Jesus & a Poor Widow’s Mite

The Widow’s Mite, is one of the most familiar story’s told in the Bible, and perhaps also one of the greatest misunderstood stories in the Bible.

It’s not teaching specifically on giving, it’s not teaching on condemnation of certain givers, it’s not teaching who is a model giver, it’s not teaching on the amount one should give.

Jesus is on His way to the cross. He has spent the day rebuking the hypocrisy of those that pretend to represent God:

“And he said unto them in his doctrine, Beware of the scribes, which love to go in long clothing, and love salutations in the marketplaces, And the chief seats in the synagogues, and the uppermost rooms at feasts: Which devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayers: these shall receive greater damnation.” ‭‭Mark‬ ‭12:38-40‬ 

The day is far spent, He goes out from the court where only men could gather to the middle court in the temple where women could also enter. 

There are baskets there to receive voluntary gifts of anyone who so desires. There is nothing compulsory or mandatory about this giving. It’s called, The Sacrifice-Fund, for anyone that would like to give a sacrificial free offering.

Everyone who gave there was giving a sacrificial offering, which in many cases was copper. The larger the gift of copper the louder noise it made  as it was cast in the baskets full of various sizes of copper.

Jesus sits down to observe those bringing a free will sacrificial offering, pleased I believe, that at least in this court of the temple God was being honored by the contributors. Then comes this poor widow, who cast in her two mites:

”And Jesus sat over against the treasury, and beheld how the people cast money into the treasury: and many that were rich cast in much. And there came a certain poor widow, and she threw in two mites, which make a farthing.” 41-42

What gets Jesus attention, is not the sound her offering makes as it is cast in, likely barely audible. Neither is it the amount of the offering, which is merely a fraction of a cent. Nor is it even that the poorest of the poor is casting in anything at all, but that this poor widow cast in all she had:

“And he called unto him his disciples, and saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That this poor widow hath cast more in, than all they which have cast into the treasury: For all they did cast in of their abundance; but she of her want did cast in all that she had, even all her living.” 43-44‬ 

Her offering rose above all the other offerings because her offering most identified with the offering Christ Jesus was soon to make on the cross. 

For her offering was sacrificial: it was complete in that she did not hold back anything, and it was joyful as she cast it in with as much exuberance and excitement as those whose offering made a great sound.

Christ Jesus, I believe was refreshed to see one give as God had purposed in their heart to give.  He too would give of His own life willingly as God the Father had purposed of His Son:

“Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.” John‬ ‭10:17-18‬

Birth out of Love

Birth out of love was Samuel, the child born of Elkana and Hannah in the first chapter of the book of I Samuel. 

All the heartbreak and sorrow Hannah had endured because she could not give her beloved husband a child of their love greatly tormented her,

“And he had two wives; the name of the one was Hannah, and the name of the other Peninnah: and Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children…Then said Elkanah her husband to her, Hannah, why weepest thou? and why eatest thou not? and why is thy heart grieved? am not I better to thee than ten sons?” 1 Samuel‬ ‭1:2, 8‬‬‬

What added to her torment was Elkanah’s other wife Peninnah, 

“And her adversary also provoked her sore, for to make her fret, because the Lord had shut up her womb. And as he did so year by year, when she went up to the house of the Lord, so she provoked her; therefore she wept, and did not eat.” 1 Samuel‬ ‭1:6-7‬‬‬

But Hannah is never seen taking vengeance upon her tormentor, instead she sought out God through prayer to remove the cause of her tormented spirit, which was to bare a child out of love.

This desire in Hannah is rarely seen today. Women want children for a thousand reasons other than to bare a child of their beloved: for competition, for friendship, for jealousy, for a check, for retirement, for a tax deduction…but not to bare a child as a reward to their beloved husband. 

Not so with Hannah for not being able to bare a child out of love greatly tormented her and nothing like riches, or status or position could console her.

God would answer Hannah’s prayer while simultaneously answering the greatest need of His people, which was to have a faithful conveyor of the word of God that His people might hear the word of God,

“And the child Samuel ministered unto the Lord before Eli. And the word of the Lord was precious in those days; there was no open vision.” 1 Samuel‬ ‭3:1‬‬‬

God would eventually bless Hannah to bare a child out of love in which she greatly rejoiced,

“And Hannah prayed, and said, My heart rejoiceth in the Lord, mine horn is exalted in the Lord: my mouth is enlarged over mine enemies; because I rejoice in thy salvation. There is none holy as the Lord: for there is none beside thee: neither is there any rock like our God.”1 Samuel‬ ‭2:1-2‬‬

Hannah will do as she promised, which will be to return the child to the Lord in cooperation with God’s purpose,

“For this child I prayed; and the Lord hath given me my petition which I asked of him: Therefore also I have lent him to the Lord; as long as he liveth he shall be lent to the Lord. And he worshipped the Lord there.” 1 Samuel‬ ‭1:27-28‬‬‬

And God’s purpose is ultimately fulfilled in giving His people a faithful minister of His word,

“And Samuel grew, and the Lord was with him, and did let none of his words fall to the ground. And all Israel from Dan even to Beer–sheba knew that Samuel was established to be a prophet of the Lord.” 1 Samuel‬ ‭3:19-20‬‬‬

So too is everyone that is born of the Spirit of God, is birth through agony of love,”For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son”, who bore our sins in His own body that we might be “born again” to fulfill God’s purpose in the world, to Birth others out of His Love!!!

A Moment in Time & Eternity-All Hail King Jesus

In a moment in time and eternity, a perpetual, concentrated and concerted focus upon the Lamb of God, resulted in a combustion of praise to the Lamb that spread from the throne of God to all intelligent beings that was in heaven, and that was on earth, and even all that was under the earth.

John first said “I beheld” back in verse six thru eight, which was the beginning of a concentrated focus upon the Lamb that was slain:

“And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth. And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne. And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints.”

The Lamb was none other then the Lord Christ Jesus, identified by John the Baptist when Jesus came to be baptized by him,

“The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” John 1:29

In the heavenly scene, John sees  the Lamb standing, which speaks of the anticipated action He is about to perform by taking the book out of the right hand of the One sitting on the throne, God the Father, and moving in unison with the Seven Spirits of God, the Holy Spirit, as He has been declared worthy to commence this action that will result in restored harmony between the Creator and His creation.

Though the Lamb is encircled by the highest order of angelic and human beings around the throne of God, all attention is upon the Lamb. There is no more searching for who is worthy, for Who is worthy, the Lamb is now the centerpiece.

Far different today when our attention is on so many other things: health and welfare, wars and famine, jobs and finances, disease and sickness, etc.., but the scene in heaven is without any distractions.  All eyes are attentive upon the Lamb that was slain and behold He is standing alive.

This concentrated focus upon the Lamb then erupts into the elders singing in verses nine thru ten,

“And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.”

This song of praise to the Lamb provoked the balance of angelic beings in heaven in verses eleven and twelve to also join in,

“And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands; Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing.”

This in turns stirs every creature from heaven down to earth and under the earth, to also acknowledge the Lamb: 

“And every created thing which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all things in them, I heard saying, “To Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, be blessing and honor and glory and dominion forever and ever.”” Revelation 5:13 NASB

Oh that a concentrated focus on the Lamb might be upon Him today that we might also erupt in praise of Him. All hail King Jesus!!!