The Mighty Mite Series

And that brings me to my next observation:

4. The disciples saw it as the least; Jesus saw it as the most.

As I said, Jesus saw her sacrifice as more than what the others gave combined. That’s not a mathematical possibility, but it is a spiritual possibility. Why? Because God has a way of taking little things and making them big things. As the old songs says, “Little is much when God is in it.”

Lastly,

5. The disciples saw people giving many things; Jesus saw a widow giving everything.

You see, she dropped in far more than a mite (worth about 1/8 of a penny). When she gave those last two copper coins, she was giving everything. Yes, everything! For she had nothing to fall back on; nothing to rely on.

In my devotional book, Meditations of a Young Minister, I wrote about this aspect:

“When she gave that one, insignificant mite, she gave her next meal, her next wardrobe, her next gift for a friend. Yes, she gave more than a simple monetary item; she gave all she had! Now she had nothing left. No more resources. No more savings. She had given it away to the blessed Savior, a sacrifice that prompted the Almighty God of the universe to sit up and take notice.”

(By the way, this book is on our Web site through Thanksgiving as an e-book – that’s right, a free, PDF download. Feel free to download it for your enjoyment and benefit.)

And this is the very attitude God is looking for – an attitude of sacrifice where we give everything, not just some things, money things, or a few things. God desires that we give everything.

Here’s the cool part – this is not a financial issue! The Pharisees gave lots more, but they weren’t giving everything. And the little widow gave very little monetarily, yet she gave it all. So that proves that giving everything isn’t a number; it’s not an amount. It’s an attitude of sacrifice! That’s what tells the story of your heart.

That’s why I would say to you:

“Sacrifice is the best way – the only way – to show God I’ve truly given everything to him.”

Would you say that with me? “Sacrifice is the best way – the only way – to show God I’ve truly given everything to him.”

Just as the two little copper coins – the widow’s mite – got the attention of Jesus, so our sacrifice grabs God’s attention and shows him just how serious we really are. It is the one true indication we’re really following. There is no better way to follow than to sacrifice.

This is a common theme throughout the ministry of Jesus:

Matthew 16:24

“Then Jesus said to his disciples, ‘If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.”

Luke 14:26

“If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters – yes, even his own life – he cannot be my disciple.”

Luke 14:33

“…any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple.”

And it is a common trait of those who follow him: Recall Abraham? God said, “Take you son, your only son Isaac, and offer him on Mt. Moriah” (Gen. 22). And recall Job? “Shall we accept good from the Lord and not bad?” (Job 2). Who could forget Peter, James and John – “they left everything and followed him” (Luke 5). And remember Paul? “My whole life is being out as a drink offering” (2 Timothy 4).