How much is a mite worth?
The original mite was a small copper coin minted under Jewish authority in the province of ancient Judea. The coin was marked with a symbol of a Phoenician anchor on one side, and on the other was an eight-pointed star with the name of the Hasmonean king, Alexander Jannaeus. Even back when it was minted, the monetary value of the coin was similar to today's pennies. The mite was the least valuable minted coin used in ancient Judea.
Today, these ancient coins are relatively rare. Because of the mite's rarity, the value of an authentic mite has inflated into the hundreds of dollars. There are plenty of fake mites running around the market, but a real one in good condition is a treasure.
Likely, we would not even know the name of these small copper coins had it not been for a poor widow's donation to the temple in Jerusalem. When Jesus Christ recognized this donation of two mites and Mark and Luke included it in their gospels, the world came to know about the mite. Since that time, the widow's mite is one of the most cherished accounts of giving in Christendom. Because of its notoriety and the inspiration the widow's mite has given millions of people over the ages, we believe the value of her donation is much greater than what the world values it.
But here’s the thing, a mite given today is just as valuable as the one donated by the widow. A mite, and any coin for that matter, is as priceless as the love and life represented in it. The widow in Mark's account gave her Mite, noted as all she had, out of obedience and love of her God. Likewise, when a person donates their Mite today, they are offering a piece of themselves, sacrificially without acclaim, to help others in need. How do you value that action? How much is that worth?
Frankly, we don’t know. We can put a value on things that money is used to buy, such as water, medical procedures, schoolrooms, blankets, etc. But that is just the value the world puts on those items. How much is a blanket worth when it is given through a selfless act of an individual desiring to help the homeless? We don’t know the answer, but we are pretty sure it is a whole lot!
Whether you donate $1 or $1,000, or an act of service to help another, a kind word, or a hug when one is needed, that gift, your Mite, is beyond our ability to value. But, please be assured that we will treat it as if it were the most valuable thing ever given. And that is how much a Mite is worth.