THE WIDOW’S OFFERING

Mark 12:41–44

Culture of Gospel

Share this with someone in your life who doesn’t know Jesus:
Jesus sees value where the world sees insignificance. The God who notices a poor widow’s two pennies is the same God who sees you and knows you.

SERMON SUMMARY

Jesus sits in the temple, watching people give their offerings. In a surprising move, He draws His disciples’ attention—not to the wealthy, powerful, or impressive, but to a poor widow who drops in two tiny coins. Her gift, seemingly worthless, becomes one of the most famous moments of worship in all of Scripture.

Coleton teaches that Jesus uses this woman as an object lesson to form His disciples—and us. The heart of the message is this: Jesus highlights this woman because He wants His followers to live with her kind of obedience, sacrifice, and trust.

Coleton explores three reasons Jesus focuses our attention on this woman’s life.

1. Be Obedient With the Seemingly Insignificant Stuff

Mark 12:41–42

“Many rich people threw in large amounts. But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a few cents.”

Jesus watches people give. Many contribute large sums, but a poor widow drops in two lepta—the smallest coins in circulation.

Mark Strauss writes:

“Two lepta could almost purchase a handful of flour… less than one penny today.”

In other words, her gift can’t pay for anything. If we watched her give, most of us would be tempted to say, “Ma’am, please keep it. It won’t help.”

But she gives anyway. She does not give based on outcomes or impact—she gives out of obedience.

This is the first lesson:
Obedience is not about impact. It’s about faithfulness.

Christians often fall into disobedience because we think:

• What difference will forgiving them make?
  
  
• What difference will praying make?
  
  
• What difference will reading my Bible make?
  
  
• What difference does kindness make?
  
  

But Coleton reminds us: Nearly everything God calls His people to do looks insignificant in the moment—but God loves to use small acts to unleash enormous outcomes.

Examples from Scripture:

• Moses: “Raise your staff over the sea.”
  
  
• Joshua: “March around Jericho.”
  
  
• Samuel: “Anoint the youngest son, the shepherd boy.”
  And the results? A sea split, walls fell, and David became Israel’s greatest king.
  
  

Examples from Jesus’ ministry:

• “Fill the jars with water.”
  
  
• “Bring me what bread you have.”
  
  
• “Go show yourself to the priest.”
  
  

Again and again, God works through small acts of obedience.

Coleton then shares the story of David Wilkerson, the small-town pastor who obeyed a tiny, strange prompting: stop watching TV at night and pray instead. That insignificant act eventually led him to New York City, to ministry among gang members, to founding Teen Challenge, and to beginning Times Square Church—now influencing 140 nations.

What began with giving up TV changed lives worldwide.

Coleton also shares from his own life:

• A simple prayer to surrender his life to Jesus
  
  
• Reading Scripture daily
  
  
• Going to counseling
  
  
• Turning the other cheek
  
  
• Fasting and praying
  
  

None of these felt dramatic in the moment. All of them changed his life.

Point:
God delights to work through the small things. Jesus points to this woman because she obeys God even in the places that seem insignificant.

2. Be Obedient Even When It Costs You

Mark 12:44

“They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.”

The widow’s obedience isn’t just small—it’s costly. She gives all she has. Literally, she “lays down her whole life.”

James R. Edwards paraphrases the Greek:

“She lay down her whole life.”

This is the second reason Jesus points to her:
Jesus wants followers who obey even when obedience costs them something.

Coleton notes that Western Christians often prefer convenient obedience. But true discipleship requires sacrifice. C.S. Lewis wrote:

“I do not believe one can settle how much we ought to give… The only safe rule is to give more than we can spare… If our charities do not at all pinch or hamper us, I should say they are too small.”

This doesn’t apply only to money. It applies to:

• Forgiveness — which costs us comfort and pride
  
  
• Confession — which costs our image
  
  
• Serving the poor — which costs our time and resources
  
  
• Living within our means — which costs our wants
  
  
• Marriage and parenting — which cost our preferences and independence
  
  

Coleton gives honest, vulnerable examples:

• In marriage, he could “win” arguments by being bigger and louder—but that would crush intimacy.
  
  
• As a father, he could refuse to sacrifice his time—but Teddy would pay the price.
  
  
• In friendships, refusing to risk or be selfless leads to loneliness.
  
  

We want life on our terms but still want the fruits of obedience. But we cannot have both.

Then Coleton shares a story about Teddy getting stuck in a playground structure—terrified and refusing help because doing it “Dad’s way” felt worse than being stuck. That posture, he says, is all of us:
We would rather stay stuck than trust Jesus when His way feels costly.

Jesus points to the woman because her costly obedience leads to life. Jesus doesn’t ask for sacrifice to harm us but to heal and free us.

3. Trust Him Even When It Doesn’t Make Sense

This widow doesn’t just obey—she trusts God with her entire life. Jesus celebrates her because she trusts God beyond her understanding.

Coleton illustrates this with one of the most powerful stories of trust ever recorded: Charles Blondin, the tightrope walker who crossed Niagara Falls.

After crossing the falls multiple daring ways, Blondin decided to cross with another person on his back. His manager, Harry Colcord, was the one who climbed onto him. Before stepping onto the rope, Blondin told him:

“Don’t look down. Look up… You must be one with me. If I sway, sway with me. Do not attempt to do any balancing yourself. If you do, we will both go to our death.”

Harry later said:

“I learned more religion on that wire than in all my life.”

Solomon says the same thing in Proverbs 3:5–6:

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make your paths straight.”

Jesus calls us to trust Him because He wants to lead us into places we could never reach on our own.

Coleton names the hard questions:

• Why trust Jesus when it doesn’t make sense to surrender?
  
  
• Why trust when prayer feels pointless?
  
  
• Why forgive enemies?
  
  
• Why give sacrificially?
  
  
• Why wait on God?
  
  
• Why believe He can use suffering for good?
  
  

Jesus is not dismissing the tension—He’s saying:
“Stop trying to balance yourself. Let Me carry you.”

The widow shows us what that kind of trust looks like.

FINAL CHALLENGE

Jesus points to this woman because:

1. She obeys God in the insignificant things.
   
   
2. She obeys God even when it costs her.
   
   
3. She trusts God even when it makes no sense.
   
   

And Jesus wants the same kind of life in us—not to burden us, but to lead us into freedom, joy, and the abundant life He promises.

He has already proven His love by giving everything for us.
Therefore, we can entrust everything to Him.

Discipleship Group Questions

1. Where in your life does obedience feel insignificant or pointless? What might God be asking you to do anyway?
   
   
2. What is one area where following Jesus currently costs you? How might obedience in that area lead to greater freedom?
   
   
3. Which of Jesus’ commands do you struggle to trust because it doesn’t make sense to you?
   
   
4. How have you seen God work through something small or seemingly insignificant in your life?
   
   
5. What would it look like this week to “sway with God” instead of trying to balance your own life?