Mites
What does it mean to give everything?
Then he said to them, "How can they say that the Messiah is David's son? For David himself says in the book of Psalms, 'The Lord said to my Lord, "Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool."' David thus calls him Lord; so how can he be his son?" In the hearing of all the people he said to the disciples, "Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes, and love to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces, and to have the best seats in the synagogues and places of honor at banquets. They devour widows' houses and for the sake of appearance say long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation." He looked up and saw rich people putting their gifts into the treasury; he also saw a poor widow put in two small copper coins. He said, "Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them; for all of them have contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in all she had to live on." - Luke 20:41-21:4
The widow Jesus observes gives the smallest of offerings in a monetary sense. The smallest of coins were called leptons, or mites, each worth one sixty-fourth of a day's wages.
The size of the gift matters, not because it is worth much, but because it is all the widow had to live on.
Why would she give up everything? The offering to the treasury was supposed to go to help widows and orphans, so her offering was a sign of her faith.
Either she believes God will provide, so she needs nothing to live on, or she has given up and wishes to leave what little she has for someone else in need.
Because Jesus mentions the scribes who take from the widows and give nothing to help them, I can't help think this woman is desperate.
Her needs are greater than her ability to cover them, so all she has is offered in the hope that God will have pity on her and find a way to help her.
While Jesus tells his disciples that the woman has given everything, he doesn't tell them they should offer to help her.
That decision he leaves up to them.
What will they offer, and how will it be something of equal or greater value to what the woman did?
That is the question for all of us, isn't it?
It is up to us.
How will we make our offering. And what will God think of it?
More to come...