The Mite Is Mighty

Message---The Mite is Mighty…The rest of the Story

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By Pastor Ken Burisek

The Ole’ Country Church

Medford, Wisconsin

Kburisek@jesusanswers.com

www.webspawner.com/users/tictocc

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Mark 12:41-44

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41 Jesus went over to the collection box in the Temple and sat and watched as the crowds dropped in their money. Many rich people put in large amounts.

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42 Then a poor widow came and dropped in two pennies.

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43 He called his disciples to him and said, "I assure you, this poor widow has given more than all the others have given.

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44 For they gave a tiny part of their surplus, but she, poor as she is, has given everything she has."

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The story of the widows mite is pretty well known by most Christian folks.

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I’m sure most of you have heard it told either over the pulpit…or in a Sunday School class somewhere during their lifetime.

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In Jesus’ day…widows were for all practical purposes…poor and helpless.

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Widows…and women in general in those days…had few rights and no standing in society…they had no resources…and oft’ times no one to provide for them.

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Perhaps she was like the widow lady who took care of Elijah in 1 Kings 17.….

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10. So Elijah went to Zarephath. As he arrived at the gates of the village, he saw a widow gathering sticks, and he asked her, "Would you please bring me a cup of water?"

11. As she was going to get it, he called to her, "Bring me a bite of bread, too."

12. But she said, "I swear by the LORD your God that I don’t have a single piece of bread in the house. And I have only a handful of flour left in the jar and a little cooking oil in the bottom of the jug. I was just gathering a few sticks to cook this last meal, and then my son and I will die."

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What this woman was telling Elijah was…this was their last meal…once it was gone…they would be faced with starvation and death.

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The Bible goes on to say…that the prophet Elijah gave her a promise from the Lord.

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13. But Elijah said to her, "Don’t be afraid! Go ahead and cook that `last meal,’ but bake me a little loaf of bread first. Afterward there will still be enough food for you and your son.

14. For this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: There will always be plenty of flour and oil left in your containers until the time when the LORD sends rain and the crops grow again!"

15. So she did as Elijah said, and she and Elijah and her son continued to eat from her supply of flour and oil for many days.

16. For no matter how much they used, there was always enough left in the containers, just as the LORD had promised through Elijah.

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The widow woman in the story of the widow’s mite may well have been familiar with this story of Elijah and she had the faith to put her trust in God‘s word and God‘s promises.

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Whether she knew that story or not…we see here that Jesus is lifting up this poor widow lady over the high n’ mighty rich folks who were puttin’ on the dog…showin’ off how much they was givin’.

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There are a number of obvious lessons we can learn from this story.

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The most obvious lesson is that God looks at each offering and each giver of that offering on an individual basis.

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At the Temple collection box…Jesus sees many people dropping in their offerings…one after another…some putting in large amounts…some lesser amounts…but all of a sudden this widow lady drops in her two mites…perhaps comparable to our pennies today…and Jesus comments that this woman has put in more than all the rest.

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I’m sure the disciples were all “perplexicated” at that statement….how can that be…some of the others put in hundreds of dollars and you are saying this woman put in more than all the rest?

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Jesus went on to say that the others were giving…but out of their abundance…out of their surplus…they were giving what was comfortable to them…token gestures that made little impact on their finances and no real sacrifice on their part.

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Then Jesus goes on further to say…this widow has given more than the rest because she has given EVERYTHING she had…she trusted God’s promises enough to put all her earthly goods into God’s hands on God’s promise that He and ONLY He supplies our needs.

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God’s word says this in Phillippians 4:19.… “But my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”