Exactly.
According to the law she was definitely required to pay her tithes. Then there were obligatory sacrifices which cost money. The Pharisees may have bullied people into giving offerings on top of that as well, we don't know for sure. Recall that one of the things that Jesus told the Pharisee who tithed of his garden herbs was to apply mercy in addition to keeping the law. Mercy to a widow who is very poor would either be to skip extracting a tithe from her or to plain pay her tithe for her. Thereby avoiding "devouring widows' houses". Note that all this is under the law and not under the new covenant. The last thing he tells them before he starts observing people who give including the widow and her mite is "These will receive greater condemnation.” If he says that about Pharisees who were supposed to keep the law according to the letter, how much more will he say that about ministers today who do the same and who are under the ministry of the Spirit and not of the letter ?
Actually...yes...honoring God with our substance by faith is worship...whether it's 10% of a SS check or 10% of a billion dollar industry...Jesus was addressing her HEART so that instance is a universal message of the heart that pleases God..and the one that does not...it was not a message of giving..it was a message of love within the context of giving...universal message...
I think Jesus' point was that the Pharisees didn't even honor the widows who gave themselves into ruin because it didn't really amount to that much money, they were far more happy with having caught the rich people by their tails and having extracted money from them, yet still far less than those could afford to give.
Maybe it's just me but I am personally getting tired of the jabs and mocking because of my belief...it's time for you and others doing this to stop..
:foottap:
Quest, why did he say that just after he had talked about how the Pharisees "devoured widows' houses" ?
Mark 12:40 who devour widows’ houses, and for a pretense make long prayers. These will receive greater condemnation.”
41 Now Jesus sat opposite the treasury and saw how the people put money into the treasury. And many who were rich put in much.
42 Then one poor widow came and threw in two mites, which make a quadrans.
43 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;
44 for they all put in out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all that she had, her whole livelihood.”