Luke 21:4, commentary and pictures

The rich put in from their surplus without feeling want or denying themselves any comfort, while the widow put in a tiny sum that was all she had to live on, leaving herself without food and facing an uncertain future alone. God does not measure gifts by their amount but by their proportion, cost, sacrifice, motive, love and faith, so her small gift was greater and more precious in His sight than all of theirs. Her heart went with her gift in unselfish love for God and His work and in childlike trust that her Heavenly Father would provide for her great need. His blessing upon it has multiplied its influence like a widening stream through the ages, moving thousands of rich and poor to give and bringing far more into His treasury for relieving the poor and spreading the gospel than all the rich gifts. Therefore the poor are not shut out from giving, for even the smallest willing offering from love is as acceptable as the largest donation, and all are called to deny self, save by economy, and give what they can for His cause.

Two Givers Contrasted

The rich cast in from their abundance without feeling loss or want, denying themselves no comfort or luxury, so their giving involved no real sacrifice and no deprivation. Their larger donations kept every ease intact while costing them nothing that they would miss. Many of them gave in an ostentatious and self-satisfied manner merely to be seen and honored by men.

By contrast the widow put in two mites, which make a farthing, and it was all the living that she had. Giving it meant real self-denial, depriving herself even of food and apparent necessities of life for the cause she loved. She had no husband to support her and faced an uncertain future, yet she gave her whole living.

The commendation of her gift was spoken even while rebuking the selfishness that extorted and misapplied widows' gifts. Abuse and misuse of offerings by men does not lessen the obligation to give. Man's misuse of an offering cannot turn God's blessing away from the giver.

How God Measures Gifts

God does not value a gift by its size or its intrinsic worth in coin, but by proportion, sacrifice, cost to the giver, means, spirit, cheerfulness, motive, and the love and faith that prompt the sacrifice. The rich cast in from abundance without feeling loss or want, while the widow cast in from penury all the living she had, and therefore the worth of her two mites lay not in the value of the coin but in unselfish love to God, interest in His work, and childlike trust that her Heavenly Father would not overlook her great need. A heart of love and genuine faith gives true value to acts, so little duties cheerfully done and little gifts that make no show count to eternal credit above great things seen and praised by men. The amount is estimated by motive, love and faith, by self-denial and sincere desire for God's glory, and by the proportion given out of means, whether the giver denies himself comfort or luxury or gives up even life's necessities.

By that measure the widow gave more than they all, and her small gift was worth more, greater, more precious and more acceptable in God's sight, standing highest above costly gifts. Her two small coins were her whole living given in real self-denial, dearer to God than the most costly gift, while many rich donors gave to be seen and honored, kept their comforts and luxuries, and made no comparable sacrifice. Though small in amount her offering was greater because she gave all she had to support the cause she loved, even depriving herself of food, and her unselfish love, genuine faith and trust won commendation.

Christ knows the heart and weighs fidelity, consecration, purity of motive and cost rather than amount, as in balances of the sanctuary. A little given when it is the giver's all is as dear to Him as the riches of the wealthy are to them, and He does not upbraid those who have forsaken only a little when that little is their all. Nothing done faithfully for Christ is insignificant in His sight, for Christ's service requires the whole man — heart, mind, soul and strength — with no divided heart, and the smallest offering is of value when it is the giver's best given with the whole heart. Even a gift as small as a child's penny is noticed by the Lord and rewarded according to purity of motive, and the smallest willing offering of the poor given from love is as acceptable as the largest donation of the rich, with a sacredness not found in giving from abundance.

Liberal hearty giving from abundance is still regarded by God, and its action and motive are strictly marked so it will not lose its reward. Giving out of abundance without feeling lack or denying self counts as less than giving a small amount with sacrifice, yet self-denying giving for the cause brings sweetness in giving to the needy, sacrificing for the truth, and laying up treasure in heaven.

Love and Faith Expressed

Her heart went with her gift in unselfish love to God and living interest in His work and in the cause she loved, with benevolence and sincere desire for His glory. The worth of the two mites lay not in the value of the coin but in that motive of love, and such a heart of love is dearer and more acceptable to God than the most costly gift. She gave in genuine, childlike, unwavering faith, trusting that her Heavenly Father would not overlook her great need and necessity but would provide for her future and care for her uncertain future. That faith, with love, prompted the sacrifice and gave true value to the act, winning commendation.

She believed the service of the temple was appointed by God and was anxious to do her utmost to sustain it with what she could, even at personal cost. Christ's service requires the whole man — heart, mind, soul, and strength — with the best and the whole heart, and He will not accept a divided heart. What is given willingly, cheerfully and freely, at cost to the giver, is more acceptable than great gifts given grudgingly from abundance, and a humble offering is accepted when it is the best the poor can bring. Even mites from every source thus become consecrated, priceless offerings that God welcomes, smiles upon and blesses, and His blessing is added to make their errand of mercy fruitful in keeping with the cheerful love and wholehearted cheerfulness with which they are bestowed.

Widening Results Through Time

The saying holds true not only of motive but of results, for blessing upon the two mites has multiplied their influence like a widening stream through the ages. That small offering has brought far more into the treasury than all the gifts of the rich, because every gift given from sincere desire for divine glory is joined to omnipotence with immeasurable results for good. Her example of self-sacrifice has moved thousands of rich and poor in every land and in every age to give. It has encouraged generations after her, and its recognition has inspired even those who are poor and children to resolve to do something with the little they can give.

That continued giving has brought relief to the needy and has spread the gospel and the truth. It has helped sustain missions and establish hospitals. It has fed the hungry, clothed the naked, healed the sick, and carried preaching to the poor.

Her act stands as a monument to her memory through all time, with joy in eternity. At the day of God she will see the good her deed brought about, far beyond what she knew.

Call to Give Likewise

The poor are not shut out from giving but share fully in its privilege, for even a very small offering given willingly from love is acceptable to God. Such a slender gift is as precious and as acceptable as the largest donation of the rich, because gifts are not measured by amount but by the love that prompts the sacrifice. The small gifts of the poor are therefore to be cherished and treasured, enlisted from every source and not rejected, and God blesses them according to the cheerful love with which they are given. The promises belong as surely to the liberal poor man who has little to offer but gives that little freely as to the wealthy man who gives of his abundance.

Those who cannot give largely must not excuse themselves because others give more, but must do what they can. They are to live economically, saving by economy and denial of self-gratification in order to help the needy and support the work. That means denying some needed comfort or unnecessary thing they can do without and casting it in like the widow's two mites. Means once spent on personal gratification, such as tobacco, can be redirected to the treasury and count as a sacrifice.

Even children's pennies are noticed by the Lord when saved from needless things and earned in simple ways. Put into self-denial boxes for the Southern missionary work and for the destitute in the South, every penny is needed, and the plan of sending out these boxes was originated by God. Such earnest, continuous giving, however small, accomplishes much and can help save souls, and its lasting value will be seen in heaven.

A gift is the widow's mite when it is cut out of a little store of one's own means to meet the need of the cause while personal living expenses, unpaid bills, debts and other urgent wants remain. Even a helpful sum is then a small mite when the giver can do no more, and such mites must be gathered up from every source. Likewise even a large sum counts as more than they all when it is all the giver has laid by, given knowingly and deliberately according to a prior plan and not to be taken back. Holding up such a gift before a congregation honors it as greater than a combined offering of many, and its example moves others to give.

Such self-denying gifts, small or large according to ability, given in sincere love and with sacrificial purpose, are effective in doing good and bring a reward hereafter. Mites from every source are to be carefully treasured and the help of everyone enlisted to cooperate with money for needed enterprises such as an orphans' home and provision for workers no longer able to labor. They help build meeting-houses, purchase and operate sanitariums, put medical work in the best shape to educate people how to treat the sick, pay church debts, and support missionaries. Every gift thus invested puts the Lord's money into the hands of the exchangers so that He may receive His own with usury at His coming.

Those who have means but give far less than they could are withholding from God and failing to trust Him. It is like possessiveness that holds houses and lands yet lacks faith to put means into the work, in contrast to the widow who in poverty gave all she had and deprived herself even of apparent necessities. Large sums raised through lavish feasts that indulge appetite count less than a simple offering given from the heart, which can have great value and receive Heaven's blessing. Money refused to be invested in the Lord's work will perish with no interest accumulated, while invested gifts lay up in heaven a treasure that fadeth not, on which interest accumulates in the bank of heaven.

All actions will be brought into review before God, and the two mites are registered in heaven as done to Christ in His saints, like a cup of cold water or visiting the prisoner. Nothing done faithfully is insignificant, for even the smallest deed has weight and is a thread in the great web of influence. Self-denying giving for the cause brings sweetness in giving to the needy and in sacrificing for the truth, and lays up treasure in heaven. There is a sacredness in the poor man's offering that is not found in the rich man's gift from abundance, because the poor man sacrifices what he really feels, denying himself things he needs for his own comfort. Those who give up comforts or unnecessary things for the cause will be remembered and rewarded according to purity of motive.