“Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were brought in and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. But a poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, worth only a fraction of a penny. 

Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.”

According to Wikipedia, in Jesus' times in Judea, the small copper coin was called a lepton. The term ‘mite’ was the smallest coin in use during that time when the King James’s version of the Bible was translated. Two mites, those two leptons were worth about twelve minutes of an average daily wage. The widow had 12 minutes worth of an average daily wage. As of today, the minimum wage in Germany is 12 Euros / hour. 12 minutes’ worth of 12 Euros is 2.40 Euros. That is all she had two mites, which is 2 x2.40 = €4.80, the worth of her entire existence.

What did Jesus observe? The crowd, people swarming in one place. He sat there, at the most strategic place where the crowd will pass by. Next time you walk from your pew towards the front of your church assembly to present your tithes and offerings, imagine Jesus sitting right there opposite that box, watching what you do. He was most probably inspecting the status or the excellence of those passing by, detecting the motives of their hearts, examining the values they exhibit, their dedication and their commitment. Not only was he observing, he was also giving his two cents, his opinion of the crowd’s actions around the offering box.

Many rich people threw in large amounts. Jesus observed that many rich people threw in large amounts in the temple treasury. This is after all their needs are taken care of for the month, their remains were still large. Remember, Jesus is observing the crowd and concluding his opinions about them. He is watching the clothes they wear, the money pouches they carry, their gait, their confidence and attitude. He’s also watching their hearts as they give, their motives, their hidden contract with God that other fellow human beings are not aware of. I do my part God, and you do yours. I give you this God, if you make me successful. I give you this God and you heal my sickness. I give you this God, you be faithful to me.  Jesus is watching the crowd.Jesus is watching the crowd.

He is also watching the social system, the rich, the poor, and the rest who are stretched in the middle between the rich and the poor, which has created the economic inequality amongst the crowd. The average salary in Germany is €2,380 / month, after tax. However, an estimated cost of living for a single person is €2,487 / month. Yes, Germany is more expensive than 72% of countries in the world. Many Germans belong to the working poor class. Observing the social system, Jesus most probably thought, you rich people are ready to throw your money to the temple treasury, rather than share it with the poor amongst you. You rich, supply poverty to the society by withholding what the poor need. The poor here are in desperate need of your surplus. But you’d rather store it up in the temple treasury. The poor are conditioned to poverty because your wealth, your surplus is not distributed properly but invested into something that has no future. And you know what Jesus said about the temple as he was leaving right after observing the crowd throwing money into it?

He walked out of the temple together with his disciples. One of them said, “Look teacher! What massive stones! What magnificent buildings! Jesus’ response was: seriously guys?! “Not one stone here will be left on another; every single one will be thrown down.” And there goes the poor widow’s generous two mites down the drain. Jesus sat there observing, wondering why these guys invest so poorly!

Among the crowd walks the widow wrapped in poverty. Her clothes smells of poverty, she most probably had no money pouch, just coins held tightly in her clenched hand. Her gait is that of shame, she doesn’t want to be seen and observed by others. She is already broken as a widow and now she is broke. She is not sure if she can make a contract with God with 4 Euros and 80 Cents. She most probably came to surrender everything, herself and all that she had. Because that is what Jesus observed in her. Jesus saw her heart. He saw her motive.

On my mission trips, I get to meet such widows, especially widows of those who have served God faithfully and their fatherless children. I also meet the hopelessly poor. They come to me and shyly try to communicate their desperate condition. As a missionary myself, without social security, and pension plan, I survive life day by day, when provided by God through his people. It is quite straining for me to give when running empty. 

Therefore, here are “my two cents”: Psalm chapter 68, verse 5, says, “A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling. God sets the lonely in families…” God is willing to step up to fill this husband shaped hole for the widows and father shaped hole for the fatherless. And he is willing to set the lonely in his big family of God. Consider! What are your two cents towards this cause?

Would you be willing to participate in fulfilling what God would want to see happen to the widows and the fatherless children? Would you be willing to help and express God’s compassion and love to the widows of deceased husbands who served God in their time on earth and to help their fatherless children, and the desperate poor in the family of believers. Would you be a family to the rejected?

If you want to participate in this cause of caring for the most vulnerable family members of God, please go to “My Two Mites” page and click on the donate button.