“The Power of a Penny: The Widow’s Story”

 The Book of Mark

Encountering The Miracles and Mission of Jesus Christ

Good morning brothers and sisters. What a joy it is to be here with you. First off, I want to say a heartfelt “thank you” to my friend Josh Raybon. Josh preached for me last week and did a fantastic job. Josh preaching for me a true ministry to my family. His preaching is also a true blessing for all of you. Our church is blessed with some wonderfully gifted Gospel preachers and teachers. Amen? Amen!

Well, we are back in our series entitled “The Book of Mark: Encountering The Miracles and Mission of Jesus Christ” this morning. We are in week 13 of a 20 week series. We have been walking verse by verse, chapter by chapter through the book of Mark, examining the miracles, hearing the words, and observing the works of our Savior Jesus Christ. Collectively we have seen some pretty amazing things: the blind has regained sight, deaf are able to hear, the mute speak, thousands have been fed by one small lunch, we have seen people walk on water, we have also seen people with severe deformities regrow limbs, hands have been restored, and the dead have been brought to life. Frankly, my frailty as a preacher has not done God’s Word justice. Meaning that I fall woefully short of effectively demonstrating the divine, miraculous, holy, and magnificent nature of Christ’s works. Sadly, I just to human, to weak, to flawed to adequately express just how wonderful all of these events were in Scripture. 

I think that is the challenge for all of us today. For most of us, we have read these stories over and over again. You have heard preachers preach, Sunday School teachers teach, and you have probably read these stories in your own devotional life. We read them, move on, and we fail to truly understand the significance of what happened in these passages. We read the Bible but we have grown blind to the power laid out on these pages. 

For some, these stories are mundane and memorized. These Biblical passages have become rote and routine. 

Oh friend, don’t fall into that trap. Don’t for one second think that you have searched the depth of the Scriptures and feel that you have some how touched the bottom. You haven’t. 

I give you this warning because this is a temptation that men and women have fallen into for a long long time. We walk around this world with eyes wide open but fail to see God moving in our very midst. We get in our cars, go about our day, head off to work, eat our meals, see our friends, go to bed, rinse and repeat. We do this daily and yet we fail to discover God speaking to us, reaching out to us, teaching us, communicating with us. 

How do I know this to be true? I know this to be true because of what happens in the Scripture that we are just about to read this morning. I know this because it is so clearly demonstrated in today’s message. Our message this morning is entitled “The Power of a Penny: The Widow’s Story”.  

Today’s Message:

“The Power of a Penny: The Widow’s Story”

Her story is captured in Mark 12:41-44. What do we know about this woman? I save you the time if you are looking ahead. We don’t know much at all. 

We don’t know her name. 

We don’t know where she came from?

We don’t know anything about her family, her children, or her relatives. 

We don’t know what she did, how she earned a living?

We only know three things. She was a woman. She was a widow. Lastly, she was poor. In fact, at the end of the story, Jesus reveals to us that she was broke. 

She either came to or was living in Jerusalem. She came to the temple to give her alms, her offering. She made an offering of two small copper coins, also known as a mite or a lepton. These were Jewish coins. The coins barely had any value. Think of them like pennies in our culture but worth even less. We will get into all of that in a few minutes. 

Do me a favor this morning. Fill in the blanks under “Today’s Thought”. The Widow’s Finances Were Limited, But Her Faith…Legendary!

Today’s Thought:

The Widow’s Finances Were Limited, But Her Faith…Legendary!

No one noticed this woman. She was practically invisible. The religious leaders didn’t care about her. The scribes probably pushed her aside so that they could make a big show of how much they were giving. The Sadducees probably wanted the woman to move along because having a single, unaccompanied woman in their presence was very off putting. 

Even the disciples were blind to her existence. They looked right past her. Friends, isn’t it interesting that in this moment of everyday, rote, routine, that God is going to reveal to these blind disciples something very powerful and profound. It’s good that Jesus was there because if Jesus would have been absent, the disciples would have missed a dynamic illustration on what it really means to give from your heart instead of giving to be seen and praised. 

Henry Drummond was a prolific writer in the 1800’s. He was a Christian and also an esteemed scientist. When I was in my doctoral studies, one of my professors assigned the class a book of his, his most popular writing, entitled “The Greatest Thing in the World And Other Addresses”. It is a tremendous book, easy to read, and thought provoking. Listen to what he says about the lessons that we can learn from the widow’s mite. 

“The widow’s mite stands as a timeless example of how true love and sacrifice are measured not by quantity but by the depth of devotion. It is the smallness of her gift that makes her offering so profound. She gave not from her abundance, but from her want, displaying a heart wholly surrendered to God. In this, she teaches us that the value of a gift is not in its amount, but in the spirit in which it is given. Her act of giving was a pure reflection of her faith and trust in God’s provision.”

Today’s Quote:

“The widow’s mite stands as a timeless example of how true love and sacrifice are measured not by quantity but by the depth of devotion. It is the smallness of her gift that makes her offering so profound. She gave not from her abundance, but from her want, displaying a heart wholly surrendered to God. In this, she teaches us that the value of a gift is not in its amount, but in the spirit in which it is given. Her act of giving was a pure reflection of her faith and trust in God’s provision.”

-Henry Drummond, “The Greatest Thing in the World And Other Addresses”

Friends, again, we are reading from Mark 12:41-44 this morning. I want to remind you again that Jesus is just days away from His crucifixion. We know that Jesus died on a Friday and was raised to life on Sunday. This event is confirmed to have happened on Tuesday of Jesus’ passion week. Jesus is obviously in Jerusalem, sitting just outside the temple. To be specific, Jesus and His disciples are in the area known as the Court of Women, where the treasury chests was located. These chests were shipped like a trumpet. People would come and put their offerings in at the top of the chest and then the money would be funneled to the bottom. Again, this is the time of the Passover so hundreds of thousands of people would have swarmed in the city of Jerusalem. The rich and the poor would have made their way to make their offerings to the temple. As you will discover, the rich and the religious liked to make a big show of their offerings. The rich would be surrounded by their family, their friends, their posse as they made their religious gifts. They would pray aloud, sing loudly, wear expensive clothing, and dawn religious garb and relics for everyone to see how pious and holy they were. 

In the midst of all of this business and business, Jesus notices this woman, a widow, placing her literally “two cents” into the offering. 

Be reminded, last week Jesus had come into the temple courts to flip tables and drive out the money changers. Now Jesus sits outside the temple, keeping a keen eye on what’s happening in His Father’s house. Can you imagine what the people, even the priests, must have been thinking. 

“Is this crazy man going to come back and destroy things again?”

That’s where we are this morning. 

Statement of Belief:

We believe the Bible to be inspired, God breathed, infallible, and authoritative. We believe the Bible is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training believer’s in righteousness. God’s Word gives life. It provides peace in trouble and protection in tribulation. It is alive, active, and cuts to the core of the human soul. Since there is no other book like it, let us stand to show our reverence and respect.  

Today’s Scripture:

Mark 12:41-44 ESV

And he sat down opposite the treasury and watched the people putting money into the offering box. Many rich people put in large sums. [42] And a poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which make a penny. [43] And he called his disciples to him and said to them, "Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the offering box. [44] For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on."

Pastor:

“This Is The Word of The Lord.”

Congregation:

“Praise His Name. Praise His Holy Name!”

What Can We Learn From The Widow’s Wise Ways?

First…We Learn About…Sacrificial Giving vs. 41-42

So, what can we learn from the widow’s wise ways. First off, we learn about sacrificial giving. We see this displayed in verses 41-42. 

Again, remember the setting. Remember the scene. Jesus is sitting in and around the temple courts. I think that it was interesting in verse 41 that Mark recalls that Jesus was watching people. Think about it. Think about human nature. If you were in a public setting where people were putting their offerings in a chest, what would you be looking at? I can remember growing up as a kid watching the offering plate come my way. Down the row it would come. The closer it got to me I started to pay attention to the amounts that were being placed in the plate. 

In my childhood mind, I would see someone put in a certain amount of money in the offering and think to myself, “that guy is a cheapskate”. 

I remember being super judgmental in my childhood as every week I would pay attention to who was sitting around me and how much they were putting in the plate. Sometimes I would think “wow, they put more in than I thought they could afford”. 

Now understand me, that is wrong headed. It’s sinfully judgmental. It is all of those things but it is human and chances are we have all been there before. 

Again, go back to verse 41. Jesus was watching the people not the payments. He was watching the human condition not the financial contributions. Jesus cares more about the widow, not her wealth. 

Remember friends, not 24 hours earlier, on Monday, did Jesus cleanse the temple of the money changers selling sacrifices to religious tourists. Not just hours later, on Tuesday, Jesus is overseeing His earlier work. He is making sure that His Father’s House does indeed remain a house of prayer. Hours earlier Jesus saw people trivializing worship. Now, Jesus sees an unlikely and relatively invisible hero. He trains His eye on a “poor widow” as Mark says in verse 42. 

Before we go further in this point, I do want everyone to understand a very important aspect of Jesus’ character. Jesus breaks away from normal human nature. Thankfully Jesus is not like the childhood version of Stuart Davidson. Jesus cares more about the individual than some sort of public religious pious investment. Does God need that widow’s pennies? Does Heaven hang in the balance of what this poor widow was giving? Rhetorically, no. 

This should comfort all of us friends. Rich or poor, in God’s economy, it doesn’t matter. There were people who were giving more, much more, to the temple than this widow but they were not the ones that Jesus picked out. There were others who were making a big show of this offering but Jesus was not impressed. 

What this story reveals to us is that God is not glorified in our grandstanding. He is glorified in our obedience…glorified in our sacrificial obedience. 

This widow was clearly giving sacrificially. Scripture tells us that Jesus knew that she gave all that she had. She gave her very last to the temple. Yes, it may have not been much, but it was all that she had. Scripture says that she was “poor”.

The Greek word for “poor” here is pto-khos’. It means far more than just being “poor”. The word actually paints a much more desperate descriptive picture. When you dig a little deeper, the word actually reveals that this woman was reduced to begging, asking people for money. She was destitute. Helpless. Powerless. Needy. 

The image that you should see in your mind is a woman wearing tattered clothing. She walks up to the chest, reaches deep into her pockets. She pulls out the mite. In today’s terms, the mite would be worth one eighth of a cent. 

An eighth of a cent friends. An eighth of a cent draws the attention of the King of Kings. Do you realize how unbelievable this is, how strange this is? This woman was so committed to giving that she emptied herself completely. She didn’t know that anyone was watching. She didn’t do it for fame, for glory. She did it, she gave, because she loved God with her whole heart. 

No complaining. 

No demands.

It was not about her. It was not about her preferences. It was not about being applauded. 

Her giving and her gift was giving God her best. 

The clear implication of this point is that we should do the same. Give generously. Give God our first, our best, our all. Give not for personal glory. Give not with string attached. Give without demands. Give because God is the greatest giver. God giving us His best, His Son. 

I’m reminded of the words captured in Hebrews. 

Hebrews 13:16 ESV

Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.

Next…We Learn About…A Sincere Heart vs. 43

So, what can we learn from the widow? We learned about sacrificial giving. Now we learn about a sincere heart. Go back to verse 43. 

And he called his disciples to him and said to them, "Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the offering box.

Essentially Jesus tells the disciples that while the widow had nothing to give, she gave more than everyone else. How is that possible?

No her pockets were deep. No she did not possess riches untold. No her stock portfolio was not very impressive and her retirement accounts were nothing to write home about. There was nothing about this woman’s financial situation that would draw our attention but Jesus noticed something far more important that the state of her worldly assets. He noticed her heart. 

It wasn’t so much what she gave, it was the manner in which she gave it. 

She gave it all. Every penny. Every cent. Holding nothing back. Jesus marveled at her generosity. 

This woman did not know where she would lay her head, where her next meal would come from, or how she was going to make it to the next day. Still, this lowly widow whom no-one cared to notice gained the attention of the Most High God. 

You know, as I studied this story it got me thinking about another widow. Do you remember the story in the Old Testament about the widow of Zarephath in 1 Kings 17. There was a horrible famine in the land and God sends His prophet Elijah to the widow’s home. Like the widow that Jesus was observing, the widow of Zarephath didn’t have much either. In fact, she didn’t even have 2 pennies to rub together. All she had was a handful of flour and a touch of oil. Elijah encourages her to show her faith, give all that she has, and watch what God does. The widow complies and bam…God miraculously provides for her, her son, and Elijah for the rest of the famine. This Old Testament widow gave with a sincere heart, trusting God. 

But then there is another story revealing the opposite of a sincere heart. Do you remember the story of Ananias and Sapphire from Acts 4? Ananias and his wife Sapphira sell a piece of property but keep part of the money for themselves while pretending to give all of it to the apostles. When confronted by Peter, they both lie and are struck dead. 

Ananias and Sapphire did not give with a sincere heart and they were punished. 

So, what is the application of giving with a sincere heart? How do we even do that? 

Friends it doesn’t have to be difficult. First, realize that everything belongs to God. All that you have has been given to you by the gracious sovereign hand of God. What you possess is actually on loan from God. You are the stewards of God’s gifts. You are a trusted champion of God’s treasures on earth and you are to use them responsibly and wisely. Next, you give with a sincere heart when you give generously and cheerfully. Listen to Paul’s words in 2 Corinthians 9:7.

2 Corinthians 9:7 (ESV)

“Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”

I know what you’re thinking. You are probably thinking “I will give to the church when I have more to give”

“I will give more to charity when I have more disposable income.”

Last I checked friend, you have more than flour and oil. You have more than two pennies. The widow of Zarephath and the widow in Jerusalem didn’t wait till they had more. They gave of their little and now they are remembered for being spiritual giants. In the case of the widow of Zarephath, she faithfully gave of her meager, her modest, and God blessed her with the miraculous. 

You know friends, we can learn a lot from this nameless widow can’t we?

Lastly…We Learn About…A Steadfast Faith vs. 44

So, we learned about sacrificial giving. Giving with a sincere heart. Lastly, we learn about giving with a steadfast faith. 

Let’s go back and reread verse 44 together. 

For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on."

How many of you have heard the true story of Oseola McCarty? Oseola was born in 1907 and died at the ripe old age of 91 in 1999. Oseola lived her entire life in the great state of Mississippi. Hattiesburg to be specific. Oseola, an African American woman, endured segregation as a child and she lived through the harsh Mississippi racism of the 1940’s, 50’s, and 60’s. In fact, her start in life was nothing short of horrific. She was conceived in assault when her mother was attacked on a wooded path in Mississippi as she was returning from tending a sick relative. Oseola grew up in hard times. She was exceedingly poor. In the eyes of most people, she was a no-one. Invisible. She was not a culture warrior. She never marched. She was not an activist. 

She spent most of her life unknown. 

She dropped out of school in the 6th grade and started her career as a washer woman. She did laundry. In her biography, she described a typical day for herself. 

“I would go outside and start a fire under my wash pot. Then I would soak, wash, and boil a bundle of clothes. Then I would rub ’em, wrench ’em, rub ’em again, starch ’em, and hang ’em on the line. After I had all of the clean clothes on the line, I would start on the next batch. I’d wash all day, and in the evenin’ I’d iron until 11:00. I loved the work. The bright fire. Wrenching the wet, clean cloth. White shirts shinin’ on the line.”

That was her daily life until she retired at the age of 86. 

Oseola McCarty was good at more than laundry. She was good at saving and save she did. She was frugal. She only spent money on necessities and she possessed the power of saying “no” to the latest fashion and fads. At the end of her life, this lowly washer woman complied over $300,000 in the bank. 

To the surprise of everyone, she donated $200,000 to the local university, Southern Miss. Because her generosity, 600 alumni gave in remembrance of her, tripling her original gift. Today, Southern Miss has the McCarty Scholarship Fund with pays the full tuition for needy students. 

Unusual generosity coming from an unexpected place. Today her generosity is remembered much in the same way as this widow woman in Mark 12. 

That is a powerful picture of steadfastness. 

You know, the thing that I really love about this story is that it is unclear that this woman was ever rewarded by Jesus for her generosity. At least, it is unclear that she was rewarded on this side of eternity. The story does not conclude with this woman finding a husband, discovering a family, winning the lottery, or moving in to a big home with a butler. The woman simply did her act of worship and moved on. 

You see friends, all that stuff clearly didn’t matter to this widow. She obviously knew that the treasures of this world were passing away, fleeting, deteriorating. What mattered to her was living obediently to the calling that God had on her life. Even if that mean that she lived destitute for the rest of her earthly life. 

Oseola McCarty did not have an easy life. God doesn’t promises dollar for dollar riches. If you give this much than you will get that much. That is not how it works. God can bless us financially, He can, but it doesn’t mean that He will. The earthly reward is not what really matters because what exists on earth is fleeting. What really matters is the faith, the joy, the cheerfulness, and the legacy with which we give back to the Lord. 

It’s that type of faith that Jesus notices, applauds, and remembers in the next life. 

Remember friends Paul’s words in Philippians 4:19.

Philippians 4:19 (ESV)

“And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.”

Friends, do me a favor this morning…

Let The Widow’s Witness Be Your Inspiration!

Closing Prayer:

Heavenly Father, we thank You for the powerful lesson of the widow’s offering. Help us to give with the same sacrificial heart, sincere love, and steadfast faith that she demonstrated. Teach us to trust You fully with all that we have and to honor You in our giving. May our generosity reflect Your grace and bring glory to Your name. As we go from here, guide us to live out these principles in our daily lives. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.