The Leftovers

⁴¹ Jesus sat down near the collection box in the Temple and watched as the crowds dropped in their money. Many rich people put in large amounts. ⁴² Then a poor widow came and dropped in two small coins.

⁴³ Jesus called his disciples to him and said, “I tell you the truth, this poor widow has given more than all the others who are making contributions. ⁴⁴ For they gave a tiny part of their surplus, but she, poor as she is, has given everything she had to live on.”

-Mark 12:41-44 (NLT)

This is one of those passages that I've read many times, but when I studied it  recently, it had a whole new meaning to me. You see, when I seek out what God wants me to write about each morning, I get on my knees and pray and ask God for wisdom for what to write here. Then I allow the pages of the Bible to open where they may, and read until I discover what God wants me to write. This is the section God revealed to me. Let's study.

Verse 41 says, "Jesus sat down near the collection box in the Temple and watched as the crowds dropped in their money. Many rich people put in large amounts." Jesus was sitting near the treasury in the Temple. I'm sure that He watched what people were putting in the box. Jesus, being God in the flesh, knew the hearts and motives for what people were putting in the collection plate. You truly know the heart that someone has by what they give to God. Verse 42 says, "Then a poor widow came and dropped in two small coins." I'm sure that those who put in large amounts loved hearing the coins falling into the box. They loved the big sounds that came when they dropped in the coins. I picture a competition to see who can make the most noise with their contribution. The poor widow's offering probably looked puny and small compared to the others. Maybe the others laughed and sneered at her for the small offering. But Jesus was impressed.

Verse 43-44 says, "Jesus called his disciples to him and said, 'I tell you the truth, this poor widow has given more than all the others who are making contributions. For they gave a tiny part of their surplus, but she, poor as she is, has given everything she had to live on.'" Everyone else who put money in the collection plate gave out of their surplus. It was basically their leftovers. They were giving God what they really didn't need, or what was left over after everything else was dealt with. Not with this poor widow, though. She gave God everything-all she had. That, my friends, demonstrated ultimate faith in God. For everyone else, they had money to live on, because they gave what was left over. For this woman, she gave it all. 

I think this story reveals more than just what you or I put in the plate. I think it speaks to what we truly give God. There are some people I know who constantly do the work of God. In their lives and in their community. These people give all they have to God. Others seem to only do things for God when it fits their schedule. They give Him the leftovers. What do you give God? Everything? The leftovers? Think About It.