Pastor Moore took a call to Midwest in 17 00:00:54.725 --> 00:00:56.825 Michigan, then he passed away. 18 00:00:58.025 --> 00:00:58.525 A Mrs. 19 00:00:58.525 --> 00:01:03.625 Moore, got a call to serve as a school teacher back in San Antonio and 20 00:01:03.625 --> 00:01:05.925 she raised her two boys by herself. 21 00:01:07.725 --> 00:01:12.725 We just had finished our devotion and we had celebration of the Lord's 22 00:01:12.725 --> 00:01:17.325 Supper and I was praying and in my prayer 23 00:01:17.825 --> 00:01:20.325 I quote a Bible verse by memory. 24 00:01:21.525 --> 00:01:22.825 And, at the end of my prayer 25 00:01:22.825 --> 00:01:23.125 Mrs. 26 00:01:23.125 --> 00:01:28.625 Moore, said, Pastor Prieto what Bible translation did you use in your 27 00:01:28.625 --> 00:01:30.825 prayer when you called that Bible verse? 28 00:01:31.225 --> 00:01:34.125 Because you see I know King James. 29 00:01:34.125 --> 00:01:38.425 I know NIV, even Luther's translation, but I never heard that one. 30 00:01:41.425 --> 00:01:44.825 And I smile, and I said, this is Prieto's translation. 31 00:01:45.125 --> 00:01:49.625 This is the newest, this is the newest translation in the country. 32 00:01:52.525 --> 00:01:56.425 You see my friends when you go as a missionary as a pastor to 33 00:01:56.425 --> 00:02:00.725 serve in a foreign country, you'd be surprised. 34 00:02:01.825 --> 00:02:05.425 You'll be humble, even by 85 years 35 00:02:05.425 --> 00:02:09.925 old widow. Doesn't matter how much you have learned, how much you have 36 00:02:09.925 --> 00:02:11.825 studied all your experience. 37 00:02:12.925 --> 00:02:15.825 You be humble and you will be surprised. 38 00:02:17.825 --> 00:02:21.725 Jesus is in Jerusalem and the gospel of Mark. 39 00:02:21.925 --> 00:02:24.325 This is the Holy Week of Mark. 40 00:02:25.425 --> 00:02:26.425 And Jesus 41 00:02:27.925 --> 00:02:29.325 is there with the mission 42 00:02:29.325 --> 00:02:32.525 as you know, and things start to slow down. 43 00:02:33.625 --> 00:02:35.125 Unto this chapter 12 44 00:02:35.125 --> 00:02:40.725 everything is in a fast pace but now things are slowing down because 45 00:02:40.725 --> 00:02:46.425 needs Jesus, is there to serve, Jesus, is there to give his life as a 46 00:02:46.425 --> 00:02:47.525 ransom for many. 47 00:02:48.225 --> 00:02:48.725 But don't you 48 00:02:48.725 --> 00:02:51.525 worry, is everything in control. 49 00:02:52.925 --> 00:02:59.425 Chapter 12 has a lot of tension, oppositions, conflict. 50 00:03:02.025 --> 00:03:05.525 And Mark does what he's doing throughout his gospel. 51 00:03:06.225 --> 00:03:10.425 He's continue to track to the voice of Jesus, of course about the 52 00:03:10.425 --> 00:03:15.125 kingdom of heaven, but Mark doesn't only do that. 53 00:03:15.725 --> 00:03:22.025 He also shocks you and he talks about the Kingdom of Heaven because he 54 00:03:22.025 --> 00:03:24.225 tells you who belongs to the kingdom. 55 00:03:24.225 --> 00:03:27.725 He does not belong to the kingdom and he shocks you. 56 00:03:30.525 --> 00:03:32.425 Jesus is teaching in the temple. 57 00:03:33.625 --> 00:03:40.325 And he is alerting the crowd to watch out to be aware of the scribes 58 00:03:40.625 --> 00:03:42.225 of the teachers of the law. 59 00:03:43.525 --> 00:03:45.325 Because they are great 60 00:03:45.325 --> 00:03:46.225 pretenders. 61 00:03:47.625 --> 00:03:49.525 They pretend to be what they are not. 62 00:03:52.125 --> 00:03:56.625 And Jesus goes on to say that they like to be around with fancy robes 63 00:03:57.425 --> 00:04:02.225 be greeted on the streets, be honor by certain titles. 64 00:04:04.425 --> 00:04:06.925 They like to have the best seats in the synagogue. 65 00:04:07.325 --> 00:04:10.125 I imagine, they're sitting always in the front row, and I don't think 66 00:04:10.125 --> 00:04:10.925 there are Lutheran's. 67 00:04:14.025 --> 00:04:18.725 But they were sitting also in the best positions in place in the 68 00:04:18.725 --> 00:04:19.625 banquets. 69 00:04:22.525 --> 00:04:26.925 But there was a darker side of the teachers of the law. 70 00:04:28.725 --> 00:04:33.625 Because you see their income, their source of income was only from the 71 00:04:33.625 --> 00:04:39.625 benefactors and they took advantage of many people even widows. 72 00:04:39.725 --> 00:04:43.525 As Jesus says, they devour widows houses. 73 00:04:47.225 --> 00:04:50.425 And for pretense they had long prayers. 74 00:04:51.925 --> 00:04:58.325 Long in duration, short in faith, but they pray. I don't think we do 75 00:04:58.425 --> 00:05:01.825 what we do need to have a lot of theological education to understand 76 00:05:01.825 --> 00:05:03.225 what's going on here, right? 77 00:05:06.325 --> 00:05:08.025 Jesus is talking about 78 00:05:09.225 --> 00:05:10.425 a religious life. 79 00:05:12.725 --> 00:05:13.625 A religious life 80 00:05:13.625 --> 00:05:15.125 that is self, 81 00:05:15.425 --> 00:05:15.925 selfish 82 00:05:15.925 --> 00:05:19.925 centered. Superficial is only for show. 83 00:05:23.325 --> 00:05:27.125 And Mark goes on and he says that Jesus was sitting in the opposite 84 00:05:27.125 --> 00:05:31.625 side of the treasury and people are bringing their offerings to the 85 00:05:31.625 --> 00:05:32.125 temple. 86 00:05:33.725 --> 00:05:39.525 And Jesus was watching them, put their money in the box. 87 00:05:41.525 --> 00:05:42.225 You do pay attention to 88 00:05:42.225 --> 00:05:43.325 what Mark is saying. 89 00:05:44.325 --> 00:05:49.425 Jesus is watching people put their money's in the offering plate or 90 00:05:49.425 --> 00:05:50.425 the box. 91 00:05:51.425 --> 00:05:53.725 I don't know about you, but I think Jesus was little nosy. 92 00:05:53.725 --> 00:05:54.725 Don't you think so? 93 00:05:58.325 --> 00:06:01.225 He wants to know how much people are giving the church. 94 00:06:02.725 --> 00:06:04.725 Can you imagine Lutheran Pastor doing that? 95 00:06:05.825 --> 00:06:08.125 And by the way, I'm not giving you any idea, guys. 96 00:06:10.725 --> 00:06:12.825 I think it's not really proper for a Lutheran 97 00:06:12.825 --> 00:06:16.625 pastor to be watching how much people are giving the church. 98 00:06:17.525 --> 00:06:21.525 But you are talking about Jesus and where Jesus is a different story. 99 00:06:21.525 --> 00:06:22.125 Do you know why? 100 00:06:22.125 --> 00:06:28.725 Because like David says, everything's comes from the Lord, and when we 101 00:06:28.725 --> 00:06:32.325 give to God, we give all you what comes from his hand. 102 00:06:34.125 --> 00:06:37.525 If there is someone that can watch how much you give in the church, 103 00:06:38.025 --> 00:06:44.125 that person is Jesus. Because he's not only the give of Giver of the 104 00:06:44.125 --> 00:06:45.625 perfect and good gift 105 00:06:46.125 --> 00:06:48.225 but he owns everything. 106 00:06:48.825 --> 00:06:50.125 Everything is his. 107 00:06:51.525 --> 00:06:53.125 For instance he can watch 108 00:06:54.525 --> 00:06:59.225 what we give in the church and indeed Jesus is watching. 109 00:07:00.525 --> 00:07:03.925 And the rich people come and he give a lot of money and then comes 110 00:07:03.925 --> 00:07:05.725 this poor widow. 111 00:07:05.925 --> 00:07:07.725 It's interesting that Mark's emphasize 112 00:07:07.725 --> 00:07:08.425 she was poor. 113 00:07:08.425 --> 00:07:12.425 Why he didn't say she was only widow but she was a poor widow. 114 00:07:13.925 --> 00:07:18.025 And she gifts two copper coins, which makes a penny. 115 00:07:20.525 --> 00:07:25.625 Widows surprise you. Widows they humble you. 116 00:07:27.825 --> 00:07:30.325 And then Jesus called his disciples close to him. 117 00:07:30.325 --> 00:07:35.925 And he says, I say to you, the poor Widow has put in more than all 118 00:07:35.925 --> 00:07:39.825 those who are contributing to the offering box. For they all 119 00:07:39.825 --> 00:07:44.425 contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty. 120 00:07:44.425 --> 00:07:48.525 She put everything she had all she had to live on. 121 00:07:50.125 --> 00:07:54.125 You know, we can get the impress easily, but the numbers that you see 122 00:07:54.125 --> 00:07:55.025 in the shack. 123 00:07:56.625 --> 00:08:00.325 Oh, by how much people put in the offering plate. 124 00:08:03.525 --> 00:08:05.425 The theologians in the early church, 125 00:08:07.225 --> 00:08:11.925 they were wise and they said, what matter is not, how much was given 126 00:08:11.925 --> 00:08:13.225 in the offering plate. 127 00:08:13.725 --> 00:08:18.325 What really matters is how much is kept by the giver. 128 00:08:20.225 --> 00:08:24.425 How much you kept your pocket in your wallet in your saving accounts, 129 00:08:24.925 --> 00:08:26.125 that's really what's matter. 130 00:08:27.825 --> 00:08:31.825 Many rich people are putting what was the kind of leftovers for them. 131 00:08:32.125 --> 00:08:34.125 They still have a lot of money to live on. 132 00:08:35.925 --> 00:08:40.325 But when that poor Widow came with two copper coins, she caught Jesus 133 00:08:40.325 --> 00:08:40.925 eyes. 134 00:08:46.425 --> 00:08:49.925 She put everything she had to live on. 135 00:08:51.625 --> 00:08:57.825 If you look to the original text, she puts on her byon her life, 136 00:08:59.225 --> 00:09:00.225 her livelihood. 137 00:09:03.125 --> 00:09:07.625 She cleaned up her banking account and gave everything to Jesus, 138 00:09:08.225 --> 00:09:09.425 everything to the temple. 139 00:09:10.625 --> 00:09:12.025 We would say she was a crazy 140 00:09:12.025 --> 00:09:13.025 Widow wasn't she? 141 00:09:15.625 --> 00:09:17.925 But she decide to live trusting in the Lord. 142 00:09:19.725 --> 00:09:22.125 I believe she was familiar with the fourth Petition of the Lord's 143 00:09:22.125 --> 00:09:22.625 Prayer. 144 00:09:23.525 --> 00:09:25.325 Give us this day our daily bread. 145 00:09:28.625 --> 00:09:33.225 I think Luther would to be happy with her because she could kick momon on the 146 00:09:33.225 --> 00:09:37.025 idol of wealth and richness to trust in the Lord. 147 00:09:37.825 --> 00:09:39.525 She was audacious about her faith. 148 00:09:39.525 --> 00:09:40.425 She was bold. 149 00:09:44.125 --> 00:09:45.525 I continue to visit Mrs. 150 00:09:45.525 --> 00:09:46.525 Moore regularly. 151 00:09:47.125 --> 00:09:48.125 We celebrate the Lord's 152 00:09:48.125 --> 00:09:49.225 Supper. We pray. 153 00:09:50.025 --> 00:09:54.525 And every time I was about to leave her house, she gave me a envelope 154 00:09:55.025 --> 00:09:55.925 and she said, pastor 155 00:09:55.925 --> 00:09:59.425 can you take my offerings to the church for me? 156 00:10:00.725 --> 00:10:02.025 And bring to the Lord. 157 00:10:03.325 --> 00:10:06.525 He has blessed me for 85 years. 158 00:10:07.425 --> 00:10:09.025 I don't think he will stop now. 159 00:10:11.625 --> 00:10:15.625 And after that I realized that was not only the Widow, Mrs. Moore 160 00:10:17.325 --> 00:10:19.425 But was Susan Mayer, 161 00:10:19.925 --> 00:10:26.825 Lindsey Sakow, Christine Burn Flores, Linda Coward in the list goes 162 00:10:26.825 --> 00:10:29.625 on and on and on and you will be surprised and happy in your Parish 163 00:10:29.625 --> 00:10:31.525 who really supports your ministry. 164 00:10:33.525 --> 00:10:34.725 You'll be surprised. 165 00:10:37.325 --> 00:10:40.825 Widows surprise you with widows humble 166 00:10:40.825 --> 00:10:45.225 you and widows teach you to trust in the Lord. 167 00:10:48.625 --> 00:10:52.525 There's an old saying in Latin that says pecunia 168 00:10:53.025 --> 00:10:55.825 non olit, pecunia 169 00:10:55.825 --> 00:11:01.025 non olit, which means money doesn't it smell. 170 00:11:03.025 --> 00:11:07.225 But let me tell you, when you put your money in the offering plate and 171 00:11:07.225 --> 00:11:10.225 I do the same our money, does smell. 172 00:11:11.325 --> 00:11:12.425 And it smells good. 173 00:11:14.125 --> 00:11:17.625 Remember what Paul says to the Philippians when he thanks them for the 174 00:11:17.625 --> 00:11:18.125 offerings. 175 00:11:18.125 --> 00:11:23.925 He says the gifts that you sent there, a fragrant offering acceptable 176 00:11:23.925 --> 00:11:26.325 sacrifice pleasing to God. 177 00:11:28.625 --> 00:11:33.125 When you put our offerings in the plate, we bring a wonderful aroma to 178 00:11:33.125 --> 00:11:33.925 the Lord. 179 00:11:35.525 --> 00:11:39.125 Yeah, sometimes we can be impressed by amount of money that people 180 00:11:39.125 --> 00:11:40.325 give in the church. 181 00:11:42.825 --> 00:11:49.225 But God, he doesn't pay attention to the cash or to the card. 182 00:11:50.425 --> 00:11:53.425 God pays attention to the chordes. 183 00:11:54.425 --> 00:11:56.125 He pays attention to the heart. 184 00:11:58.425 --> 00:11:59.525 Where is your heart? 185 00:12:01.425 --> 00:12:05.825 We give trusting in our saving accounts or you give trusting in the 186 00:12:05.825 --> 00:12:06.425 Lord. 187 00:12:07.925 --> 00:12:11.925 That widow, she did not have a life of faith for show. 188 00:12:14.525 --> 00:12:19.825 She was humble and she trusts in the Lord. Her life was Christ center. 189 00:12:22.625 --> 00:12:25.825 I know we cannot earn our salvation by our offerings, right? 190 00:12:26.525 --> 00:12:28.525 We know that we are good Lutheran's. 191 00:12:29.925 --> 00:12:32.425 But we know that salvation cost a lot. 192 00:12:33.525 --> 00:12:38.025 Peter says that was not what gold and silver that you are redeemed but 193 00:12:38.025 --> 00:12:42.525 the precious blood of the Lamb without blemish or defect. 194 00:12:44.325 --> 00:12:49.225 Remember, we are in the Holy Week in the gospel of Mark. 195 00:12:50.225 --> 00:12:52.225 And Jesus is in Jerusalem. 196 00:12:53.725 --> 00:12:55.125 And he's there for a reason. 197 00:12:55.825 --> 00:13:00.325 The reason is the cross. And on that cross 198 00:13:01.125 --> 00:13:05.625 he will give his life as a ransom for many. 199 00:13:06.525 --> 00:13:08.125 He will give his life for you. 200 00:13:08.125 --> 00:13:09.625 He will give his life for me. 201 00:13:11.325 --> 00:13:12.725 Play on punt on. 202 00:13:14.225 --> 00:13:20.025 More than aw, that's the type of life that his giving to you and me. 203 00:13:22.325 --> 00:13:22.925 Yes, widows 204 00:13:22.925 --> 00:13:27.225 surprise. Widows humble you. 205 00:13:28.725 --> 00:13:32.725 But widow's, definitely teach you to trust in Jesus. 206 00:13:33.725 --> 00:13:34.125 Amen. 207 00:13:36.525 --> 00:13:39.425 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding will guard 208 00:13:39.425 --> 00:13:41.425 your hearts and Minds in Christ Jesus. 209 00:13:41.825 --> 00:13:42.225 Amen.