And he looked up, and saw the rich men casting their gifts into the treasury.
On His last day of teaching in the temple, Jesus lingered in the court where the offering chests stood and watched the people deposit their gifts and the manner in which they gave. The rich cast in large and liberal sums, but they gave from abundance without denying any comfort or luxury, often with ostentation to be seen and honored of men. A gift is not valued by its visible size or public praise, but by the love, faith, purity of motive and sacrifice behind it. Beside those large gifts stands the poor widow's two mites, for she gave from her living all that she had in trust in God, and He declared she gave more than all the rest. No one is too poor to share in this work, for the smallest willing and cheerful offering given from love is as acceptable as the largest donation, and such self-denying gifts have blessed the needy, spread the truth and encouraged generosity across generations.
Setting and Observation
The scene belongs to the last day of teaching in the temple at Jerusalem. Vast throngs crowded into the courts for the feast, with attention fixed upon Him. They watched His contest with priests, rulers, and scribes, eagerly catching every word from His lips.
He was in the court where the treasure chests stood. It was where women deposited their offerings in the treasury. He looked up and lingered there, watching those who came to deposit their gifts. He observed the comers and the gifts cast in, marking the manner in which they were given.
Rich Gifts Tested
The rich men casting into the treasury brought large sums and liberal donations beside the widow's two mites. They gave from their abundance what cost them no comfort or luxury of life, denying themselves nothing they really needed and feeling no want. Their giving therefore involved no sacrifice and had no true value when weighed against sacrificial giving, for in the balances of the sanctuary gifts made from love to Christ are estimated not by amount but by the love that prompts the sacrifice. By that measure the liberal poor man who has little but gives that little freely and feels his sacrifice, denying himself things needed for his own comfort and giving what he needs to live on in trust that God will provide, gives in greater proportion and his willing offering is as acceptable as the largest donation.
Many presented their gifts with great ostentation in a self-satisfied manner to be seen of others and honored for large donations. Jesus lingered and watched the comers and goers as they deposited their gifts, observing their large, liberal offerings. He looked upon them sadly but made no comment on their liberal offerings or their size.
True Measure of Giving
The true worth of a gift is not fixed by its visible size or the public praise it draws, for in the balances of the sanctuary God weighs it by the love, faith, purity of motive, unselfishness, and sacrifice behind it. Heaven's blessing can make even the simplest offering of the heart highly valuable, and a poor person's small, freely and cheerfully given gift from love to Christ can be as acceptable as the largest donation of the wealthy. What gives such giving its sacredness, not found in giving from abundance, is the love that prompts the sacrifice and the self-denial and trust in God with which it is made.
Beside the rich men's gifts stands the poor widow's two mites, for while they gave from their abundance she gave from her living all that she had, what she needed to live on. She gave a greater proportion in trust that God would provide for her future, so Christ declared she gave more than those who cast in much larger gifts.
Work is measured by fidelity rather than amount, for He who knows the heart judges the sacrifice. The smallest offering is of value in His sight when it is the giver's best and is given with the whole heart, and nothing faithfully done for Christ is insignificant. So whole-hearted interest in soul-saving is counted of great value, reward is given according to purity of motive and to faithfulness and consecration in using what is entrusted when Christ comes to reckon with His stewards, and givers should not become weary in well-doing. Like the widow's mite, the disciples' forsaking of only a few fishing boats and nets was accepted and not reproached as little, because it was their all and was as dear to them as the riches of the wealthy. Even a seemingly small act is among the deeds recorded as done to Christ, for every action and its influence are weighed in the judgment.
The widow's self-sacrificing gift had an influence far beyond what she knew. It has encouraged generosity across generations and inspired others to give for the Lord's work, showing that even a very small gift recognized by Christ can help advance a needed work. It has helped relieve the poor and needy, helped extend the truth and spread the gospel, and helped support missions and practical care for people in need. In the day of God she will see the results of that influence.
Call to Give Today
The rich casting gifts into the treasury opens the call for the poor no less than the wealthy to share in giving, and none is to withhold even a mite. The smallest willing offering, given freely and cheerfully from a heart of love to Christ, is as acceptable as the largest donation, for gifts are estimated not by amount but by the love that prompts the sacrifice. The liberal poor who give little but give it freely will realize the promises as surely as the wealthy who give from abundance, because the poor feel the sacrifice and deny themselves comforts they need while the rich feel no want and deny themselves nothing they really need. There is therefore a sacredness in the poor man's offering not found in the rich man's gift, since the rich give of abundance, yet the poor are not excluded but may act their part as well as the wealthy in systematic benevolence arranged for man's benefit. Those with wealth are called not to cling to it selfishly but to sell and give to those in need, and regular giving guards them against extravagance.
Even children may make giving a principle, saving pennies in self-denial and mission boxes, for every penny is needed and gathering such small gifts by this plan is originated by God. Such modest gifts can help save souls, and their full impact will be seen in heaven. Money once spent on tobacco, candy, and other unnecessary or harmful indulgences can be turned into offerings through self-denial, close economy, and earning by labor. Children and others may earn money in many ways and make simple useful household articles and sell them while telling buyers of the work the money will support, so that visitors who see the box hear the story of self-denying effort to help, and if many give in this way their gifts together support God's cause.
Small gifts of any size, even pennies, sixpences, and shillings that look too meager for charity, when gathered from every source and brought with sincere purpose, sympathy, love, and wholehearted cheerfulness, are received and blessed of God to do good and bring reward hereafter. The humble gift of the widow and the limited sum from the poorer class is not inferior in His sight to larger offerings, and the Lord adds His blessing to make its errand of mercy fruitful according to the cheerfulness with which it was bestowed. Heaven's blessing can make even the simplest heart-offering highly valuable, more pleasing than money raised by enticing appetite, and such gifts can inspire others to give for the Lord's work.
This cooperation of all provides means for God's enterprises. Every church member should share according to ability in a separate fund for defraying church expenses, apart from the tithe. Mites from every source are to be carefully treasured for work such as an orphans' home, to provide room and buildings for schools, to build hospitals and bath rooms and educate people how to treat the sick and show what can be done in medical lines, to build meetinghouses to save souls, and to sustain missions and practical care including the needy work among the colored people of the South. Money invested in the Lord's work does good and lays up treasure in heaven, while money withheld perishes without heavenly gain, and such self-denying economy educates the whole family.
Gifts for God's work may come through hard labor, close economy, and real sacrifice, given with prayer, joy, and trust because givers believe they help save souls, as poor widows gave nearly all they depended on trusting God. Reward is given according to purity of motive, and even the smallest gift is noticed by the Lord, so givers should not become weary in well-doing. Those who handle such consecrated means are accountable to God, and selfishness or mismanagement in its use is a serious breach of stewardship.
On His last day of teaching in the temple, Jesus lingered in the court where the offering chests stood and watched the people deposit their gifts and the manner in which they gave. The rich cast in large and liberal sums, but they gave from abundance without denying any comfort or luxury, often with ostentation to be seen and honored of men. A gift is not valued by its visible size or public praise, but by the love, faith, purity of motive and sacrifice behind it. Beside those large gifts stands the poor widow's two mites, for she gave from her living all that she had in trust in God, and He declared she gave more than all the rest. No one is too poor to share in this work, for the smallest willing and cheerful offering given from love is as acceptable as the largest donation, and such self-denying gifts have blessed the needy, spread the truth and encouraged generosity across generations.
Setting and Observation
The scene belongs to the last day of teaching in the temple at Jerusalem. Vast throngs crowded into the courts for the feast, with attention fixed upon Him. They watched His contest with priests, rulers, and scribes, eagerly catching every word from His lips.
He was in the court where the treasure chests stood. It was where women deposited their offerings in the treasury. He looked up and lingered there, watching those who came to deposit their gifts. He observed the comers and the gifts cast in, marking the manner in which they were given.
Rich Gifts Tested
The rich men casting into the treasury brought large sums and liberal donations beside the widow's two mites. They gave from their abundance what cost them no comfort or luxury of life, denying themselves nothing they really needed and feeling no want. Their giving therefore involved no sacrifice and had no true value when weighed against sacrificial giving, for in the balances of the sanctuary gifts made from love to Christ are estimated not by amount but by the love that prompts the sacrifice. By that measure the liberal poor man who has little but gives that little freely and feels his sacrifice, denying himself things needed for his own comfort and giving what he needs to live on in trust that God will provide, gives in greater proportion and his willing offering is as acceptable as the largest donation.
Many presented their gifts with great ostentation in a self-satisfied manner to be seen of others and honored for large donations. Jesus lingered and watched the comers and goers as they deposited their gifts, observing their large, liberal offerings. He looked upon them sadly but made no comment on their liberal offerings or their size.
True Measure of Giving
The true worth of a gift is not fixed by its visible size or the public praise it draws, for in the balances of the sanctuary God weighs it by the love, faith, purity of motive, unselfishness, and sacrifice behind it. Heaven's blessing can make even the simplest offering of the heart highly valuable, and a poor person's small, freely and cheerfully given gift from love to Christ can be as acceptable as the largest donation of the wealthy. What gives such giving its sacredness, not found in giving from abundance, is the love that prompts the sacrifice and the self-denial and trust in God with which it is made.
Beside the rich men's gifts stands the poor widow's two mites, for while they gave from their abundance she gave from her living all that she had, what she needed to live on. She gave a greater proportion in trust that God would provide for her future, so Christ declared she gave more than those who cast in much larger gifts.
Work is measured by fidelity rather than amount, for He who knows the heart judges the sacrifice. The smallest offering is of value in His sight when it is the giver's best and is given with the whole heart, and nothing faithfully done for Christ is insignificant. So whole-hearted interest in soul-saving is counted of great value, reward is given according to purity of motive and to faithfulness and consecration in using what is entrusted when Christ comes to reckon with His stewards, and givers should not become weary in well-doing. Like the widow's mite, the disciples' forsaking of only a few fishing boats and nets was accepted and not reproached as little, because it was their all and was as dear to them as the riches of the wealthy. Even a seemingly small act is among the deeds recorded as done to Christ, for every action and its influence are weighed in the judgment.
The widow's self-sacrificing gift had an influence far beyond what she knew. It has encouraged generosity across generations and inspired others to give for the Lord's work, showing that even a very small gift recognized by Christ can help advance a needed work. It has helped relieve the poor and needy, helped extend the truth and spread the gospel, and helped support missions and practical care for people in need. In the day of God she will see the results of that influence.
Call to Give Today
The rich casting gifts into the treasury opens the call for the poor no less than the wealthy to share in giving, and none is to withhold even a mite. The smallest willing offering, given freely and cheerfully from a heart of love to Christ, is as acceptable as the largest donation, for gifts are estimated not by amount but by the love that prompts the sacrifice. The liberal poor who give little but give it freely will realize the promises as surely as the wealthy who give from abundance, because the poor feel the sacrifice and deny themselves comforts they need while the rich feel no want and deny themselves nothing they really need. There is therefore a sacredness in the poor man's offering not found in the rich man's gift, since the rich give of abundance, yet the poor are not excluded but may act their part as well as the wealthy in systematic benevolence arranged for man's benefit. Those with wealth are called not to cling to it selfishly but to sell and give to those in need, and regular giving guards them against extravagance.
Even children may make giving a principle, saving pennies in self-denial and mission boxes, for every penny is needed and gathering such small gifts by this plan is originated by God. Such modest gifts can help save souls, and their full impact will be seen in heaven. Money once spent on tobacco, candy, and other unnecessary or harmful indulgences can be turned into offerings through self-denial, close economy, and earning by labor. Children and others may earn money in many ways and make simple useful household articles and sell them while telling buyers of the work the money will support, so that visitors who see the box hear the story of self-denying effort to help, and if many give in this way their gifts together support God's cause.
Small gifts of any size, even pennies, sixpences, and shillings that look too meager for charity, when gathered from every source and brought with sincere purpose, sympathy, love, and wholehearted cheerfulness, are received and blessed of God to do good and bring reward hereafter. The humble gift of the widow and the limited sum from the poorer class is not inferior in His sight to larger offerings, and the Lord adds His blessing to make its errand of mercy fruitful according to the cheerfulness with which it was bestowed. Heaven's blessing can make even the simplest heart-offering highly valuable, more pleasing than money raised by enticing appetite, and such gifts can inspire others to give for the Lord's work.
This cooperation of all provides means for God's enterprises. Every church member should share according to ability in a separate fund for defraying church expenses, apart from the tithe. Mites from every source are to be carefully treasured for work such as an orphans' home, to provide room and buildings for schools, to build hospitals and bath rooms and educate people how to treat the sick and show what can be done in medical lines, to build meetinghouses to save souls, and to sustain missions and practical care including the needy work among the colored people of the South. Money invested in the Lord's work does good and lays up treasure in heaven, while money withheld perishes without heavenly gain, and such self-denying economy educates the whole family.
Gifts for God's work may come through hard labor, close economy, and real sacrifice, given with prayer, joy, and trust because givers believe they help save souls, as poor widows gave nearly all they depended on trusting God. Reward is given according to purity of motive, and even the smallest gift is noticed by the Lord, so givers should not become weary in well-doing. Those who handle such consecrated means are accountable to God, and selfishness or mismanagement in its use is a serious breach of stewardship.