Mark 12:42

"Then one poor widow came and threw in two mites, which make a quadrans" Mark 12:42

In some churches the offering plate is not passed. Instead those who wish to give march to the front of the sanctuary and place their offerings into the plate. Imagine for a moment that you are in one of those churches. The offering prayer has been uttered. The organist begins the offering hymn. People begin to gather in the center isle and make their way to the front. Nothing out of the ordinary happens until a fellow steps from the back pew of the building. Heads turn. The room hushes of all but the melodious strains of the pipe organ. The man is dressed in the finest suit - obviously hand tailored to fit him and him only. The mass of humanity opens before him like the sea at Moses' command. Reaching the front, this fine fellow dramatically reaches into his coat pocket, pulls out pen and checkbook, and with a flourish writes a huge check.

Immediately behind him, un-intimidated by the show, slowly and painfully creeps a little old widow who cares for three abandoned grandchildren - all on her pittance (of a few thousand Hong Kong dollars per month per person) of a social security check from the Hong Kong Government. Few notice. Some snicker. "What do we need with her coins after that huge check?" some ask. Finally reaching the front, the widow carefully opens a worn coin purse, pulls out it's contents. Silently, timidly she drops them into the plate. The organ plays on. The people murmur about the generosity of the rich man. The deacons rejoice that the new roof is paid for.

Who put the most in the offering? Of course we know that it was the widow - she gave her all - everything she had. The man gave petty cash! One made a show. The other made a sacrifice.

The New Testament never really talks about tithing. It does talk about giving. (Tithing is the practice of giving 10% of one's income to the Lord.) The reason tithing is never mentioned is that something greater is demanded of the Christian believer. Jesus uses the example of the widow and her two coins to illustrate the principle. He expects our all - every cent - every possession - every ounce of flesh - every breath we breath - every drop of our blood. He expects us to be a "living sacrifice." After all, He set the example of giving. He gave His very life for us. What less could we offer Him?

The next time the offering plate is passed your way, stop and think about the widow. Compare her gift to yours. Then remember that your offering is just a token of what God wants - everything! Amen and Amen.