Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a fraction of a penny.
Mark 12:41-42
Jesus was only three days away from being crucified, yet He took time to sit down in the temple precincts and watch a procession of people bring their offerings to support God’s work.
He could have been doing so many others things: cramming last-minute lessons into the disciples, conducting mass healings and deliverances, teaching multitudes in the temple plaza or elsewhere, retreating to some lonely place in solitude to contemplate and pray as He approached His passion. But He did none of these.
He wanted to watch people give.
He is still doing that! He watches us as we bring our offerings.
First, He watched the rich people give. The temptation for any religious leader is to scan the donor list and see who the “heavy hitters” are so that they can be given special attention and preferential treatment. Jesus watched the big donors also but not to single them out to curry their favor and continued giving.
Unfortunately, the large donors Jesus watched made a parade of their gifts. They weren’t paying in paper money, credit card, or check—for such didn’t exist in Jesus’ day. They gave in coins, often making a considerable clatter as they ostentatiously dropped their coins into the offering box.
Interestingly, Jesus wasn’t concerned with the total amount given that day. His focus was not on the result but on the process. How sincerely was the money given?
The context for Jesus watching the offering is that it had been preceded in the temple courts by an extensive dialog with His opponents. That dialog ended with Jesus excoriating the teachers of the Law for their hypocrisy. Jesus verbally flailed them for showing outward religion without true faith, for demonstrating pride rather than true piety, for focusing on what gains the attention and applause of men rather than God.
The poor widow came at the end of a long line of donors. The ones with more magnificent gifts preceded her, giving in order to gain recognition. She had only a little. She knew it. She recognized she belonged at the end of the line, not the front.
She didn’t, however, let the example of others discourage her. She could have said, “What difference does my little bit make?” Or, “Let the well-to-do take care of the Lord’s work; the Lord will understand if I keep this for myself. I need it more.” She didn’t display envy or greed because of what others were giving, nor did she feel that the insignificant amount she had to give should be withheld from the Lord’s work.
She came—not to be seen, but because she loved God, sought to honor Him, and was concerned to support the place where worship was given to God.
It’s so easy to get our eyes on others and to let their bad example deter us from doing what we should. We must not think of how little we have to offer God, but whether we love Him enough to give what we have. Earth is the only place we can give offerings because everything has been provided for us in heaven.
A Prayer: Lord Jesus, may I love You and Your work so much that I always join those who support Your cause with my offerings.
Excerpted from Dr. Wood’s book, Fearless: How Jesus Changes Everything, available from Vital Resources.
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