Grateful exchange ~ Mike MacIntosh

Now Jesus sat opposite the treasury and saw how the people put money into the treasury. And many who were rich put in much. Then one poor widow came and threw in two mites, which make a quadrans. 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; 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 12:41-44

Giving really shows what type of a person someone is. It reveals our character and what we think of the Lord. Here's a lady who gave two mites, which is equal to a fourth of a penny. This was her life's savings, and she gave it all. By contrast, the rich were piling huge amounts of wealth into the treasury boxes to look impressive; they wanted to be honored by the people. Some historians even suggest that many rich people back then piled up money for one full year before giving it at the temple. And you can imagine how heavy that money would have been as they poured it into those boxes. But the poor widow gave from a heart of worship, and Jesus looked at that as something to be honored. You see, when we give, God weighs our motivation, not the amount. Her offering far outweighed any amount that the others gave.


According to the laws of that day, it would have been acceptable for the widow to give one mite for temple service and to keep the other mite for personal use and livelihood. But instead of "getting by" with what the law said, she gave according to what God said. She gave from her whole heart. It's as if she said, "God, I love you and I trust you with my life. I am giving all that I have to You because You first loved me. If there is anything that I have in this world that is holding me back from loving You, I want to give it to You right now. I want You to know that when I turn my back on this temple and walk away, and go to my little home, that I will still love You. I give everything I have to You."


Are you giving a lot of money for the wrong reasons? Are you giving very little out of selfish motivations, trying to keep it all for yourself? Both ends of the spectrum are sinful and wrong. God is looking for people with hearts to give generously no matter how much--or how little--it is. Give with all your heart to the Lord, not out of any selfish ambition, but out of a heart expecting to see God's work advanced in supernatural ways.