Giving Your 'Nearly 'Nothing'ናሙና

Giving the Last of Your ‘Nearly Nothing’

In the past few days, we have been looking at what two widows were called to do in giving their ‘nearly nothing’ and what became of it. Here we have yet another widow who actually takes the step to give the last of her ‘nearly nothing’. However, the difference here is that the other widows were told what the outcome would be before they took action. This widow has given everything she had WITHOUT knowing what would happen next.

Mark 12:41-44
The Widow’s Offering

41 Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. 42 But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a few cents.

43 Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. 44 They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.”

Although the people watching could see that she put in ‘nearly nothing’, Jesus saw that she put in EVERYTHING – all she had to live on. This woman is inspiring! She didn’t have Elijah or Elisha to comfort her and tell her it would be all right. She just knew that she wanted to give God back what was His.

It is not that often we are asked to give EVERYTHING we have, but even if that were the case, would we be willing to part with our last two coins? What if we needed them?!

Maybe the story is actually more about the things we are holding on to which are preventing us from giving everything to God. Maybe it is about the things that we hold between ourselves and God as we try to look after ourselves. If we are truly giving Him everything and trusting Him with everything, would we gladly give our last two coins back to Him?