41 Now Jesus sat opposite the treasury and saw how the people put money into the treasury. And many who were rich put in much.
42 Then one poor widow came and threw in two Mites, which make a quadrans.
43 So He called His disciples to Himself and said to them, “Assuredly, I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all those who have given to the treasury;
44 For they all put in out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all that she had, her whole livelihood.”
Mark 12:41-44
Jesus didn’t happen to be sitting opposite the treasury by mistake. He was there deliberately and if He was there then His disciples and all the temple leaders must have been there. However, none of them saw what Jesus saw. Jesus saw something that caught His attention. It was not the “many who were rich” that caught His attention. It was not the “much” that the rich put in the offering that caught His attention.
Unlike many of our churches today, the rich did not catch His attention! What an unpopular pastor Jesus would have been in our day! What caught His attention was a poor widow and the proportion of her giving, not how much she gave. She literally gave 100% of what she had: all her livelihood.
When Jesus noticed the woman, He did not keep it to Himself. He called His disciples and showed them the awesome thing He had just seen. That tells me that before that woman came, nobody else had given in that proportion. Many rich people had come and put in much but Jesus did not call His disciples to see them. He just sat there and kept looking at them. Friend, the state of your pocket does not impress or depress Jesus. If you have plenty of money, He’s not impressed. If you don’t have much money, He is not depressed because the state of your pocket really has nothing to do with your ability to give.
This is one thing that stood out about Pastor Charles from the very first day I met him till date. He does not lose his sensibilities around “rich people.” As a result of this, in our church, you may come in as a millionaire and no one gives you any extra attention. You either become humble and join the family, or you leave. All are important, all are loved by God, and all are shaped by the undiluted Word.
Confession:
Father, I thank You that the state of my finances does not impress or depress You. My gift will get Your attention because I will always give generously.
