Meditation of the Day

She, from her poverty, has contributed all she had. (Mark 12:44)

The story of the widow's mite demonstrates powerfully the humility and
lowliness that so please the Lord. We can tend to think that being humble
means allowing other people to take advantage of us, but this widow
demonstrated that true humility means radical dependence on God.

The widow's humility is even more remarkable when she is compared with those
who put "large sums" into the temple treasury (Mark 12:41). Many of these
donors were probably giving the amount required by the law, yet it was still
money they could spare. Consequently, they could go away satisfied with
their contribution but failing to grasp how God wanted them to depend on him
for everything. In contrast, the widow's donation was only the smallest of
coins, but it was "all she had, her whole livelihood" (12:44).

It is significant that Mark placed this story before Jesus' description of
the final judgment (Mark 13:1-37). When the Lord returns, will he find a
people who are humble and needy, willing to surrender their lives totally to
him? Or will he find a people full of pride and arrogance, who have no room
for him in their hearts? The widow had the faith to believe that even if she
gave God everything she had to live on, he would never let her down. He was
worth everything she had, and she willingly placed herself in his hands.

Today in prayer, ask the Lord to make you more like this poor widow, more
trusting and more dependent on him. Her contribution to the treasury, as
small as it was, was the one way that she could repay God for all he had
done for her and her people. And this is how God wants us to be as well. He
wants us to join her in praying, "Father, in comparison to what you have
done for me, I have so little to offer. But what I do have I give to you.
Come and take my life."

Know that your disposition of dependence and humility pleases Jesus. It
opens the door to a deeper relationship with him. And it brings great
blessings. As Jesus promised us: "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs
is the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 5:3).

"Heavenly Father, I come to you with a humble heart, knowing that you alone
can fill my every need."