The story of the widow’s offering (Mark 12:41-44) is sandwiched between Jesus’ denunciation of the scribes who “devour widows’ houses” (Mark 12:38-40) and His foretelling of the destruction of the temple (Mark 13:1-2). No doubt, the context of the widow’s offering suggests a comparison between those who on one hand practice a religion of selfishness and pretense, and on the other hand those who practice a religion of generosity, self-denial, and hardship. In Mark, we find the term the “way, path, journey, or road” (Mark 1:2-3; Mark 6:8; Mark 8:27; Mark 9:33-34; Mark 10:17; Mark 10:32; Mark 10:46; Mark 10:52; Mark 11:8; and Mark 12:14) that leads to the cross. A hardship path. A way of discipleship. A road we are invited to join Him on. Theologically, we see a marginalized person, the widow joins the path of discipleship by giving all that she had. In contrast we have religious leaders that take all they can get even to a point of devouring the estates of widows. In disregard of God’s word (Isaiah 10:1-2) their path leads to destruction and their system of religious observance will be destroyed (Mark 13:1-2).
Which path are we on? Are we like the widow giving God all we have or have we grown hardened like the Scribes to seek our own survival, our own selfish interests? Discipleship is a difficult road but notice that Jesus was one who gave His all to God for us. The mystery of our faith is clear. The way of hardship for God, the way of self-sacrifice, the way of the cross is the path, we should seek and brings the delight of Jesus, “And he called his disciples to him and said to them, ‘Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the offering box. For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on’” (Mark 12:43-44). We can marvel at the great stones of our religious monuments that will one day fall or we can marvel at people of faith that give their all to God.
