Often, we let our circumstances dictate our faith. We trust God when things are going well, but when things get tough, we start to doubt. We start to question whether He really cares. In part of Sunday’s Gospel, (Mark 12:42-48) we see the faith of the widow was not dependent on her circumstances as she, despite her poverty, gave all she had to the treasury. She was clearly dependent on her trust in God.
This dependency requires us to let go of our control, to surrender our plans and our desires to God. It requires us to trust in His plan, even when it doesn’t make sense. This is the kind of faith that God honors.
She obeyed God’s command to give, even when it was hard. She didn’t let her poverty stop her from obeying Him. She didn’t make excuses or try to justify her lack of giving, instead, she obeyed God, trusting that He would provide for her. Obedience is a key aspect of our faith. It’s not enough to just believe in God. We need to follow His teachings, even when it’s hard. We need to trust that His way is the best way, even when it doesn’t make sense.
The widow gave all she had, even though it was only two small coins. She didn’t give out of her surplus, but out of her need. She sacrificed her own comfort and security to give to God. Sacrifice is a key aspect of fervent faith. It’s not about giving God our leftovers, but about trusting that God will provide for us, even when we give up what we think we need.
The widow didn’t give to be seen or praised by others. She gave quietly, without drawing attention to herself. She didn’t seek the approval of others as some do today, but the approval of God. It’s about acknowledging our need for God, and our dependence on him.
Title: Widow’s Mite; Date: 1886-1894; Artist: James Tissot (1836-1902); Building: Brooklyn Museum; Object/Function: Watercolor; City/Town: New York; State: NY; Country: United States. Scripture: Mark 12:38-44, Mark 12:41-44, Luke 20:45-21:4. Notes: “…when his (Tissot) carefully researched collection of 350 watercolors depicting the life of Jesus was first published as a book in 1896, it found a large and enthusiastic audience. No one who had followed his previous career could have anticipated that this painter of urban life in Paris and London would undertake the project of painting virtually every event in the Gospels. The Life of Our Lord Jesus Christ project took nearly ten years to complete. When it was done, it chronicled the entire life of Jesus as recorded in the New Testament in a series of 350 watercolors. To research the project Tissot traveled to Egypt, Syria, and Palestine in 1886–87, and again in 1890. While in the Holy Land he closely observed the landscape, the vegetation, the architecture, and the manner of dress, and filled sketchbooks with what he saw. He talked with rabbis and studied Talmudic literature as well as theological and historical volumes. He believed that there was still a remaining “aura” in the places where the Gospel events took place, and he spoke of having mystical experiences that added to his careful research. What he wanted to create was something as close as possible to an eyewitness account of the life of Jesus.” [from Terry Glaspey’s “75 Masterpieces Every Christian Should Know”]. A short essay on the artistic and spiritual meaning of this artwork is available from The Visual Commentary on Scripture, https://thevcs.org/widows-mite/all-she-had-left-give?first=5901. Permalink: https://diglib.library.vanderbilt.edu/act-imagelink.pl?RC=56665. (Use this link to refer back to this image.)
