{"id":512154,"date":"2015-11-08T18:24:32","date_gmt":"2015-11-08T18:24:32","guid":{"rendered":""},"modified":"2026-07-15T13:39:03","modified_gmt":"2026-07-15T17:39:03","slug":"penny-for-your-thoughts-proper-27-b-2015","status":"publish","type":"sermon","link":"https:\/\/staging.episcopalchurch.org\/es\/sermons\/penny-for-your-thoughts-proper-27-b-2015\/","title":{"rendered":"Penny for Your Thoughts, Proper 27 (B) – 2015"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Benjamin Franklin once said, \u201ca penny saved is a penny earned.<\/em>\u201d Yet, despite the sage words from Mr. Franklin, pennies are often readily available; all one has to do is look on city streets \u2013 pennies are in abundant supply. People all the world over are happy to get rid of their pennies. Oftentimes, people won\u2019t bother to pick them up when they have fallen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The penny occupies a peculiar spot on any currency chart. It\u2019s worth next to nothing, but not really. Because of the penny\u2019s peculiarity, it\u2019s difficult to divide. What\u2019s 10% of a penny? Matthew 10:29 proves that one could have purchased two sparrows for one penny in Jesus\u2019 time \u2013 \u201cAre not two sparrows sold for a penny.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The term \u201ca penny for your thoughts<\/em>\u201d was \u2018coined\u2019 in 1522, with Sir Thomas More\u2019s book, Four Last Things<\/em>. As with most idioms or sayings, no one is exactly sure who first said \u201ca penny for your thoughts\u201d But Sir More was the first to publish it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Perhaps our widow, in this Gospel story from Mark, should receive some credit for the phrase, \u201ca penny for your thoughts,\u201d as well. Her bold, uninhibited vulnerability to offer all she had to live on was a true sign of sacrifice. In her adherence to Jewish law, she brought her tithe to the treasury \u2013 an outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual grace. Her revolutionary giving posture was to give 90% above the tithe \u2013 Now, how\u2019s that for a stewardship model?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If she was anything like the other women portrayed in the Gospel of Mark. We know that this woman embodied faith to approach God boldly, perform loving acts for God, stand as an example of piety to be emulated, and speak truths when others would not. It could be suggested that she was a poor widow, because her late husband was a poor man. So to approach the treasury and pour out and offer all she had to live on, was to say, \u2018this is all I got, it isn\u2019t worth much, God, I\u2019ll give you a penny for your thoughts.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Those thoughts are embedded throughout Scripture. God\u2019s thoughts towards her were that, she could live with the certainty<\/em> that \u201cBefore God formed her in the womb God knew her, and before she was born God set her apart; God appointed her\u201d and had a purpose for her. (Jeremiah 1:5)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She could lived with the guarantee<\/em> and gratitude that God had her life all planned out because \u201csurely God knew the plans God had for her, cause God said so, plans for her welfare to prosper her and not for harm, plans to give her a future with hope.\u201d (Jeremiah 29:11)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Those thoughts are true for us as well. We can live in the assurance<\/em> that we can do all<\/em>things through Christ who strengthens us (Phil 4:13). And we can live with the knowledge<\/em>that nothing is impossible with God (Luke 1:37).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Knowing the thoughts God has towards us is important to carrying out our ministry on this earth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our sister in this story pushed passed the shame of being a struggling widow. She broke open the doors that would have said your two cents aren\u2019t enough; pennies cannot do a thing. She paid no attention to the offerings others had in comparison to her own. She understood there wasn\u2019t a thing she could do, but by giving all she had to God that could change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Similar to American art teacher and musician Judson W. Van DeVenter who penned the lyrics for the Christian hymn \u2018I Surrender All.\u2019 DeVenter said \u201cFor some time, I had struggled between developing my talents in the field of art and going into full-time evangelistic work. At last the pivotal hour of my life came, and I surrendered all. A new day was ushered into my life.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once those two coins hit the bottom of the treasury it ushered a new day, a new season in the life of the widow, because of her surrender, sacrifice, and sacramental giving.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Worship is essentially our response to God\u2019s love, generosity and graciousness. Worship edifies our souls, and God delights in our worship. Remember our sister from Canaan whose daughter was tormented by a demon? When she went to Jesus and his disciples, Jesus didn\u2019t even speak to her at first. His disciples tried to quiet her and send her away. It\u2019s not until she bowed down and worshipped Jesus that Jesus responded to her. Our worship gets God\u2019s attention. (Matthew 15:21-28)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Giving is an act of worship. The widow\u2019s giving, and in our giving, we are worshipping God. Her selfless act of vulnerability, her posture of worship got Jesus\u2019 attention. The Gospel states, once she gives all she had to live on, Jesus called his disciples and said to them, \u201c<\/em>Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more that all those who are contributing to the treasury.\u201d Her worship received Jesus\u2019 attention.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She gave all that she had to live on, so that the work of God\u2019s kingdom could be done. Prior to getting Jesus\u2019 attention, Jesus is telling his disciples about the pitfalls of \u201cScribe-like\u201d behavior and cautions them to beware! To be clear, \u201cScribe-like\u201d giving (not \u201cScribe-like\u201d behavior) is important and helpful to the growth of the Church. When we give from a place of sacrifice and surrender, this is our devotion to God. God looks at the heart and wants for us to be able to trust God with all that we have for what we have are gifts from God.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rev. Charles Cloughen, Jr. states in his book, One Minute Stewardship Sermons,<\/em> that \u2018God is generous, giving, loving, forgiving, and gracious. God desires our loving response to His generosity.\u2019 The oxymoron here is that God is generous even in our scarcity. Most often our loving response is not sacrificial giving similar to that of the widow. Out of her poverty she gave and took the huge risk of not being able to afford to live. One might look at her and begin finger wagging and calling her less than smart. How will she live, if she gave all she had to live on to God<\/em>? It doesn\u2019t make much sense. In today\u2019s society that kind of giving may be frowned upon tremendously. Even sacrificial giving may be shunned because of the thrill of the accumulation of material possession in our society. But, this widow understood giving to God was a sure way for a substantial return on her investment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some biblical scholars believe however that her gift presaged Jesus\u2019 own surrender and sacrifice to God\u2019s will for His life. In this Gospel, our poor widowed sister reflected Jesus\u2019 behavior, \u201cthough he was rich, yet for (our) sake became poor, so that by his poverty (we) might become rich\u201d (2 Corinthians 8:9).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anyone can give out of their\u2019 abundance and excess, but it takes a true believer to give out of his or her poverty. Sacrificing and surrendering of all that she had, this poor widow was able to attain all she needed to live on and her heart sang the words of Van DeVenter\u2019s Hymn:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All to Jesus I surrender,
\nAll to him I freely give;
\nI will ever love and trust him,
\nIn his presence daily live.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Refrain:<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I surrender all,
\nI surrender all,
\nAll to thee, my blessed Savior,
\nI surrender all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

AMEN.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This sermon was written by the Rev. Arlette D. Benoit Joseph<\/strong>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

For reference and further study<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n