Assuredly, I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all those who have given to the treasury

 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 our current readings, it is Holy Week.  Yesterday we read that one of the scribes came to Jesus in the temple, and having heard them reasoning together, perceiving that He had answered His questioners 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 no 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.  We remember that Jesus has been welcomed into Jerusalem as king and Messiah, at the beginning of Holy Week.  And in yesterday's reading, He concluded His discussion with the scribe by saying, "You are not far from the kingdom of God."  So perhaps we can conclude that this question is designed to lead the scribe to the logical conclusion that He is God, giving that final statement a poignancy unseen by those who cannot understand Him.  It was assumed that the Messiah was a mere man, and in this sense the Messiah is the Son of David.  But David, as king of Israel, could not and would not address anyone as "Lord," says my study bible, except God.  But in Psalm 110:1, David calls the Messiah "Lord."  The only logical conclusion available to the scribe is that while the Messiah may be a descendant of David according to the flesh, He's also divine.   The people heard Him gladly because they delight in the revelation offered in His teaching.

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."   Jesus goes further in His criticism of the scribes, this time giving the scribe a warning -- perhaps in Christ's role as Judge --  about hypocritical practices contrary to judgment and the kingdom of God.  In both the story of the Wicked Vinedressers and this criticism, Jesus teaches against materialism, a kind of practice of outward faith while coveting what can be gained from their positions.

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."  One traditional understanding of this story is that the Lord accounts the value of a gift not by how much is given, but rather by how much is kept back.  This woman, a poor widow, is therefore counted as having given a great gift, as she kept nothing back for herself.  In the conversion of Cornelius, my study bible says, we learn that God takes note of our acts of giving (Acts 10:4).  It's interesting that Jesus can observe what is being put into the treasury.  It leads us perhaps to speculate that those who gave large sums did so with the opportunity to be conspicuous, while a poor woman like this widow would have seemed, to a point of view based solely on appearances and a materialistic mindset, to have given very little.

This is Jesus' last week on earth before His Crucifixion.  And yet, in the temple, He continues to teach those who will listen and delight in what He offers to them.  He speaks to this scribe, who answered well the question of the greatest commandments in yesterday's reading (above), and continues to teach him what is false about the teachings and practices of the scribes.  This leads us again to understand love in Jesus' perspective:  love does not flatter with falsehoods.  Love tells truths that need to be heard, for the good of the object of love.  Love can offer a rebuke when it is a necessary.  Love shares the perspective of reality.  In Jesus' love we are taught insight on the great value of the gift of a poor widow, and not to judge by appearances.  We are taught the type of hypocrisy and religion through appearance that makes for condemnation.  All of this Jesus offers us in His last week in the world as incarnate human being, and He offers us this in love and because He loves us.  This is yet another way a material outlook on love differs from the reality Jesus teaches us:  love doesn't sugarcoat things nor deny what is necessary for well-being, even if that means a needed rebuke -- or a warning of condemnation.  Let us find the love He calls us to emulate and participate in; let it shape us in the image He offers us as human being.  To do that, we give our whole heart to Him (see the first great commandment in yesterday's reading, above).  But we must also try to discern that even the seemingly small gifts others give us (even tender mercies or necessary corrections) just might be far greater than we imagine -- especially when given with love.