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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.
Let’s come back to this contraption on the stage.
Mine isn’t made of metal so I’m going to put this metal milk urn into it.
But you have to imaging it is a big funnel.
So, here comes a wealthy person moving towards the collection box. It would be my guess that, when such a person was making an offering, people would kind of stop and … listen.
Put the coins into the container on the stage.
… loud noise.
… long noise.
Wow, that was a huge offering!!
And when they saw the widow. I suspect many people didn’t even bother to look … or to listen.
Put the coins into the container on the stage.
… soft noise.
… short noise.
If anyone cared to listen they would know … it was a couple of low value coins.
Most people wouldn’t care to listen.
But Jesus is not like most people.
That is why it is the offering of the widow that catches His eye … or more specially … … His ear.
And it is the offering of the widow which Jesus uses as a lesson on discipleship.
An offering of two coins.
The Greek text tells us that the offering was, two lepta, which is equal to a quadrans.
A lepta is a Jewish coin so it is local currency.
A quadrans is a Romans coin … also made of bronze … used right across the Roman empire.
Two Jewish lepta, equals 1 Roman quadrans.
Everyone reading this verse in the Roman Empire knows the value of this offering.
To make sure we know the value let’s convert two lepta into dollars and cents.
There is a coin called a denarius – it is a Roman coin which was made of silver. In the time of Jesus 1 denarius was worth 1 days’ worth of wages. 1 denarius for 1 day’s work was the minimum wage right across the Roman empire.
You need 40 quadrans to equal one denarius. Which means you need 80 lepta to equal 1 denarius.
So the two coins given by the widow equal 1/40th of a day’s pay at minimum wage.
I did the math. It works out to be $4.33.
Is $4.33 an eye-catching number?
Were this amount put into the NPBC offering it would provide the church with
• ½ a ream of paper.
• or the milk we use at one after church morning tea.
• or a few minutes of electricity.
• or 0.00002% of the annual budget for the salaries of the staff.
Would we generally call $4.33 an eye-catching number?
If we gave $4.33 to the church would we say we have made a significant contribution.
Well it all depends doesn’t it.
It depends on whether the offering of $4.33 is an eye-catching number for Jesus.
So what makes the widows’ two lepta … her $4.33 … what makes it eye-catching?
Reading again Mark 12:43.
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.
She has put in more than all the others.
Not more than him or her, or that couple, or that Scribe, or that wealthy merchant.
But more than ALL of them put together.
Her offering is of greater worth than the combined wealth of the people giving in the temple that day.
You can imagine the disciples at this point looking at the widow, and thinking about the small size of her offering.
How can it be that 2 lepta … $4.33 … how can that be more than the combined offerings of the people in the temple?
Jesus spells it out in Mark 12:44
44 They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.”
“She has everything … all she had.”
The last phrase in the Greek literally says, “She gave her whole life.”
Which is why the two lepta … her $4.33 … is so eye catching to Jesus.
It goes way deeper than money.
It goes all the way to the heart of the Christian Gospel.
It goes all the way to the heart of how we can truly have life and have it to the full!
It talks to us about priorities.
It speaks to us about what is really important in this life.
It is only as we give our lives completely and totally over to God that we find a happiness and a satisfaction and a peace which enables us to give everything.
A bit earlier in the same chapter Mark tells his readers about a conversation between a teacher of the law, and Jesus.
We are reading Mark 12:28-31
28 One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked Him, ‘Of all the commandments, which is the most important?’
29 ‘The most important one,’ answered Jesus, ‘is this: “Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.” 31 The second is this: “Love your neighbour as yourself.” There is no commandment greater than these.’
The teacher of the law who asked the question declared that Jesus have given a great answer.
Most of the people in the temple on that day in the court of the women – they would also agree with Jesus. That we need to love the Lord our God with our all.
Most people in the temple knew the commands. They could even tell you the book, and chapter, and verse, where these commands were found.
But here, in the offering of the widow, she is an example of a disciple who doesn’t just know the words … this widow was living the words.
Two lepta … $4.33 … is eye-catching because it is discipleship in action.
It isn’t about the size of the offering, but the heart behind the offering. A heart that is seeking to be a disciple of a Saviour who also gave His all.
The widow doesn’t know it yet, but in just a few days’ time
… the same Jesus who is sitting in the temple.
… the same Jesus whose eye she has caught because of her discipleship.
… this same Jesus will die on a cross.
Jesus will give His all.
Loving God with all of His heart, soul, mind, and strength, and life, and body – by obediently giving His life.
Loving His neighbour, and His enemies, and the sinners, and the rebellious … loving them all as Himself – by obediently giving His life.
Jesus will go from the temple and, in less than a week from now, will go to Golgotha and lay down His life.
Even though the widow doesn’t know about His once-for-all giving-His-all sacrifice, her offering embodies the heart of a disciples who understands all that God has done for them – and so she give all … her whole life.
It’s discipleship in action that is eye-catching to Jesus.
As we consider these verses what does that mean for each one of us.
Well let’s first focus on what it doesn’t mean.
We don’t want to look at this verse and say, “If I put $4.33 into the offering, that will be eye-catching to Jesus.”
Especially when $4.33 is not all you have. And it is not a reflection of all you want to do to serve Jesus.
For some of us $4.33 may be eye catching.
Or $20.
For others it might be $1,000.
The amount is not what catches the eye of Jesus, it is the heart.
Also, when we think about these verses, we don’t want to come to the conclusion that we have to give everything we have to God for us to catch the eye of Jesus.
There was an occasion when a rich man came to Jesus wanting to know what he needed to do to get eternal life. In that case, for that person, Jesus says in Matthew 19:21 If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow Me.
In that case Jesus wasn’t giving a rule to everyone … it was just for this person because his money was hindering him from inheriting eternal life.
The application isn’t that we have to give everything.
In the early church time Barnabas sold a field and gave all the money from that sale to the church. There was another couple, Ananias and Sapphira, who also sell a field – and they pretend to give all the money to the church and they die.
They don’t die because they didn’t give all the money.
They die because they lied.
Indeed Peter specifically says in Acts 5:3-4
3 Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some of the money you received for the land? 4 Didn’t it belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, wasn’t the money at your disposal?
The two lepta … $4.33 … is not eye catching because it was everything. It is eye-catching because it demonstrates her relationship of trust with God.
She has given everything.
The next meal.
The next holiday.
The next shopping spree.
The next family gathering.
The next rent payment.
But does that mean she will not have another meal, or a holiday, or a shopping spree, or a family gathering, or not be able to pay her rent?
NO.
She gives because she knows God has provided for her for today … and He will provide for her tomorrow.
How many of us would give anything to have that sort of relationship with God?
To so trust that when we are prompted to give our all. Doing so in the sure and certain knowledge that God has already provided for all that we need.
Of all the people in the temple that day, she is one of the few who has put all of her trouble and worry into the hand of God.
She literally has nothing, but she is the richest person there because God is her everything.
And because she understands that God is her everything, she gives her everything to God. You see it could have been very easy for the widow to come to the conclusion that her little bit didn’t matter.
Two lepta … one quadrans … 1/40th of a denarius … $4.33.
Such a small amount – could it even buy one piece of wood to help to burn one sacrifice?
She could easily have said, “they won’t miss it”.
To be honest, she is right. On that day when the offering was collected and counted the two lepta could accidently have been dropped, and they would not have been missed. Like the coins you find in your lounge when you move house.
But Jesus made sure it wasn’t missed. Jesus made sure that everyone who reads these words understands … when we give the Lord our all, there is no such thing as an insignificant offering.
Sometimes we can fall into the trap of thinking we can’t make a difference.
I am too old…
I am too young…
I am too poor…
I am too sick
I have too many children to care for
I am a widow…
I am too busy
I am too weak
The job is impossible for me to do
You are asking too much…
What can one person do?
Well, it turns out that this one person can catch the eye of Jesus and get Him so excited that He gathers His disciples and says … did you see that?
Did you see what just happened?
That which made barely a difference to the financial books of the temple, is written in the Scriptures for every person who comes to know Jesus as Saviour to read.
Have a close look at this widow because that is discipleship in action.
This is discipleship which catches the eyes of Jesus.
The sort of discipleship we should be praying to be.
The sort of disciple who is willing to look at the way they live their our lives, and ask ourselves, “Is my discipleship eye catching to Jesus?”
Prayer
