And he saw also a certain poor widow casting in thither two mites.
Jesus watched a poor widow put two very small coins into the temple treasury, and that little gift was all she had to live on, given by going without food and the comforts she needed for herself. He understood her act and declared that she had given more than all the others that day, while the rich gave large showy gifts from their abundance without real self-denial. Its true worth lay not in its amount but in her love for God, unselfish concern for His cause, purity of motive, cheerful willingness, and the sacrifice it cost her, which made it sacred and acceptable to God. It was prompted by childlike faith that her Heavenly Father would care for her future and had appointed the temple service. Her offering was blessed to become an enduring example that has moved thousands in every age to give, sustaining the spread of truth and the relief of need, and it shows that the smallest willing gift from the poor is as acceptable to God as the largest gift from the rich.
Act and Setting
The scene is the temple treasury, where a poor widow comes to put in two small coins, a tiny sum beside the offerings of the rich, yet it is all she has, her whole living. To give it she deprives herself even of food, giving up necessities and comforts for her own support and trusting God to provide for her uncertain future. Her giving is done in poverty to the utmost of her ability, even to the depriving of herself of the apparent necessities of life.
Jesus is watching, and He understands her act and commends her, declaring that she has given more than they all and pronouncing hers the greatest gift cast that day into the treasury. By contrast the rich cast in large, ostentatious gifts from their abundance, giving thousands while feeling no lack and denying themselves no comfort or luxury they really need. Many give only to be seen and honored and to seek honor, so their gifts cost them nothing, are no real sacrifice, and are of less true worth.
She comes hesitatingly and shrinks back from those rich givers while Jesus observes her. Though religious leaders abuse and misuse gifts, their wrongdoing does not lessen her duty to give nor prevent God from blessing her sincere gift. The verse belongs to a chapter that represents what may be expected before Christ's coming, including signs of coming trouble and the need to watch and pray.
How God Measures Giving
The worth of the two small coins lay not in their amount or in any public notice, but in love for God, interest in His work, an unselfish spirit, and concern for His cause. The gift was understood and commended because it was an act of self-sacrifice prompted by that love, though it was tiny beside the offerings of the rich. It was prompted by genuine, unwavering, childlike faith and trust that the Heavenly Father would not overlook need and would care for an uncertain future, and by belief that the temple service was appointed by God. She gave all she had and went without food to give to the cause she loved, trusting God to provide, and that trust made the small sum of more value than offerings of thousands from those who felt no lack.
Its value is measured by sacrifice, cost, and proportion to what the giver has, for she gave from her need while the rich gave from abundance without feeling want. The rich gave up none of life's comforts or luxuries and denied themselves nothing really needed, many giving only to be seen and honored, so their larger donations were no real sacrifice and were of less true worth. One who forsakes only little is therefore not reproached when that little is his all, and a poor person's small offering can represent as much or more sacrifice than a wealthy gift and be precious because of what it costs and the willingness behind it. In the balances of the sanctuary gifts are not estimated by amount but by the love, purity of motive, willingness, wholehearted cheerfulness, and self-denial that prompt the sacrifice. Such slender offerings of the poor, given from love without show, are consecrated, priceless, sacred, and fragrant as incense before God, and He accepts, blesses, lays them up in heaven, and makes them fruitful.
Her act is faithfulness in that which is least that is also faithfulness in much, showing fidelity and consecration in devoting what was entrusted to the Master's service with the whole heart. Christ's service requires the whole man — heart, mind, soul, and strength — with no divided heart, doing the work thoroughly well and doing one's best, so that even the smallest offering is not insignificant when it is a person's best given with the whole heart. God who knows the heart judges by sacrifice and by wholehearted interest in soul-saving, and each is rewarded according to fidelity, proportionate to faithfulness, when the Lord comes to reckon with His stewards. Her deed is registered in heaven as done to Christ in the person of His saints and will be brought into review before God. There conformity or nonconformity with the principles of the law decides future destiny, showing that nothing upon which holiness and truth has impressed itself, though in faint characters, is insignificant but has weight in the scale as a thread in the great web of influence being woven.
Enduring Influence for Good
Two small coins became an enduring example blessed to produce great results far beyond their size. Like a tiny stream flowing through the ages, the gift has widened and deepened and contributed in a thousand directions to the extension of truth and the relief of the needy. Its lasting influence has outweighed the large gifts of the rich because it was given in self-sacrifice and faith.
That influence has acted and reacted upon thousands of hearts in every age and country. It has drawn unnumbered gifts from the liberal, self-denying poor and has stimulated the ease-loving, the selfish, and the doubting to good works. Their gifts swell the value of her offering, so that even the smallest gift can inspire others to give what they can.
Through those inspired gifts the influence has helped sustain missions, preach the gospel, heal the sick, establish hospitals, and care for people in need. It has also been gathered up to build schools and meetinghouses, to establish hospitals and treatment rooms, to teach care for the sick, and to save souls for Christ. Its full results will be seen in the day of God and in the heavenly courts.
Given to extend the light of truth, such a gift strengthens the spirit of beneficence in the giver. It allies the giver more closely to Christ, who became poor that others might be made rich.
Privilege and Practice of Giving
The poor share fully in the privilege of giving, for the smallest willing offering brought from love to Christ is as acceptable as the largest gift from the rich. Humble mites are not inferior in God's sight, but are to be carefully cherished and never rejected, and a gift brought sincerely is accepted even when the giver can bring only a little and can do no great work. In the balances of the sanctuary gifts are not estimated by amount but by the love, sacrifice, and wholehearted cheerfulness that prompt them, so there is a sacredness in the poor person's offering not found in the rich man's gift from abundance. The poor giver feels the sacrifice in denying things needed for comfort, while the wealthy giver may give without feeling want and denying nothing really needed, yet all can practice self-denial and give according to what they have. God blesses the humble gift and makes its loving purpose fruitful.
Those who cannot give much must not excuse themselves because they cannot do as much as others, but must do what they can. The rule for small givers is to deny some gratification or some article they can do without, to save so as to have something to give, and to sacrifice for the cause of God as the widow did with her two mites. Money once spent on personal gratification, when denied and given to God's work, becomes a true sacrifice even when small, and is noticed and remembered by God. Giving from a willing, self-denying heart reflects an understanding of Christ's sacrifice, and even while limiting spending on self such a small offering is precious to God. Such giving brings knowledge of how sweet it is to give to the needy, to deny self for the truth, to find joy in sacrifice, and to lay up treasure in heaven.
Children especially are to save even pennies for the Lord, for their mites can help save souls and their lasting impact will be seen in the heavenly courts. Their mites mean money they would otherwise spend for candy and other needless things, put into a self-denial box kept in the home for missions and for a needy field such as the work in the south. They may also earn means by making simple, useful household articles and selling them, devoting the money raised to the work. In doing this they show unselfish interest by denying self, telling visitors who see the box and ask about it the story of the effort to help, and telling buyers of the articles the work to which the money is to be devoted. Every penny is needed in a plan originated by God, and givers are urged not to become weary in well-doing.
Mites gathered from every source are to be carefully treasured, used, and made to go as far as possible. They are to support missions and the southern field, church needs and missionary work, and the wants of missions that stir conscientious believers to give sacrificially, standing as the pattern in contrast to clinging to houses and lands. They are to help in the purchase and running of sanitariums where means does much good, and to build schools and meetinghouses, to establish hospitals and treatment rooms, to teach how to treat the sick, and to save souls. Every church member should share according to ability in a separate fund for defraying church expenses and for keeping in order and making comfortable the house of God, instead of taking tithes for that purpose, while even pennies, sixpences, and shillings that look too meager for charitable purposes will be received and blessed when brought into the treasure house. The work of mercy calls for the cooperation of all, including support for worn-out ministers and the orphans' home, and the Lord will add His blessing to the small gift, making its errand of mercy fruitful in accordance with the wholehearted cheerfulness with which it was bestowed.
The promises of Jesus belong as surely to the liberal poor who give freely as to the wealthy who give from abundance. Such giving lays up in heaven a treasure that fades not, putting the Lord's money into the hands of the exchangers so He may receive His own with usury at His coming, while money refused for God's work perishes and gains no interest in the bank of heaven. Costly, trusting generosity like that of poor widows who gave nearly all they had to support the saving of souls may be given with prayer and joy even when it requires great sacrifice, and those entrusted with such gifts are responsible for using them faithfully rather than allowing selfishness or mismanagement to squander them. Believers must not grow weary in well-doing, for every small gift given from purity of motive is noticed and rewarded by the Lord. A simple offering made from the heart, accompanied by Heaven's blessing, has the highest value, more acceptable to God than large sums raised by tempting appetite with lavish feasts.
Jesus watched a poor widow put two very small coins into the temple treasury, and that little gift was all she had to live on, given by going without food and the comforts she needed for herself. He understood her act and declared that she had given more than all the others that day, while the rich gave large showy gifts from their abundance without real self-denial. Its true worth lay not in its amount but in her love for God, unselfish concern for His cause, purity of motive, cheerful willingness, and the sacrifice it cost her, which made it sacred and acceptable to God. It was prompted by childlike faith that her Heavenly Father would care for her future and had appointed the temple service. Her offering was blessed to become an enduring example that has moved thousands in every age to give, sustaining the spread of truth and the relief of need, and it shows that the smallest willing gift from the poor is as acceptable to God as the largest gift from the rich.
Act and Setting
The scene is the temple treasury, where a poor widow comes to put in two small coins, a tiny sum beside the offerings of the rich, yet it is all she has, her whole living. To give it she deprives herself even of food, giving up necessities and comforts for her own support and trusting God to provide for her uncertain future. Her giving is done in poverty to the utmost of her ability, even to the depriving of herself of the apparent necessities of life.
Jesus is watching, and He understands her act and commends her, declaring that she has given more than they all and pronouncing hers the greatest gift cast that day into the treasury. By contrast the rich cast in large, ostentatious gifts from their abundance, giving thousands while feeling no lack and denying themselves no comfort or luxury they really need. Many give only to be seen and honored and to seek honor, so their gifts cost them nothing, are no real sacrifice, and are of less true worth.
She comes hesitatingly and shrinks back from those rich givers while Jesus observes her. Though religious leaders abuse and misuse gifts, their wrongdoing does not lessen her duty to give nor prevent God from blessing her sincere gift. The verse belongs to a chapter that represents what may be expected before Christ's coming, including signs of coming trouble and the need to watch and pray.
How God Measures Giving
The worth of the two small coins lay not in their amount or in any public notice, but in love for God, interest in His work, an unselfish spirit, and concern for His cause. The gift was understood and commended because it was an act of self-sacrifice prompted by that love, though it was tiny beside the offerings of the rich. It was prompted by genuine, unwavering, childlike faith and trust that the Heavenly Father would not overlook need and would care for an uncertain future, and by belief that the temple service was appointed by God. She gave all she had and went without food to give to the cause she loved, trusting God to provide, and that trust made the small sum of more value than offerings of thousands from those who felt no lack.
Its value is measured by sacrifice, cost, and proportion to what the giver has, for she gave from her need while the rich gave from abundance without feeling want. The rich gave up none of life's comforts or luxuries and denied themselves nothing really needed, many giving only to be seen and honored, so their larger donations were no real sacrifice and were of less true worth. One who forsakes only little is therefore not reproached when that little is his all, and a poor person's small offering can represent as much or more sacrifice than a wealthy gift and be precious because of what it costs and the willingness behind it. In the balances of the sanctuary gifts are not estimated by amount but by the love, purity of motive, willingness, wholehearted cheerfulness, and self-denial that prompt the sacrifice. Such slender offerings of the poor, given from love without show, are consecrated, priceless, sacred, and fragrant as incense before God, and He accepts, blesses, lays them up in heaven, and makes them fruitful.
Her act is faithfulness in that which is least that is also faithfulness in much, showing fidelity and consecration in devoting what was entrusted to the Master's service with the whole heart. Christ's service requires the whole man — heart, mind, soul, and strength — with no divided heart, doing the work thoroughly well and doing one's best, so that even the smallest offering is not insignificant when it is a person's best given with the whole heart. God who knows the heart judges by sacrifice and by wholehearted interest in soul-saving, and each is rewarded according to fidelity, proportionate to faithfulness, when the Lord comes to reckon with His stewards. Her deed is registered in heaven as done to Christ in the person of His saints and will be brought into review before God. There conformity or nonconformity with the principles of the law decides future destiny, showing that nothing upon which holiness and truth has impressed itself, though in faint characters, is insignificant but has weight in the scale as a thread in the great web of influence being woven.
Enduring Influence for Good
Two small coins became an enduring example blessed to produce great results far beyond their size. Like a tiny stream flowing through the ages, the gift has widened and deepened and contributed in a thousand directions to the extension of truth and the relief of the needy. Its lasting influence has outweighed the large gifts of the rich because it was given in self-sacrifice and faith.
That influence has acted and reacted upon thousands of hearts in every age and country. It has drawn unnumbered gifts from the liberal, self-denying poor and has stimulated the ease-loving, the selfish, and the doubting to good works. Their gifts swell the value of her offering, so that even the smallest gift can inspire others to give what they can.
Through those inspired gifts the influence has helped sustain missions, preach the gospel, heal the sick, establish hospitals, and care for people in need. It has also been gathered up to build schools and meetinghouses, to establish hospitals and treatment rooms, to teach care for the sick, and to save souls for Christ. Its full results will be seen in the day of God and in the heavenly courts.
Given to extend the light of truth, such a gift strengthens the spirit of beneficence in the giver. It allies the giver more closely to Christ, who became poor that others might be made rich.
Privilege and Practice of Giving
The poor share fully in the privilege of giving, for the smallest willing offering brought from love to Christ is as acceptable as the largest gift from the rich. Humble mites are not inferior in God's sight, but are to be carefully cherished and never rejected, and a gift brought sincerely is accepted even when the giver can bring only a little and can do no great work. In the balances of the sanctuary gifts are not estimated by amount but by the love, sacrifice, and wholehearted cheerfulness that prompt them, so there is a sacredness in the poor person's offering not found in the rich man's gift from abundance. The poor giver feels the sacrifice in denying things needed for comfort, while the wealthy giver may give without feeling want and denying nothing really needed, yet all can practice self-denial and give according to what they have. God blesses the humble gift and makes its loving purpose fruitful.
Those who cannot give much must not excuse themselves because they cannot do as much as others, but must do what they can. The rule for small givers is to deny some gratification or some article they can do without, to save so as to have something to give, and to sacrifice for the cause of God as the widow did with her two mites. Money once spent on personal gratification, when denied and given to God's work, becomes a true sacrifice even when small, and is noticed and remembered by God. Giving from a willing, self-denying heart reflects an understanding of Christ's sacrifice, and even while limiting spending on self such a small offering is precious to God. Such giving brings knowledge of how sweet it is to give to the needy, to deny self for the truth, to find joy in sacrifice, and to lay up treasure in heaven.
Children especially are to save even pennies for the Lord, for their mites can help save souls and their lasting impact will be seen in the heavenly courts. Their mites mean money they would otherwise spend for candy and other needless things, put into a self-denial box kept in the home for missions and for a needy field such as the work in the south. They may also earn means by making simple, useful household articles and selling them, devoting the money raised to the work. In doing this they show unselfish interest by denying self, telling visitors who see the box and ask about it the story of the effort to help, and telling buyers of the articles the work to which the money is to be devoted. Every penny is needed in a plan originated by God, and givers are urged not to become weary in well-doing.
Mites gathered from every source are to be carefully treasured, used, and made to go as far as possible. They are to support missions and the southern field, church needs and missionary work, and the wants of missions that stir conscientious believers to give sacrificially, standing as the pattern in contrast to clinging to houses and lands. They are to help in the purchase and running of sanitariums where means does much good, and to build schools and meetinghouses, to establish hospitals and treatment rooms, to teach how to treat the sick, and to save souls. Every church member should share according to ability in a separate fund for defraying church expenses and for keeping in order and making comfortable the house of God, instead of taking tithes for that purpose, while even pennies, sixpences, and shillings that look too meager for charitable purposes will be received and blessed when brought into the treasure house. The work of mercy calls for the cooperation of all, including support for worn-out ministers and the orphans' home, and the Lord will add His blessing to the small gift, making its errand of mercy fruitful in accordance with the wholehearted cheerfulness with which it was bestowed.
The promises of Jesus belong as surely to the liberal poor who give freely as to the wealthy who give from abundance. Such giving lays up in heaven a treasure that fades not, putting the Lord's money into the hands of the exchangers so He may receive His own with usury at His coming, while money refused for God's work perishes and gains no interest in the bank of heaven. Costly, trusting generosity like that of poor widows who gave nearly all they had to support the saving of souls may be given with prayer and joy even when it requires great sacrifice, and those entrusted with such gifts are responsible for using them faithfully rather than allowing selfishness or mismanagement to squander them. Believers must not grow weary in well-doing, for every small gift given from purity of motive is noticed and rewarded by the Lord. A simple offering made from the heart, accompanied by Heaven's blessing, has the highest value, more acceptable to God than large sums raised by tempting appetite with lavish feasts.