"For they all put in out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all that she had, her whole livelihood."
--Mark 12:44 (NKJV)
From the daily Bible reading on May 12, 2013 of Psalm 89:38-45; Mark 12:18-44; 1 Samuel 10:9-12.
After His triumphal entry into Jerusalem, Jesus spent a good bit of His time in the temple, teaching and answering the many questions from the Pharisees, Sadducees, and scribes as they tried to trap Him so they could at the very least discredit Him. This particular day, Tuesday, would prove to be a busy one for our Lord and His disciples. But for now He simply sat and observed all around Him as the temple-goers put their offerings of money into the treasury (a chest for collecting coins). He watched as many rich folk dropped in large sums. Then a poor woman comes along, who Mark identifies as a widow. She digs through her very meager belongings and finds two small copper coins, each worth less than a penny, and deposits them into the treasury. Jesus calls His disciples to His side and tells them that this poor widow, in her poverty, had given more than any of these rich people, in their abundance (please see verse 43).
In the times when Jesus walked among us as a Man, a widow would have no means of support other than what little her family or the church might be able to provide. Rather than simply call her poor, Mark could have more accurately described the widow as destitute, probably barely surviving without a husband to see to her needs. Still, having so little, next to nothing, she gave all she had to the Lord. Compare her commitment, dedication, and generosity to that of the people of great means. Even though they may have dropped large sums into the collection box, their donation was likely but a minor share of what they possessed. The poor woman gave all she had, the well-to-do gave some small fraction. Her generosity far surpassed theirs.
Even more telling, though, than her generosity being evident in the extent of her donation is the level of trust she clearly shows she places in God. By giving all she had, not just some lesser percentage, she displayed her complete trust in and dependence upon God to see to her daily needs. She knew in her heart that God would provide.
We should have as much faith and trust as this poor widow in a generous and loving heavenly Father. Our tithes, if we are among the few who do tithe, are but a small percentage of all the many blessings God pours out on us. How deep are we willing to dig to serve Him? Just how much faith and trust do we really have in Him? How broad is our reliance upon Him for meeting our needs? We must be like this widow and trust in the Lord. Amen.
Dear God, forgive us, when we horde all the blessings You have poured out on us for ourselves. We see the need all around us, I pray we respond to that need in a way that is pleasing to You. Please Father, forgive us when we fail to put our complete trust in You. We are so afraid of failure, of hunger, of not having enough for ourselves that we too often don't understand that You will provide. Help us, please Father, to rely more dearly on You. In the name of Jesus we pray. Amen.
In the times when Jesus walked among us as a Man, a widow would have no means of support other than what little her family or the church might be able to provide. Rather than simply call her poor, Mark could have more accurately described the widow as destitute, probably barely surviving without a husband to see to her needs. Still, having so little, next to nothing, she gave all she had to the Lord. Compare her commitment, dedication, and generosity to that of the people of great means. Even though they may have dropped large sums into the collection box, their donation was likely but a minor share of what they possessed. The poor woman gave all she had, the well-to-do gave some small fraction. Her generosity far surpassed theirs.
Even more telling, though, than her generosity being evident in the extent of her donation is the level of trust she clearly shows she places in God. By giving all she had, not just some lesser percentage, she displayed her complete trust in and dependence upon God to see to her daily needs. She knew in her heart that God would provide.
We should have as much faith and trust as this poor widow in a generous and loving heavenly Father. Our tithes, if we are among the few who do tithe, are but a small percentage of all the many blessings God pours out on us. How deep are we willing to dig to serve Him? Just how much faith and trust do we really have in Him? How broad is our reliance upon Him for meeting our needs? We must be like this widow and trust in the Lord. Amen.
Dear God, forgive us, when we horde all the blessings You have poured out on us for ourselves. We see the need all around us, I pray we respond to that need in a way that is pleasing to You. Please Father, forgive us when we fail to put our complete trust in You. We are so afraid of failure, of hunger, of not having enough for ourselves that we too often don't understand that You will provide. Help us, please Father, to rely more dearly on You. In the name of Jesus we pray. Amen.
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