The principle of contribution

“One day Jesus sat down opposite the temple treasury, and watched the crowd putting money into the treasury. Many rich people put in large sums. A poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which are worth a penny. Then He called His disciples and said to them, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the treasury. For all of them have contributed out of their abundance; but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.” Mark 12:41-44

Upon reading the above text, I decided to do a study on how much money this widow really had. A more accurate understanding of the currencies and the denominations used can be gained by looking into the original Greek text. For example the word “penny” appears in the New Testament a few times in most modern translations (“farthing” in traditional translations), but the root word has several meanings. I would like to illustrate how much money this widow had by comparing two verses: i.e. Mark 12: 42 and Matthew 10:29.

Matthew 10:29

Are not two sparrows sold for a penny [in Greek - assarion]? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father.

Mark 12:42

But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, [in Greek - two lepta] worth only a fraction of a penny. [In Greek - kodrantes]

A total of three denominations are mentioned in the above two verses, namely – assarion, lepta and kodrantes. There is another common denomination we find in the bible – denarius (plural denarii), which is the normal daily wage for a labourer. The following are the conversion rates that relate them.

1 assarion = 1/16 denarius

1 kodrantes = 1/64 denarius

1 lepton (plural lepta) = 1/128 denarius

Based on the above equations and according to Jesus in Matthew 10:29:

The price for 2 sparrows = 8 lepta.

Therefore I assume the price for 1 sparrow = 4 lepta.

The money the widow had = 2 lepta.

In other words, all that the widow had could not even buy a sparrow! Jesus used that illustration in Matthew 10:29 to emphasize that even the smallest, most insignificant creature is taken care of by the Father – Not one of them will fall to the ground without the Father. The object Jesus picked up, to depict the lowest “value” was a sparrow. What the widow contributed was lower that than the lowest as per Jesus’ example. Yet, Jesus considered that the most profound contribution over all the contributors to the treasury.

Legalistically speaking, her contribution really bothers me because she does not have enough resources for any of the “offerings” that would put her in right standing with God. The price for a sin offering was that you had to sacrifice a lamb. If you could not afford a lamb, you could sacrifice two doves or two young pigeons. How can she afford any of these if she cannot even afford a sparrow? Can you imagine her pain and sense of unworthiness? When a woman has her menstrual period, she is considered ceremonially unclean for seven days. On the eighth day after the bleeding stops, she must bring two turtle doves or two pigeons and present them to the priest at the entrance of the Tabernacle. The priest will offer one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering. Through this process, the priest will purify her before the Lord for the ceremonial impurity caused by her bleeding. How can she afford any of this if she cannot even afford a sparrow? Can you imagine her shame and helplessness?

Has it ever occurred to you that you have been “poor” – poor in availability, poor in strength, poor in finances, poor in talents, poor in gifting, poor in ministry, poor in service, poor in receiving opportunities and so on and so forth? Has that brought on you a sense of “disqualification”? The widow does not “qualify” in more ways than one. And yet, even though she lacks the resources that will aid her to rid herself of sin and uncleanness, she makes a contribution which Jesus says is greater than all. She lacks the resources to minister to her own needs, yet according to Jesus, her contribution has been the greatest. Could it be possible that I can be so helpless that I cannot even help myself and yet contribute to God’s temple in manners kings and rulers can’t?

Why was this widow’s contribution considered great? Jesus says “she put in more than all that have contributed” Notice the word “all”. Jesus does not use the word “any.” He used the word “all.” If Jesus had said, “she put in more than “any” that have contributed” it would mean she is the highest individual contributor. However, the manner in which Jesus said it suggests that she contributed more than all of them put together! Such a statement requires us to study the definition of “contribution” as per Jesus’ vocabulary. As per His vocabulary, the greatness of a contribution does not depend on what you give, or how much you give, but on how much you have left, after you give. The lesser you have left after the contribution, the greater the contribution! The widow did not have anything left. The widow did not have anything left!!!

If that is how Jesus defined contribution, I begin to see the glorious gospel through the light of that definition. How? You see when the widow contributed, she had nothing left. Likewise, when Jesus shed His blood for me, he did not have any more blood left. When Jesus gave up his life for me, He did not have any more life left. When the Father gave up His Son, he did not have any more Sons left. When I was forgiven of my sins, I did not have any more un-forgiven sin left. When He erased the record that stood against me, there were no more records left. When He rose again, death no longer had any power left. When He stripped the principalities and powers, they had no more authority left. Oh! What a contribution! What a glorious gospel! Oh I am not ashamed of it because it is the power of God unto salvation to every man that has faith!

Jesus says the widow “put in everything she had, all she had to live on” In other words, after she put in what she did, she had nothing to live on. Nothing to live on. Nothing to live on. The greatest contribution we can make to God is not our preaching, because we can still live on after we give Him that. It is not our money because we can still live on after we give Him that. It is not our talents because we can still live on after we give Him that. If we can ever give Him something after which we have nothing left, then that is the greatest contribution. If we give him our life – all of it, we have nothing left. Am I reckoning myself daily to be crucified with Christ so that it is no longer I that lives?

On my 21st birthday, a friend of mine gifted me a copy of My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers. On the inside of the front cover, my friend had written the following:

"This is true:

For God so loved the world that He gave up His Son for Sujith

This also must be true:

For Sujith so loved God that he gave himself up for Him"