She out of her poverty put in all that she had, her whole livelihood

 Then Jesus answered and said, while He taught in the temple, "How is it that the scribes say that the Christ is the Son of David?  For David himself said by the Holy Spirit:

'The LORD said to my Lord,
"Sit at My right hand,
Till I make Your enemies Your footstool." '

Therefore David himself calls Him 'Lord'; how is He then his Son?"  And the common people heard Him gladly.

Then He said to them in His teaching, "Beware of the scribes, who desire to go around in long robes, love greetings in the marketplaces, the best seats in the synagogues, and the best places at feasts, who devour widows' houses, and for a pretense make long prayers.  These will receive greater condemnation."

Now Jesus sat opposite the treasury and saw how the people put money into the treasury.  And many who were rich put in much. Then one poor widow came and threw in two mites, which make a quadrans.  So He called His disciples to Himself and said to them, "Assuredly, I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all those who have given to the treasury, for they all put in out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all that she had, her whole livelihood."

- Mark 12:35-44

In this week's readings, Jesus is in Jerusalem and it is Holy Week.  He has been having disputes in the temple after His Triumphal Entry and the cleansing of the temple.   He's been challenged by the leadership as to His authority, and questioned by groups of Pharisees, Herodians and Sadducees.  In yesterday's reading,  one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, perceiving that He had answered them well, asked Him, "Which is the first commandment of all?"  Jesus answered him, "The first of all the commandments is 'Hear, O Israel, the LORD our God, the LORD is one.  And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.'  This is the first commandment.  And the second, like it, is this:  'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'  There is no other commandment greater than these."  So the scribe said to Him, "Well said, Teacher.  You have spoken the truth, for there is one God, and there is not other but He.  And to love Him with all the heart, with all the understanding, with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love one's neighbor as oneself, is more than all the whole burnt offerings and sacrifices."  Now when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, He said to him, "You are not far from the kingdom of God."  But after that no one dared question Him.

  Then Jesus answered and said, while He taught in the temple, "How is it that the scribes say that the Christ is the Son of David?  For David himself said by the Holy Spirit:  'The LORD said to my Lord,  "Sit at My right hand, till I make Your enemies Your footstool." '  Therefore David himself calls Him 'Lord'; how is He then his Son?"  And the common people heard Him gladly.  My study bible tells us:  "The tables are turned:  Jesus' interrogators are interrogated by Him.  In the presence of the common people Jesus questions the scribes, and they are unable to answer (Matt. 22:46).  The answer, of course, is that David calls Him 'Lord' in His divinity, yet Jesus is also David's Son in His humanity."  For the references in Jesus' question, see 2 Samuel 23:2 and Psalm 110:1.

Then He said to them in His teaching, "Beware of the scribes, who desire to go around in long robes, love greetings in the marketplaces, the best seats in the synagogues, and the best places at feasts, who devour widows' houses, and for a pretense make long prayers.  These will receive greater condemnation."  My study bible says, "Jesus exposes His opponents publicly, warning, Beware of the scribes.  By now they hate Him.  Their plans have gone awry.  Though expert in the Law, they have failed to answer Jesus' questions.  Mark reports only briefly on Jesus' extended critique of the Jewish leaders."

Now Jesus sat opposite the treasury and saw how the people put money into the treasury.  And many who were rich put in much. Then one poor widow came and threw in two mites, which make a quadrans.  So He called His disciples to Himself and said to them, "Assuredly, I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all those who have given to the treasury, for they all put in out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all that she had, her whole livelihood."  A note in my study bible says, "As Jesus observes the temple treasury, a poor widow donates two mites, the least valuable coins.  Jesus' deity is again manifest as He knows she put in all that she had.  It is not the amount that counts with God, but the degree or sacrifice out of what a person possesses.  Many who give the least give the most; some who give the most, give the least in proportion to their abundance.  God takes note of our giving (Acts 10:4)."

It's interesting to look at today's reading in light of yesterday's.  Jesus told the scribe in yesterday's reading, "You are not far from the kingdom of God."  In today's question put before what is apparently a group of scribes, He takes them further into the kingdom of God, and the question of the Son of God.  It is a riddle that stumps them, and a profound reply to the question of authority which began this series of interrogations.  By what authority did Jesus cleanse the temple?  The answer is in the riddle, and the riddle is the answer to the identity and authority of the Person who stands before them in the flesh.  But how are they to perceive this?  And the hint is taken further, into the words that the scribe is "not far from the kingdom of God," because indeed, the kingdom is right before him.  But what's more essential to Jesus' teachings are again His words against hypocrisy, because, as we said in yesterday's reading and commentary, Jesus' choice is always to emphasize the matters of the heart, wherein we grasp the true reality of a person, just who they are.  Yesterday Jesus spoke of the greatest commandment, and the second one like it -- both involve love; the first the love of God with all the heart and mind and soul and strength, and the second the extension and sharing of that love with neighbor, the righteousness found in a proper love of God.  Here in today's reading, He preaches against hypocrisy, a central tenet of His teaching.  When He speaks of the "pretense" of the long prayers, He's speaking of "making a show" just for appearance's sake.  This is the root of hypocrisy (a word which in its origin means "actor" in the Greek).   In every teaching, Jesus' stress is on the condition of the heart, as contrasted with outward acts and appearance.  Finally, we get to the story of the poor widow, who in contrast to the small amount of donation, gave with all her "heart and soul and mind and strength."  She is truly the "least of these" in the temple, and so is her donation.  Let us remember that in our own lives we'll see lots of hypocrisy, many "shows."  But the true judgment of a person is in the heart, and there is our true measure and picture.  Christ comes to Jerusalem, and engages in open confrontation with the leadership on the issues He teaches to all of us.  He opens the Scriptures, and delves into the affairs of our own hearts.  All of this, in Mark's Gospel, is by way of liberation, to unbind us from the things that oppress us, from the "strong man" of this world.  Let us remember that He will give His life as a ransom for many.  These teachings of the heart are the ones that liberate each one of us, if we would be free via His truth.  In today's reading, He teaches us to focus on who we truly are, while He reveals Himself as well.