Casting Our Mites

PENNIES! ONE OF MY FAVORITE SAYINGS FROM GEORGE CARLIN IS ABOUT THE PENNY. HE WHIMSICALLY ASKED, “WHEN SOMEONE ASKS YOU, A PENNY FOR YOUR THOUGHTS, AND YOU PUT YOUR TWO CENTS IN, WHAT HAPPENS TO THE OTHER PENNY?”

WE PROBABLY DON’T PUT A LOT OF VALUE IN THE ONE-CENT COPPER COIN AS WE SEE THEM ON THE GROUND AND RARELY EVEN BOTHER TO PICK THEM UP. YET, DESPITE THEIR SMALL AMOUNT THE FACT STILL REMAINS: IT IS STILL MONEY AND IT STILL HAS VALUE.

OUR SCRIPTURE PASSAGE SHOWS US JUST THIS VERY FACT. JESUS CALLS HIS DISCIPLES TO WATCH WITH HIM AS A WIDOW PUTS TWO SMALL COINS IN THE OFFERING. THEY AREN’T JUST ANY COINS.

THEY ARE THE SMALLEST OF CURRENCY IN CIRCULATION AT THE TIME. THESE TWO MITES BARELY TOTALED 1-PERCENT OF A DENARIUS WHICH WAS ONE DAYS WAGE. THE WORD THAT MARK USES FOR “MITE” FOR THE COINS CAN MEAN “A TINY THING,” OR “CRUMB” AND EVEN “VERY SMALL MORSEL.”

SHE ONLY HAD TO GIVE ONE OF THE COINS AND COULD HAVE UNDERSTANABLY KEPT ONE COIN FOR HERSELF, BUT INSTEAD, GIVES BOTH IN STAGGERING GENEROSITY. JESUS NOTES THIS AND DRAWS IN HIS DISCIPLES TO TEACH ANOTHER VALUABLE LESSON.

VERSE 43, JESUS SAYS, “TRULY I TELL YOU, THIS POOR WIDOW HAS PUT MORE INTO THE TREASURY THAN ALL THE OTHERS.” JESUS DID NOT SAY THAT SHE PUT IN MORE THAN ANY ONE OF THEM; HE SAID THAT SHE PUT IN MORE THAN ALL OF THEM – ALL OF THEM COMBINED.

JESUS SAID THAT THE RICH WERE MERELY CASTING MONEY INTO THE TREASURY THAT WAS OUT OF THEIR ABUNDANCE. THIS CAN BE TRANSLATED TO IMPLY “LEFT OVER MONEY” OR “MONEY THEY DIDN’T NEED.” SOME SCHOLARS COMPARE THIS TO US, TODAY, OF HAVING PLENTY, BUT BASICALLY THROWING IN A ONE DOLLAR BILL.

JESUS HELPED THE DISCIPLES TO UNDERSTAND THAT THE WIDOW WAS GIVING EVERYTHING SHE HAD LEFT. SHE SPARED NOTHING. THIS IS NOT A CONDEMNATION OF WHAT THE RICH WERE GIVING AS THEY DID GIVE, BUT IT WAS ONLY SEEN AS A CONTRIBUTION. THE WIDOW GAVE, AS LITTLE AS IT MAY HAVE BEEN, OUT OF TOTAL SACRIFICE.

WHAT JESUS IS SAYING IS THAT GOD MEASURES GIVING, NOT BY WHAT WE GIVE, BUT BY WHAT WE KEEP FOR OURSELVES. THE WIDOW KEPT NOTHING AND SELFLESSLY ALLOWED HER GIFT TO BE A TRUE CONSECRATION OF HER WHOLE LIFE. IT IS NOT THE PORTION BUT THE PROPORTION THAT IS MOST IMPORTANT.

LUKE 6:38, “GIVE TO OTHERS, AND GOD WILL GIVE TO YOU. INDEED, YOU WILL RECEIVE A FULL MEASURE, A GENEROUS HELPING, POURED INTO YOUR HANDS—ALL THAT YOU CAN HOLD. THE MEASURE YOU USE FOR OTHERS IS THE ONE THAT GOD WILL USE FOR YOU.”

JESUS ILLUSTRATES FOR US THAT IT IS ABOUT SACRIFICE. IT IS ABOUT TOTAL SURRENDER OF SELF, COMMITMENT TO GOD, AND WILLINGNESS TO TRUST IN HIS PROVISION AND GOODNESS.

THIS IS WHY PAUL COULD WRITE IN 2 CORINTHIANS 6:8, “THEY HAVE BEEN SEVERELY TESTED BY THE TROUBLES THEY WENT THROUGH; BUT THEIR JOY WAS SO GREAT THAT THEY WERE EXTREMELY GENEROUS IN THEIR GIVING, EVEN THOUGH THEY ARE VERY POOR.”

THE VALUE OF A GIFT AND THE PRICE OF GIVING WILL NEVER BE DETERMINED BY ITS AMOUNT, BUT BY THE SPIRIT IN WHICH IT IS GIVEN. WHEN WE GIVE, IT IS NOT THE TOTAL AMOUNT THAT IS MOST PLEASING TO GOD, BUT WHAT IS GIVEN OUT OF GRATITUDE, WORSHIP, AND A SPIRIT OF GENEROSITY.

THE WIDOW’S TWO MITES STAND AS AN EXAMPLE OF THE TRUE COMMITMENT REQUIRED OF ALL OF JESUS’ FOLLOWERS. WE MAY NOT BE ASKED TO GIVE ALL WE HAVE OR TO FORK OVER EVERYTHING IN ONE LUMP SUM AND SUCCUMB TO POVERTY; JESUS WAS NOT MAKING THAT POINT IN THIS TEACHING.

JESUS IS SHOWING OUR NEED TO HAVE THE ATTITUDE OF A GENEROUS HEART TO PLEASE GOD IN ALL THAT WE GIVE IN FINANCES, TIME, TALENT, RESOURCES, AND POSSESSIONS. HEBREWS 13:16, “DO NOT FORGET TO DO GOOD AND TO HELP ONE ANOTHER, BECAUSE THESE ARE THE SACRIFICES THAT PLEASE GOD.”

THE WIDOW CHALLENGED THE MINDSET THAT SAYS, “I’LL GIVE WHEN I HAVE MORE.” THE WIDOW HAD LITERALLY NOTHING YET WAS A GIVER. THIS MEANS THAT WE CAN ALL PLEASE GOD WITH OUR GIVING JUST AS MUCH AS THE RICHEST PERSON CAN PLEASE GOD WITH THEIR GIVING. WHATEVER WE GIVE SACRIFICIALLY TO GOD, HE SEES IT AND IS PLEASED.

JESUS LOOKS AT US WHEN WE GIVE AND HE NOTICES HOW WE GIVE. AS JESUS LOOKS, HE IS MORE INTERESTED IN HOW WE GIVE THAN IN HOW MUCH WE GIVE. IN SEEING HOW THE PEOPLE GAVE, JESUS WASN’T STUDYING TECHNIQUE. HE LOOKS MORE AT MOTIVE AND HEART. IT IS NOT HOW MUCH WE ARE GIVING, BUT HOW MUCH WE ARE HOLDING BACK AND KEEPING FOR OURSELVES.

OUR SPIRITUAL MINDSET MUST BE CENTERED AROUND MAKING INVESTMENTS THAT HELP LEAD PEOPLE TO JESUS. ACTS OF LOVE AND SACRIFICE THAT GIVES EVERYTHING WE HAVE AND ALL THAT WE ARE TO GOD. WE ARE GOOD STEWARDS OF EVERYTHING WE POSSESS.