Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

Mark 12:42

‘And there came a poor widow, and she dropped in two mites which make a fraction of a penny (a cent or two).'

And lastly there was a poor widow. No one apart from Jesus noticed the poor woman who crept unobtrusively up to the trumpets and dropped in her two mites, with no display at all (Mark uses a Roman term for the coins (‘quadrans') which was commonly in use in Palestine). The ‘two should be noted. She could so easily have kept one. But she did not feel that she could withhold it from God. She knew, of course, that her gift was hardly worth noticing and would buy little, especially as compared with the magnificence of the Temple. Did I say no one would notice? Jesus noticed, and God noticed as well. Only two among so many. But what a two! And the trumpets of heaven blared, and the angels stopped what they were doing and looked at each other (even though the woman never knew). For here was a gift that was almost worthy of God. And no one else on earth ever knew, but she had laid up a rich treasure in Heaven. It is probable that there would be no food on the table for her next meal, but she would one day feed sumptuously at Messiah's table (Mark 10:41). Note that in the section chiasmus this parallels the self-seeking of the disciples (Mark 10:33). No wonder Jesus now draws attention to it.

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Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

Mark 12:42

Old Testament

New Testament