Mark 12:41-44 12. THE WIDOW'S MITE Mark 12:41-44 (Luke 21:1-4) 41 And he sat down over against the treasury,--The treasury was the receptacle into which the people deposited the contributions which the law of Moses required all of them to bring when they came up to the annual festivals. (Dent. 16:16, 17.) and beheld how the multitude cast money into the treasury --Jesus sat opposite to and in full sight of the treasury, where he could see all who contributed. and many that were rich cast in much.--"Many," not all, of the more wealthy contributed freely. 42 And there came a poor widow,--Alone and lonely, probably poorly dressed. She attracts attention of observers--probably calling forth sympathy from some; but Jesus regards her with admiration. Perhaps she was one of those widows some hypocritical scribe had robbed. and she cast in two mites,--A small coin made of brass, the smallest in use among the Jews. which make a farthing.--The two mites made a farthing. The mite was much less than any coin we have, as the farthing was less than an English farthing. It was worth about three mills and a half, or one-third of a cent. 43 And he called unto him his disciples, and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, This poor widow cast in more than all they that are casting into the treasury:--That is, more in proportion to her means, and therefore more than was acceptable to God. It does not mean more in value than all which the others had put in, but it showed more love to the sacred cause, more self-denial, and more sincerity in what she did. This is the rule by which the Lord will reward us. (2 Corinthians 8:12.) It was in the widow's case a freewill offering. How it was in the case of the others cannot be so decidedly known; for some doubtless from proper motives cast in their gifts. Yet from the character of the leading classes, very justly represented by the scribes (verses 38-40), it may be correctly presumed that a majority of those casting in much did it not so much from love to God as from love of human praise. 44 for they all did cast in of their superfluity;--Of their superfluous store. They have given what they did not need. They could afford it as well as not; and in doing it they have shown no self-denial. but she of her want--Of her poverty--out of her deficiency; while the others gave out of their excess, superabundance--their overflow. did cast in all that she had, even all her living.--All that she had on which to live. She trusted in God to supply her wants, and devoted her scanty property entirely to him. This poor widow gave all the money she had at that time, and all that she had to live upon, at least for that day. Luke (Luke 21:4) says: "All the living that she had," would fast in order to give. She felt what she gave, they did not to her it was real self-denial, but not to them. In love she devoted all to God, strong faith in his providential care. There are two ways in which to estimate the value of contributions; first with reference to the benevolent object on which the money is to be expended; and second, with reference to the spiritual good resulting to the contributor. Estimated according to the former standard, the larger gifts of the rich were the more valuable, because they would accomplish more in feeding the poor and in providing for the expenses of the temple. But from the latter point of view, the gift of the widow was greater than all, because she actually gave more in proportion to her ability, and secured to herself a great blessing at the hand of God. She did voluntarily what Jesus had vainly commanded the rich young ruler to do; though poor herself, she gave her all. She did this, too, when she had only her widow's hands with which to earn more; but he had refused though he had the strength and ingenuity of young manhood to guard him against future want. Many improperly apply the term, widow's mite, to their trifling contributions. To give the widow's mite, one must give all his living. There are none who may not in this way show their love to the cause of Christ. The time to begin to be benevolent and to do good is in early life--in childhood. (Ecclesiastes 12:1.) It is every Christian man's duty to observe, not how much to give, but how much compared with what he has and what is the motive with which it is done. But few practice self-denial. Most givers give of their abundance--that is, what they can spare without feeling it. Among the large number who give, how few deny themselves of one comfort, even the least, that they may advance the kingdom of God!