Mark 12:41-44: Jesus sat down opposite the treasury, and saw how the multitude cast money into the treasury. Many who were rich cast in much. A poor widow came, and she cast in two small brass coins, which equal a quadrans coin. He called His disciples to Himself, and said to them, “Most certainly I tell you, this poor widow gave more than all those who are giving into the treasury, for they all gave out of their abundance, but she, out of her poverty, gave all that she had to live on.”
In Mark 12:38-40, the inspired writer recorded Jesus’ rebukes against certain scribes who did works for “greetings in the marketplaces” and “for a pretense.” These individuals’ righteousness looked impressive to many, but God saw right through them.
Right after Mark’s account of these rebukes comes the account of the poor widow. Just as God saw through the hypocrisy of the scribes, He saw the sincerity of a woman who may not have appeared to be doing a whole lot in the eyes of others, but Jesus knew the “full story.” Whether or not the widow’s benevolence was impressive to mankind, it pleased God in part because it came from a pure heart.
Some who gave much may have done so to “show off,” like the motive the scribes had for making long prayers (Mark 12:40). Some may have given “grudgingly, or under compulsion” (2 Cor. 9:7), instead of cheerfully. The widow who gave two mites did not demonstrate either of these attitudes.
The widow’s example demonstrates several biblical principles. God does not always judge and value things in the same way man does. This is partly because He knows things that we do not, as demonstrated with the poor widow and her circumstances.
It is also brought out that God looks at more than just outward actions…he looks at our hearts (cf. 1 Sam. 16:6-7). This is not to say that outward actions are not important, as this account itself shows, but the heart must be right to please God. The details of the account imply that the widow obeyed from the heart.
May we learn from this example and remember what Jesus said in His Sermon on the Mount, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God” (Matt. 5:8).
– Michael Hickox