Mar 12:41 | TNotes | STEP | Summary for Mark 12:41-44: 12:41-44 This account of a poor widow highlights the contrast between the falsely pious religious leaders (12:38-40 ) and those who truly love God. The emphasis of the passage falls on Jesus’ pronouncement, I tell you the truth , in which the widow is described as having given more than the rich. Summary for Mark 12:41-42: 12:41-42 The word translated collection box can refer to a building within the Temple compound in which Temple money was stored, but here it refers to one of thirteen money chests into which gifts were placed. As Jesus watched, many rich people put in large sums. Then he noticed a poor widow put in two small coins. (The use of the Roman term quadrans supports the view that Mark wrote his Gospel for the church in Rome; see Mark Book Introduction, “Audience.”) These two coins were worth one sixty-fourth of a denarius , a normal day’s pay (Matt 20:1-2 ).

a12:41-44►

b12:38-40►

c12:41-42►

dMatt 20:1-2►

‏ Mark 12:41

Summary for Mark 12:41-44: 12:41-44 ^a This account of a poor widow highlights the contrast between the falsely pious religious leaders (12:38-40 ^b) and those who truly love God. The emphasis of the passage falls on Jesus’ pronouncement, I tell you the truth, in which the widow is described as having given more than the rich.
Summary for Mark 12:41-42: 12:41-42 ^c The word translated collection box can refer to a building within the Temple compound in which Temple money was stored, but here it refers to one of thirteen money chests into which gifts were placed. As Jesus watched, many rich people put in large sums. Then he noticed a poor widow put in two small coins. (The use of the Roman term quadrans supports the view that Mark wrote his Gospel for the church in Rome; see Mark Book Introduction, “Audience.”) These two coins were worth one sixty-fourth of a denarius, a normal day’s pay (Matt 20:1-2 ^d).