Mark 12:41, commentary and pictures

Seated opposite the treasury, Jesus deliberately watched how the people put money in, and saw that many who were rich put in large and conspicuous sums. A gift is worth before Him not by its amount in money, size, appearance, or public praise, but by its proportion to what the giver has and what it costs in self-denial and sacrifice. The rich gave from their abundance without feeling want and giving up nothing needed, while the widow in her poverty cast in all she had to live on with a willing heart and trust that her Father would provide. Therefore the smallest willing gift of the poor is as acceptable and precious as the largest donation of the rich, is judged greater than gifts given without sacrifice, and is received, blessed, and multiplied rather than rejected for smallness. He still watches giving in the same way today, and the widow's self-sacrificing gift stands as an enduring example that has moved people across lands and generations to sustain missions, care for the needy, and spread the truth.

Temple Setting and Watching

It was the last day of His teaching in the temple, with vast Passover throngs crowding the courts. He stood calmly with heavenly dignity and authority before priests in rich apparel, rulers with robes and badges, and scribes with scrolls, after meeting challenge after challenge and exposing their darkness and error. The people were charmed by His plain and simple teaching, and their interest in Him and His work had steadily increased. Yet they were perplexed, respecting the priests and rabbis and yielding implicit obedience to them while seeing them discomfited and confused in trying to discredit Him, and they watched with eager anxiety catching every word, not knowing what course to take.

Seated opposite the treasury, He deliberately beheld how the people cast money in. Many who were rich cast in much, putting in large amounts in large and conspicuous sums. Their gifts looked generous, but the watching itself placed giving in the context of what it costs the giver and of sharing blessing with those in need. The amount alone did not determine worth, for worth is measured by love for God and His work, by faith and unselfish motive, and by sacrifice rather than size or public praise. The rich gave from abundance without feeling want or giving up comfort and luxury, while the poor widow gave all she had to live on out of poverty and need, depriving herself even of food with trust that her Father would care for her need and provide for her future.

He still watches giving in the same way today. The Father takes account of how people give to His work, recognizing and blessing self-sacrifice however small the offering may be. Even a gift as small as the widow's mite is noticed, and its recognition has inspired many who are so poor they can give only a small sum to determine to do something for the Lord. When poor believers give and labor to the very best of their ability, He sees when they have gone to the extent of their ability. He then brings in other means through others to carry His work forward, and earnest continuous effort by many such givers accomplishes much, including children earning by simple useful work and putting pennies in self-denial boxes to help the needy work in the South.

How God Measures Gifts

God does not estimate a gift by its amount in money, its size, its appearance, or the public praise it draws, but by its proportion to what the giver has, what it costs the giver, and the self-denial and sacrifice behind it. Love, faith, and the motive of the heart decide worth rather than the sum laid down.

Many who were rich cast in much from their abundance without feeling want, keeping their comforts and luxuries and giving up nothing needed, so their gifts cost them no comfort and were not sacrifices. Some gave to be seen and honored, and gifts made for display could not equal in true value an offering given in self-denial.

The widow cast in two mites, giving all she had to live on out of her poverty and need. She deprived herself even of food to give, offering with a willing heart and with trust that her Father would care for her need and provide for her future. Her all, understood by the One who watched, outweighed conspicuous large sums.

What makes a gift precious and valuable is love for God and His work, faith, unselfish motive and interest, and heart service with willingness of heart. It is given as one's best, wholeheartedly, cheerfully, and faithfully, without putting self first. Size alone does not determine worth, for value is measured by love, faith, and devotion to God's cause.

Therefore a poor person's smallest willing gift is as acceptable, sacred, and precious as a rich person's largest donation when given from love. It is judged greater and commended above gifts given without sacrifice, and it is not rejected for smallness but is consecrated, received, blessed, and multiplied. Gifts of very different sizes are accepted when given sincerely and freely, and no humble lowly service is to be despised, while those who give from abundance are accepted when they give freely and heartily. The poor person's offering may represent a greater sacrifice than all the larger gifts, giving up what is needed for comfort while the rich give without feeling want, and so it bears a special sacredness.

Sincere giving like the widow's is more acceptable than money raised for religious purposes by tempting appetite with extravagant, unhealthy feasts. Those who give sincerely have done well, for with Heaven's blessing even the simplest offering is of great value.

Lasting Fruit and Reward

The widow's self-sacrificing gift was recorded as an enduring example that has moved people across lands and generations to give. Her influence has helped sustain missions and preach the gospel to the poor, establish hospitals, feed the hungry, clothe the naked, heal the sick, and support the poor and needy and the spread of truth. What she did reached far beyond what she knew, for love and faith behind a small gift give it power that amount alone cannot give.

The good flowing from sincere acts done for God's glory cannot be measured. At the day of God she will see the good her deed produced and rejoice in the multitudes blessed through it.

Such sacrifice lays up treasure in heaven and is remembered and rewarded. God regards not only how much is given but the giver's means, sacrifice, and motive, so the wealthy giving much from abundance without going without is weighed against the widow's two mites given as a greater sacrifice. Those unable to give as much are not excused but are to give what they can, deny themselves, redirect means once spent on appetite and unnecessary things to God's cause, and treat giving as a privilege, for small gifts matter greatly when many give. A small offering given with sincere purpose, sympathy, and love is effective in doing good, bringing blessing in this life and a reward hereafter, and consecration in using gifts for the Master's service matters more than the amount entrusted. Her self-denial is the example all entrusted with means are to follow in supporting His work, and God will greatly bless those who do so, bringing in other means through others to carry His work forward when poor believers go to the extent of their ability.

Call to Faithful Giving

Giving to God is not limited to those able to make large offerings, for everyone can give, even small amounts, through regular self-denying support of the gospel work. The poor, the weak, and children can and should give what they can, even pennies and mites, and poverty does not excuse neglecting the duty to support God's work. Small gifts gathered from every source help support God's work, including missions, schools, medical work and education, the needy work in the South, and getting the truth before perishing souls. Jesus watching how people cast money into the treasury recognizes even the smallest gift, and however small the offering the Lord recognizes the self-sacrifice and blesses the giver. Even pennies, like the widow's mites, can help save souls, and their lasting value will be seen in heaven, with heavenly treasure growing according to faithfulness. The widow's mite accomplishes much and has inspired many who are so poor they can give only a small sum with determination to do something for the Lord, for every gift however small helps.

Believers are to make it a principle to save in order to have something to put in, paying a faithful tithe and laying aside for the Lord money often spent for self-gratification. Means once spent on appetite, self-gratification, luxury, needless purchases and unnecessary things can instead be given to God's cause by practicing self-denial in the home so there will be something to give when calls for help are made. Children should show unselfish interest by earning money in simple, useful ways and giving their mites, putting their pennies in the self-denial boxes sent out by the Southern Missionary Society for the needy work in the South and for mission offerings. Earnest, continuous effort in giving accomplishes much, and even small gifts matter when many give, for every penny is needed and those who give in self-sacrifice will receive their reward. The plan of gathering these small gifts was originated by God, and pennies and other modest amounts saved through self-denial and given for charitable purposes are received and blessed by Him, while self-denial in giving is a sacrifice He remembers and rewards and those who realize the sacrifice Christ made will need no appeals but seek to do their utmost liberally, self-denyingly and self-sacrificingly without becoming weary in well-doing.

Offerings should be given as one's best, wholeheartedly, freely, heartily, cheerfully and joyfully as a privilege. Every dollar belongs to God, and offerings reveal the giver's reverence and priorities, for He values sincerity of heart and purity of motive rather than size, appearance or public praise. Those who give from abundance are accepted when they give freely and heartily, yet a poor person's small gift may represent a greater sacrifice than all the larger gifts and be more acceptable than a much larger gift given without personal cost. No one should withhold an offering because it is small or neglect duty because of poverty, but should give what can be given, deny self, and seek to do the utmost without needing appeals, for nothing faithfully offered is insignificant in His sight. Such sacrifice lays up treasure in heaven and will be rewarded.

A small offering given with sincere purpose, sympathy and love is effective in doing good, bringing a blessing and a reward hereafter. Poor people's small gifts should not be rejected, for when given from love to God they are consecrated offerings of great value which He smiles upon and blesses to make their work of mercy fruitful. Offerings for God's work may represent hard labor, economy and self-denial, as when poor widows give nearly all they depend on, trusting God and giving joyfully despite the sacrifice. Those who handle such consecrated means are accountable for using it faithfully.

Wider Scriptural Connections

Sitting opposite the treasury to observe how gifts were brought to God, Jesus both condemned the selfish leaders who extorted widows and misused what was entrusted to them, and commended the widow who gave, so that misuse of a gift by men does not remove God's blessing from the giver. Gifts and offerings to God are right and proper, while religious leaders stand condemned when they plead devotion to the temple as an excuse for neglect of parents and fraud toward them.

God claims the talents He has given and requires that they be employed in His service, with a portion of a person's substance belonging to Him as His just due, and when those dues are rendered in faith He recognizes the offering and commends it. Fulfilling obligations means not robbing God even in little things but bearing every responsibility to His glory, doing one's best to the utmost of ability, and putting talents out to the exchangers, and to everyone who does so He opens ways and increases what is entrusted. Small offerings are not rejected for smallness, as was shown when Mary's two doves were received as an acceptable offering though she could not present the rare treasure the wise men laid before the Son of God at Bethlehem. In return for Christ becoming poor that through His poverty believers might become rich, faith and love act well their part and render to Him all He claims, and His favor rests upon them.

The widow's two mites stand among the deeds done to Christ that are remembered in God's judgment, where every action and word and every neglected duty has weight in the record and each person is judged in relation to the light received. In the same measure, the disciples had forsaken only a few fishing boats and nets, yet Jesus did not reproach them for forsaking little but accepted their sacrifice as He accepted the widow's mite, because it was all they had and was as dear to them as the riches of the wealthy are to the rich.