Mark 12:42 (ASV)

Passage

And there came a poor widow, and she cast in two mites, which make a farthing.

Nearby Context

Mark 12:40 they that devour widows` houses, and for a pretence make long prayers; these shall receive greater condemnation.

Mark 12:41 And he sat down over against the treasury, and beheld how the multitude cast money into the treasury: and many that were rich cast in much.

Mark 12:42 And there came a poor widow, and she cast in two mites, which make a farthing.

Mark 12:43 And he called unto him his disciples, and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, This poor widow cast in more than all they that are casting into the treasury:

Mark 12:44 for they all did cast in of their superfluity; but she of her want did cast in all that she had, [even] all her living.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "came", "poor", "widow", "cast", "mites", "make", and "farthing". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "came" and "poor", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 41's "And he sat down over against the..." into verse 43's "And he called unto him his disciples...", so "came" and "poor" belong inside that flow. In Mark context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "came" and "poor" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.