WJS9 – Jesus Saw The Value of a Gift

WJS9 – Jesus Saw The Value of a Gift

Scripture: Mark 12:41-44 41 Jesus sat down near the collection box in the Temple and watched as the crowds dropped in their money. Many rich people put in large amounts. 42 Then a poor widow came and dropped in two small coins. 43 Jesus called his disciples to him and said, “I tell you the truth, this poor widow has given more than all the others who are making contributions. 44 For they gave a tiny part of their surplus, but she, poor as she is, has given everything she had to live on.” (Mark 12:41-44 NLT) I’m not sure how to approach this story. It’s short, simple, and sweet. It brings tears to my eyes whenever I take the time to visualize it and think it through, and it was hard to think of a title for this. Here’s my thoughts about what Jesus saw: Jesus took time to sit and watch the crowds in the Temple give their freewill offerings. He was not impressed by the large amounts rich people gave, no matter how ostentatiously they dropped their bags of clinking gold and silver coins in the box. He was impressed by one offering though, and he called his disciples to him and used this as a teachable moment for them. A woman, a poor widow, dropped two tiny copper coins in the box. The coins didn’t even “clink” when she dropped them. The amount was scarcely enough to buy oil for even one of the hundreds of lamps that provided light in the Temple. But Jesus saw her two coins as more than all the others had given. It was all she had to live on! It would be nice if the story ended with Jesus calling attention to her and several of the rich “givers” blessing her with gold and silver enough to live happily ever after. But they didn’t. It would be nice if Jesus had quoted himself from Luke 6:38: “Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full—pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back,” but he didn’t. I don’t have a pre-packaged life-lesson for us here, friends! Jesus seems to value a gift not by the amount we give, but by the amount we have left! What does the Spirit say to you about What Jesus Saw and What Jesus Said? Prayer: Father, Please help my friends and me to see what we should see and learn what we should learn from this poor widow. I don’t want to learn lessons that aren’t there, but I sure don’t want to miss what you want me to learn. For Jesus’ sake! Amen.