LUKE 21:1-4 ALL SHE HAD

ALL SHE HAD

LUKE 21:1-4

(See also Mark 12:40-44)

Luke 21:1 And he looked up, and saw the rich men casting their gifts into the treasury.

Susie: The treasury consisted of thirteen containers with funnel shaped openings, each of which was labeled for a specific use. The givers were donating funds for those purposes.

Luke 21:22 And he saw also a certain poor widow casting in thither two mites.

Susie: A mite was the smallest denomination of money in use at the time. It was made of copper and was worth about an eighth of a cent, a tiny offering compared with those of the rich men.

Susan: In other words, if this were today, she wouldn’t even be able to buy penny candy for her children if she had any!

Luke 21:3-4 And he said, Of a truth I say unto you, that this poor widow hath cast in more than they all: For all these have of their abundance cast in unto the offerings of God: but she of her penury hath cast in all the living that she had.

Susie: Jesus made the astonishing deduction that the poor widow had given the greatest offering of all. That must have peaked the interested of His listeners, many of whom had much more to give than two mites.

Susan: By using the King James Version of the Bible, we often encounter words that have fallen out of common use. Therefore, to be sure that all understand the situation of this widow, we looked up “penury.”

American Dictionary of the English Language, Noah Webster, 1828.

PEN'URY, noun [Latin penuria, from Gr. needy.]—Want of property; indigence; extreme poverty.

Susan: This widow was a person to whom our modern-day deacons would have voted to give money from the benevolence fund. But instead of accepting charity, she gave all she had to the work of the Lord. She put herself and her family on the line, trusting God’s grace and merciful nature completely to lovingly provide for her and her family and sustain them.

Ponder this and Apply it: Many times, people feel they do not have enough to give to the Lord. However, the tithe in the Old Testament was to be the “first fruits” before taking anything for themselves. It is a matter of trust to give to the Lord first and trust Him to provide. The widow gave, not a tenth, but ALL she had. Paul taught, “Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver” (2 Corinthians 9:7). We are to give out of our love for God and His people, not to test Him but to demonstrate our trust in Him. Are you trusting God with your finances today?