Mark 12:34-44: a reflection

34When Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from God’s Kingdom.” No one dared ask him any question after that. 35Jesus responded, as he taught in the temple, “How is it that the scribes say that the Christ is the son of David? 36For David himself said in the Holy Spirit, ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies the footstool of your feet.”’ 37Therefore David himself calls him Lord, so how can he be his son?” The common people heard him gladly. 38In his teaching he said to them, “Beware of the scribes, who like to walk in long robes, and to get greetings in the marketplaces, 39and to get the best seats in the synagogues and the best places at feasts, 40those who devour widows’ houses, and for a pretense make long prayers. These will receive greater condemnation.” 41Jesus sat down opposite the treasury and saw how the multitude cast money into the treasury. Many who were rich cast in much. 42A poor widow came and she cast in two small brass coins, which equal a quadrans coin. 43He called his disciples to himself and said to them, “Most certainly I tell you, this poor widow gave more than all those who are giving into the treasury, 44for they all gave out of their abundance, but she, out of her poverty, gave all that she had to live on.”

As Jesus watches people putting money into the temple treasury, he sees a poor widow put in two tiny coins, and declares that she has given more than all the rich, because of what her gift cost her. This poor widow gave more than all those giving into the treasury, he says; for they all gave out of their abundance, but she, out of her poverty, gave all that she had to live on. By the amount, her two small coins were nothing next to the large sums of the rich; but Jesus measures giving not by the amount but by the cost to the giver, by what is held back and what is given from the heart. She gave little in amount but everything she had, out of her poverty; and Jesus counted it the greatest gift. This shows that God measures our giving by the heart and the cost, not the amount. God measures giving by the cost and the heart, not the amount. The widow gave little in amount but much in cost. God values the sacrificial gift over the large one from abundance. What a gift costs the giver matters more to God than its size.

Notice how Jesus reckons the widow's gift. By any human measure of amount, her two small coins were negligible next to the large sums the rich were putting in. But Jesus says she gave more than all of them. Why? Because they gave out of their abundance, out of their surplus, without it costing them much; but she gave out of her poverty, everything she had to live on, at real cost to herself. Jesus measures the gift not by its size but by the heart behind it and the cost to the giver. This changes how we understand giving to God. God is not impressed by large amounts given easily out of abundance; he sees and values the gift that costs the giver something, that is given sacrificially and from the heart, even if it is small in amount. The widow's tiny gift was great in God's eyes because it was everything she had, given in love. We do well, then, to give from the heart, sacrificially, not measuring by amount but offering what is truly costly to us. God values the heart-given, costly gift over the large one given easily. What matters is the heart and cost, not the size of the gift. A small gift given sacrificially can be great in God's eyes. Give from the heart, at real cost, not measuring by amount.

That is worth taking to heart, for God measures our giving by the heart and the cost, not the amount, as Jesus counted the widow's two small coins more than all the large gifts of the rich. We can measure giving by the amount, impressed by large sums and thinking our small gifts count for little; but Jesus valued the widow's tiny gift above all because she gave, out of her poverty, everything she had, while the rich gave easily out of abundance. God sees the heart and the cost. Give to God from the heart, sacrificially, not measuring by amount but offering what is truly costly to you. Give to God from the heart and at real cost rather than measuring by the amount, for Jesus, watching people give into the temple treasury, declared that the poor widow who put in two tiny coins had given more than all the rich, because they gave out of their abundance but she, out of her poverty, gave all she had to live on; for God is not impressed by large amounts given easily out of surplus, but sees and values the gift that costs the giver something, that is given sacrificially and from the heart, even if it is small in amount, so that the widow's tiny gift was great in God's eyes because it was everything she had, given in love, and we do well to give from the heart, not measuring by amount but offering what is truly costly to us, trusting that God measures our giving by the heart and the cost rather than the size.

Lord Jesus, as you watch people putting money into the temple treasury, you see a poor widow put in two tiny coins, and declare that she has given more than all the rich, because of what her gift cost her. This poor widow gave more than all those giving into the treasury, you say; for they all gave out of their abundance, but she, out of her poverty, gave all that she had to live on. By the amount, her two small coins were nothing next to the large sums of the rich; but you measure giving not by the amount but by the cost to the giver, by what is given from the heart. She gave little in amount but everything she had, out of her poverty; and you counted it the greatest gift. Show me how you reckon the widow's gift. By any human measure of amount, her two small coins were negligible next to the large sums the rich were putting in. But you say she gave more than all of them. Why? Because they gave out of their abundance, without it costing them much; but she gave out of her poverty, everything she had, at real cost to herself. You measure the gift not by its size but by the heart behind it and the cost to the giver. This changes how I understand giving to you. You are not impressed by large amounts given easily out of abundance; you see and value the gift that costs the giver something, given sacrificially and from the heart, even if it is small. Take that to my heart, for you measure my giving by the heart and the cost, not the amount. Keep me from measuring giving by the amount, impressed by large sums or thinking my small gifts count for little; help me give to you from the heart, Lord, sacrificially, offering what is truly costly to me, trusting that you value the heart-given, costly gift over the large one given easily.