Everyone Can Support God’s Kingdom

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NORTH PINE BAPTIST CHURCH

Sunday 15th June 2025

Mark 12:41-44

Everyone Can Support God’s Kingdom

“That is eye-catching!”

Have you heard that phrase before?

“That is eye-catching!”

Perhaps it is an amazing photo. Like the ones Mitch Rickman puts up on his facebook page. Your eye is caught by the detail and beauty of the photo.

Or it might be a touching moment. Like when you see a couple who have been married for over 60 years and they are walking around holding hands and obviously so much in love.

Or when you see that treasure in an op-shop. No one else has seen the true value, but because you know the value, you see it straight away. Something which is work thousands purchased for a few dollars.

It is eye-catching because it has drawn our attention in one way or another.

Let’s read Mark 12:41-44 where we find a situation that is eye-catching to Jesus.

41 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. 42 But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a few cents.

43 Calling His disciples to Him, Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. 44 They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.”

Historically, on the previous Sunday, Jesus rode into Jerusalem on the foal of a donkey. The Friday to come will be the day when Jesus is crucified.

Sometime between those two events Jesus was in the temple on multiple occasions.

On this particular temple visit Jesus is in the court of the women and He is watching all the goings-on at the temple.

It is called the court of the women because this is as close as the Jewish women, and Jewish children, are allowed to get to the temple.

The only people who can’t come into this court are Gentiles … their area is one court back.

So everyone who is Jewish is allowed in the court of the women.

Which is why the court of the women was the location for the collection boxes.

The design of the collection box was … well a box.

Then on the top of the box was a metal funnel.

This contraption I have here on the stage is a very crude representation.

Let’s imagine it was found by Indian Jones.

It helps us to visually see the basic principle.

You put the money into the wider rim, which flows the money into the narrow funnel and then into the box. In real life these boxes would come up to chest height … and the funnel is made of metal.

We know, from historical documents, that in the court of the women there were 13 of these collection chests. Different chests used for making different donations to the work of the temple, 2 chests used for collecting the temple tax, and also chests to collect free-will offerings.

Jesus is sitting in this location watching all the goings-on in the hustle and bustle of the temple. It would have been extra busy that day because the Passover is only a few days away.

Jesus is sitting in that situation and, in that situation, Jesus witnesses a widow put two small coins into one of the collection chests.

How did Jesus know what she gave?

Certainly, there are times when Jesus has a divine understanding which no-one else is given. That could be the case here.

But there is also another reason Jesus could know what she gave … and it comes back to the shape of the money they used, the status of widows, and the design of the collection container.

Remember, in those days, all coins were made of metal of some kind.

Bronze for small insignificant coins – like the coins the widow used.

Brass for coins of greater value.

Higher value coins were made of silver.

There were also gold coins.

When these metal coins hit onto metal they will make different sounds, all depending on which coin is being offered. It would not take much to learn which sound belonged to which coin.

We also want to remember that, in those days, it was quite easy to discern who was rich, and who was poor, usually by their clothing.

Most people at that time could look at a crowd and go

… that is a wealthy person.

… that is a Pharisee.

… that is a labourer.

… that is a widow.

It was easy enough to deduce.