Mark 12:41-44
Jesus sat over against the treasury, and beheld how the people cast money into the treasury: and many that were rich cast in much. And there came a certain poor widow, and she threw in two mites, which make a farthing. And he called unto him his disciples, and saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That this poor widow hath cast more in, than all they which have cast into the treasury: For all they did cast in of their abundance; but she of her want did cast in all that she had, even all her living.
J. C. RYLE (1816-1900): The subject before us is peculiarly heart-searching…We learn, for one thing, from these verses, how keenly our Lord Jesus Christ observes the things that are done upon earth.
THOMAS COKE (1747-1814): We can hardly suppose, that at each of the chests there were officers placed to receive and count the money which the people offered, and to name the sum aloud before they put it in; it is more reasonable to believe, that each person put his own offering privately into the chest, through a slit in its top. Wherefore, by mentioning the particular sum which the poor widow put in, as well as by declaring that it was “all her living,” our Lord shewed that nothing was hidden from His knowledge.
JOHN TRAPP (1601-1699): Christ still sits and sees the condition, gift, and mind of every almsgiver―and weighs all.
ADAM CLARKE (1760-1832): What an awful thought for the rich! “God sees every penny I possess, and constantly observes how I lay it out.” What a comfortable thought for the poor and desolate! The eye of the most merciful and bountiful Jesus continually beholds my poverty and distress, and will cause them to work for my good.
CHARLES SIMEON (1759-1836): Much was there in the conduct of that poor widow that is deserving of imitation. We should dispense our charity secretly. We are well assured, that there was nothing of ostentation in her upon this occasion; else our Lord would not have bestowed such commendation upon her. She wanted none to be spectators of her liberality; it was sufficient for her that God was privy to it. Thus “our left hand should not know what our right hand doeth,” Matthew 6:3. There are occasions indeed, when, for the sake of example, it is necessary that our liberality should be known: but, when that is not the case, we should rather affect privacy, and be satisfied with approving ourselves to God.
H. A. IRONSIDE (1876-1951): In the second place, we learn from this passage that heaven’s arithmetic―heaven’s method of bookkeeping―is altogether different from ours.
C. H. SPURGEON (1834-1892): Christ measures what we really give by what we have left—by the proportion which what we give bears to what we possess.
JOHN TRAPP: A mite is valued of our money to be three parts of one cent. Her mite could weigh but little, but her heart weighed heavy; and so her heart, being put to her mite, gave it weight above the greater but far more heartless largesses of the Pharisees. Two mites from that poor widow went farther than two millions from some others.
ADAM CLARKE: Works of charity should be estimated, not by their appearance, but by the spirit which produces them.
CHARLES SIMEON: That which gives every thing its chief value is, it being done with an unfeigned desire to please and honour Him. Without that we may give all our goods to feed the poor, and yet have not one atom of that charity which will be approved of our God, 1 Corinthians 13:1-3.
WILLIAM GURNALL (1617-1679): The more of the heart and spirit is in any holy service, the more real goodness there is in it―the widow’s two mites surpassed all the rest, Christ Himself being judge.
ADAM CLARKE: She did this in a better spirit, having a simple desire to please God. Never did any king come near the liberality of this widow; she gave all that she had to provide for one day’s sustenance, and could have no more till by her labour she had acquired it. What trust must there be in the Divine Providence to perform such an act as this!
J. C. RYLE: How pleasing to Christ is self-denying liberality in giving.
CHARLES SIMEON: Benevolence is essential to the Christian character―and especially in administering relief to the Lord’s people. We should also impart liberally of what we possess. If any be disposed to set aside her example as singular, and not intended for our imitation, we appeal to similar conduct in the Churches of Macedonia; where, in the midst of “deep poverty,” they abounded unto the “riches of liberality;” and gave, not only according to their power, but even beyond their power, being willing of themselves, and praying the Apostle with much entreaty to be the distributor of their alms, 2 Corinthians 8:2-4.
C. H. SPURGEON: It is given to each member in his measure, to serve God by giving. Some are enabled, being made stewards of wealth, to give largely of their substance. They are bound to do so, but they should not give it merely as being bound, but feeling it to be their privilege to give whatever they can to Him who gave them their all, and who is their All. The poorest Christian is not exempted from this privilege. If he has but little, God accepts “according to that which a man has, and not according to that which he has not,” 2 Corinthians 8:12.
JOHN CALVIN (1509-1564): Therefore we must follow this rule, that every one, considering how much is granted him, impart the same courteously with his brethren―for the poor who appear not to have the power of doing good, are encouraged by our Lord not to hesitate to express their affection cheerfully out of their slender means.
MATTHEW HENRY (1662-1714): And it is of great concernment that we not only do what is required, but do it as it is commanded―“He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully. Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver,” 2 Corinthians 9:6,7.
CHARLES BRIDGES (1794-1869): “The liberal soul shall be made fat: and he that watereth shall be watered also himself,” Proverbs 11:25. God has put a mark of distinguishing favour upon the exercises of that mercy, which is His own attribute. He scatters his blessings richly around, and those that partake of His Spirit do the same.
J. R. MILLER (1840-1912): The lesson is plain―the way to make sure of spiritual blessing is to seek to be a blessing. If your love is growing cold, help someone and it will become warm again. We cannot afford to shut our doors in the face of those God sends to us for sympathy and for the ministries of love. Such serving brings to us blessings which we must not miss.
GEORGE WHITEFIELD (1714-1770): Let us be faithful today, and our Lord will support us tomorrow.
