Attitudes during offering

Having grown up (literally) in church the story of the widow’s offering is one which I knew by heart. However a few weeks ago during offering, the scripture was read and my attention was drawn to certain words used in the passage which are easy to overlook.

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 few cents.

In the Oxford Dictionary put is defined as, “Move to or place in a particular position.” In the temple there was a specific location where the offerings where meant to be placed- temple treasury. The name itself shows this is a place where treasure was being placed. As Jesus observed the people, what stuck out was the manner in which they were placing the money in the treasury.

When many of the rich people came they threw in large amounts of money when they were meant to put in the money. Throwing the money brings out three attitudes which were displayed by these rich people;

i) A sense of disdain/ contempt of the recipient

The temple represented God’s dwelling place, just as we have the church where we gather to Worship. In coming into the temple, people are meant to have this understanding. When we give we are doing so to God and therefore we must approach this time with the reverence which is due.

ii) Showing off what one has

Throwing the money drew attention to themselves instead of just placing (putting) the money into the treasury. Picture a scenario where it is offering time and as you approach the offering basket someone has a bunch of notes and throws them in, you will definitely be able to see that Person X gave such an amount. However if that same person just puts in their offering, you will not be able to distinguish between what they have placed in the offering basket and what others had put in.

iii) Not valuing what is being thrown

Offering time is a time of bringing our treasure to God. Throwing drives across the point that what is being thrown is something insignificant...and not really a treasure for the person throwing it. Although large amounts of money were being thrown in, the issue was not about the amount but about the attitude behind how the money got into the treasury.

The widow’s approach and offering shows a contrast to how these many rich people conducted themselves during this important time.

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 widow’s attitude shows the following;

i) Deep respect for recipient

Prepare before you come to offer.  2 Corinthians 9:7 “Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”  

ii) Not drawing attention to herself

Matthew 6:1-4 “Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. “So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 3But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”

iii) Sacrificial giving

The widow gave all she had to live on which showed that what she gave was of value. When we give to God it must not be a matter of throwing away the money which is not of value to us. King David said in 1 Chronicles 21:22-24 David said to him, “Let me have the site of your threshing floor so I can build an altar to the Lord, that the plague on the people may be stopped. Sell it to me at the full price.” Araunah said to David, “Take it! Let my lord the king do whatever pleases him. Look, I will give the oxen for the burnt offerings, the threshing sledges for the wood, and the wheat for the grain offering. I will give all this.” But King David replied to Araunah, “No, I insist on paying the full price. I will not take for the Lord what is yours, or sacrifice a burnt offering that costs me nothing.”