Notes

Mark 12:41–44

Let me tell you a quick story. And it’s based on true events. From my life.

It’s the first week of September. School starts in two days. I’m coaching soccer, work is picking up, and - because we love a challenge - we decided to get a puppy. The plates are spinning, and I’m the proud spinner of said plates.

Then my phone starts chiming. It’s our Ring camera: “Motion at Front Door.” Over and over again. I glance down to see five notifications in a row. Who could it be?

Oh right. Amazon.

In a moment of desperation the night before, I decided “school supply shopping” was one plate I couldn’t add. So I ordered everything online. One click after another - “Add to Cart,” “Buy Now,” “Deliver Tomorrow.” You know the drill.

I’ll be honest: I value convenience a lot. I’ve been known to DoorDash something I could pick up in ten minutes for half the price. But as I watched package after package pile up, a little guilt set in. Did we need everything I ordered? The Ticonderoga pencils, sure. But a lot of it was just mindless clicking.

And then the thought hit me: I can spend so easily on what’s fleeting, but how often do I give that freely toward what’s eternal?

In Mark 12, Jesus sits across from the temple treasury, watching people give. Some give big—the kind of gifts that probably made people nod and whisper. Then a widow shuffles in and drops two tiny coins. Basically pocket change. 

And Jesus is like, “Did you see that? That was the greatest gift of the day.”

He says, “They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.”

The widow’s gift wasn’t impressive by human standards, but it cost her everything. Her giving required trust. Meanwhile, I’m over here clicking “Buy Now” on things that won’t even last to Halloween. Her generosity was sacrificial; mine is often convenient.

I don’t think Jesus is against Ticonderoga pencils or deliveries to my front door. But I do think He’s after my heart. Am I giving to God with the same ease and trust that I give to my own comfort? Do I stop to think about what I can offer to His Kingdom, or am I just mindlessly clicking through what’s temporary?

Mary Ferrer
Pastor of Women's Community