The Account of the First Mite
You may think your gift is small but think about this...
Mark 12 describes a moment in the life of Jesus Christ where he took the time to sit across from the treasury of the Temple in Jerusalem. This, of course, was the place where the Jewish people were instructed to bring their tithe as commanded by the law. According to the account given it seems that Jesus was purposeful in His actions and through this He has given us a lesson passed down through the ages since.
Mark 12:41-44
“ Many rich people put in large sums. And a poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which make a penny [a mite]. And he [Jesus] called his disciples to him and said to them, “Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the offering box. For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.”
We at eMite see this as the first mite given. We think it is important that this contribution was noticed and that an account was made of such a gift. There is an instruction in this passage to which we, whether we claim the Christian faith or not, should pay attention.
Much can be accomplished when we give willingly.
Our philanthropic world is replete with stories of “big givers” accomplishing great works by releasing some of their wealth in support of causes that have captured their attention. While these big givers have taken headliner props in philanthropy, it is most often not the big gifts that accomplish the greatest impact. At eMite we believe that every person's gift is great when it is given willingly and from a heart that truly desires to help others. We believe that this is the spirit that was captured in the account of the widow giving her mite.
Our world tends to focus on the size of a donation rather than the size of the heart behind the donation. This focus often leads to discouragement in giving for those who cannot give at the level of their more wealthy neighbors. That is a wrong that needs to be righted. All givers need to understand that their gift is just as important as any other, and that when given, its impact is just as potent regardless of size.
The widow's mite was not more from the standpoint of the size of the gift. It was more due to the size of the heart that gave the gift. Let us as givers, as eMiters, understand that our willing gifts, donated from a desire to help people in need, have in them the greatest of potential to accomplish that for which they were given. Let us also understand that the combined Mites of people who give with the same purpose and from the same willingness possess the power to change our world for the better. Give Your Mite!