The children's great texts of the Bible
Mark 12:42
The Widow's Mites [Coins]
And there came a poor widow, and she cast in two mites, which make a farthing. Mark 12:42.
Three days before His crucifixion Jesus paid His last visit to the Temple. He sat for a while in the outer court, which was called the “Court of the Women.” Now in this court were thirteen chests into which the people cast money for the upkeep of the Temple. These chests were called trumpets, because they had large mouths shaped like trumpets into which the money was dropped. And as Jesus sat there He began to watch the people putting their offerings into these boxes.
Now Jesus had wonderful eyes which could read into the hearts of people, and He could see not only what those men and women were casting in, but also the reason for which the money was given, and the spirit in which it was given, and just how much it had cost the giver.
Very likely this is what Jesus beheld.
First came a Pharisee with proud head and pompous step. With a great clatter he dropped his gift into one of the chests. He tried to make as much noise as he could so that he might attract attention to his generosity. Christ looked into that man's heart, and saw that he gave his gift for show, so that men might speak well of him.
Then came a rich man in gorgeous clothing. With a careless toss he threw in a large offering. And Christ saw that that man's gift was costing him nothing. He was giving from mere habit and despite the large amount, he didn't understand the meaning.
Then came a miser, who loved his gold above all other things. He paused long in front of the chests and fingered his money as if it gave him pain to part with it. Just as he was going to drop in a coin he changed it for one of less value. And Jesus saw that that man gave just because custom and decency required it. The gift was no real gift at all, for it was given with a grudge.
Many more people passed by some of them just ordinary men and women who gave as a duty, or because it was the custom, or because they loved God's House.
At last came a lonely widow, poor and shabbily dressed. She walked with bowed head as if she were ashamed to be seen among so many who were wealthy and well clad. And into the Treasury she cast two mites, or coins two of the smallest Jewish coins, of less value together than our farthing. What a tiny clink they made; how little they would buy for the upkeep of the Temple only a few drops of oil for one of the lamps! The disciples looked at the widow's gift with contempt, but Christ knew that she had given all her living. He knew that she had no more money at home to buy food for that day, He knew that she had given her coins out of grateful love to God. And He called His disciples round Him and told them that the poor widow had given far, far more than the rich men. For they had given out of the surplus which they did not require, but she had given all that she had, even all her living.
Now there are some lessons which this story teaches us. And the first is Don't be discouraged if you have only a small sum of money to give.
There is a beautiful fairy-tale which tells how in a far-off country there lived a good and wise king. His people used to bring him gifts to show how much they loved him.
Now in that country there lived also a poor old woman. She was so poor that she had only a copper farthing to give away, and she said, “It is so small a coin I am ashamed to give it. Perhaps I'd better keep it to myself.” But when she came to the palace and saw all the other people giving their presents, she just felt she must give hers too. So very tremblingly she pressed her poor little copper coin into the hand of the great king.
And what do you think happened? When the king looked at his hand there lay in it not a copper farthing, but a shining gold piece! When he saw how poor and shabby the old woman was he was deeply touched, and he said, “This is too much for you to give.” So he took her withered hand and put the coin back into it. And then a wonderful thing happened. When the coin lay in the old woman's hand it turned to copper again. Then she gave it back to the king, and once more it became a shining gold piece.
And, boys and girls, the copper coins you give to Jesus may be as coins of gold to Him. He who knows everybody's heart may value your small sum of money more than a rich man's big money. So don't keep your small sum back because you think they are not worth offering. Perhaps the widow in the Bible story went home thinking that after all she had given very little. But she had given much more than she knew she had given joy to the heart of Christ.
In the second place, give something that costs a little sacrifice. It is that which makes the gift worth offering.
I read two stories lately about children who gave up to give.
The first was about some little boys and girls far away in New South Wales. Someone told them about the chocolate-colored people who lived in the island of New Guinea, to the north of Australia, and how the missionaries were trying to tell them about Jesus. Those children in New South Wales became very much interested, and they wanted to help the missionaries, so what do you think they did? Well, they got a big box and covered it with chocolate-colored paper.
Then they put into it all the money they could spare, and for some time they went without chocolates and other sweets and gave the money they saved to the chocolate box for the chocolate people.
The other story is about two children in this country. During the war somebody wrote home from France asking for harmonicas for the soldiers to cheer them in the trenches. A little boy and girl sent over their own harmonicas, and the boy sent a note with them saying that he was sorry they were not new but that he and his sister had no money to spend, and they hoped they would do. The harmonicas had evidently been great favorites, and it must have cost the children a struggle to part with them. A special correspondent at the Front thought the incident of so much importance that he mentioned it in his report.
And, lastly, I want you to notice that it is the way we give a thing, not the gift itself, that matters. It is the loving heart that makes the gift valuable. That is what St. Paul meant when he said, “And if I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and if I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profiteth me nothing.” Let me tell you a legend which will show what I mean.
In Constantinople stands the beautiful mosque of St. Sophia. It was once a Christian church and was built by the Christian Emperor Justinian fourteen hundred years ago. It cost more than twenty million pounds, and it took ten thousand workmen more than twenty years to complete it. When it was finished the Emperor caused the architect to carve above the lofty entrance door these words: “Justinian gives this House to God.”
On the day of the opening, the Emperor looked up in pride of heart to see this inscription, and to his amazement found the words: “The widow Euphrasia gives this House to God.” The monarch was very angry, and he ordered that this widow should be brought to him. But nobody knew who she was, and they had to search long for her. At last they found her a poor, aged woman, who lived at the foot of the hill on which the mosque was built. They brought her trembling into the presence of the Emperor, who accused her of changing the inscription. But the old woman replied, “Sire, I only took a little straw which I had plucked from my mattress and cast it before the oxen who dragged the stones up to the building.”
And when the Emperor heard these words he said, “Friend, thy gift was accepted before the great King who lived and died humble, because it was the gift of love, but mine was refused, because it was the gift of pride. May God grant that when we meet before His Throne I may be allowed a footstool at thy feet.”