Everything She Had

Mark 12:38-44
The Widow’s Offering
 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark%2012%3A38-44&version=NRSVUE
 
The image that came to mind when reading this passage was that Jesus was a “People Watcher.” I’m a “people watcher” too. When given the opportunity to sit and observe people in how they conduct themselves and how they interact with others, it’s interesting the things one notices. Jesus was observing how people conducted themselves at the Temple, in particular how they were “putting money into the treasury” (v.41). Jesus noticed more than I do when observing people. He could observe what was in their hearts.
 
Jesus’ observation shows the differences between the rich, the poor, and the scribes. The scribes were the writers, transcribers, and teachers who were not paid for their service but given special favors and honors. Many of them used their position and influence by taking advantage of widows, so it is very interesting that Jesus includes the scribes in his comparison of the rich and poor. The scribes may not have been putting money into the treasury, but Jesus saw what they were seeking in their hearts – honor for themselves instead of for God.
 
The rich put in large sums to the treasury, but as Jesus said, they “contributed out of their abundance” (v.44). They did not practice sacrificial giving like the widow. In fact, the poor widow “put in more than all those who are contributing” (v.43). Even though this was a freewill offering, not the required Temple Tax, the spirit in which the gifts given meant more to Jesus. She gave “everything she had,” he noted (v.44).
 
This phrase is what drew my attention. The NRSV added, “all she had to live on” after this phrase to suggest that the widow truly gave everything. “She gave her all,” as The Message says. This phrase is literally translated as “her whole life.” The widow may not have had much money to give, but she gave all of what she had, which was a symbol that she gave her whole life to God and trusted that God would take care of her.
 
This extravagant generosity is what Jesus observed, and what set her apart from all the others. Some may see her giving as financially irresponsible because who will take care of her now if she has nothing to buy food or to live on. It was barely enough to live on, a tenth of a day’s wage for a man, but instead of holding on to it, she put her whole life in God’s hands. No one else who put money into the treasury this day did so with such extravagant generosity. They held on to a portion of their lives, and as Jesus pointed out with the scribes, they did so for show.
 
I am not suggesting that we should give all our money to God, but I think Jesus is teaching that we should examine our spirits of giving. After all, it wasn’t the amount that meant more to Jesus. It was the willingness to give all and put her whole life in God’s hands. Are we trusting God with our whole lives? Are we holding on to more of our lives than we should? Are we giving extravagantly like the widow…and ironically, like Jesus? The real reason why Jesus probably pointed out the widow’s extravagance was because he will also give his all, his whole life, on the cross. As a Jesus follower, he has shown us how to give with generous hearts and how to put our whole lives in his hands.
 
Reflection Questions:
Are you trusting God with your whole life?
Is there a part of your life you should give up?
Do you give everything you have, or are you holding on to more than you should?
 
Pray:
Show us, Lord, what we need to do to give extravagantly like you.

Action:
Give some of your money to someone who needs it more than you do.  
 
*New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America.