Article May 25, 1912 Issue

THE WIDOW'S MITE

NELLIE B. MACE.

When Jesus pronounced his commendation of the widow's mite he uttered words destined to be of perennial comfort to those whose offerings seem necessarily diminutive. Yet one is occasionally found who is inclined to read into the narrative a condemnation of the rich. The story, however, as related by Mark and Luke contains no condemnation of the rich men who of "their abundance" cast in "much," although it does pointedly declare that "this poor widow hath cast more in." This story recalls vividly our Leader's words, "Giving does not impoverish us in the service of our Maker, neither does withholding enrich us" (Science and Health, p. 79).

From the many instances in which Jesus, with startling clearness, read the thoughts of those about him, blessing and encouraging the receptive conditions while unsparingly unveiling mental violations of the law even when no outward crime had been committed, it is evident that he regarded as of main importance the mental processes and conditions to which outward acts were merely incidental. In this story of the gifts, the record implies that Jesus, with his usual insight, "beheld how the people cast money into the treasury." He knew that their act in giving was preceded by thought, and that their thought consciously or unconsciously involved a recognition of some source of supply, and that the quality of the giving was largely determined by the more or less spiritual perception of the real source of all good.

It is said of the rich men that they of "their abundance" gave much. The expression "their abundance" does not lift thought toward the abundant goodness of God, but suggests rather the belief in material treasure with the usual accompaniment of this belief, that it would be neither sane nor safe nor agreeable to part with it all. It is remembered that the rich young man who sought instruction of Jesus concerning eternal life, stumbled over the requirement, "Sell all that thou hast,"—not yet having discerned that the whole belief in materiality must be displaced by the understandin and love of pure spirituality.

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