He looked up and saw rich people putting their gifts into the treasury; he also saw a poor widow put in two small copper coins. He said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them; for all of them have contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in all she had to live on.”
Sometimes we can devalue ourselves and our contributions to the world. “I’m only a teacher,” we say, or “I’m only a mother” or “I’m only a small business owner.” But Jesus doesn’t think in terms of “only.” What impresses Jesus is your willingness to give all that you are to God. You can make a difference that matters to God when you offer your whole life to the work of God’s kingdom.
Our passage from Luke focuses on the actions of a “poor widow” whose gift to the temple, though small in monetary value, turns out to be great in the eyes of Jesus.
Jesus didn’t think in terms of “only.” We see this in today’s passage from Luke. He watched as wealthy people put gifts into the temple treasury. Presumably, some were financially substantial. Then, he “saw a poor widow put in two small copper coins” (Luke 21:2). Though the monetary value of her gift was small, Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them; for all of them have contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in all she had to live on” (21:3-4). Jesus didn’t see the widow as giving “only” a tiny gift. He didn’t see her as “only” a poor widow with no hope of making a difference that mattered. Rather, in terms of the values of the kingdom of God, the fact that she gave sacrificially meant that, from Jesus’s point of view, the widow gave more than all of the wealthy people.
Notice that Jesus did not denigrate the generosity of the wealthy. It’s not that they did anything wrong by giving it to the temple. His point was to lift up the value of the widow’s gift, acknowledging her sacrifice, honoring her commitment. She became an example of what living under God’s reign was really all about. It involves giving to God, not just something on the side, something extra, but rather your whole life, your whole self.
You may have considerable wealth. Or you may have limited financial resources. You may be extremely talented in ways that earn the praise of many. Or you may never do anything that earns the limelight. But what you have available to offer, whether big or small, doesn’t impress the Lord. What does get his attention is your willingness to give freely and generously, offering all that you have and all that you are in service to others in his name. No matter who you are or what you have, you can make a difference that matters . . . to God and his work in this world.
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