Luke 21:1-4--The Widow's Offering

Luke 21:1-4
English Standard Version
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The Widow's Offering
21 Jesus looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the offering box, 2 and he saw a poor widow put in two small copper coins. 3 And he said, “Truly, I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them. 4 For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.”

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Jesus has already made enemies of the Pharisees, the Herodians (when He refused an audience with Herod), the Sadducees, and the scribes.  Now Jesus is going to make an example of the rich people who came to the Temple to put lots of coins in the offering containers so that it would make lots of noise and people would recognize just how much money they gave and they would feel important.

Have you ever been a part of a church that had people that acted like they owned the place (maybe they even wanted their name on the entire building or at least a room or something) because they gave a lot of money, and if you ever offended them, even if that offense came by you speaking the truth of God's Word, they threatened you and the church by saying they would leave and take their tithe with them?  Do not try to hang onto people like this.  They are serving themselves and not serving the LORD.

Jesus says as much to the rich people in the Temple that day--and remember that this is the time of a Pilgrimage Feast so, everyone that is Jewish from anywhere in the world is there in the Temple at that time to hear Jesus' teaching.  Jesus recognizes that there is a widow who had almost nothing left and she decided to come to the Temple and give everything that she had to the LORD.  It is not the percentage necessarily that Jesus is concerned about, but the fact that she acted in such faith that she didn't believe she had to hold onto her money, and her money had no hold on her.  She freely gave in obedience even when it didn't make any sense to do so, but she trusted that God would have to take care of her.  Jesus points her out and tells everyone that is listening that with her two small copper coins that might have been worth a penny or two to us today, she had given more than all offerings of all the rich people together because they had given out of their abundance, but she had not only given out of her poverty, but she had given everything that she had.  She found it more important to give God what was due to Him in obedience than to try to hold onto it for what she might fear she might need it for.  See how she had faith instead of fear?  Yet those who have much wealth worry and fear that they may lose it by way of fluctuations in the market, thieves, or even the risk of death when they can't take any of their wealth with them--the rich man and the poor man have the same end--"It is appointed man once to die, and after that the judgment."

Making large donations to the Church will not win you any brownie points with God, for He is no respecter of persons--everyone is treated the same under God's Law.  You either alive in Christ and are judged by Christ's righteousness, or you are dead in your trespasses and sins and will be judged by your own works.  The people of this day fancied that the rich people must have some "in" with God because if He was giving them blessing in the here and now, then certainly He must have even greater blessings in store for them in His kingdom to come, but Jesus makes it clear that many of the poor, widows, sinners and even tax collectors will get to the kingdom of God and these rich, socialite, politician types may never see the kingdom of God unless they too would repent and believe the gospel.  Jesus said, "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life.  No man comes to the Father except through Me."