Good Morning Friends,
“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. But a poor widow came and
put in two very small copper coins, worth only a fraction of a penny. Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, ‘I
tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the
others. 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)
It’s not the amount of the gift, but the
heart attitude that is behind it that matters to the Lord. This poor widow’s gift meant nothing to the
priests and the temple. It wasn’t enough
to provide any help to the on-going needs of those who were serving God with
their lives. The large gifts of the rich
people were what provided for the upkeep of the priests and the temple. Yet, Jesus applauded the widow’s very small
gift and downplayed the large gifts of the wealthy.
The widow’s gift came from the love of her
heart and was a significant sacrifice for her.
That mattered to God. The love
behind the gift touched God. The
sacrifice of the widow impressed the Lord.
For the rich men, no sacrifice was
involved. The large gifts they gave did
not even make a dent in their wealth.
They would never miss the money.
And, perhaps it wasn’t their love for God that motivated their
giving. Perhaps it was the honor they
would receive from men, especially from the priests, that prompted them to
give.
The heart matters to God. God knows what’s behind the gift, and that’s
what counts with Him.
His, by Grace,
Steve
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