The poor widow the Lord Jesus is commending in the first passage was desperately poor. All she had was two of the very smallest coin. Coming to the temple, she dropped both coins—her whole livelihood—into the box placed there, the treasury. She could have given one to God, half of what she owned. Everyone would have understood if she had not given anything. But the Lord was there. He saw rich folks dropping in silver and gold. But this poor widow, He said, had put in more than all those who gave out of their abundance! She had given all that she had to God.

The other woman’s gift had a far greater monetary value: 300 denarii—a year’s wages of a common laborer (Mt. 20:9–10). What a precious treasure this woman, Mary of Bethany according to John 11:2 and 12:3, lavished upon the Lord Jesus! In Matthew and Mark, we see her anointing His head, while John 12 shows her anointing His feet and John 11 simply tells us she “anointed the Lord.” Mark tells us that “she broke the flask and poured it on His head”; it was all for Him; she retained none of it for herself.

The widow’s gift perhaps was despised by those who saw it. Mary was severely criticized for “wasting” this costly oil, a type of our worship. But the Lord looked at their attitudes and motives. Our attitudes and motivations in giving and in service are more important to Him than the money or the time we expend for Him. May we do what we can for Him who in love gave Himself for us!