Put it all in

DEVOTION

THE GOSPEL OF MARK

PUT IT ALL IN

Mark 12:41-44

41 Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. 42 But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a fraction of a penny.   43 Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. 44 They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything — all she had to live on." 

NIV

On the surface this story seems to be about money and not the amount of it that was given, but the percentage of it that was given. It would appear, using a person who has one million dollars as the illustration, if he gave ten thousand dollars everyone would say, “Look how much so-in-so gave, especially the people who count the offerings, the church treasury, and most likely the pastor, but is someone who was just barely getting by paycheck to paycheck put in one hundred dollars no one would even notice. But it might not be all about that, as it could simply be that Jesus was trying to show his disciples about putting everyone into being a believer. Certainly they is not a single pastor who would expect anyone in the congregation to throw in their entire income into the offering, but simply what they believe the required percentage is. So if Jesus was teaching that we should be putting in everything we have to live on, there is not one person in the whole of Christianity who is obedient. But if he was teaching that about being totally sold out to God, giving everything we are to God, then all of us can comply with that. It might be that some people have to much talent, so many gifts that God has blessed them with, and they give, they use their abilities for the kingdom, but not everything. They use most of their talent, their gifts for their own benefit, improving their lot in life. Jesus certainly thought that the woman who had little compared to those wealthy gave far more. We could learn that no matter how much talent or gifts we have, we should give all of ourselves to benefiting the kingdom of God. We should not hold anything back, but put our whole selves in. Jesus may still have been talking about us being the coin God stamped his image on and that we should put it all in.