Sitting across from the temple treasury, he watched how the crowd dropped money into the treasury. Many rich people were putting in large sums. Then a poor widow came and dropped in two tiny coins worth very little. Summoning his disciples, he said to them, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. For they all gave out of their surplus, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had —all she had to live on.” (Mark 12:41-44)
Jesus is not impressed by your money but is interested in your heart. Jesus did not discount the gifts of the rich, but he saw something special in the widow’s two coins. These coins were undoubtedly her daily allowance given to her by whatever relative was entrusted with her care. The coins would provide her with food for the day, but rather than buying food, she gave her gift to God. It would mean she would be hungry that evening, but she took greater delight in worshipping God. No one else would have noticed her small gift in light of the large sums being given by the rich. But her act of humble worship caught the attention of the Prince of Heaven.
Consider what you do with your money. Do you tithe? A tithe is 10% of all God has given you. It goes back to Abraham, who gave God 10% of his wealth in worship. From that point onward, it served as a baseline portion for giving. The idea of proportional giving is important. Someone earning minimum wage can give the same as someone who is wealthy. Through the tithe, we can have confidence that we are giving as the Lord has required of us. But proportional giving is not the real meaning of this story. The gift of the widow far surpassed the tithes and offerings of the rich. And it was what was in her heart that mattered to God. Likewise, through your giving, you are worshipping God. So whenever you give, pause to worship. Like the widow in this story, unknowingly, you are setting your gift before the Prince of Heaven.
Prayer:
Lord, teach me to worship you with all that I have. Whenever I give, let me give with a grateful and humble heart. And if there is a gift you wish me to offer, show me what that is. Let my giving never be for others to notice but only for your glory.