“Now Jesus sat opposite the treasury and saw how the people put money into the treasury. And how many who were rich put in much.
Mark 12: 41-44
42 Then one poor widow came and threw in two mites, which make a farthing.
43 So He called His disciples to Himself and said to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all those who have given to the treasury;
44 for they all put in out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all the livelihood that she had.’“
Short and Sweet. This little story of the Widow’s Mites is found in both Mark and Luke and tells us of the importance of giving our all to God. While it may be one of the shortest stories in the Bible, it is surely one of the sweetest.
Today, we will examine the valuable lesson we can all learn from this short passage and what it means for us as followers of the Lord Jesus Christ.
She Gave All!
At this time, the Temple had a certain area set apart for the giving of alms or tithes called the treasury. The treasury and alms boxes would have been located in the outer courts of the Temple. We read that the Lord Jesus was sitting just across from the treasury, watching the people as they gave unto the Lord.
As He watched those giving, He saw many of the rich people who were giving so much. Sitting there, the Lord Jesus saw a poor widow woman approach the treasury and put in two mites.
Jesus called the disciples to come closer and told them, “Truly I tell you, that poor widow put more than all the others who gave to the treasury. The others gave out of their abundance, but she gave all that she had!“
Sacrificial Giving
The story is short and we don’t have any information about the poor widow other than the fact that she gave everything that she had, but we can learn from that tremendous act of faith!
Although the rich people, who had given before her, had given much more money than she, because the little widow woman gave sacrificially, her gift was worth much more to God. When we give sacrificially of our time, money, efforts, or service, it means so much to God and we shall surely be blessed.
By giving everything that she had, she demonstrated that God is worthy of everything we have to offer! She had faith that God would provide for all of her needs. Her sacrificial giving pleased God much more than the giving of the others ever could have.
What a great inspiration that even when we do not have a lot to offer, if we give what we have, God is well pleased.
Giving All to Jesus
“No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.” – Matthew 6: 24
Friends, we must give all to Jesus. We must seek after Him with everything that we have within us!
God wants to have all of our hearts, not just a piece of it. We need to be totally and completely sold out for Jesus!
How can we be sold out for Jesus?
Obedience.
“But prove yourselves not merely hearers of the Word, who delude themselves, but doers of the Word.” – James 1: 22
God wants our obedience
1 Corinthians 6: 20 says, “We have been bought with a price and so we should honor God in our bodies.” and 1 Corinthians 10: 31 says, “No matter what we eat or what we drink, do all that we do for the glory of God.”
We are to live every day for Christ. Everything we say and everything we do is for the glory of God!
When we truly live our lives for the glory of God and hold nothing back from Him, we can truly say that we are giving our all to Jesus!
All to Jesus, I Surrender
Jesus made it clear to his disciples that even though the physical value of what the widow gave was minescule, the spiritual value was monumental because she gave all she had to God.
God calls us to give everything to Him. God doesn’t just want a part of us, He wants us all.
You may feel like that widow woman: like you have so little to offer; but friend, I tell you that God can take our nothing and turn it into something!
Jesus is calling you:
- Matthew 11: 28 – “Come unto Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest.“
- John 8: 12: – “…I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.“
- John 14: 6 – “…’I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the father except through me.’“
Jesus desires to have a deep relationship with us. He wants to have all of our hearts. Even if we don’t have much to offer Him, we can give Him our hearts and our lives!
Offering our lives to God and walking in obedience to His Word is the greatest offering that we could ever truly give!
Join Me in a Short Prayer🙏
Precious Lord, thank you for the example set by the widow woman who gave all she had to God.
Lord, help me to have the same kind of faith that I would be willing to give it all to follow you!
Heavenly Father, I want to give my life fully and completely to you, leaving nothing but faith in your Holy Word.
Oh God, help me to be a doer of you Word…help me to follow you with everything within me. Lord, cleanse my heart and fill every part of me now…I am yours, Lord Jesus, I am yours!
In the precious name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
