What does Jesus want us to learn from what He said about the widow's mite?

But now the Lord singles out those with whom He had sympathy on the earth. "Jesus sat down opposite the treasury, and saw the crowd casting money into the treasury; and many rich cast in much. And a poor widow came, and cast in two mites, which make a farthing; and He called to [Him] His disciples, and said to them, Verily I say unto you, This poor widow hath cast more in than all who have cast into the treasury." The reason He gives: "for all have cast in of their abundance, but she of her want hath cast in all that she had, the whole of her living." 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 of their abundance reserved the greater part for themselves; but the test of liberality 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 there is nothing left, but all is cast into the treasury of God, there is the true working of Divine love and faith. There is what God values, because it is the expression not only of generous giving, but of entire confidence in Himself. This poor woman was a widow, and it might have seemed that she of all others was entitled to keep what little she had; but no — little as it was, all is for God. The dealing with such a small sum might have been a trouble to those who would have to count it, but it was noticed of God, valued by Him, and recorded for us, that we may confide in God, and may give whatever is according to His mind.

All the wealth which sustained the outward service of God passed for nothing. The Lord looked at the real devoted love of the heart there was to Him, and to His service. There is much to be learned yet from this passage. There may be a very evil system, a system now judged, and a sincere soul minister to it most acceptably, but then the Lord judges not the least according to the system, but according to the principles of that righteousness and grace which distinguish it from the system, and by which the system was even judged and condemned. He knows how to separate the intention of the individual and own it, while by that itself He judges the whole state of that with which the individual is associated. The difference of giving one's living, and one's superfluity, is evident. One may, when self is satisfied, compliment God with presents, and make it minister to self. But she who gives her living gives herself, devoted all to God, and depends on God; the whole is in action towards God, in devotion and in faith. The two mites were the most perfect expression of it, for need and everything to hinder it was there, and the applause of men, and the pride of the donor could find no place here. It was true love to God, and confidence in Him; for Jewish splendour it had little worth.

(Vv. 41-44). In contrast to those who have been exposed as religious hypocrites, we are permitted to see that there were those in the nation that the Lord delights to own, represented by this poor widow. The godly remnant that returned from Babylon in the days of Ezra to build the House of God, are still seen in this devoted soul who gave up all her living to maintain the House of God. Ignorant she may have been that this house had been corrupted by man and was about to be destroyed in judgment; but her heart was right with God, and her motives pure. She gave but two mites, but, in God's sight it was more than all others gave, though they cast in much. They gave of their abundance; "she of her want did cast in all that she had, even all her living." God judges of the value of a gift, not by the amount given, but by what is kept back for self.

A beautiful contrast to these is seen in verses 41 to 44. The Lord Jesus watched as the people were throwing their money into the temple treasury. Many rich were donating large amounts in contrast to a poor widow who threw in two mites, the value of a few cents today. The Lord then told His disciples (not the crowd) that the poor widow's donation was more than those of others; for her gift was a very real sacrifice: theirs were only a relatively small amount compared to the abundance of their resources. Let every believer take to heart the fact that the Lord observes everything about our giving; not only the amount given, but what we withhold, and what our motives are.With the sorrows of the cross looming solemnly before the eyes of the Lord Jesus, it is fitting that this chapter should affirm His own eventual triumph in glory over the evil that was accompanied by the pride of Jewish confidence in their own institutions. His disciples drew His attention to the manner of stones and buildings connected with the temple. Their words were a reflection of the pride of the Jewish nation, which must be brought low before ever the nation would find blessing from God.

Then, sitting over against the treasury, He observed those who cast in their gifts. Varied were the amounts. "Many that were rich," writes Mark (12:41), "cast in much." One poor widow however there was whom the Lord saw casting in just two mites. Men would naturally have been attracted by, and have commended, the rich for their larger offerings. The Lord commended the poor widow. Doubtless in the most unobtrusive way she contributed to the receipts of the temple treasury. Very probably she told no one about it, and the trifling sum as it fell amongst the heap would make little or no sound. The Lord however knew and declared exactly what she had given. Of course He knew the amount that each had contributed whilst He sat there, but the only offering, the amount of which has never been forgotten, was just that which naturally would never have been remembered. But He did not speak, that we learn, to her; He spoke with commendation of her. Very likely she slipped away as quietly as she had come, not caring to be seen; for what she gave she gave to God, and intended that it should be a secret between Him and her. In the balances of the heavenly sanctuary however that little offering was weighed, and was prized above all the others. It was not, it is not, the amount of the gift in itself that God values, but its amount in its relation to the circumstances of the giver. Those two mites were all her living. It may be she knew not whose eye rested on her as she slipped the coin into the treasury, nor perhaps at the time was she aware of His commendation. In a coming day however, when many a costly offering will have been for long buried in oblivion, those two mites will be remembered by Him who saw her, and before whom she will stand. Profession without reality is abhorrent to God. Of that the scribes were an example. Profession which is real, as displayed by that poor widow, will be ever remembered by Him. Are we desirous to gain the applause of men, or that praise which comes from God? (John 12:43).

THEN HE LOOKED up, and here were some of these rich men ostentatiously casting their money into the temple treasury, and amongst them came a poor widow casting in her two mites. We must not allow the break of the chapters to divorce in our minds these opening verses from the closing two of Luke 20. The widow was presumably one of those whose "house" had been devoured, yet instead of repining, 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.

Nor must we divorce this touching incident from the verses that follow, particularly verse 6. The widow expressed her devotion to God by casting her two mites into the collection for the upkeep of the temple fabric; yet the Lord proceeds 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 should say, behind the times; yet this did not mar the Lord's approval of her gift. Whole-hearted devotion He does appreciate, even if the expression of it is not marked by complete intelligence. This should be a great comfort to us.

Verses 31-40. Here the Lord denounces the scribes who corrupted the word of God which they pretended to explain; they took the form of godliness, and sought their own glory and other people's money, even that of widows, to whom they obtained access under the pretext of piety. For this cause their judgment would be all the more terrible; but God does not forget His own in the midst of the hypocrisy of the seeming religious. They may make mistakes: perhaps the widow's mite helped to pay Judas; but it was given to the Lord, and the widow's heart which was occupied about the mite did not escape the Lord's eyes, nor the notice of His love. The rich had given much, but the widow offered herself as a living sacrifice to the Lord; she gave all her substance. Perhaps she might have employed better means, but she gave her mite from the bottom of her heart to the Lord, and it was received on His part: we should think of this.

Another point I must just indicate to you, if you have not already observed it. The Lord attached great importance not so much to what was actually given, as to what remained after the gift. The rich cast in of their abundance, the Lord said. And when they had made their contributions they were still rich. They had even then enough and to spare. They were put to no personal inconvenience because of their donations. But not so with the widow. She was poor. Her total assets amounted to one farthing. Yet if she was poor in pence, she was rich in grace. And like the Macedonian assemblies (2 Cor. 8:2), her deep poverty abounded to the riches of her liberality. She could not give more than two mites; she would not give less, though it left her bereft of everything. And you may be sure that He Who marked her noble gift saw her empty scrip also, and ministered to her, as He loved to do.

You are familiar with the circumstances there recorded. The Lord was sitting in the temple over against the treasury. And He saw the rich cast their gifts into the box provided for such contributions. He also saw a poor widow bring her offering, consisting of two mites, which make one farthing. Whereupon the Lord said to His disciples, "Verily I say to you, That this poor widow has cast more in than all they which have cast into the treasury; for all they did cast in of their abundance; but she of her want did cast in all that she had, even all her living" (Mark 12:43-44).

Now, to speak of this incident under the heading of "The Widow's Mite" is manifestly incorrect. The widow did not contribute her mite; she gave both her mites — all that she had. And it was her whole-hearted, self-denying devotion in yielding up all her living to the service of God that drew forth the Lord's commendation and approval. Anything that even suggests that the widow kept back part of her possessions like Ananias and Sapphira is unjust as well as untrue.

Now, beloved friends, it is beautiful to see the way in which the Lord cures the covetous disposition of our hearts. Here is the cure, being rich toward God. The soul is set down before God. What is it to be rich toward God? I do not think it is a question of much giving. I think the widow in the twenty-first chapter of Luke, was rich toward God. She cast in two mites which make a farthing. One often hears the expression, "Here is my mite." Is that exactly half you possess? She cast in both her mites, and I do not doubt that is why the Lord takes notice of it. The temptation was to give one, and keep one to herself But she was rich toward God, and into His treasury, and for His work, cast in her all, and that of her penury, we are told. She was a widow, and she had nothing left.

I think if it had been us, we would have said, We will give the Lord one, and keep the other to ourselves. If I had come to my last two shillings, and I gave the Lord one, and kept the other one for myself, I fear that I should think I had done very well. Ah, beloved, look at this, she cast in both. She was indeed rich toward God. It is not the question of the amount, because the Lord never measures by what I have given, but by what I have left after I have given. I think she is an illustration of one rich toward God. On the other hand, you might have nothing to give, and yet be rich toward God. You cling to Him, you live for Him, and in relation to Him. That is really what it is. God rules and governs the soul absolutely. Anyway, this is the only cure for covetousness, of which our Lord and Master bids us beware.