41 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. 42 But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a few cents.
43 Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. 44 They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.”
-Mark 12:41-44
Why was the widow’s smaller giving considered to be greater than the rich people who gave much more? It’s because Jesus can see into the heart. Though the widow only gave a few cents, it was all she had. This is what Jesus meant when he stated that there are people who give out of their wealth and others who give out of their poverty. The widow who gave out of her poverty surrendered everything over to God to the point of leaving herself vulnerable and out of her comfort zone. The rich people who gave out of their wealth gave a lot in terms of their amount, but their giving had no perceptible impact on their lives. It was giving without true cost or sacrifice.
I’m in the process of reading a book entitled “Overrated” by Pastor Eugene Cho. Part of the book explains his journey in being called by God to give radically. In 2009, he and his wife committed to giving to the needy Pastor Eugene’s entire annual salary—$68,000. What makes this even more shocking is that at the time he was also raising three kids. This was radical and uncomfortable giving. It affected his entire life. It forced him to make changes to his lifestyle and to his spending habits. It forced him to trust God. This was giving out of their poverty.
If God called Maria and me to give our annual salary to the poor, would we be willing to do so? Would we be willing to make changes in our lifestyle to make this happen? I want to say “yes,” but to be honest, these are questions that I’ve been personally wrestling with as I’ve been reading “Overrated.” I’m not sure that at this point I have the faith and the conviction of this beautiful poor widow. This story in the Bible convicts me and humbles me. Thank God for His grace and for His patience in growing this particular area of my life.
I hope this passage challenges you, too. Perhaps together, we can grow and learn how to give “out of our poverty” and not simply “out of our wealth.”
And if you want to read “Overrated,” I put an Amazon link below:
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