Flashback Episode — The Widow’s Gift: Mark 12:41-44

One of the things I notice most about Jesus’ teaching and preaching is that He looked for everyday opportunities to turn into teaching moments. As I read what the gospels record of Jesus’ teaching, preaching, and parables, I get the picture that at least everyone understood the setting of each of Jesus’ illustrations even if they didn’t fully grasp the big spiritual picture.

However, one teaching moment stands apart from the rest as extra amazing in my mind. This event begins with Jesus scouting out a place to sit near the moneybox in the temple, and it was because He wanted to catch a teaching moment.

We can find this event recorded in the gospel of Mark, chapter 12, and we will be reading from the New Century Version. Starting in verse 41, Mark tells us that:

⁴¹ Jesus sat near the Temple money box and watched the people put in their money. Many rich people gave large sums of money. ⁴² Then a poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which were only worth a few cents.

⁴³ Calling his followers to him, Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, this poor widow gave more than all those rich people. ⁴⁴ They gave only what they did not need. This woman is very poor, but she gave all she had; she gave all she had to live on.”

Whenever I read this passage, I am amazed at this widow. Perhaps culture was different then, and maybe those who were poor or widowed were taken care of better than they are today, but maybe not. Maybe this passage gives insight into one widow’s extraordinary level of faith.

However, the big truth Jesus shares with the disciples has challenged many people since that point. Since Jesus told the disciples that the widow gave more than the rich people, is Jesus challenging or directing all of His followers to give everything to the church and live on nothing? It might seem as though some people understand this passage in this way.

But as I read this passage and event, I don’t see any instruction Jesus gives His followers about giving directly. Jesus doesn’t tell any of His followers to give like this widow gave. Instead, I believe Jesus had a bigger truth that He wants us to learn in this event. In this event, perhaps Jesus wants to teach us that in God’s eyes, the size of our gifts is measured by what we have leftover afterwards.

If God measures our gifts not by how much was given, but by how much we kept back for ourselves, then in some ways, God is measuring our faith by looking at how we give. By looking at our giving, God can see that the more we keep for ourselves signifies the less faith we have in Him.

Looking closer at Jesus’ words to His followers, He tells them that “this poor widow gave more than all those rich people. They gave only what they did not need. This woman is very poor, but she gave all she had; she gave all she had to live on.”

Some people apply this statement to giving our tithes and offerings off the top income line as opposed to giving it after other expenses have happened. I can see logic in this way of thinking.

However, if we look a little deeper, it really doesn’t matter when we give if we are giving what we do not need, and the only time we can give all we have is before it has been given to other things. Maybe the widow had finished paying her rent and utilities, she had a cupboard full of food at home, and the two coins were all that was left. If that were the case, I doubt Jesus would have said what He did about her.

The rich people were probably giving off the top, and before they had physically spent the rest of their money, however, they had also budgeted in a way that made it so they truly didn’t need the money they were giving. This is good self-control and it is wise. But it isn’t giving sacrificially or in a way that increases faith. I think the big challenge Jesus has with these rich gifts is that they did not come with the giver’s heart and they didn’t grow the giver’s faith.

In contrast, the widow gave her two coins when she could have kept one. She demonstrated that she fully trusted God to provide for her. With these two coins came her heart and her faith. On the other hand, with the other gifts of bags filled with coins, none of them came with the giver’s heart. Therefore they were not as valuable. Each of the rich givers’ hearts was with the even larger pile of money that they had saved at home.

In God’s eyes, the size of our gifts is measured by what we have leftover afterwards. This is not because God wants all of our money. Instead, this is because God wants our hearts to come with our gifts – and it is hard to get our hearts with a gift that is only a small percentage of our wealth.

Does God want us to start giving everything like this widow gave? Maybe He does, but maybe He doesn’t. I think the bigger question for you and me is whether we will give Jesus our hearts along with our gifts, and that we will give enough of an amount that we are pushed to place our faith in Him.

This number will look different for each of us, but what will ultimately be the same between your giving and mine is that our hearts will be part of the gift, and as we give in this way, our faith and trust in God will grow, and our lives will be transformed!

As we come to the end of another podcast episode, here are the challenges I will leave you with:

As I always open these challenges by saying, intentionally continue seeking and placing God first in your life. Challenge yourself to give 10% more than what you gave last month and see what God does in your life. If an increase of 10% makes your heart nervous, perhaps that is because the gift might also include your heart. If you can increase your gift without even noticing, perhaps God may want you to give more.

Whatever the case is, continue praying and studying the Bible for yourself, and intentionally growing your relationship with God on a personal level. While group worship is beneficial, personal study is vital to a strong foundation and connection with Jesus. If you haven’t been personally reading or studying the Bible lately, consider this a challenge to start or restart.

And as I end every set of challenges by saying in one way or another, never stop short of, back away from, chicken out of, or deviate away from where God wants to lead you to in your life with Him!