Now Jesus sat opposite the treasury and saw how the people put money into the treasury. And many who were rich put in much. Then one poor widow came and threw in two mites, which make a quadrans. So He called His disciples to Himself and said to them, “Assuredly, I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all those who have given to the treasury; for they all put in out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all that she had, her whole livelihood” (Mark 12:41-44).

Caught in the act of being earthbound were the rich who put much money into the temple treasury.

Caught in the act of soaring was one poor widow who “threw in two mites.”

We find it fairly easy to see the earthbound-ness of the rich here. In fact, Jesus spelled it out in the preceding verses: (they) “go around in long robes, love greetings in the marketplaces, the best seats in the synagogues, and the best places at feasts, devour widows’ houses, and for a pretense make long prayers” (from Mk. 12:38-40).

But how does it make sense that the poor widow who threw in two mites was soaring? How was it that “out of her poverty (she) put in all that she had, her whole livelihood”—and that was soaring?

When we hear the squawking of geese overhead in the fall, we often stand still and look up as they soar their way through the sky. We kinda have to do this, don’t we?! They are so compelling. Why do they do what they do? It is because it is their nature to do so, right?

Why did the rich in this scripture do what they did? Because it was their nature to put themselves first in their calculations, to believe they deserved respect and accolades. Earthbound stuff.

Why did the poor widow in this scripture do what she did? Because it was her nature to be generous—even down to giving everything she had. 

So the question is:  Where did she get this heavenly nature that enabled her to soar this way? 

Jesus noted in His first beatitude: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Mt. 5:3).

Is it possible that this widow was on intimate terms not only with being poor in cash, but also with being poor in spirit? Let’s ponder her plight. Widows in that day did not have protection, support, or status. They were vulnerable—after all, the rich had been caught in the act of “devouring widows’ houses.” 

We can see this widow as symbolic of all who suffer in any way.

If anything is going to loose us from the world, it is suffering. Suffering gets us to poor in spirit. Poor in spirit gets us ready to let go and let God, to settle into His Kingdom. Then God does what only He can do—give us a nature designed for soaring.   

This fall let’s stop, look up, and catch those geese in the act of soaring as a reminder of the new nature God gives us. Then let’s set aside times to be quiet with our Father as He leads us through the journey from poor in spirit to the Kingdom of God where soaring can happen.