Money and WealthSample

How much should we give away?

In the Old Testament, there were clear rules about the ‘taxes’ people were to pay for the maintenance of the priests and the temple service. But people could also make voluntary donations. The Bible verses from Mark 12 are probably about such a voluntary donation. Mark records how Jesus “sat down opposite the treasury and watched the people putting money into the offering box”. He and His disciples saw how some rich people put in large sums of money — apparently this was clearly visible to everybody present. Then a poor widow came. She brought two small coins, that were not even enough for one meal. In comparison to the “large sums” of the rich, this donation hardly counted.

But Jesus made clear to His disciples that God sees things differently. Jesus knew this woman. He knew that she had given away everything she had! Therefore He said that this poor widow had put in more than all the others.

God is not interested in our money in the first place. He is interested in our attitude.  

Do you understand why the widow’s gift was more valuable to God than the enormous gifts of the rich?