And He sat down opposite the treasury, and began observing how the people were putting money into the treasury; and many rich people were putting in large sums.
A poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which amount to a cent.
Calling His disciples to Him, He said to them, "Truly I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all the contributors to the treasury; for they all put in out of their surplus, but she, out of her poverty, put in all she owned, all she had to live on."
A few years ago, I was slowly working my way through Mark’s Gospel, taking a few verses at a time. One morning, I read these familiar verses about the widow’s mite. Jesus used her gift of all she had as a teaching point for His disciples, noting her sacrificial generosity.
But I want to know the rest of the story. This wasn’t a parable Jesus used to make a point; this was an observation of a real widow who literally gave all she had to God.
What happened to her? Did God provide for her? Did she starve to death? Did she have small children or adult children, or no children, or other relatives who could care for her?
I won’t get those answers this side of eternity, and I’m pretty sure that any and all questions I have won’t matter once I’m on the other side of eternity.
But I think Jesus has another lesson for us here that remains unspoken. In a very real financial sense, the widow was following the Great Commandment Jesus had laid out earlier in Mark chapter 12: Love God with everything you have (my paraphrase).
She gave her two copper coins, all the wealth she possessed, because she loved God and was obedient. She placed the coins in the treasury, fully trusting God to provide. And, I imagine, trusting Him if He didn’t. As Job said, “Though He slay me, I will hope in Him.” That is a frightening verse!
When I considered these verses, I was unemployed. My position relocated from Florida to New Jersey, and I was offered the opportunity to move with it, but I chose not to for many reasons. For several months before that, I knew it would happen, so I had some time to seek other employment, but nothing had worked out.
As I read the story of the widow, my biggest question was,
“Do I trust God the way that she did?”
I didn’t like the answer. I have seen God do the amazing and unexpected in my life, and it should be easy to trust Him based on that experience alone. I do trust Him, but I have moments of doubt and despair, as we all do, because I don’t see the way forward. I’m guessing the widow didn’t either.
I hope to meet this widow one day and thank her for her sacrifice, her trust, and the lesson she taught me, which sounds something like an old hymn: Trust and Obey.
Ministry is never easy; it will stretch you, test your faith, and often leave you walking forward without a full map in hand. Like the widow, we’re asked to give, to serve, and to sacrifice even when we don’t see how it will all work out. That’s the essence of trust: believing that God is faithful when the plan is unclear.
The invitation for us is the same as it was for her, to place everything we have into His hands and move forward in obedience, trusting that He will provide in His perfect way.
Jon Kendrick
