Have you ever considered the widow’s mite?  Occasionally you will hear of a “Widow’s Mite” collection?  This means give a little, just give your change.  In reality, that is about as far from what the widow’s mite was as you can get.  The widow’s mite is mentioned in Mark 12 and in Luke 21.

     Let’s look at it from Mark 12:41-44, where it says in the NASB, ‘And He (Jesus) sat down opposite the treasury, and began observing how the multitude were putting money into the treasury; and many rich people were putting in large sums.  And a poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which amount to a cent.  And calling His disciples to Him, He said to them, “Truly I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all the contributors to the treasury; for they all put in out of their surplus, but she, out of her poverty, put in all she owned, all she had to live on.”’

     The term “mite” KJV, in the NASB is “small copper coins.”  The Greek word used here is lepta.  These coins were smaller in size than our dimes.  In value, they were individually worth 1/128th of a day’s wage.  If we figured $8.00/hour, eight hours/day, this would be $.50.

     A small value for sure, but the key to this is found in Mark 12:44.  This widow did not just give some pocket change, she “put in all she owned, all she had to live on.”  The reason Jesus complimented her was because her gift showed a total reliance upon God to take care of her.  The other’s gave out of their “surplus,” but she gave out of her poverty.  Does God get your pocket change or does He get your all?