The Widow’s Mite and the Resurrection

Last updated on August 30, 2025

Mark 12:41—44 (NIV)

The Widow’s Mite

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 few cents.

43 Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, ”Truly I tell you, 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.”

The Mite

Why did Jesus sit opposite the Jews’ offerings at the Temple? God gave Jesus three short years of ministry, so every moment of His life was strategic. Nothing was random. His unrelenting passion for teaching at times caused Him overwhelming exhaustion. He fell asleep once on a boat, and His terrified disciples had to wake Him up when a violent storm threatened their lives.

The poor widow was unimportant by the world’s standards. Rich people surrounded her, giving to the Temple coffers out of abundance. The widow owned nothing but a few small copper coins. Her offering went unnoticed except by our Lord and Savior.

Jesus could have pointed out anyone in the crowd—the rich and famous, anyone who was anybody. He knew the hearts of everyone at the Temple. He knew their life stories, unseemly gossip, impure motives, and wicked thoughts.

But Jesus noticed the poor widow, the least of anyone in the world’s eyes. Jesus saw something different about her—so much that He calls His disciples over to teach them an important lesson.

We don’t know who the poor widow was. She is never mentioned again in Scripture. We only know she gave all she had. Two thousand years later, we are still reading the Words of Jesus: “They [everyone else] all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.”

The world would say, “It’s not that much; we don’t need it.” After all, how many times have you seen a penny in a store parking lot and didn’t bother to pick it up? “Oh, it’s only a penny. What can I do with that?”

The next time that happens, think about the poor widow who gave that penny and how Jesus magnified the worth of “nothing” into an unimaginable story of wealth. Those tiny coins became immeasurable in the Kingdom of God. It wasn’t the amount of what the widow gave that mattered to God, but that she gave all she had. God measured her heart for the kingdom, and she was found worthy.

May we remember the price God paid to give us the rite of passage to Heaven this Resurrection Sunday. Despite what others may say, the only way to Heaven is through Jesus Christ. The cost was His life, and that eternal weight of glory gives us entry. The world is passing away. All the worldly wealth at the time of Jesus is gone. The Romans destroyed the Temple in 70 A.D. The land lay in ruins for almost two thousand years. What survives from that time—the stories.

The Greatest of All These Stories

The greatest of all these stories is Jesus and the Resurrection.

Without the Resurrection, we have no story.

Without the Resurrection, we are dammed.

Without the Resurrection, Jesus is either a liar or demented.

Without the Resurrection, we have no hope.

Without the Resurrection, we have no miracle.

Without the Resurrection, we have no redemption.

Without the Resurrection, we have no love.

Without the Resurrection, we have no proof that Jesus was the Son of God.

Without the Resurrection, we have no salvation.

Without the Resurrection, Jesus would not be King of Kings or Lord of Lords.

Jesus said, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life.”

Two Wagers

Two wagers have been presented: One based on lies and one based on Truth.

The wager offered by the evil one (Lucifer) is death. The wager provided by God is life. You can’t choose the middle ground. You must choose one or the other: life or death. Unconditional love allows you to choose.

Choose life. Choose salvation. Choose Jesus.

The tomb was empty on that morning. The Roman officials looked everywhere for Jesus’ body. The Romans opened hundreds of graves. They scoured the city. They ransacked houses. They searched every nook and cranny in Jerusalem, but they never found the body of Jesus.

John 1:1 says: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was with God.”

Jesus’ Words have been written in the Scriptures so we can know the Truth. The Truth will set you free.

When Jesus returns, may He remember you. May He know you and speak kindly of you as He did of the poor widow. Today is the day of salvation. Repent, turn to Jesus, and live for Him. Jesus has RISEN INDEED!

Enjoy another Easter Post from Lorilyn by clicking here.

Seventh Dimension – The Castle, book 3 in the Seventh Dimension Series, covers the Passion Week of Christ in a way you won’t soon forget. Click here for the link to Amazon.