The Widow’s Mites

In God’s economy, he measures our giving differently than men do.  In Lk 21:1-4, rich men were casting gifts into the treasury.  And from Mk 12:41 many that were rich cast in much.

Then a certain widow came, and she was poor.  She didn’t cast in much.  She cast in two mites.  Mk 12:42 two mites make a farthing.  Matt 10:29 two sparrows are sold for a farthing.  That’s a very small gift.

When Jesus saw her, he called his disciples to him, Mk 12:43.  This was a “teaching moment”.  He said “Of a truth I say unto you, that this poor widow hath cast in more than they all”.  When you read it in Mk 12:43 “she cast more in, than all they which have cast into the treasury”.  In other words, it sounds like she cast in more than all of them put together.

Then Jesus explained why he said this.  In our economy, she certainly put in less than any one of the rich men individually.  But in God’s economy, “these have of their abundance cast in unto the offerings of God”.  They could easily afford to do without what they gave.

“But she of her penury hath cast in all the living that she had”.  She gave everything she had which was only two mites.  Penury (an oppressive lack of resources) is “want” in Mk 12:44.  The prodigal son didn’t begin to be in want until he had spent all and there arose a mighty famine in the land, Lk 15:14.  That’s penury.

This widow was destitute and, yet, she gave all her living.  God saw it and he counted it a greater gift than all the other gifts combined.

God uses our giving to meet the needs of others.  God has the cattle on a thousand hills.  It’s not like he needs a rich man’s money, personally, Ps 50:9-12.  But in God’s economy, he uses us to accomplish his giving to others to whom he provides, Lk 6:38.  It’s like a flowing river.  By giving, we provide the resources God directs to meet the needs of others.  The tithe in the Old Testament took care of the Levites.  Their tithe took care of the priests.

God makes much of little.  The lad with the five loaves and two fishes, Jn 6:9, fed five thousand men, besides their wives and children.  That boy gave all he had.  And this widow gave all she had.  These events stick out because they are so Christ-like.

Jesus gave everything he had for us, 2 Cor 8:9, “that ye through his poverty might be rich”.  Just look how many of us have been blessed by that one gift of himself.  And look how God has blessed him in return.

You don’t have to have much to give.  Therefore, in 2 Cor 8:12 “it is accepted according to that a man hath, and not according to that he hath not”.  The point is that you don’t wait till you have enough so you can give some.  You give from what you have, even if you don’t have much.

You might say, but if I give much from so little, how am I going to make it?

The widow of Zarephath gave her very last meal and oil to feed Elijah, 1 Ki 17:12-16.  But God then provided sufficient meal and oil for them through the end of the drought.  He doesn’t suffer the soul of the righteous to famish, Prov 10:3.

Rich men often give for the wrong reasons.  Rich men often give for something in return, like recognition.  They get their name in the school publication, or on a building.  They get special favors as in political donations.  For to be seen of men, that they may have glory of men, Jesus said, Matt 6:1-2.

But consider Prov 13:7 he maketh himself rich, yet hath nothing.  The rich come out with nothing after making themselves rich.  The converses true.  He maketh himself poor, yet hath great riches.

When you give you get something in return that money can’t buy.  The Macedonians gave in a great trial of affliction and deep poverty, 2 Cor 8:1-2.  But they were able to by the grace of God.  And they experienced abundant joy. And their giving abounded unto the riches of their liberality.  Rich like the unsearchable riches of Christ, Eph 3:8, and the durable riches of wisdom, Prov 8:17-21, which money cannot buy.

Conclusion: In God’s economy, 2 Cor 9:6, sowing bountifully is not measured by how much you give, but by how much you give out of what you have.  By God’s measure, this poor widow was rich and you can be sure that she didn’t starve; 2 Cor 9:8.

To study the previous lesson, click on Questions and Answers.