Are You Keeping Anything Back?

by Mark McKaig, Dulwich, London, England | Category: General | Jan 1990

One day the Lord Jesus sat down over against the treasury and watched how the people threw in their money (Mark 12). Many that were rich threw in much.

Then in came a poor widow. She threw in just two small coins called mites. And He called His disciples over and said to them:

This poor widow cast in more than all they which are casting into the treasury: for they all did cast in of their superfluity; but she of her want did cast in all that she had, even all her living.

It would appear that the Lord did not count what the people gave, but what they kept back for themselves. In the widow's case it was nothing - she threw in all that she had. The motives and intents of all were laid bare before Him. Those who gave of their superfluity clearly reserved more for themselves.

However much we give to the Lord, the test of our liberality is not what we give but what we keep back for ourselves. The amount that we keep back unnecessarily is the measure of how much we have held back from Him. Giving generously and willingly according to our ability is what the Lord values. It shows our love, trust and confidence in Him.

As for this poor widow, we might say, "surely she was entitled to keep back half of what she had - just one of those two small coins", but no, little as was the gift, both were for God. The dealing with such a small sum might have been a trouble to those in charge of the treasury in accounting for it. But it was noticed by the Lord Himself, valued by Him, and recorded for us.

When we move on to Acts chapter 5 we are told of the need for sincerity and truth in giving, in that a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession, and kept back part of the price, with his wife's knowledge. He laid some of the proceeds at the apostles' feet. But Peter said, "Ananias, why hath Satan filled thy heart to lie to the Holy Spirit, and to keep back part of the price of the land? Whiles it remained, did it not remain thine own? and... was it not in thy power? ... thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God". And Ananias, hearing these words fell down dead. His wife died shortly afterwards. Great fear came on all them that heard these things.

Frances Ridley Havergal is perhaps one of the greatest of all women hymn writers. Her brief and saintly life extended only from 1836 to 1879. It is reputed that while she was staying at a house party with ten others, she found that some were unconverted and others were far from rejoicing Christians. She prayed earnestly, "Lord give me all in this house", and she wrote afterward in her diary, "He just did". The result was the penning of the hymn "Take my life, and let it be consecrated, Lord, to Thee". Every single line is charged with commitment, even:

Take my silver and my gold,

Not a mite would I withhold

for, it is said she had just sold all her jewels to use the money obtained for her Master's service. The singing of that hymn involves a solemn responsibility for all of us who take such words on our lips. How many of us can sing it right through with all honesty?

What did our Saviour and Master and Lord keep back at Calvary? Nothing! He gave His all. It will readily be conceded that we are unable even to approach the standard set by the Lord, but can we not strive towards a greater recognition of the scriptural principles of giving, so that their practical effects are more evident in our lives?

Mark McKaig, Dulwich, London, England | Jan 1990
General