Articles
“The Widow's Offering”
And he sat down opposite the treasury and watched the people putting money into the offering box. Many rich people put in large sums. And a poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which make a penny. 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. 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.”
Mark 12:41-44
At first glance, this story seems to teach a straightforward positive lesson: give sacrificially like the widow. Jesus clearly commends her wholehearted devotion and generosity. There are lessons here about the heart of the giver in contrast to the amount given, what God can do with “two copper coins,” what God values as opposed to what man values, the trust and love toward God that motivate our giving, and importance of sacrificial giving (see 2 Sam. 24:24). However, there is more to this story than meets the eye.
Part of what a text means is the context in which it is given. The synoptic writers—Matthew, Mark, and Luke—all record this story. And in each of the books, the stories which come immediately before and after the widow’s offering help us interpret it.
What comes before: the greed and hypocrisy of the wealthy religious elite (Mk. 12:38-40) — Matthew gives a more detailed account of Jesus’ rebuke of the scribes (Mt. 23) but Luke’s and Mark’s condensed version makes the same point. Scribes and widows occupied opposite ends of the social spectrum in Jewish society. Scribes who taught and interpreted the Law of Moses sat near the top, with widows, to whom God expresses particular care in the Law (along with orphans and foreigners), at the bottom. The disciples must “beware” of the example of the scribes. Why?
The scribes were only concerned with appearance. Not only do they fail to express any loving concern for vulnerable widows, they actually “devour widow’s houses.” Their long prayers are merely a pretext for showing concern for the very people they defraud. Jesus’ judgment against them is ironic: instead of receiving “greater” wealth and honor in society (which they were seeking), they will receive “greater” condemnation from God. This poor, unnamed widow, probably didn’t own any fancy clothes, was probably more concerned with affording food at the market than receiving special greetings there, and probably didn’t get invitations to sit in the best seats at the synagogue or the places of honor at banquets. While the greedy, hypocritical scribes fancied themselves the spiritual leaders and important members of society, people like this self-sacrificial widow were the real spiritual backbone of Israel.
What comes after: the certain destruction of the temple (Mk. 13:1-2) — The widow made her offering on the temple grounds which led the disciples to remark on its beauty. Herod the Great’s construction project to enlarge, refurbish, and beautify the temple took 46 years to complete. The result was impressive. But in response, Jesus shockingly declares the temple’s utter destruction. Haggai describes the building of the temple as “stone placed upon stone” (Hag. 2). Jesus describes its destruction as no stone being left on another. Why would God abandon such an impressive structure dedicated to his glory? Because, just like the religious hypocrites, the temple was beautiful on the outside but rotten on the inside. The story of the widow’s offering was just one example.
The temple treasury was set up in such a way that it fed off those who could not fend for themselves. Instead of caring for people like the widow, the scribes and wealthy religious elite devoured them. The contrasting lesson is negative: don’t be like the scribes and the wealthy religious who give to be seen by others, neglect the poor, and perpetuate a system which disadvantages the less fortunate.
