Reflections on the Account of the “ Widow’s Mite”
“ Here
are some of the other things He taught them at this time:
‘Beware of the teachers of religion!
For they love to wear the robes
of
the rich and scholarly, and to have everyone bow to them as
they
walk through the markets. They love to
sit in the best seats
in
the synagogues, and at places of honor at banquets – but they
shamelessly cheat widows out of their homes and then, to cover up
the
kind of men they really are, they pretend to be pious by praying
long
prayers in public. …” Mark 12: 38-40
(The Living Bible)
It would be a rare Christian, who has never heard a sermon about the “Widow’s Mite” and how her generosity should be an example for each believer. As you probably recall, the ‘Widow’s Mite’ is an account of a poor woman who gave everything she had to the church. What the Rich Young Ruler could not do, she did without being asked! One of life’s minor characters, one of those invisible people who come and go without many people noticing them, she was probably unaware that anyone took notice of her or that she would be used as an “example” of sacrificial giving for future millenniums.
The
story of the “Widow’s Mite” evokes strong feelings within me, perhaps more than
any other biblical account. Please bear
with me while I share that basis for my emotional involvement.
The
first encounter took place over four decades ago. As a young man, I was quite active in an
urban church, which I shall not identify.
I agreed to be a member of the stewardship calling committee. A task
that involved making home visits to a number of church members acquainting them with
the needs of the church and soliciting their pledge of support. I had agreed to undertake this chore at a
beginning of the year and the committee met several months before the
commencement of the actual campaign. In
the meantime our pastor left and was replaced by another who had the reputation
of being a highly successful fund-raiser, a person supposedly badly needed by
our inner-city church.
When the time arrived for us to undertake our
canvassing, we were given a ‘pep talk’, a brochure outlining the needs of our
church, and a list of members to visit.
Among my contacts was a widow, who lived in a garret, three stories
above the street. After explaining the needs of the church, she averred that
even though she was living on a very
limited pension, she could pledge one dollar a week. (Keep
in mind that this was forty years ago.)
I hesitated to even accept her offer as it seemed to be such a sacrifice
considering her humble dwelling and limited income but I did so. Upon returning to the church and handing over
this and the other pledge cards to our new pastor, he exclaimed, (and these are
his exact words) “Hell, this won’t even pay for the heat she’ll absorb.” At this point I left that church and I did
not return to it or any other church for over a decade!
However,
my other memory evoked by the account of the “Widow’s Mite” occurred much
earlier – in fact I was only three or four years old –a long time ago – the
Great Depression years – times were tough and everything was in short
supply! However, each day my sister
brought home the dessert from her lunch for me, her little brother, who
probably wolfed it down with little thought of the “cost” of her gift. Years later, recalling the tokens of her
love, I asked her, “Did Mom put two desserts in your lunch so you could bring
one home to me?” She replied, “Oh, no if
she had done that it she had it wouldn’t have been a gift from me!” Might this be a modern day example of the
“Widow’s Mite”?
I
believe that the real message of the account of the “Widow’s Mite” is
that her gift represents a sacrifice and her giving her all. There was a man witnessing her offering that
day who later gave His all. He, too, was
poor as was that widow. In fact, He had
no financial wealth to contribute to the temple. Instead, He sacrificed Himself for
us. He gave His all, everything for
us. Jesus found a cause worth His all,
have we?