Reading through Mark 12, and like other instances where the end of a chapter seem to share more light during my time of study than the beginning, the widow’s offering (verses 41-44) kept me stuck.

Just four verses long, yet thanks to the Holy spirit’s guidance, I spent a reasonable amount of time pondering as the words coherently conveyed meaning.

I will start by describing Jesus’ location:- He sat down opposite the place where the o fferings were put and WATCHED the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. So in other words, Jesus had decided where he was going to be, staying comfy and in no rush, with everything going on in full view.

Many rich people threw in large amounts but a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a few pence.

Time to compare and contrast:-

‘many’ rich but ‘a‘ poor

the rich ‘threw’ while the poor woman ‘put’
And also, Mark ensured to describe the type of money this woman put in but categorized the rich people’s as ‘large amounts’
They all have out of their wealth’ but ‘she, out of her poverty’.

What am I trying to say?

God doesn’t require out of your abundance but out of your heart and out of your poverty. Stand out for God even if it means you’re the only one standing. Do not follow the crowd and do not let them intimidate you. This is what I have learnt from the widow. Despite seeing all the rich people around, she did not let herself feel bad for the little she was putting in but instead walked boldly with others and their large sum and put in all she had. And Jesus watched!

Lastly, like the widow gave out of her poverty, putting in everything she had to live on, so I beckon on us all to give God out of our poverty.

I am not necessarily talking about finances. Poverty is a lack of something. So this lack might be your inability to dance or pray or sing or minister or teach or preach, what ever it might be, you can still give God your all. If in church and you see others dancing better than you, why not dance in the way you know how to for the glory of God’s name, if you feel like you have a horrible singing voice (like I do), you can still sing for God as long as your vocal cords are functional. Feeling tired, you can still say a word or two to God and He understands because He is watching!

And Jesus is still sitting opposite us today, watching how sincerely we give back to God and reminding us that ‘our poverty’ does not hinders us.