Today's Bible reading is the 12th chapter of the Book of Mark. You can read it here at Bible Gateway: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark+12&version=NASB

Motive means much. We have two examples in today's passage of scripture where people engage Jesus in a conversation with impure motives. about things they really have no genuine interest in. We first see some men, described as Pharisees and Herodians, who had been sent to trap Jesus into saying something that could be used against Him. They call Him teacher, tell Him that He is truthful and say that He teaches the word of God in truth. But these words of praise were not from the heart and not prompted by their faith in Him. They were simply words used in their efforts to accuse Him. We then see some from the Sadducees come to Him, address Him as teacher and then ask Him questions about the resurrection. But they do not really consider Him their teacher and their question is intended to challenge the truth of the resurrection which they do not believe in.

Captured in scripture, the story of the "widow's mite" has endured through the ages. Mark records it in the final verses of today's chapter. It is a story of how God would use a "poor widow" to teach a lesson to those present at the time and to generations that would follow. In contrast to the above, it is no doubt an example of pure and heartfelt motive. The story begins with Jesus sitting down, "opposite the treasury", as He observes people putting money into the treasury. We read that "many rich people were putting in large sums." When Jesus observes a widow put two small copper coins into the treasury, He gathers His disciples and tells them that she had put in more than all of the others who had contributed. While they had "all put in of their surplus", this woman had given out of her poverty. She had given all that she had and not just everything that she had on her person at the time of her giving, but all she had to live on. It really was Christ-like giving. We don't know her name but her powerful story lives on. May we learn from her love for our God. May God grant us each some portion of this widow's heart for the giving of ourselves, our time, our possessions and all to the Lord.