How Little is too Little?

April 30

If you have been around church for very long, you’ve probably heard about “The Widow’s Mite.” It’s the story we see at the beginning of Luke 21.

As Jesus and His disciples watched, rich people dropped large sums of money into the Temple treasury. This treasury was located in the Court of Women, the deepest part of the temple that women could enter. There were 13 trumpet-shaped boxes for depositing offerings, each of which held a different designation. But, generally speaking, the boxes were for collecting tithes, various offerings, and alms for the poor.

As rich people dropped their substantial gifts into the boxes, a poor widow appeared and dropped in a mere two mites. Seeing this, and undoubtedly hearing the Holy Spirit reveal the depth of what was happening, Jesus told His disciples that, although the woman had given only two mites, she had offered more than all of the rich people there that day. Why?

The mite was worth about one-fifth of a penny. By worldly measures, this woman gave way less than “her two cents’ worth,” but by her actions and life circumstances she had done so much more, and the biggest part of it was this: God saw it! God in a pair of sandals said, “Now that’s an offering!”

Jesus said that the rich people had given from their surplus, but the widow had given from her lack. In fact, she put in everything she had to live on. Yes, at some point she would receive a portion of the alms dropped into the treasury, and she would probably receive more than she gave monetarily. But, because she gave out of her poverty (and most likely the condition of her heart also), Jesus noted that she gave more than the rich.

Application

Do you give from your surplus or do you give from your lack? When you give to your church or a ministry, do you miss the money you gave? Do you feel the pinch? Do you feel that your giving is sacrificial?

God doesn’t need our money. When we give to a church or a ministry, we shouldn’t give because we feel that they need the money, as much as the fact that we need to give.

Everything God gives us should be held with open hands, rather than clenched fists. We already saw that God loves a cheerful giver. We saw that those who sow sparingly will reap sparingly, and that those who give generously will reap generously. (2 Corinthians 9:6-7)

Generous reaping should be an encouragement to us to give even more! As we are blessed, God wants us to be a blessing.

© Copyright 2026 Craig Beaman