A Bigger Giver
Scripture Reading — Mark 12:41-44
“But she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.”
Mark 12:44
Jesus often surprised his followers with his teaching because he tended to contradict the way people were used to thinking and acting.
In our reading for today, Jesus and his disciples were in the temple courts, near the deposit box where people poured in their money for offerings to God. The “big givers” were easy to identify, for when they dropped their money in, everyone could hear the clank of many heavy coins. Some people probably smiled with satisfaction, because big givers like that kept the temple operating smoothly.
But when a poor widow came forward and dropped two small coins into the treasury, no one noticed her except Jesus. “She has given more than all the others,” said Jesus. “They gave out of their wealth, but she gave out of her poverty. She put in everything she had to live on.” By the standards of God’s surprising kingdom, she gave the most.
Yet there was still a bigger giver, and that was Jesus. He died on a cross to pay the price of our sins, and there was no greater gift than that.
The gift of Jesus’ sacrifice is yours by grace, through faith in him.
Ponder it, give your all to him, and receive God’s gift of eternal life.
Lord, thank you so much for your great gift. May we be willing to surrender our whole lives—time, talents, and treasures—in gratitude for your gift to us. In your name, Amen.
About the author — R. Scott Greenway
R. Scott Greenway was born in Mexico City in 1964, the fourth child of missionary parents. He graduated from Calvin College in 1986, Calvin Theological Seminary in 1991, and Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in 2002. He and his wife, Kelly, have four children. He pastored the Irving Park Christian Reformed Church in Midland Park, New Jersey, and currently serves as pastor of Caledonia Christian Reformed Church in Michigan. He enjoys a variety of outdoor sports, including hunting and fishing.
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