I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on Mark 12-13.

    Today’s passage starts with some good messages, but I want to start by focusing on the widow’s offering. Mark tells us that Jesus and His disciples could see who gave a lot and who gave a little. There is nothing in this passage which suggests that those who gave a lot were being ostentatious about their giving. I want to point out that this was in the days before paper money or checks, so all the donations were with coins. I say all of that to make sure we focus on Jesus’ message here. Unlike many of the other passages in the Bible, this small short passage has but one lesson for us. It does not matter how much we give. Jesus did not belittle those who gave large amounts out of their excess. There is value in voluntarily giving to charity the used goods which you have replaced, or money which you have in excess of what it takes to satisfy your needs. However, it is those who sacrifice their needs further the Kingdom of God who truly make a difference.

    Later that day as Jesus and the disciples left the Temple area, one of the disciples took note of the impressive buildings and walls of the Temple. The contrast between those things and the widow’s donation never struck me before today. The beautiful and impressive buildings and walls of the Temple were the product of large donations. Yet, for all of their beauty and strength, the walls and buildings of the Temple they would one day be completely demolished. The results of the small things we can do may not be as impressive, or as noticeable, but they change lives in ways that last for eternity. I have just spent time with a message which is not fully supported by this passage, but I believe that Mark’s juxtaposition of the widow’s offering with the disciple commenting on the impressive architecture of the Temple was intended.
    Now, I want to get into the heart of the meaning of Jesus’ response to the disciple’s comment about the Temple architecture. The first ting of importance He tells them is that between now and the end there will be times of trouble: natural disasters, wars, persecution, etc. However, all of these things will represent opportunities for us to do God’s will and to spread the Good News. We do not need to spend time worrying about what we will do when these things happen, God’s Spirit will guide us. Note: this does not mean that we should not plan for these things, just that we do not need to worry and stress over them. In these times of troubles people will rise up and proclaim themselves, or be proclaimed by others, as our savior, the one who can save us from these troubled times. Jesus warns us not to be fooled. Or, as I read elsewhere, we are not to seek to save the world (or follow those who today claim they will do so), Someone has already taken care of that. Further, Jesus tells us to pay attention to these signs of His return so that we can be ready when He does return. However, we should not get to caught up in trying to read the signs to determine exactly when He will return, because no one will be able to do that. Only God knows when He has planned to bring about the end.