Mark 12:41-44

Passage

Jesus takes His disciples to a place where they can observe the crowds.  Many rich people put in large sums of money into the temple offering box.  A poor woman came along and dropped in two small coins that hardly amounted to anything.  Upon seeing her, Jesus calls His disciples to His side and tells them that this woman has put in more than anyone else.  Everyone else gave out of their abundance.  However, this woman gave out of her poverty.  This woman gave not what was left over but rather what she had to live on.

Thoughts for Today

First Thought:

Jesus sits down to watch the crowds.  There is a lesson here even before we get to the teaching.  The lesson here is that there are moments for teaching all around us.  We can see good examples of living and bad examples of living if we just take time to stop and watch.  Being a good disciple of Jesus means being willing to pause in life and take a look around.

Why is being patient and looking around at the world a good skill for the disciple of Jesus to have?  Do you have someone in your life that can teach you in these moments as the disciples did?  Do you have someone in your life that you can teach as Jesus did?

Second Thought:

 Jesus sees many people giving out of their abundance.  In fact, Mark tells us that there were many people even giving large sums of money out of their abundance.  Notice that Jesus doesn’t draw attention to them.  Their gifts aren’t bad – although we often read this text and make them out to be bad.  There is nothing wrong with giving to God.  However, we must be sure to realize that any gift given out of abundance regardless of how big it is will always still be a gift out of abundance.  It is a gift, but not a sacrifice.  There is nothing wrong with such gifts so long as they aren’t made out to be a sacrifice.

Why do we as human beings make a big deal out of big gifts and a small deal out of little ones?  Why do we care more about the size of the gift than we care about the sacrifice that the gift entails?  Why do you think people read this passage and find it easy to demean those who are giving big gifts out of their abundance?

Third Thought:

The poor woman’s gift is the one that Jesus brings to the attention of the disciples.  Here we can really see Jesus at work.  Jesus is teaching the disciples once more to look beyond the surface.  A rich person can give away a ton of money and feel little impact.  Yet a poor person can give away only a small amount and have to deal with considerable consequences.  Sacrifice trumps size.  Quality always beats quantity with God.

In what ways do you sacrifice for God?  In what ways can you look to give out of more than your abundance?

Passage for Tomorrow: Mark 13: 1-8