God doesn’t look at things the way we do. We often forget that simple truth. Isaiah put it this way – “For as heaven is higher than earth, so my ways are higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:9, CSB) We see that demonstrated in the next section of Mark’s Gospel.
“Sitting across from the temple treasury, he watched how the crowd dropped money into the treasury. Many rich people were putting in large sums. Then a poor widow came and dropped in two tiny coins worth very little. Summoning his disciples, he said to them, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. For they all gave out of their surplus, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had—all she had to live on.”(Mark 12:41–44, CSB)
The previous verses of chapter 12 exposed the high-minded hypocrisy and pride of the Jewish religious leaders. Jesus warned his followers to “Beware of the scribes, who want to go around in long robes and who want greetings in the marketplaces, the best seats in the synagogues, and the places of honor at banquets. They devour widows’ houses and say long prayers just for show. These will receive harsher judgment.”(Mark 12:38–40, CSB) In contrast, compare the poor widow who gave two small coins. In God’s kingdom, she is valued far beyond those puffed-up peacocks strutting their stuff for all to see.
God doesn’t measure things in the same way that we do. God doesn’t care about so many of the indicators of success that the world does. He doesn’t value us by the money in our accounts, the number of people that follow us, or the size of our house or church. As we see in the demonstration of the poor widow, God values our faith and trust in Him.
In consequence, we are to evaluate things differently as well. Paul wrote, “More than that, I also consider everything to be a loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. Because of him I have suffered the loss of all things and consider them as dung, so that I may gain Christ” (Philippians 3:8, CSB). If having to choose between a treasure chest of gold and jewels and knowing Christ, Paul would choose knowing Christ.
Some may take our passage today as a call to give everything to God. Yes. That is the attitude we are to have. All we have, all we are, all we do belongs to Jesus Christ, who is our greatest treasure. He calls us to be wise and generous stewards of all those things. He may call some to give away everything, as he did with the rich young ruler. But God is looking at our hearts. The young ruler couldn’t treasure God because his heart was filled with earthly treasure. The poor widow trusted God with everything.
Realigning our hearts with God’s ways continues as we walk with Jesus each day. And each day we learn more and more about God’s values.
- Essential Worship – A Worship Map - March 4, 2026
- Proverbs – Anxiety - March 2, 2026
- Essential Worship – Sprirt and Truth - February 25, 2026
