The Widow’s Giving
TRANSLATION
(38) And in his teaching he said, “Beware of the teachers of the Law who like to parade around in long robes, be greeted in the marketplaces, (39) and have the best seats in the synagogues and places of honor at banquets. (40) They devour widows’ houses and, for a show, offer long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation.”
(41) And he sat down opposite the treasury and observed how people put their money into the offering box. Many wealthy people gave large sums. (42) And a poor widow came and gave two small copper coins which make a penny. (43) And he called his disciples to him and said to them, “Truly, I tell you, this poor widow gave more than all those who were contributing to the treasury, (44) for they gave out of their abundance but she, out of her poverty, gave everything she had, all she had to live on.”
OBSERVATIONS
A key repetition in this segment is “widow” used three times (in vss. 40, 42, & 43). In two instances, Jesus employed the adjective, “poor,” to define the noun. Additionally, Jesus described her condition with the word, “poverty” (vs. 44).
In Exodus 22 we find a strong warning issued to the people of Israel: “You shall not mistreat any widow or fatherless child. If you do mistreat them, and they cry out to me, I will surely hear their cry, and my wrath will burn, and I will kill you with the sword, and your wives shall become widows and your children fatherless” (Ex. 22:22-24). In depicting the teachers of the Law as those “who devour widows’ houses,” Jesus was strongly condemning their selfish, rapacious ways. By highlighting to his disciples the generosity of a poor widow who gave out of great poverty, he purposely emphasized the truth that it is heart attitude, not the amount given, that counts when it comes to our stewardship.
OUTLINE
I. Principle: beware of hypocrites who do not practice what they prescribe for others. (38-40)
II. Object lesson: learn generosity from the widow who gave everything she had. (41-44)
IDEA STATEMENT
God is impressed not with outward displays of piety but with the expressions of genuine devotion that come from humble hearts.
APPLICATION
Believers frequently wrestle with how much they should give to the Lord’s work. Many set the tithe, that is, giving a tenth of one’s income, as the standard for stewardship. However, a thorough study of generosity in Scripture reveals that the tithe was the amount required of Jews living under the Mosaic Law to support the government, like income tax in the present day. In 2 Corinthians, we find a different standard established. In the eighth chapter, Paul called it “this grace of giving” (2 Cor. 8:7). In the next chapter, he established the following principle: “Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly nor under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Cor. 9:7). In other words, every believer has the responsibility to determine by the Holy Spirit’s leading how much he or she should give to support the Lord’s work. What we give may vary according to our circumstances, our incomes, the economic climate in which we live, or the needs of those we feel led to support. When we have been blessed with much, we should give much. When we have little, we may need to reduce the amount we give, but we should still do so generously and cheerfully.
The widow’s two small copper coins were insignificant in comparison with the much larger amounts the wealthy were able to offer to God out of their abundance. Yet, the value of her trifling gift far exceeded the value of those much larger gifts in God’s sight because she had given sacrificially and generously out of her poverty, or as Jesus phrased it, “everything she had, all she had to live on.” From this we learn an important lesson, namely, what counts with God is not the amount we donate but our heart’s attitude in offering him our gifts.