Poor Widow
April 1, 2011 5:30 AM -0500
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Outline
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Bibliography
On the second day of His final week of earthly ministry, with just four days left to live, Jesus took time to point out the tiny gift of a generous poor widow. Would Jesus point you out, too?
Thesis: Jesus is passionate about faithful generosity.
Objective: Challenge believers to be unreservedly generous as a direct result of their belief that God can and will supply their needs.
- We must be passionate about faithful generosity (41-44).
- He’s watching our offerings (41; Jesus places great importance on how we handle money because it is so indicative of our spiritual condition. Where we put our money is a clear indicator of where we place our priorities.).
- He doesn’t condemn the rich (“Many rich people” (41); Although we often focus on the poor widow as the hero, it is essential to notice that Jesus in no way condemns the many rich people who gave before her. God entrusts resources to the wealthy and the poor alike for the exact same purpose: to bring glory and honor to Him. Whether you are rich or poor is of no consequence to your ability to accomplish that purpose.).
- He doesn’t trivialize any gift (“threw in large amounts” (41); Not only does Jesus not condemn the rich for being rich, but he in no way trivializes the gifts that they make. Yes, he acknowledges that they are from the rich people’s excess or wealth, but that’s not intended to say that they’re any less important. We must not demonize the rich, or minimize the importance of their gifts.).
- He notices even small gifts (“two very small copper coins, worth only a few cents” (42); Jesus noticed this poor widow approaching the treasury and, rather than scoff or mock as some in the temple were doing (notably the Saducees and scribes), he watched her intently as she dropped in two lepta worth, together, 1/64 of a day’s wages. NOTE: Based on the median income for a Des Moines male in 1999 of ,712 (= .24/week, .85/day, .86/hour), that equates to less than . Jesus doesn’t ignore or mock a gift, regardless of how small it is. We must be willing to give, whatever we possibly can. And we must never make fun of someone for their small gift - or think ourselves better because of our larger.).
- He highlights generosity (“...has put more into the treasury than all the others...” (43); Jesus goes out of his way to point out the woman who gave more - percentage-wise - than all of the others. See, this is what generosity is: giving to the point it starts to hurt. We must be willing to go above and beyond the easy to be truly generous.).
- He commends faithfulness (“she, out of her poverty, put in everything - all she had to live on” (44); Just in case He wasn’t clear, Jesus reiterated why her gift was noteworthy. The rich men had given of their excess. She had contributed everything she had to live on. There would be no Red Lobster, McDonalds, or Starbucks for her. In fact, she would have a hard time to put bread and water on her table because she had just given absolutely everything that she had. And the only reason that she could/would do that was if she trusted that God was going to provide. She believed God could. She believed God would. And so she gave. Our willingness to be generous is directly related to our faithfulness. We must believe that God can and will... and so give.).
- We must be passionate, regardless (41-44).
- It won’t be celebrated (“Many rich people” (41); The rich people were making a big show of their large gifts to the temple treasury, and the Sadducees and co. were fawning all over them. People favor the spectacular, not the generous.).
- It won’t be popular (“a poor widow” (42); When the poor widow came and deposited her offering, the partying stopped, and everyone virtually ignored her. All but Jesus. Being truly generous won’t be about PR. In fact, it will probably generate bad PR because people will scoff at the concept of giving sacrificially.).
- It won’t be wise (“all she had to live on” (44); Everyone but Jesus would have shook their heads in disgust at the woman for giving everything she had to live on. People will call real generosity irresponsible and reckless; anything but wise.).
Ryrie
Reflecting God
Archaeological
ESV Study Bible
Henry
Other
- (41) The treasury was “a chest located in the Temple area, designed to receive coins dropped in a spout.”
- (42) “The smallest of copper coins, worth very little. As a widow with no means of support and by giving all, she showed her complete dependence on God for all her daily needs.”
Reflecting God
- (41-44) “Mark’s placement of the story of the widow’s offering directly after Jesus’ denunciation of the teachers of the law contrasts her true inner righteousness with their external facade of righteousness.”
Archaeological
- (41) “The temple treasury was located in the court of women, east of Herod’s temple. Both men and women were allowed in this court, but women could go no farther into the temple buildings. In the court of women were 13 trumpet-shaped receptacles, shaped like inverted megaphones and positioned to receive the donations of the worshipers.”
- (42) “The smallest coins then in circulation in the holy Land were small copper coins.”
- The word “mite” is an Old English translation of “lepton,” which is the type of coin described here.
ESV Study Bible
- In the Greek, the coins were lepta. “a lepton was a Jewish coin worth about 1/128th of a denarius, which was a day’s wage for a laborer.”
- The lepta were worth a fraction of a cent.
- “The poor widow gave more than all the rich people, according to God’s evaluation, for she gave everything she had, while the rich gave from their surplus.”
Henry
- Henry points out that Jesus took time from responding to the Sadducees and co., and from preaching, to point out this woman.
- “Our Lord Jesus takes notice of what we contribute to pious and charitable uses; whether we give liberally or sparingly; whether cheerfully or with reluctance and ill-will; nay, he looks at the heart; he observes what principles we act upon, and what our views are, in giving alms; and whether we do it as unto the Lord, or only to be seen of men.”
- “Those that are rich, ought to give richly; if God give abundantly to us, he expects we should give abundantly to the poor; and it is not enough for those that are rich, to say, that they give as much as others do, who perhaps have much less of the world than they have, but they must give in proportion to their estates; and if objects of charity do not present themselves, that require so much, they ought to enquire them out, and to devise liberal things.”
- “ It is so rare a thing to find any that would not blame this widow, that we cannot expect to find any that will imitate her; and yet our Saviour commends her, and therefore we are sure that she did very well and wisely.”
- “It is very good for us to straiten and deny ourselves, that we may be able to give the more to the poor; to deny ourselves not only superfluities, but even conveniences, for the sake of charity. We should in many cases pinch ourselves, that we may supply the necessities of others; this is loving our neighbours as ourselves.”
- “Public charities should be encouraged, for they bring upon a nation public blessings; and though there may be some mismanagement of them, yet that is not a good reason why we should not bring in our quota to them.”
- “Though we can give but a little in charity, yet if it be according to our ability, and be given with an upright heart, it shall be accepted of Christ, who requires according to what a man has, and not according to what he has not; two mites shall be put upon the score, and brought to account, if given in a right manner, as if they had been two pounds.”
- “It is much to the praise of charity, when we give not only to our power, but beyond our power, as the Macedonian churches, whose deep poverty abounded to the riches of their liberality, 2 Cor. viii. 2, 3.”
- “When we can cheerfully provide for others, out of our own necessary provision, as the widow of Sarepta for Elijah, and Christ for his five thousand guests, and trust God to provide for us some other way, this is thank-worthy.”
Other
- HCSB footnote: The lepton was the smallest Greek coin in circulation.