I remember the sermon as if it was yesterday. The preacher preached on the poor widow who gave all of her income as Christ was watching. The preacher was pounding the point home that everyone should give their all. After he was done with his sermon he hopped into his Lexus and drove home to his large house in the suburbs.

Something just didn’t sit right with me when I saw the car the preacher was driving. I was a single mother and I could barely pay my bills but I always tithed. When I worked on the weekend and could not tithe to the church I attended, I tithed to a mission organization. I clearly had no problem with generosity.

I ran across this passage tonight as I was researching for another blog post and it goes as follows:
“Jesus beheld how the people cast money into the treasury: and many that were rich cast in much. And a
certain poor widow came, and cast in a farthing. Jesus called His disciples, and saith unto them, This poor
widow hath cast more in than all: for all they did cast in of their abundance; but she of her want did cast in all
that she had, even all her living.”—Mark xii. 41.

This is the first time I have read this passage that something has become very clear to me. Jesus was not asking all of us to sacrifice our living for him. He was making a comparison. He may not be very impressed with people who give large amounts to the church who have large amounts sitting at home. He may just be more impressed with a single mother who gives 10% of her income whether she has enough to pay the bills or not.