THE WIDOW'S OFFERING

Passage: Luke 21:1-6

Key verse: 4

NIV

The Widow’s Offering(A)

21 As Jesus looked up, he saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury.(B) 2 He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins. 3 “Truly I tell you,” he said, “this poor widow has put in more than all the others. 4 All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.”(C)

The Destruction of the Temple and Signs of the End Times(D)(E)

5 Some of his disciples were remarking about how the temple was adorned with beautiful stones and with gifts dedicated to God. But Jesus said, 6 “As for what you see here, the time will come when not one stone will be left on another;(F) every one of them will be thrown down.”

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Source: BibleGateway

ESV

The Widow's Offering

21 (A)Jesus[a] looked up and saw the rich (B)putting their gifts into (C)the offering box, 2 and he saw a poor widow put in two (D)small copper coins.[b] 3 And he said, “Truly, I tell you, (E)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 (F)poverty put in all (G)she had to live on.”

Jesus Foretells Destruction of the Temple

5 (H)And while some were speaking of the temple, how it was adorned with noble stones and offerings, he said, 6 “As for these things that you see, (I)the days will come when there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.”

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Footnotes
  1. Luke 21:1 Greek He
  2. Luke 21:2 Greek two lepta; a lepton was a Jewish bronze or copper coin worth about 1/128 of a denarius (which was a day's wage for a laborer)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Source: BibleGateway

1. The widow's offering (1-4)

The poor widow and her offering seemed insignificant. But Jesus saw her through God's eyes. He saw her sincere heart and her sacrificial life. She did not calculate or offer leftovers. She gave everything she had. In God's sight, her gift was the most expensive of all. She gave God her heart and trusted him for her future. This is faith.

2. The temple stones (5-6)

The country boys from Galilee were impressed by the beauty of the temple. Its gold-plated stones represented the gifts of the rich and powerful. But Jesus saw the temple in the perspective of history. Buildings, no matter how strong and beautiful, are not eternal. Even the temple would go the way of all buildings and all flesh. Only God's redemptive love will last; God's redemptive history will be accomplished, and God's eternal kingdom will last.

Prayer: Lord, give me eyes to see people and things and events from your point of view.

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