Mark 12:41-44 - Poor in pocket, Rich in Righteousness

Giving, we all like to give don't we?   I always struggle with this in Churches, because in one sense, we need to give, but if we don't believe the money is going where it should, should we still give?   We  (meaning I) can give all the excuses we can to give can't we?   There's the whole idea of giving to the right cause and knowing that what we're giving to is worthy of our attention.

And it is good to be consciences of whom we give our money to, but don't let our excuses keep us from helping others.   This passage isn't really about giving, but it's about sacrifice isn't it?   That's even harder than giving a few bucks to our favorite charity.    Jesus is at the Temple collection box (notice that there isn't the ever present plate being passed around ... it's just a box sitting at the temple) and the rich are giving, which is good, but a poor widow dropped in two small coins (vs. 42).   The difference is that the rich "gave a tiny part of their surplus, but she, poor as she is, has given everything she had to live on."    

Think about this in comparison to a few verses beforehand where Jesus said "Beware of these teachers of religious law!  For they like to parade around in flowing robes" vs.38 & vs 40 "Yet they shamelessly cheat widows out of their property and then pretend to be pious..."

Who has the greater faith?  Whom is more righteous in God's eyes?

Do we parade around with our stuff, while we hold back in our offering to God ... wherever that is?   It comes down to where does our treasure lye .. in this life?   I'm not saying that God's doesn't want us to have things to make life easier, but then again .. there are alot of things that we could do without isn't there?