And a poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which make a penny. Mark 12:42 (ESV)
While browsing online recently I stumbled upon a list of things which I didn’t know had names. Here are a few examples for you to try out.
- Aglet – the metal or plastic coating on the end of a shoelace.
- Buccula – a person’s double chin.
- Glabella – the space between your eyebrows.
- Nurdle – the term for the small dab of toothpaste you put on your toothbrush.
- Drupelets – the bumps on raspberries.
- Vibrissae – a cat’s whiskers.
- Ferrule – the metal band on top of a pencil which holds the rubber in place.
- Tines – the prongs on a fork.
Jesus noticed the little things. One day, He was sitting with His disciples near the temple treasury watching people depositing money into the offering receptables. He watched as the rich were contributing large sums of money, but then along came a widow with two small coins in her hand. The ESV calls them “two small copper coins, which make a penny”. The KJV calls the coins “mites”. These were the smallest denomination of coins. The widow put her coins into the box, and Jesus called His disciples to Himself and pointed out her action:
“Truly I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all the contributors to the treasury; for they all put in out of their surplus, but she, out of her poverty, put in all she owned, all she had to live on.” Mark 12:43-44 (NASB)
Jesus saw what no on else did: He saw the humble gift of a poor widow. He saw not just the portion but the proportion of her giving.
He also observed the cup of cold water.
“And if you give even a cup of cold water to one of the least of my followers, you will surely be rewarded.” Matthew 10:42 (NLT)
A cup of cold water is no big deal to us – it is simple and inexpensive – but Jesus sees it and remembers it. He told us:
“I was thirsty and you gave Me something to drink.” Matthew 25:35 (AMPC)
He explained this by saying:
“Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.” Matthew 25:40 (HCSB)
Don’t overlook or dismiss the little things. God sees them all. The everyday kingdom of God is built on small moments of servanthood, thoughtfulness and kindness.