In brief
The widow with two mites is a poor, nameless woman whom Jesus watches in the temple at Jerusalem during the last days of his ministry. Sitting opposite the offering box, he sees rich people give much, then this widow put in two small coins. He declares that she gave more than all of them, because she put in everything she had to live on. Mark and Luke both report the scene. We remember that God measures a gift by the heart and the sacrifice, not the amount.
What does the name The Widow with Two Mites mean?
The Bible does not give her name. The mite was an old coin of very small value; the King James Version speaks of two mites, which make a farthing (Mark 12:42).
The story of The Widow with Two Mites
Jesus warns against the scribes
Mark 12:38-40In his teaching, Jesus tells the crowd to beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes. He denounces those who seek the places of honor, devour widows' houses, and make long prayers for show. Right after this warning, a poor widow will show, by contrast, what sincere devotion is.
Before the temple treasury
Mark 12:41Jesus sits down opposite the treasury and watches how the crowd puts money into it. Many rich people put in large sums. The Lord does not stop at seeing the amounts: he observes the way each person gives, and he knows what each offering costs the one who makes it.
Two small coins
Mark 12:42A poor widow also comes. She puts in two small coins, worth a penny. In human eyes, this gift seems insignificant beside the offerings of the rich. But Jesus saw it, and he calls his disciples over to speak to them about it.
She gave more than all
Mark 12:43-44Jesus declares that this poor widow has put in more than all those who gave to the treasury. The others gave out of their abundance; she gave out of her need, everything she owned, all she had to live on. For God, the value of a gift is measured by what it costs.
Luke's account
Luke 21:1-4Luke reports the same scene, right after the warning against the scribes who devour widows' houses. Jesus sees the rich putting their gifts into the treasury, then the poor widow putting in two small coins. He says she has put in more than all the others, for she gave everything she had to live on.
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What The Widow with Two Mites teaches us
- God looks first not at the amount of an offering but at the heart and sacrifice of the giver.
- No one is too poor to honor God with their gifts.
- Jesus sees what people overlook, and he honors hidden faithfulness.
- Giving out of one's need expresses complete trust in the God who provides.
- True devotion stands opposed to the religion of appearances that Jesus denounces in the scribes.
Key verses
Jesus teaches that the widow gave more than all, because she put in out of her need. God's gaze on our gifts does not fix on the sum but on what it costs us.
God loves a cheerful giver. The widow illustrates this gift decided in the heart, free of any compulsion, offered to God out of trust rather than to be seen.
The Lord looks on the heart. In the temple, people see the large sums of the rich; Jesus sees the widow's heart and the real value of her offering.
Sermons about The Widow with Two Mites
- Nothing Less Than Everything: Loving God With Your Whole BeingThe message reads Mark 12:41-44 as an illustration of true love for God: the widow gave more than all, because love is measured not by what we feel but by what it costs.
- "Put Me to the Test": God and the TitheThe preacher notes that Jesus knew those two small coins were all she owned, and that he did not hold back her faith: she believed the Lord would provide for her needs that day.
- You Are the Salt of the Earth: Let Easter Rekindle Your FlavorOlivier Comtesse points out that no one saw the widow's two small coins in the offering box except Jesus: God sees and uses the hidden gestures of those who give without being noticed.
- Don't Set Your Mind on the Things of Man, but on the Things of GodThe message cites the poor widow who gave more, in the eyes of Jesus, than the rich who gave out of their surplus: it is not the amount that speaks to God, but the heart behind the gift.
Frequently asked questions
Why does Jesus say the widow gave more than all?
Because the rich gave out of their surplus, while she put in out of her need, all she had to live on (Mark 12:44). In value, her offering was tiny; in proportion and in trust, it surpassed all the others. God measures a gift by what it costs and by the heart that offers it.
What does the expression two mites mean?
The mite, an old coin of very small value, is used here for the widow's two small coins. The King James Version speaks of two mites, which make a farthing. The expression stresses that her offering amounted to almost nothing in the eyes of people.
Where can the story of the widow with two mites be found in the Bible?
It is in Mark 12:41-44 and in Luke 21:1-4. In both Gospels, the scene directly follows Jesus' warning against the scribes who devour widows' houses and make long prayers for show.