Religion And Its Casualties

Mark 12:38-44 And in his teaching he said, “Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes and like greetings in the marketplaces and have the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at feasts, who devour widows' houses and for a pretense make long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation.” And he sat down opposite the treasury and watched the people putting money into the offering box.

Many rich people put in large sums Many rich people put in large sums. And a poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which make a penny. 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.”

And in his teaching he said, “Beware of the scribes,

who like to walk around in long robes and like greetings in the marketplaces and have the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at feasts, who devour widows' houses and for a pretense make long prayers.

Long robes Matthew 23:5 They do all their deeds to be seen by others. For they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long,

Like greetings Matthew 23:8-10 But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all brothers. And call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven. Neither be called instructors, for you have one instructor, the Christ.

Best seats James 2:3 and if you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing and say, “You sit here in a good place,” while you say to the poor man, “You stand over there,” or, “Sit down at my feet,” have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?

Places of honor Luke 14:7 Now he told a parable to those who were invited, when he noticed how they chose the places of honor, saying to them,

Long prayers Matthew 6:5 And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others.

The hypocrite sounds a trumpet as he gives money to the poor, and chooses the corner of the streets for his prayers. To him virtue in private is almost a vice, he can never detect any beauty in virtue, unless she has a thousand eyes looking at her, and then she is something special. The true Christian, like the nightingale, sings in the night; but the hypocrite sings all his songs in the day, when he can be seen and heard of men. – Charles Spurgeon

who like to walk around in long robes and like greetings in the marketplaces and have the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at feasts, who devour widows' houses and for a pretense make long prayers.

And he sat down opposite the treasury and watched the people putting money into the offering box. Many rich people put in large sums. And a poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which make a penny. 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.”

It is so rare to find any who would not blame this widow, that we cannot expect to find many who will do like to her; and yet our Saviour commends her, therefore we are sure that she did well and wisely. The feeble efforts of the poor to honour their Saviour, will be commended in that day, when the splendid actions of unbelievers will be exposed to contempt. – Matthew Henry

The poor widow gave more than all the rich people, according to God’s evaluation, for she gave everything she had, while the rich gave from their surplus. - ESV Study Bible Note This meant she would not be able to eat until she earned more. The widow exemplified true sacrificial giving. - MacArthur Study Bible Note

And he sat down opposite the treasury and watched the people putting money into the offering box. Many rich people put in large sums. And a poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which make a penny. Smallest amount possible- 1/64 of a denarius (a denarius is a day’s wages)

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 7:9-13 And he said to them, “You have a fine way of rejecting the commandment of God in order to establish your tradition! For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother’… But you say, ‘If a man tells his father or his mother, “Whatever you would have gained from me is Corban”’ (that is, given to God)—then you no longer permit him to do anything for his father or mother, thus making void the word of God by your tradition… And many such things you do.”

This should be a warning passage to those contemporary preachers who prey on single older women who are the main constituency of people who send money to these TV evangelists. “Woe to you who sell your miracle water and miracle waters to promise to heal the desperate if they send you their money. Woe to you wealthy, self-indulgent TV preachers who become rich on the backs of the lonely, poor, disillusioned, diseased and desperate.

Woe to you who indulge in your ten thousand dollar a night hotel rooms and claim revelations from God and spend a hundred thousand a month on your private jet, taking money for all of that from the most desperate people and doing it in the name of Christ. You will not escape judgment.” - John MacArthur