And he looked up and saw the rich casting their gifts into the treasury;
Luke 21 opens with the Lord in the temple, watching the rich bring their gifts — and noticing one poor widow behind them. What He says next overturns every ordinary way of measuring a gift.
The offering box stood in a part of the temple with a history of its own.
Part of the temple was called "the treasury." It held the things set apart for the Lord, such as the gold, silver, and the objects of brass and iron taken from Jericho (Joshua 6:19). The people also handed in their freewill offerings at "the treasury" (Mark 12:41, 43). On one occasion the Lord spoke to the people "in the treasury, as He taught in the temple." This was no doubt in the outer part, where He could watch the people bringing in their gifts. Luke 21:1; John 8:20.
This scene follows straight after the Lord's judgment on the scribes. Mark and Luke both record it, and each brings out a different side.
Then follows the judgment on the scribes, very briefly. Their hypocrisy was selfish: they devour widows' houses, and for a show they make long prayers. In contrast, the Lord's estimate of real devotedness is the widow's mites (Luke 21:1-4). Mark notes it as the service of faith, and so brings it into his Gospel of service. Luke shows it as a question of the heart's state and trust in God.
The rich put in far larger sums. The Lord measured something else.
The Lord's eye saw the motive behind this offering. He read the action as He alone could read it: "Truly, I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them. For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on." He judged rightly. He did not judge by what she gave, but by what she kept — and that was nothing!
Her two coins were a tiny sum, yet they cost her everything she had. That cost is what sets her gift apart.
The difference between giving one's living and giving one's surplus is obvious. When self is satisfied, a person may pay God compliments with presents, and even make that serve self. But the woman who gives her living gives herself, wholly devoted to God, and depends on God; the whole is in action towards God, in devotion and in faith.
Within a few verses the Lord announces that this very temple will be pulled down. Her coins were going into the upkeep of a building with no future — and He commended her anyway.
The widow expressed her devotion to God by putting her two mites into the collection for the upkeep of the temple building. Yet the Lord goes on to foretell that the building will be totally destroyed. The presence of the Lord had already displaced it. God was in Christ, not in Herod's temple. In her understanding the widow was, as we would say, behind the times; yet this did not spoil the Lord's approval of her gift. He does appreciate whole-hearted devotion, even when the person showing it does not yet fully understand. This should be a great comfort to us.
The love He praised did not start with her.
It is a lovely picture of devotedness in the widow. How much lovelier to see Him who gave her the faith and drew out her love, admiring and so richly valuing the fruit of His own grace! May He say the same of our wealth toward God in the coming day, when money and every false standard will have disappeared for ever.
One writer carries the scene forward to the moment a collection reaches us.
It is worth thinking about this every time we are called to give to the Lord's cause. Remember, as someone puts the box or the basket into my hand, that "Jesus is sitting opposite the treasury." His holy eye rests, not on the purse, but on the heart. He weighs, not the amount, but the motive. If the heart is right, the amount will be right, in His judgment.
- Seen — He sat where He could watch the givers. The same eye read the rich and the widow, resting on the heart, not the purse.
- Weighed — He judged not by what she gave but by what she kept, and she kept nothing.
- Given — In giving her whole living she gave herself, in devotion and in dependence on God.
- Accepted — Her coins went to a temple He was about to say would fall. Her understanding lagged behind, yet He approved her love.
- Praised — He had first given the faith He praised. The grace He admired in her was the fruit of His own grace, and He will say the same of us when every false standard is gone.
but he saw also a certain poor widow casting therein two mites.
The Lord sits in the temple, watching money drop into the collection chests. Out of the whole crowd, one poor widow with two of the smallest coins catches His eye. Older translations call them "two mites." Why does so small a gift get the Lord's full attention?
The story follows straight after the Lord's judgment on the scribes, the religious teachers of that day. Each Gospel writer draws out a different side of it.
Then follows the judgment — very briefly — on the scribes. In contrast with their selfish hypocrisy ("who devour widows' houses and for a pretense make long prayers"), the Lord's measure of real devotion is the widow's mites. Mark notices it as the service of faith, and so brings it into his Gospel of service. Luke shows it as a question of the heart's state and trust in God.
The point cuts deeper. The system she was funding had been robbing women like her.
The widow was probably one of those whose "house" had been devoured. Instead of complaining, she cast her last two mites into the temple treasury. Under these circumstances her gift was truly a great one, and the Lord pronounced it to be so. She went to the utmost limit; casting in her all.
The common phrase "the widow's mite" gets the story wrong by half.
To speak of this incident under the heading of "The Widow's Mite" is clearly incorrect. The widow did not contribute her mite; she gave both her mites — all that she had.
So why does the account name two coins instead of one small sum?
Why does the Spirit take such care to say "two mites, which make a farthing"? Why not be content to say, "She threw in a farthing"? That would never do. It would miss the real point of exquisite beauty. If she had had it all in one piece, she must have either given all or nothing. Having it in two, she had the option of keeping half for her own living. Most of us would call it extraordinary devotion to give half of all we had in the world to the Lord's cause. But this poor widow had a whole heart for God.
The Lord weighs gifts by another measure.
God does not go by the amount you give. He judges not by what you hand over, but by what you keep back for self. In this case it was nothing — she gave all. Those who gave out of their abundance kept the greater part for themselves. The test of generosity is not what you give, but what you keep. Much kept back for self-enjoyment proves how little you really give. But when nothing is left, and all goes into the treasury of God, there is the true working of divine love and faith.
Giving everything left her with nothing to live on.
The difference between giving one's living and one's surplus is obvious. One may, when self is satisfied, pay God compliments with presents, and make it serve self. But she who gives her living gives herself. She is wholly devoted to God, and she depends on God. The whole of her is in action towards God, in devotion and in faith. The two mites were the most perfect expression of this. Need was there, and everything that could hinder it, while the applause of men and the pride of the donor could find no place.
Soon after, the Lord says the temple she had just supported would be torn down.
The widow expressed her devotion to God by casting her two mites into the collection for the upkeep of the temple. Yet the Lord goes on to foretell its total destruction. Already it was displaced by the presence of the Lord. God was in Christ, not in Herod's temple. In her understanding the widow was, as we would say, behind the times. Yet this did not spoil the Lord's approval of her gift. He does appreciate whole-hearted devotion, even when it is not expressed with full understanding. This should be a great comfort to us.
This scene repeats each time an offering box comes round.
It is good to think about this every time we are asked to give to the Lord's cause. As the box or the basket comes into my hand, remember that Jesus is sitting opposite the treasury. His holy eye rests, not upon the purse, but upon the heart. He weighs, not the amount, but the motive. If the heart is right, the amount will be right, according to His judgment.
- Seen. Among the large public gifts, the Lord singles out the one nobody else noticed.
- Two, not one. She could have kept half. Two coins instead of one show a heart that held nothing back.
- Weighed. God measures what you keep, not what you give. She kept nothing, so her gift outweighed all the rest.
- Trusted. To give your living is to give yourself and depend on God. With need pressing and no applause on offer, her faith was plain.
- Accepted. She gave to a temple already doomed, yet the Lord still praised her. He values whole-hearted love even when understanding falls short.
And he said, Verily I say unto you, that this poor widow has cast in more than all;
Jesus has just warned about religious leaders who devour widows' houses. Now He watches a poor widow at the temple treasury and calls her tiny gift the largest of the day.
The chapter break hides a connection. This widow was probably one of those the leaders had robbed, and she gave away what she had left.
Then He looked up. Some of these rich men were making a show of putting their money into the temple treasury. Among them came a poor widow, putting in her two small coins. We must not let the chapter break separate these opening verses in our minds from the closing two of Luke 20. The widow was probably one of those whose "house" had been devoured. Yet instead of complaining, she put her last two coins into the temple treasury. In those circumstances her gift was truly a great one, and the Lord said so. She went to the very limit and gave everything she had.
Jesus is doing a sum here, not paying a compliment. He counts by a rule we would never use.
God does not go by the amount given; He judges not by what is contributed, but by what is kept behind for self. In this case it was nothing — all was given. Those who gave out of their plenty kept the greater part for themselves. The test of generosity is not what is given, but what is left. The much that is kept for self-enjoyment is the proof of how little is given. But when nothing is left, and all is cast into the treasury of God, there is the true working of divine love and faith. There is what God values. It expresses not only generous giving, but complete confidence in Himself.
Scripture does not just name a total. It names two coins, and that detail is not an accident.
Did you ever notice how she was carrying all she had to live on? Why does the Spirit take such care to say "two small copper coins, which make a penny"? Why not just say, "She threw in a penny"? That would never do. It would not have brought out the real beauty of the moment — the true touch of whole-hearted devotedness. If she had had it all in one piece, she must have given either all or nothing. Having it in two, she had the option of keeping half for her own living.
That same detail shows how people misuse the phrase "the widow's mite" today.
Never were coins so wrongly spoken about as these two mites. Someone asks a rich man rolling in his thousands to give to some good cause. He writes a cheque for £5 and says with an easy smile to the one collecting, "Well, here is the widow's mite." Is that so? The widow did not give one mite, but two, and that was all she had. The widow's mite would be half of the rich man's fortune; the two mites, everything he owned. The Lord's praise of this poor widow is very cheering to those who can spare only a little. He values such wholehearted giving.
Her money went into a religious system God had already judged. The Lord still valued what she did inside it.
All the wealth that supported the outward service of God counted for nothing. The Lord looked at the real devoted love of heart there was toward Him and His service. There is much still to learn from this passage. A system may be very evil, a system now judged, and a sincere soul may serve it in a way that is fully acceptable. The Lord does not judge at all according to the system. He judges by the principles of righteousness and grace that mark that soul off from the system — the same principles by which He judged and condemned the system itself. He knows how to separate out the intention of the individual and own it.
The commendation reaches back further than the widow. What Jesus admires in her, He first put there.
It is a lovely picture of devotedness in the widow. How much lovelier to see Him who gave her the faith and drew out her love! He is admiring and so richly valuing the fruit of His own grace. May He have occasion to speak in the same way of our wealth toward God in the day that is coming. In that day money and every false measure will have disappeared for ever.
- Seen. The smallest gift in the treasury was the one the Lord singled out, and He said so aloud.
- Weighed. He does not measure what leaves your hand; He measures what stays behind — the test is not what is given but what is left.
- Whole. She held two coins and could have kept one; giving both is what turns a small sum into total devotedness.
- Owned. The system she gave to was already judged. The Lord still marked out her sincere heart and owned her gift.
- His own. The faith He praised in her was the faith He had given her — He was admiring the fruit of His own grace.
for all these out of their abundance have cast into the gifts [of God]; but she out of her need has cast in all the living which she had.
Two small coins fall into the temple treasury, and Jesus stops everything to say they outweigh every large gift given that day. He weighs what each person gave against what they kept back, which raises the question of what God counts in our giving.
This scene follows straight on from the Lord's warning about the religious teachers, and the two passages belong together:
We must not let the chapter break separate these opening verses from the closing two of Luke 20. The widow was probably one of those whose "house" had been devoured. Yet instead of complaining, she cast her last two mites into the temple treasury. In her situation her gift was a great one indeed, and the Lord said so. She went to the utmost limit; casting in her all.
Set against the men who made long prayers for show, she is the Lord's own answer to them:
Then comes the judgment on the scribes — but only briefly. Set against their selfish hypocrisy ("who devour widows' houses and for a pretense make long prayers"), the Lord's estimate of real devotedness is the widow's mites. Mark notices it as the service of faith, and so brings it into his Gospel of service. Luke shows it as a question of the heart's state and trust in God.
The rich gave "out of their abundance." God's arithmetic runs backwards from ours:
God does not go by the amount given; He judges not by what you contribute, but by what you keep back for yourself. In her case she kept back nothing — she gave it all. Those who gave out of their abundance kept the greater part for themselves. The test of generosity is not what you give, but what you keep. Keeping much for your own enjoyment proves how little you really gave. But when nothing is kept and everything goes into the treasury of God, that is the true working of Divine love and faith.
She had two coins, not one, and that detail is deliberate. She was never forced into an all-or-nothing choice:
Why does the Spirit take such care to say "two mites, which make a farthing"? Why not be content to say, "She threw in a farthing"? Ah! this would never do. It would not have brought out the real point of exquisite beauty — the true touch of whole-hearted devotedness. If she had had it all in one piece, she must have either given all or nothing. Having it in two, she had the option of keeping half for her own living. Most of us would call it extraordinary devotion to give half of everything we own to the Lord's cause. But this poor widow had a whole heart for God.
Her gift bought almost nothing. The Lord measured it on a different scale:
"Two mites which make a farthing": really about three quarters of a farthing! But its value, as our Lord declares, was not the market value — not what it could buy. It was intangible and spiritual. The two mites were all the money she had: "all she had to live on." She had put her heart in with it: a heart that kept nothing back from God. Its value was the value of sacrifice, and One who was Himself the Great Sacrifice could not fail to appreciate it.
She had just paid for the upkeep of a building that had no future, and she did not know it:
The widow expressed her devotion to God by casting her two mites into the collection for the upkeep of the temple building. Yet the Lord goes on to foretell its total destruction. The presence of the Lord had already displaced it. God was in Christ, not in Herod's temple. In her understanding the widow was, as we should say, behind the times; yet this did not spoil the Lord's approval of her gift. He does value whole-hearted devotion, even when the person showing it does not fully understand. This should be a great comfort to us.
The devotion He praises did not begin with her:
The widow's devotedness is a lovely picture. How much lovelier to see Him who gave her the faith and drew out her love, admiring and so warmly valuing the fruit of His own grace! May He speak like that of our wealth toward God in the coming day, when money and every false estimate will have disappeared for ever!
- Kept, not given. The test is not the size of the gift but the size of what stays behind; she kept nothing, so she gave most.
- Kept nothing, though she could have. Two coins meant she could have halved it and still looked generous — the second mite is the whole point.
- Kept back from the market. Her coins bought almost nothing. Their worth was the worth of sacrifice, and the One who was Himself the great Sacrifice saw it.
- Kept in the dark, still approved. She funded a temple with no future. He still praised her devotion, though her understanding lagged behind.
- Kept by His grace. The faith and love He praised in her He had first given her — He was admiring the fruit of His own work.