Jesus sat down near the collection box in the Temple and watched as the crowds dropped in their money. Many rich people put in large amounts. Then a poor widow came and dropped in two small coins. Jesus called his disciples to him and said, “I tell you the truth, this poor widow has given more than all the others who are making contributions. For they gave a tiny part of their surplus, but she, poor as she is, has given everything she had to live on.” Mark 12:41-44
“Jesus commended the incredible sacrifice which even this small gift represented…Our giving is ultimately not about meeting the church budget. Obviously, we have a responsibility to maintain and nurture the church ministries to which we are connected. But even if the budgetary needs are met, it is still our responsibility to give…Mathematically, the two coins the widow offered added practically nothing to the total offering. It is about obedience and sacrifice…I have called the widow’s gift “the mighty mite.” We can learn much from this poor widow. The owner of nothing, being watched by the owner of all things.”
Timothy C. Tennent in “The Mighty Mite” blog post dated 7 August 2016.
More and more voices are echoing the truth that giving is not about meeting the church budget but about obedience and sacrifice. Perhaps the most profound statement by Tennent was his last line: “The owner of nothing, being watched by the owner of all things.” The only kind of giving Jesus celebrated was the kind that left the giver completely dependent on the LORD. In that light, what each of us does not give reveals more about our hearts that what we do give. Take inventory. Are you holding anything back from the Lord?