She put in all...

Mark 12:38-44  from the daily reading in the One Year Bible (link available on links page)

³⁸ In His teaching He was saying: “Beware of the scribes who like to walk around in long robes, and like respectful greetings in the market places, ³⁹ and chief seats in the synagogues and places of honor at banquets, ⁴⁰ who devour widows’ houses, and for appearance’s sake offer long prayers; these will receive greater condemnation.”

The Widow’s Mite

⁴¹ 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. ⁴² A poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which amount to a cent. ⁴³ 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; ⁴⁴ 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.”

God is concerned with and judges hearts. That is really the theme behind both of these accounts in today's text. Jesus begins with a warning about the religeous hypocrisy of the scribes. Throughout His ministry Jesus harshest words were directed toward the religeous leaders. Religeon is defined in part as: something one believes in and follows devotedly. When God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to die for the sins of all mankind, He didn't do it so that we would observe rituals and traditions. Those were given before Jesus came to offer Himself as the perfect sacrifice. Jesus came and went to the cross so that the separation between God and man could be eliminated. God wants us to have a relationship not rites and rituals.

That relationship which we are called to is formed and forged in our personal times of prayer, devotion and worship. God judges hearts and He is not impressed by those who practice their religeon only before men.  We are not to take pride in our position either in the church or in the world.     James 4:6 says: He gives more grace. Therefore He says: “God resists the proud,
But gives grace to the humble.     That's why Jesus was often critical of the religeous leaders, He resisted or opposed their prideful hearts. James 1:27 says: Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.     While religeon may include values and beliefs it is itself of no value if it does not change the way we act.

The story of the widow's mite is another example of how God judges our hearts. We need to remember as we saw a couple of days ago, God does not need our money. He owns the resources of the entire universe. Everything that we have then is already His. Often times those who have greater financial resources can become less dependent on God. Those, who likw the widow, know that they don't have enough on their own, recognize that God is their only hope and source of provision. It really though is not about what we have, it about our heart. In Luke 12, Jesus teaches this parable:

“Beware, and be on your guard against every form of greed; for not even when one has an abundance does his life consist of his possessions.” ¹⁶ And He told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man was very productive. ¹⁷ And he began reasoning to himself, saying, ‘What shall I do, since I have no place to store my crops?’ ¹⁸ Then he said, ‘This is what I will do: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. ¹⁹ And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years to come; take your ease, eat, drink and be merry.”’ ²⁰ But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your soul is required of you; and now who will own what you have prepared?’ ²¹ So is the man who stores up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.” 

Whether we have little or much, God wants us to understand that all that really matters is what we have in Him.

In both our giving and our living we should give all to Him. Of our lives because we are His, bought with a price and redeemed and restored to a relationship with Him. Of our money and resources because all that we have is His any way. We are only releasing to Him what is already His. Malachi 3:10 says:   

"Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house, and test Me now in this," says the LORD of hosts, "if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you a blessing until it overflows.

While that may be an old covenant principle, it is also an eternal truth. You can't out give God.  

Heavenly Father, Lord Jesus Christ, Holy Spirit, thank You for all You have done and given me.  I give You all  I have and all I am in return.   Amen