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- Oct 26, 2007
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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. For they gave a tiny part of their surplus, but she, poor as she is, has given everything she had to live on." Mark 12:43-44 NLT
The story of the widow’s mite is more than a commendation of good intentions or a model for how we should give. The facts are there: What the widow gave hurt her more than the offerings of the rich helped them. But is Jesus commending her or warning us?
Context helps. Jesus had spent some time lambasting the corrupt religious leaders, who loved the spotlight and long prayers but leveraged the last few coins from widows to buy their fancy robes and maintain the temple complex. He saw the widow as a poor woman left with nothing, someone the leaders should have been caring for, not bleeding dry. Jesus was criticizing the system—greed supplants generosity.
That’s why the Bible makes giving a heart issue. When we are grateful for who God is and all He has done, we give gladly to support His work. We want in on the life-changing things He is doing—including standing up to repression and grift.
Prayer: Lord, check my heart to make sure I am giving to causes that promote and support what matters most to You—people, not profits.
The story of the widow’s mite is more than a commendation of good intentions or a model for how we should give. The facts are there: What the widow gave hurt her more than the offerings of the rich helped them. But is Jesus commending her or warning us?
Context helps. Jesus had spent some time lambasting the corrupt religious leaders, who loved the spotlight and long prayers but leveraged the last few coins from widows to buy their fancy robes and maintain the temple complex. He saw the widow as a poor woman left with nothing, someone the leaders should have been caring for, not bleeding dry. Jesus was criticizing the system—greed supplants generosity.
That’s why the Bible makes giving a heart issue. When we are grateful for who God is and all He has done, we give gladly to support His work. We want in on the life-changing things He is doing—including standing up to repression and grift.
Prayer: Lord, check my heart to make sure I am giving to causes that promote and support what matters most to You—people, not profits.
