“And there was a certain poor widow, and she threw in two mites, which make a farthing. 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: For all they did cast in of their abundance; but she of her want did cast in all she had, even all her living” (Mark 12:42-44).
This last week of our April study features the giving stretch. Our writer states, “We are willing to see and look beyond our borders. We may even be willing to spend more time in specific prayer. But when it comes to our money, most of us invite those who want more of it to ‘forget it.’”
In today’s verses we see a picture of sacrificial giving. Many who put money into the temple treasury gave out of abundance. The widow could have kept one of those mites, but she didn’t. She gave all she had. God commended her for her giving. She gave sacrificially with no thought of how she was going to be able to survive.
According to Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary we find these words: Christ’s standard of commendable offering is not our superfluity (abundance), but defiency—not what will never be missed, but what costs us some real sacrifice, and just in proportion to the relative amount of that sacrifice.”
The giving stretch may, at times, hurt more than any of the other stretches. We must examine ways we can give more of our means to further the gospel. As we start to give more, we will find that stretch start to hurt less.
Sue Winchester
Missouri
PRAY TOGETHER: Pray that first time givers to yesterday’s WMO will grow to become consistent contributors to global evangelism.
