Every May families gather for Mother’s Day. Some enterprising young chefs serve mom breakfast in bed, while others take her to a gourmet brunch. Gifts range from macaroni necklaces to gorgeous jade bracelets. While traditions vary, Guatemalan and American families agree: moms deserve to be celebrated.
During this time of year, news outlets love to share stories of heroic moms. Heartwarming tales of women who fight off wild animals or run into burning buildings to save their children gain national acclaim. But most “ordinary” moms never make the front page.
Motherhood consists of thousands of “smaller” sacrifices—diaper changes, sleepless nights, daycare bills, and sick visits. These actions often feel invisible or insignificant. No one hands out the Nobel Peace Prize for talking your toddler down from another tantrum. Are certain sacrifices more valuable than others? How do you measure generosity? The world has one standard, but God holds another.
During his final trip to Jerusalem, Jesus sat in the temple to observe the donation box (Mark 12:38–41). Many rich people threw large amounts of coins, the evidence of their generosity ringing across the temple grounds. Amidst the crowd, a poor widow quietly placed two small coins into the box. The New English Translation explains: “These two small copper coins were lepta (sing. “lepton”), the smallest and least valuable coins in circulation in Palestine, worth one-half of a quadrans or 1/128 of a denarius, or about six minutes of an average daily wage” (Mark 12:42, Footnote ‘cg’).
Six minutes of a daily wage—worth less than a penny. Not enough funds to replenish the altar candles or feed the poor. The temple priests would not consider her offering headline-worthy. Yet her action, not the large donations, caught Jesus’ attention. Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the offering box than all the others. For they all gave out of their wealth. But she, out of her poverty, put in what she had to live on, everything she had” (Mark 12:43–44).
Two copper coins may seem little compared to one thousand gold pieces, but God looks at more than monetary value. He recognized her circumstances and honored the generosity of her Spirit.
How did the widow feel about her gift? Was she embarrassed by her meager offering? Did she believe her coins would make a difference? Did she envy the rich patrons their generous resources? We do not know if she even heard Jesus’ praise.
Many of us doubt the value of our offerings. We want to be generous, to honor God with our time and money, but we feel like we fall short. We do our best, yet feel our best is not enough. But God cares less about the size of the gift and more about our heart behind it. He can do much with what the world views as little. If five loaves and two fish were enough to feed five thousand people, two coppers can pay for a temple.
As we celebrate Mother’s Day, we acknowledge the thousands of small actions that make up a childhood. Cooking another meal, changing another diaper, folding another load of laundry. These tasks repeat and repeat, tiny coins collecting over time. But God can do much with what the world views as little.
May God bless our best efforts, no matter how small or mundane they appear.
