Amen, it was a lightbulb moment for me too! Actually, my wife was the one who stumbled on the sermon — she likes catching up with John MacArthur’s sermons, while I am more of a John Piper regular. When I heard that the first time I knew I had to hear it again and last night we both caught both parts 1 and 2 of the sermon.

It was such a revelation I knew I had to share it! I thank God that it has helped everyone understand what our Lord Jesus Christ was really saying in that passage.

Soli deo Gloria!

Shalom, and blessings to you, Carol.

2 Corin 8:10-15 10And here is my advice about what is best for you in this matter: Last year you were the first not only to give but also to have the desire to do so. 11Now finish the work, so that your eager willingness to do it may be matched by your completion of it, according to your means. 12For if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what he does not have.

13Our desire is not that others might be relieved while you are hard pressed, but that there might be equality. 14At the present time your plenty will supply what they need, so that in turn their plenty will supply what you need. Then there will be equality, 15as it is written: “He who gathered much did not have too much, and he who gathered little did not have too little.”[b]

So I was never able to reconcile ALL those verses regarding this and the story of the widow… until now! I have learned something…I not only learned that the thoughts do not ’shift’ on to another subject but it in fact IS the same topic! I’ve even read them in context but I still didn’t get the message before because it seemed like another subject.I learned that I have read into the text instead of drawing FROM it. (no exegesis) I was confused by my own faulty assumptions because I too listened to erroneous interpretations of this. After reading this article, it was like a light bulb went off in my head and I just sat here, staring at the screen!! I even did a study a couple of years ago where I had to read the Gospels 9 times in a row and I STILL couldn’t reconcile those verses!!!! Well I learned something today!!!! Several things really.

I cannot thank you enough for putting this up! I also thank the Lord for correcting me and teaching me!!! (which btw is an answered prayer!)

Thank you again Isaiah!
God bless you,
carol