God’s Value System Is Not What We Expect
The Kingdom’s value system is topsy turvy, and Jesus points this out in Mark 12:38-44 (ESV)
And in his teaching, he [Jesus] 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 honour at feasts, who devour widows’ houses and for a pretence 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. 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.”
What God Notices Is Often Overlooked
Jesus drew attention to something easily overlooked.
Our world is not much different from the world that Christ walked in. It’s tempting to measure the value of an item or gift by its size, price tag, the quality of the materials offered, or its wrappings.
Giving, in Jewish life, was meant to be meaningful. It was meant to cost something, to be felt. Not to impoverish, but to carry weight in the heart of the giver.
Many gave large amounts, yet it did not affect their daily lives. The widow’s gift was small in appearance, but deeply significant to her.
And that is what Jesus honored; not the size of the gift, but the heart behind it.
She gave in a way that was personal and costly to her.
When What You Have Feels Small
It may be worth pausing to consider:
Do you ever find yourself thinking that what you have to offer is too small to matter?
And not only financially, this can just as easily touch the time you give, the ways you serve, the encouragement you offer, or the gifts you carry.
Sometimes it’s easy to step back, assuming our contribution won’t make much difference. But God has never measured value the way we do. What feels small to us can be deeply meaningful to Him.
Letting Go of Comparison
And at other times, comparison can creep in.
We notice what others seem to do or not do, and it’s easy to form conclusions based only on what we can see.
But each person walks their own path with God, shaped by things we may never fully understand.
A Simple Invitation
Perhaps the invitation here is simple:
To offer what we have, as we are able, whether that is financial, practical, or spiritual.
To trust that God sees both the visible and the hidden.
To rest in the place He has given us, without needing to measure or compare.
And to remember:
What is given with a willing heart is never overlooked by God.
Until Next Time,
©2026 Katherine Walden
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