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