The Widow Who Gave Two Mites

The Widow Who Gave Two Mites
(Mark 12:28-44)

One day Jesus was talking to a group of people who were trying to trick him in the things he said, and one of the scribes (that is a person who wrote things down) who had heard Jesus talking with the people, asked him "What is the first commandment?" And Jesus said "Hear O Israel, The Lord our God is one Lord: and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength: this is the first commandment. And the second is this, you shall love your neighbour as yourself. There are no other commandments greater than these."

And the scribe said to him "well Master, you have said the truth, for there is one God and there is no other but he, and to love him with all the heart, and with all the mind, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbour as himself, is more than all offerings." And Jesus said, "you are not far from the kingdom of God."

Then after a while, Jesus said "Beware of the scribes, which love to wear their fancy clothing, and love people to greet them in the shopping areas, and love to sit in the best seats in the synagogues, and in the best rooms at dinners. They take the houses of widows, and to make themselves look like they are spiritual, they make long prayers: these shall receive greater punishment."

And then Jesus sat over by where the money was given, which was called a treasury. And he watched how people threw money into that place, and many rich people threw in a lot of money.

And there came a poor widow, and she threw in two mites, which make a farthing, (that is very little money). And Jesus called his disciples and said to them, "truly I say to you, that this poor widow has thrown in more than all who have put money into the treasure. For those that had a very great deal of money were able to give money, but this poor widow gave everything that she had, every thing she would have used to be able to live on."

Jesus was telling them that people who have a lot of money are able to give, but this poor lady who had nothing, gave all that she had, and was trusting the Lord to provide for her...by this she showed that she loved God more than anything.

Memory Verse: Mark 12:31 "you shall love your neighbour as yourself."

Questions:
1. What did Jesus say was the first commandment?
2. Why do you think Jesus was watching the people put money in the treasury?
3. How much money did the widow put in?
4. What did Jesus say about the money the widow put in?

Answers:
1. The Lord our God is one Lord, and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.
2. Because he wanted to see how much they put in according to how much they had.
3. Two mites
4. That she had given more than anyone, because she gave all that she had.

Vicki C. Gross/Oct'02

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