Category: New Testament
Scriptures:
Matthew 12:41-12:44
Luke 21:1-21:4
Matthew 12:41-12:44
41 The men of Nineveh will stand up in the judgment with this generation, and will condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and behold, someone greater than Jonah is here.
42 The queen of the south will rise up in the judgment with this generation, and will condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and behold, someone greater than Solomon is here.
43 When an unclean spirit has gone out of a man, he passes through waterless places, seeking rest, and doesn’t find it.
44 Then he says, ‘I will return into my house from which I came out,’ and when he has come back, he finds it empty, swept, and put in order.
Luke 21:1-21:4
1 He looked up, and saw the rich people who were putting their gifts into the treasury.
2 He saw a certain poor widow casting in two small brass coins.
3 He said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow put in more than all of them,
4 for all these put in gifts for God from their abundance, but she, out of her poverty, put in all that she had to live on.”
Commentary
God sees your sacrifice.
There may be times when you feel as if God is completely oblivious to the real cost of your generosity. But, the story of the widow’s mite teaches us that God sees your sacrifice. He looks through the crowd and notices you. When your giving seems insignificant compared to others, you don’t need to worry. God sees your sacrifice.
The amount sacrificed supersedes the amount given.
A person can give a numerically significant amount of money. But numbers do not matter to God. He owns it all anyway. Whether numerically much or little, the money was already His to begin with. In God’s economy, amount sacrificed always supersedes amount given. In the story, Jesus was not nearly as concerned about what was being placed in the temple treasury as what was still left at home. This is why Jesus pointed out that the widow gave all she had. Her sacrifice could not be matched by the rich.
Biblical generosity requires trust in God’s promises.
The easiest thing for the widow to do was to hold off on giving. And no one would have blamed her. She needed those two coins. But the widow opted for obedience instead. She put God first in her finances. Such a decision shows her faith in God and His promises.