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, “Truly I tell you, 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
This passage begins “Jesus sat down.” When a rabbi sat down in the temple, it meant he was getting ready to teach. In the passages just preceding this one, Jesus had already been teaching. Now he moves over near the place where the offerings were collected.
I wonder what the crowd expected to hear from Jesus. Perhaps they thought he would praise the wealthy people. Maybe the wealthy people came up just at that time to showily drop their sacks of money into the collection basket in sight of Jesus. I don’t know, but I imagine Jesus watching them and them smiling smugly at him as they deposit their offerings.
So Jesus watches and doesn’t say anything at first. Then an unobtrusive widow quietly approaches and slides two small coins, together worth less than a penny, into the collection. She’s embarrassed. She does not look at Jesus but keeps her head down. In that society, a widow was at the bottom of the socioeconomic ladder. Her self-worth may have been as small as her offering.
But Jesus calls his disciples over. The object lesson has been shown, and now he will teach them. “The widow put in more than anyone,” he says. What?
If the poor widow were around today, we would perhaps urge her to apply for food stamps and budget carefully, rather than commend her for giving away her last dime.
God’s economy is so odd, isn’t it? Why does Jesus say she gave more? I think it’s not just about numbers. It’s about trust.
I often am tempted to wish I had more money so I could be more generous. But typically, the more you have, the harder it is to give it away. The rich people in this story gave a lot, but they didn’t give sacrificially. They gave some of their excess. Their giving may have helped the temple, but it also built the house of their pride. To give a bit of your excess doesn’t build your faith.
To give sacrificially means to give away more than you think you can. There is not a number or even a percentage of your income where you can say, “Okay, here’s where sacrifice begins.”
That’s because giving is not about numbers. It’s about your heart. What Jesus commends in this woman is what he calls each of us to: giving him all of ourselves. All of our trust. It’s all his anyway. He gives us the ability to earn; he gives us life and breath. He provides and asks us to trust him by surrendering our whole self, including our finances, to him.
Sometimes giving all of yourself means giving sacrificially of your time. In children’s ministry, you may be donating hours rather than dollars—and sometimes it seems like you are giving a lot of hours. And if you’re honest, you sometimes wonder—is this sacrifice worth it? Does anyone even notice? You may be “giving out of your poverty”—feeling like you don’t have much to offer. Feeling like you are down to your last dime, emotionally and spiritually speaking.
Your sacrifice, whether of time, energy, or money, may not seem important to other people. Children’s ministry is not exactly the most glamorous of callings. But Jesus notices your sacrifice.
An essential part of ministering to children is prayer. That means talking to God about the needs of your ministry, but certainly, it means more than that. Prayer is also listening—to God’s instructions, to his calling, yes—but also to his encouragement.
How do you listen in prayer? This week, as you minister to children, as you do the hard work of loving kids, stop for a moment and think about Jesus. Imagine him sitting down to watch you as sing songs with children, as you plan a lesson, as you patiently listen to junior high students, as you bring your small sacrifice, feeling like you have nothing else to give. Imagine him smiling at your quiet contribution, and whispering to you, “well done, good and faithful servant.”
Keri Wyatt Kent is the author of six books, and is a sought-after speaker and retreat leader (www.keriwyattkent.com). She will teach two breakout sessions at this year’s Willow Creek Children’s Ministry Conference, April 23–25. This column was adapted in part from her book Oxygen: Deep Breathing for the Soul.
Copyright © 2008 Promiseland.
