Mark 12:41-44 New International Version
The Widow’s Offering
41 Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. 42 But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a few cents.
43 Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. 44 They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.”
Jesus sat opposite the place where the offerings were put indicates that he was opposed to the motive and intentions of the religious folk in giving offerings to God.
First, the rich people gained their wealth by deceiving people and overcharging them (they oppressed the poor and the cries of the poor reached God’s ears). Second, they threw the money in, indicating they were prideful and arrogant. Third, they gave large amounts, which indicates they wanted to show off their wealth to gain honor among men. All these attitudes of the heart are contrary to God’s purposes.
He wants us to be godly men—honest, loving one another and content with what He has provided us. He wants us to be humble and not arrogant. He desires that we give in secret and not to gain honor for ourselves. All-in-all, He desires that everything we do give Him glory. But contrary to God’s purposes, these rich people were self-indulgent and conceited with self-glorification. So Jesus looked at their offerings with disgust.
But the widow was poor. The widow is symbolic of a believer who trusts in God, prays continually and depends on God for all their needs to be met. 1 Tim 5:5 says, “The widow who is really in need and left all alone puts her hope in God and continues night and day to pray and to ask God for help.”
According to James 1:9 – The brother in humble circumstances ought to take pride in his high position.
What is the High Position of the Poor?
“Listen, my dear brothers: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him?” – James 2:5 NIV
The one who is seen as poor is actually rich because they will inherit the inheritance that will never perish, spoil or fade in heaven reserved for them (1 Peter 1:4). The widow has a singular purpose. She is not married to a husband nor lives for pleasure. So she is fully dedicated to God’s purposes in her life. She has a singular purpose to see the Kingdom arrive first in her and then in others. She is service oriented. She is a builder. She sees the Lord before her. She knows He is trustworthy from experience. She has tasted and known that the Lord is good. She loves to depend on Him.
She is redeeming her time by using every second to draw closer in dependence and faith to attain the glorious riches that are only available in Christ. She knows that God is a generous rewarder and lavishes all with good gifts (Heb 11:6, James 1:17). So she was not going to incur any losses but receive much more as a result of being wise and doing the right thing she was required to do. So she gives all her money to God’s work knowing that her gift is of great value in God’s eyes. She gives in the knowledge of God’s value system that honors the meek and the lowly and those who depend on Him rather than the haughty and the prideful that use God only as a means to attain their ends.
The widow by giving away even that which she needed to live on was investing into God’s treasury her great faith that is worth more than gold (1 Peter 1:7). Her light and momentary trials were refining her faith so that it would be proved genuine and result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed (1 Peter 1:7). Her genuine faith would shield her by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time (1 Peter 1:5).
2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. – James 1:2-4 NIV
She cares deeply about how she lives and is exemplary in her ability to think according to kingdom values. God does not see their (the rich men’s) gift as having any value compared to the enormous value of the widow’s gift because of her consecrated and devoted focus that brings more souls to Christ than the financial support of the rich that does not do any good to the Kingdom because it is devoid of a heart that is right before God and lacks the passion to serve well with dignity and honor.
These (trials) have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. – 1 Peter 1:7 NIV
Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him. – James 1:12 NIV
The widow was building her faith in God through her giving. She had given herself to God and was trusting every segment of her life in Jesus’ hands including finance. The trials she was facing only proved God’s faithfulness and drew her closer to her Lord and Savior emboldening her in Him and imparting strength and freedom to live free of crutches such as people’s approval, people’s opinions and the cravings of the flesh and the lusts thereof.
“Out of my distress I called on the Lord; the Lord answered me and set me free.” – Psalm 118:5
“So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” – John 8:36
Oftentimes, we need a healthy curated level of distress so that we will be compelled to call on the Lord and receive our freedom from Him.
“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.” – Gal 5:1
We are to seek out freedom rather than stay in bondage to the elementary spiritual forces of the wicked one by using the power of God’s Holy Spirit to break FREE from the bonds of slavery imposed on us through Satan’s conditioning on our minds.
“Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God. Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor.” – 1 Peter 2:16-17
What is the Low Position of the Rich?
But the one who is rich should take pride in his low position because he will pass away like a wildflower. For the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the plant; its blossom falls and its beauty is destroyed. In the same way the rich man will fade away even while he goes about his business (James 1:10-11 NIV).
This is the low position of those who are rich in the world.
James offers warnings to rich oppressors in chapter 5, verses 1-6:
1 Now listen, you rich people, weep and wail because of the misery that is coming on you. 2 Your wealth has rotted, and moths have eaten your clothes. 3 Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and eat your flesh like fire. You have hoarded wealth in the last days. 4 Look! The wages you failed to pay the workers who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty. 5 You have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence. You have fattened yourselves in the day of slaughter. 6 You have condemned and murdered the innocent one, who was not opposing you.
1 Timothy 6:17-18 offers instructions for those who have wealth:
“Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share.”
The rich in the world must do as the word says to avoid being destroyed (Prov 15:25).
The poor widow was persevering under her trial and she was faithful to serve with whatever she had. God is pleased with those who wait on him to deliver them from their trial. She was persevering to receive the crown of life—she loved him and lived only for Him.
The rich people on the other hand were not persevering because they were like the blossoms which would be destroyed by scorching heat.
The rich men who gave out of their exceeding wealth could not outgive the widow because she had given her life to be reformed and made whole. This is the greatest gift that we can give God—ourselves.
Additional Scriptures
1 Cor 7:28b-31…But those who marry will face troubles in this life, and I want to spare you this. 29What I am saying, brothers, is that the time is short. From now on those who have wives should live as if they had none; 30those who weep, as if they did not; those who are joyful, as if they were not; those who make a purchase, as if they had nothing; 31and those who use the things of this world, as if not dependent on them. For this world in its present form is passing away.
The Unmarried and Widowed
…32I want you to be free from concern. The unmarried man is concerned about the work of the Lord, how he can please the Lord. 33But the married man is concerned about the affairs of this world, how he can please his wife, 34and his interests are divided. The unmarried woman or virgin is concerned about the work of the Lord, how she can be holy in both body and spirit. But the married woman is concerned about the affairs of this world, how she can please her husband.… – 1 Cor 7:32-34
Romans 8:21…“That the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God.”
1 Cor 9:19…“For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them.”
Romans 6:22…“But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life.”
Rom 6:14…“For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.”
1 Cor 7:22…“For he who was called in the Lord as a slave is a freedman of the Lord. Likewise he who was free when called is a slave of Christ.”
Acts 13:39…“And by him everyone who believes is freed from everything from which you could not be freed by the law of Moses.”
Psalm 119:45…“I will walk about in freedom, for I have sought out your precepts.”
Psalm 118:5…“From my distress I called upon the Lord; the Lord answered me and set me in a large place.”
Heb 2:14-15…“Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil— and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.”
1 Tim 5:11…11 As for younger widows, do not put them on such a list. For when their sensual desires overcome their dedication to Christ, they want to marry.
1 Corinthians 7:8…8 Now to the unmarried and the widows I say: It is good for them to stay unmarried, as I do.
Psalms 68:5…5 A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling.
Deuteronomy 14:29…29 so that the Levites (who have no allotment or inheritance of their own) and the foreigners, the fatherless and the widows who live in your towns may come and eat and be satisfied, and so that the LORD your God may bless you in all the work of your hands.
Jeremiah 49:11…11 ‘Leave your fatherless children; I will keep them alive. Your widows too can depend on me.’ ”
Deuteronomy 10:18…He executes justice for the orphan and the widow, and shows His love for the alien by giving him food and clothing.
Proverbs 15:25…The Lord will tear down the house of the proud, But He will establish the boundary of the widow.