THE WIDOW WITH TWO MITES

This is an excerpt from my Bible.

     Jesus was teaching the people about the hypocrisy of the scribes. He described them as lusting for recognition, seeking the best positions, stealing from the helpless, yet making a pretense of being religious (Mark 12:38-40).  Sitting in the women's court where the offering receptacles were located, Jesus used the woman as an example. The comparison is spectacular.
     Widowhood was one of the most vulnerable positions of the time. A widow had less capacity for earning than slaves; and unless she had family or friends to protect and help her she was most likely destitute and perhaps even homeless.
     This particular widow was down on her last two mites (worth a fraction of a penny). Jesus drew the attention of the disciples to this woman, who brought delight to His heart. The sound of her tiny offering as it dropped into the metal receptacle must have been pitiful compared with the rattling of the many coins from the rich.
     This was the last event of Jesus' public teaching. The act of this humble, needy widow seems to summarize all His teaching. She was not meeting a great need (ultimately God's recourses are unlimited), but rather she was recognizing that everything belongs to God. Because she was in His hands, she could willingly and joyously offer all she had to Him.


*If we would recognize all we have is not ours, we would bear fruit, we would put honor where it's due. God would surely be shown unto this nation of affluence and greed, and to this world who needs. No doubt that the Holy Spirit would move dramatically throughout all peoples...