It's About Your Spirit, Not the Gift, Part II

Mark 12:42 "Then a poor widow came along and dropped in two little copper coins, worth about a penny." GNB

We call this, mite, from the French word, miete, which signifies a crumb, or very small morsel. The prutah was the smallest coin in use among the Jews: and there is a canon among the rabbins that no person shall put less than two prutahs into the treasury. This poor widow would not give less, and her poverty prevented her from giving more. And whereas it is said that many rich persons cast in Much, πολλα, (many), this may only refer to the number of the prutahs which they threw in, and not to the value.

Mark 12:43,44, reads, "And He called His disciples and said to them, Truly I say to you that this poor widow has cast in more than all those who have cast into the treasury.For all cast in from their abundance. But she, out of her poverty, has cast in all that she had, all her livelihood." KJV

Christ saw her…

1.piety (integrity, goodness, kindness), how rare it is to find so much "poverty in spirit" in this poor widow.

2. spirit….not her appearance. She did this in a better spirit, having a simple desire to please God. God looks upon the heart, and the poorest person has it in his power to make his mite as acceptable to the Lord, by simplicity of intention, and purity of affection, as the millions given by the affluent.

3.liberality in her giving. He shows that men should judge impartially in cases of this kind, and not permit themselves to be carried away to decide for a person by the largeness of the gift on the one hand, or against him by the smallness of the bounty on the other. Of the poor widow it is said, She has cast in more than all the rich. She gave more; she gave her all, and they gave only a part.

4. her total dependence upon God by her giving!