Daily Devotional

A Ministry of the Kerwin Baptist Church

January 16, 2019

by Pastor Hawtree

BIBLE READING: MARK 12

41 And Jesus sat over against the treasury, and beheld how the people cast money into the treasury: and many that were rich cast in much.
42 And there came a certain poor widow, and she threw in two mites, which make a farthing.
43 And he called unto him his disciples, and saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That this poor widow hath cast more in, than all they which have cast into the treasury:
44 For all they did cast in of their abundance; but she of her want did cast in all that she had, even all her living.

Would you give to the church differently at offering time if Jesus Himself was sitting next to you in person watching exactly how much you put in? Jesus was doing just that here. We might be a little more sacrificial and generous in our giving. Of course, we know that Jesus does see exactly how much we give. It is interesting to me that Jesus was teaching a lesson here only to His disciples. That is who Jesus was teaching here.

Jesus decides to utilize what He calls a “poor widow” to teach the seed planters of His future church a spiritual lesson. We all have lessons to learn, don’t we? The Bible says that God loves to use the simple to confound the wise. A widow that had nothing, had given more than those that had everything. While the world loves to teach us how to “make” money, Jesus loves to teach us how to “give” money.

Jesus also teaches the disciples that the amount given isn’t important, it is the amount sacrificed that is. Some can give a large amount without really sacrificing much, while some can give a little and sacrifice everything just like this widow. How much have you sacrificed lately?

While there are so many other things in these verses, let me close with this. Jesus also taught the disciples that it is not just about money, it is about our life. Jesus said, “she of her want did cast in all that she had, even all her living.” That word “living”, in this verse, in the Greek means a person’s “life”. Jesus said she not only gave all she had, she gave all of herself. If you are like me, being one of Jesus’ disciples, I have much to learn from this widow. She may not be as “poor” as we think.