8 Deep Lessons We Learn From the Story of the Widow’s Mites

Let me guess.

You know the story of the widow’s mites already.

Right?

But, have you ever pondered on the essence of the narrative?

In this post, I have highlighted 8 lessons from the story that are deeply reflective.

Lets dive in.

#1. The Lord Knows Your Situation

This seems obvious.

However, it doesn’t seem to register firmly in our consciousness.

Jesus said, ‘This poor widow hath cast more in, …she of her want did cast in all that she had, even all her living.’

The question is, how did Jesus know that the woman was a widow who was poor? How did he know that what she cast in was all that she had? How did he know that was all her living?

Of course, no one told him and he didn’t decipher it from her appearance. He knew all that because He is the Lord. He knows all things. He sees all things. He knows what everyone is going through.

Oftentimes, we face a lot in life and we wonder, ‘Is God seeing me at all?’ Is God aware of what I’m going through? Is God seeing my suffering?

He is, beloved.

Jesus had never met that poor widow, but he knew that all she had was a mere farthing!

No matter what you may encounter in life, never for a minute accept that notion that God isn’t aware of the circumstances bedevilling you.

He knows.

Always find solace in the fact that He knows all about you and He hasn’t forgotten you. Keep trusting Him and all will be well. 

#2. God’s Scale of Measurement Differs from Man’s

On that day in the temple, a good number of rich folks gave fat offerings, yet Jesus said the poor widow’s two mites was more in value than what they all gave. It is not crystal clear if Jesus meant that what she gave was worth more than what they gave individually or in total. Either way, it was a shocking revelation.

At the time, a mite was the least valuable coin in circulation and at the time of Mark’s writing, it was worth 1/64 of a denarius. A denarius was considered a fair wage for a day’s job. To put it into proper perspective, consider what obtains as the average daily pay in your clime and get a 64th fraction of it. Regardless of difference in national economies, surely, that fraction wouldn’t amount to much – probably next to nothing.

To think of it, that, that was more valuable in Christ’s evaluation than the equivalent hundreds and perhaps thousands of dollars that the others gave tells us something.

That is the fact that God doesn’t see things the way we, humans see; neither does He judge things the way we do. The virtues and qualities that mean something to Him, are oftentimes despised or contradicted by the world. The actions that impress Him often displeases men.

It takes spiritual understanding to know this.

No wonder Jesus had to call his disciples’ attention to it.

As kingdom people, our sense of value needs to align more with God’s evaluation system than that of carnal man.

#3. Giving Your All Impresses God More than Giving a lot

In giving all the money she had, though the widow showed a great example of devotion and faith, I think she demonstrated more, the fact that she was wholly given to the Lord already, such that there was nothing more she couldn’t give Him – even if it was her last coins.

And this is actually what God desires.

He wants all of you and not a lot of you.

That’s why scriptures say that, “He died for all so that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised.” (2 Corinthians 5:15 NET).

So, when we bring a lot of money to the Lord and we are not saved, He isn’t impressed.

He wants you first, then everything you have, you acknowledge as His, to the point that there is nothing you cannot part with – no matter how small or big – even if it’s your last or your all!

This was also one of the lessons Jesus was trying to teach with the incidence of the rich young ruler who came to him and asked what he needed to do to access eternal life. He told him to sell all he had, give to the poor and come and follow him. Alas, the young man could not do it because “he had great possessions.” (Matthew 19:16-22).

The man could afford to give a lot – and would probably have been doing that – but the Lord could peep in and know that in his heart, everything had not been acknowledged as the Lord’s. He hadn’t relinquished everything yet!

You see, Jesus was more impressed by the widow’s paltry gift than the largesse that the rich brought because he knew that in her heart, she had relinquished all already – and in the physical, she displayed it.

#4. Your Sacrifice Determines Your Reward

Sacrifice in this sense, refers to what it costs you to do something.

If one gives up his sleep time to pray, that’s a huge cost. The sacrifice that accompanied that prayer is greater than that of a prayer you engage in, in the morning when there’s probably nothing at stake.

The poor widow gave just 2 mites and that was all she had. There could have been some rich folk there who gave 20 denarii but could afford way more than that. 20 denarii equals 1,280 mites.

That’s a lot.

But even though meagre, that widow’s offering was still more sacrificial than the rich folk’s own.

Truth is, sacrifice is a more valid plumbline than amount or substance, when weighing giving. People are likely to give from the little or the much they have, so judging based on amount or substance will not be a fair yardstick. So, whether you gave 5 or 100, what did it cost you? If it costs the person who gave 100 more, then in the sight of God , he/she has given more and would be rewarded more.

Spirits value sacrifice. They place premium on it.

And because God is spirit, the kind of feedback and reward that accompanies different degrees of sacrifices also differs.

Think about sacrifices from Abraham, Solomon etc. and you’ll get the idea.

Scriptures also affirm that, “The person who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the person who sows generously will also reap generously.” (2 Corinthians 9:6 NET)

What it’s actually saying is that in your giving, if you sacrifice sparingly, you’d reap sparingly and if you sacrifice generously, you’d reap generously.

No wonder, this poor widow was singled out for honourable mention. And indeed her reward in heaven would be greater than that of everyone else who gave that day.

#5. There’s No Shame in Giving Little

Sometimes, when we want to give (especially in church offerings or similar instances), we tend to want to hide it from the notice of others.

Most times, we do so, not because we are humble and pious and do not want our left hand to know what our right hand is giving like Jesus taught; but because we feel somewhat ashamed and embarrassed that we are giving little.

You see, it all boils down to understanding and perspective. God isn’t so much moved by how much as He is moved by the heart posture and motive behind the giving.

No one needs to feel ashamed or embarrassed by giving a small sum.

Sometimes, that could even be a subtle sign of pride – you feel you are too big or too old to give such amount and if others see it, they may mock you in their hearts – so you’d rather not give, or you give the little covering it firmly.

Truth is, God is more interested in giving from a position of humility, submission, trust, gratitude and worship than giving saturated with pride, vain glory and self-conceit.

Our focus therefore should be on the Lord whom we are giving to and not men. That way, we would never be bothered by how little the sum is.

#6. You Don’t Have to be Rich to Give or be a Giver

You know how people say, “Someone doesn’t give because he/she is rich but because he/she is a giver”?

This poor widow is a classic example.

Many of us, if put in her shoes, wouldn’t even be contemplating giving anything let alone emptying the purse.

No doubt, it is evident that she loved the Lord; but equally so, she demonstrated her generous disposition.

She was a giver!

She didn’t have enough, and she knew that holding back would not make what she had to be enough; so she was willing to share – even if it meant everything.

Scripture says it is more blessed to give than to receive (Acts 20:35).

It also says that, “One gives freely, yet grows all the richer; another withholds what he should give, and only suffers want. Whoever brings blessing will be enriched, and one who waters will himself be watered.” (Prov. 11:24-26 ESV)

Are you waiting to have abundance before you learn to give? Remember, you don’t have to be rich to be a giver.

#7. God Doesn’t Always Act According to Man’s Wish

If you ponder on this narrative for a while, it is possible that at some point, you may wonder why Jesus didn’t help that widow.

By spiritual intelligence, he knew that the woman’s husband was no more and her financial state was dire. One would have expected that Jesus would reach out to her after the commendation to help her; but, he didn’t.

That’s because God doesn’t always act according to our wishes and expectations. Even when we pray, oftentimes, He doesn’t answer the way we imagined or wanted.

The prerogative is His!

We don’t know if her fortunes were turned around afterwards. We are not sure if God intervened in her situation or if at the time, He was working out something already for her.

One thing we are certain of however is that, God thinks about us, and His thoughts and actions are ultimately for our good. In Jeremiah 29:11, He declared, “I know the thoughts that I think toward you, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.” (NKJV)

#8. Be Committed to God in Spite of Your Situation

By human realities, if there was any one that had no business being at the temple on that day, it was that poor widow!

And if we want to take it a step further, she had no business joining the procession to give a dime, let alone her all!

She probably had no idea where the next meal, money or piece of clothing would come from! Yet, she didn’t consider all that strong enough to deter her from attending the worship or giving an offering!

What a woman!

You see, our commitment to God should not be dependent on feelings, mood or circumstances. If our commitment to Him wavers with situations of life, we may eventually miss out on what God is planning for us.

Think about Joseph the dreamer boy who was estranged, falsely accused and unjustly imprisoned. If he had allowed the frustrations get to him and abandoned his commitment to God along the way, would he have ended up as Egypt’s second-in-command?

He kept his devotion to the Lord and he had the last laugh. Read more about Joseph’s inspiring story here.

The same can be said of Zechariah and Elizabeth. in spite of their predicament, they remained faithful. They despised the shame of barrenness and mockery of men to keep their devotion and service to the Lord intact; and in due time, the Lord showed up.

We don’t know all things. We don’t have all the details. Only God does. Our inability to have all the information makes it necessary that we stay true to him who has all the pieces and fit them together.

More so, if His love and commitment to us is unconditional, we shouldn’t reciprocate less.

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See Also

7 Scriptures that Changed My Life

6 Smart Tips for Getting Things Done

What it Really Means to Forgive and Forget

8 Powerful Ways to Take Charge of Your Life

Why Some Difficulties Are Good for You

The Big Lesson to Always Remember from the Manna Episode

Faith in Adversity: The Story Behind the Hymn ‘It is Well’ 

9 Things to Never Take for Granted As a Christian

The Power of a Possibility Mentality: What a Childhood Experience Taught Me

Why a Good God Allowed Evil Befall His Beloved: The Curious Story of Job

The Shorter Route is Not Always Better: A Lesson from Israel’s Wilderness Journey

30 Things a Christian Should Do Before Turning 30: A Bucket List from Jesus’ Life

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Ogaga Eruteya is a Nigerian Christian minister, writer and speaker. He writes on Faith, Personal Development, Youth Development, and Life Realities. With his words, he seeks to inspire, motivate, propagate life’s truths and represent a sincere Christian voice. Learn more about Ogaga here.