Mighty Mite // Luke 21:1-4
It’s Tuesday of Holy Week, coming on the heels of Jesus’ clearing the temple and enraging the religious elite. Jesus spent the majority of the day teaching on the Mount of Olives and foretelling what was to come. Before heading out to the mountain, though, He went back to Jerusalem. He was really thumbing His nose at the elite returning to the scene of the proverbial crime from the day before. Jesus proved His courage with these provocative actions, and it’s really quite something to consider. Let’s focus on an event from that morning with the story known as the “Widow’s Mite,” because of what it represents.
“Jesus looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the offering box, and he saw a poor widow put in two small copper coins. And he said, “Truly, I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them. For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.” (Luke 21:1-4, ESV)
The day after Jesus railed against people trying to take money from those coming to worship, He focused on one who came with the intent to give. The two coins the widow gave are known as mites. Two mites are equal to one of the least valuable Roman coins. What the widow gave in her abundance equaled the smallest amount that could be given in Roman currency; in other words, it was less than the least. Yet, Jesus said she gave more than others. How? She gave out of what she had, not out of what she had leftover. That offering took a tremendous amount of faith, hope, and love for God. Her willingness to give her mite proved her belief in God’s Might.
Jesus modeled this when He went to the cross. He didn’t give what He had left over, He gave everything. As He did, He paid the entire penalty for our sinfulness — past, present, and future, not to mention our very sinful nature! Jesus paid for all of it! As a result, God’s wrath was fulfilled. What appeared to be Christ’s weakness was actually the evidence of His unbelievable might! So may we live similarly, reflecting that generosity, and pointing people to the mighty love of God in Christ.
