And there came a certain poor widow, and she threw in two mites, which make a farthing.
A poor widow put two very small coins, worth only a farthing together, into the offering for the service of the temple. Those two coins were all she had to live on, given out of her poverty at the cost of food and comfort for the cause she loved. Her gift is reckoned not by its small amount but by its proportion to all she possessed, the sacrifice it required, and the unselfish love, faith and purity of motive behind it. Because it was wholly given at real self-denial, it was counted greater than the large gifts of the rich from their abundance, indeed the greatest offering given that day. Her deed stands as a lasting example that even the poorest may give what they can, and such willing mites have moved countless others to generosity and helped sustain the work of missions and mercy through the ages.
The Widow's Small Offering
The verse records a poor widow throwing two mites, which make a farthing, into the treasury for the temple service, a very small sum of money. Her two small coins became an example that prompted countless gifts to the Saviour's cause over the centuries, and Christ counted her gift as greater than the larger gifts of the rich because they gave from abundance while she gave all she had to live on.
Her two small coins were all she had to live on, for she gave from her living and poverty rather than from abundance. She surrendered even what she needed for food and comfort, depriving herself of food and going without to support the cause she loved. The wealthy gave without feeling want, while her small gift was costly because its worth depended not chiefly on amount but on proportion to what she had, on consecration and sacrifice, and on fidelity that was rewarded. Christ measures a gift by whether it is all the giver has rather than by its size, the mites being as dear to her as the riches of the wealthy are to the rich.
She gave eagerly but discreetly, willingly and with loving concern for God's work and for the temple service she believed God had appointed. Her gift was precious because giving it required sacrifice, yet she gave with gratitude and joy and with a willing heart. It was consecrated with prayer and joy even when obtained through hardship and economy.
Her gift was noticed by God, valued above larger offerings, commended by Christ, and recorded as done to Christ. Even a small deed has weight in the judgment when truth and holiness shape it, and even a small amount given by giving up some personal gratification matters when put into the Lord's treasury. The misuse of a gift by those who receive it does not take away God's blessing from the giver, and giving offerings to God remains a duty even though religious leaders could misuse apparent devotion to cover self-interest.
How God Measures Giving
In the sanctuary's reckoning a gift is not measured by its amount in money but by its proportion to what the giver has and by the consecration and sacrifice behind it. God values an offering by the purity of the motive and the spirit of love that prompts it, and by the self-denial it costs, rather than by its monetary size. The widow's two mites were therefore a costly gift and the greatest offering given that day, because she gave from her poverty all she had to live on while the wealthy gave from their abundance without feeling want. A small willing offering given from love is as acceptable as a rich person's large donation, and wholehearted interest in saving souls is of great value to God.
Its worth lay in unselfish love and benevolence toward God and the service she believed He had appointed, and in unwavering, childlike faith. She surrendered even what she needed for food and deprived herself to give to the cause she loved, trusting that her Heavenly Father would not overlook her great need and would care for her and supply her needs in an uncertain future. The rich men's larger offerings cost them no comforts, but her humble gift given with unselfish love and genuine faith was precious to God and won Christ's commendation above theirs. Little gifts and duties done cheerfully from love can thus have greater moral worth than costly gifts, and a willing gift from a heart of love may involve real self-denial.
Its worth lay also in willingness and wholehearted cheerfulness, in gratitude, sincerity and faithfulness, in giving her best with her whole heart. Her gift expressed a heart set on following God's way and faithfully doing His will to the best of ability and to the utmost, so that even what people consider insignificant and small in ability is weighed by its principle and is noticed in heaven rather than despised. A humble offering is accepted when it is all the giver can bring, and a poor giver may sacrifice more than one who gives from abundance. Cheerful, freely given gifts are more acceptable than great wealth given grudgingly, and God blesses a gift's work of love and mercy so that it bears fruit in keeping with the wholehearted cheerfulness with which it is given.
Faithfully rendering to the Lord His portion and His just dues without robbing Him even in little things brings His recognition and favor, for it is heart service, willingness, love and faith in doing one's best that makes a gift valuable, acceptable and commended by Him. No one is rejected because of the smallness of the gift, and even the humblest sincere offering a person can present is accepted and valued by the Lord. Lowly service close to Christ is therefore not to be despised.
Greater Than Rich Gifts
The rich put in from their abundance without feeling want, giving up no comforts or luxuries, and giving partly to be seen and recognized by others. The widow by contrast gave from her poverty at real cost, with true self-denial, surrendering even what she needed for comfort and to live on. Her two mites were a very small amount in money, yet they were all she had.
Because it was a sacrifice, her mite was counted greater in true value than the larger gifts, indeed worth more than the rich men's offerings and the greatest offering given that day. It surpassed their donations in motive and in moral worth, and in lasting effect, showing a generosity and unselfish spirit their offerings did not possess. Its preciousness lay in the sacrifice and trust it expressed, in love and faith and benevolence toward God and His work.
Christ measures a gift not by its size but by whether it is all the giver has. The two mites were as dear to her as the riches of the wealthy are to the rich, and for that reason they were accepted. In the same way He did not reproach His disciples for forsaking only a few fishing boats and nets to follow Him, but accepted their sacrifice because it was their all.
Lasting Influence For Good
Her two small coins became an act of love whose influence reached far beyond its size and far beyond what she knew. Across the centuries her self-sacrifice has stood as an example that has prompted countless gifts to the Saviour's cause. That example has inspired and encouraged generosity in people of every class and every age and station. It especially encourages those who have little to give what they can, since every gift however small helps in the Lord's work.
Its influence has proved far greater than the larger contributions of the rich. It has helped sustain missions and missionary work, establish hospitals, feed the hungry, provide for the needy and sick, relieve the poor, extend truth, preach the gospel to the poor, and bring souls to faith. This shows that a gift given sincerely for God's glory can produce good that no one can measure. A very small gift in Christ's hands is multiplied for His work, and small regular offerings given through self-denial can support the gospel ministry. Even children's saved pennies can help save souls.
Such gifts, when offered with sincere purpose and love, are made effective in doing good. They will be rewarded hereafter. She will see the results of these far-reaching blessings in the day of God, and children who save their pennies for the Lord will see in heaven what their gifts accomplished.
Call For All To Give
Even the poorest can take part in giving, for the two mites show that poverty does not excuse neglecting the duty to give. The poor, children, and the ignorant and humble who do duty to the best of ability from love are not despised but are noticed in heaven. God values effort according to what a person has, not what he does not have, accepting every sincere gift and counting a small willing offering given from love as acceptable as a rich person's large donation.
Those who cannot give much should still give what they can, forgoing something they could do without. This means giving up money once spent on personal gratification and putting it into God's work, denying useless spending on dress and needless gratification. Parents are to teach children this self-denial, laying aside in the home from parents to children, saving pennies by economy, using self-denial boxes for mission work, with children putting in candy money or earning by making and selling simple useful household articles for the needy southern missionary field. Even a small amount given by giving up some personal gratification matters when put into the Lord's treasury, bringing the joy of generosity and laying up treasure in heaven.
Humble offerings should be cherished, welcomed, and not judged inferior, dismissed as too meager, despised, or withheld because of size. When given willingly, with understanding and in love they become priceless, and God smiles upon, receives, blesses and multiplies them so their work of mercy bears fruit in keeping with wholehearted cheerfulness. Faithful use of little lays up treasure in heaven and brings the joy of generosity.
Her example calls everyone entrusted with means to follow her self-denial in giving to support God's work, including churches, gospel ministry, missionaries, missionary work for the destitute and needy, and gifts that comfort widows and fatherless children and satisfy hunger. A simple offering from the heart with Heaven's blessing is more acceptable than money raised by lavish feasts indulging appetite. Lowly service close to Christ can appeal to one out of Christ and should be put out to usury like larger talents, for God does not make light of small ability. When the poor embrace truth and labor to the extent of their ability, God brings in other talents to carry forward the wonderful work, for which His people are to act like living soldiers of the cross.
A poor widow put two very small coins, worth only a farthing together, into the offering for the service of the temple. Those two coins were all she had to live on, given out of her poverty at the cost of food and comfort for the cause she loved. Her gift is reckoned not by its small amount but by its proportion to all she possessed, the sacrifice it required, and the unselfish love, faith and purity of motive behind it. Because it was wholly given at real self-denial, it was counted greater than the large gifts of the rich from their abundance, indeed the greatest offering given that day. Her deed stands as a lasting example that even the poorest may give what they can, and such willing mites have moved countless others to generosity and helped sustain the work of missions and mercy through the ages.
The Widow's Small Offering
The verse records a poor widow throwing two mites, which make a farthing, into the treasury for the temple service, a very small sum of money. Her two small coins became an example that prompted countless gifts to the Saviour's cause over the centuries, and Christ counted her gift as greater than the larger gifts of the rich because they gave from abundance while she gave all she had to live on.
Her two small coins were all she had to live on, for she gave from her living and poverty rather than from abundance. She surrendered even what she needed for food and comfort, depriving herself of food and going without to support the cause she loved. The wealthy gave without feeling want, while her small gift was costly because its worth depended not chiefly on amount but on proportion to what she had, on consecration and sacrifice, and on fidelity that was rewarded. Christ measures a gift by whether it is all the giver has rather than by its size, the mites being as dear to her as the riches of the wealthy are to the rich.
She gave eagerly but discreetly, willingly and with loving concern for God's work and for the temple service she believed God had appointed. Her gift was precious because giving it required sacrifice, yet she gave with gratitude and joy and with a willing heart. It was consecrated with prayer and joy even when obtained through hardship and economy.
Her gift was noticed by God, valued above larger offerings, commended by Christ, and recorded as done to Christ. Even a small deed has weight in the judgment when truth and holiness shape it, and even a small amount given by giving up some personal gratification matters when put into the Lord's treasury. The misuse of a gift by those who receive it does not take away God's blessing from the giver, and giving offerings to God remains a duty even though religious leaders could misuse apparent devotion to cover self-interest.
How God Measures Giving
In the sanctuary's reckoning a gift is not measured by its amount in money but by its proportion to what the giver has and by the consecration and sacrifice behind it. God values an offering by the purity of the motive and the spirit of love that prompts it, and by the self-denial it costs, rather than by its monetary size. The widow's two mites were therefore a costly gift and the greatest offering given that day, because she gave from her poverty all she had to live on while the wealthy gave from their abundance without feeling want. A small willing offering given from love is as acceptable as a rich person's large donation, and wholehearted interest in saving souls is of great value to God.
Its worth lay in unselfish love and benevolence toward God and the service she believed He had appointed, and in unwavering, childlike faith. She surrendered even what she needed for food and deprived herself to give to the cause she loved, trusting that her Heavenly Father would not overlook her great need and would care for her and supply her needs in an uncertain future. The rich men's larger offerings cost them no comforts, but her humble gift given with unselfish love and genuine faith was precious to God and won Christ's commendation above theirs. Little gifts and duties done cheerfully from love can thus have greater moral worth than costly gifts, and a willing gift from a heart of love may involve real self-denial.
Its worth lay also in willingness and wholehearted cheerfulness, in gratitude, sincerity and faithfulness, in giving her best with her whole heart. Her gift expressed a heart set on following God's way and faithfully doing His will to the best of ability and to the utmost, so that even what people consider insignificant and small in ability is weighed by its principle and is noticed in heaven rather than despised. A humble offering is accepted when it is all the giver can bring, and a poor giver may sacrifice more than one who gives from abundance. Cheerful, freely given gifts are more acceptable than great wealth given grudgingly, and God blesses a gift's work of love and mercy so that it bears fruit in keeping with the wholehearted cheerfulness with which it is given.
Faithfully rendering to the Lord His portion and His just dues without robbing Him even in little things brings His recognition and favor, for it is heart service, willingness, love and faith in doing one's best that makes a gift valuable, acceptable and commended by Him. No one is rejected because of the smallness of the gift, and even the humblest sincere offering a person can present is accepted and valued by the Lord. Lowly service close to Christ is therefore not to be despised.
Greater Than Rich Gifts
The rich put in from their abundance without feeling want, giving up no comforts or luxuries, and giving partly to be seen and recognized by others. The widow by contrast gave from her poverty at real cost, with true self-denial, surrendering even what she needed for comfort and to live on. Her two mites were a very small amount in money, yet they were all she had.
Because it was a sacrifice, her mite was counted greater in true value than the larger gifts, indeed worth more than the rich men's offerings and the greatest offering given that day. It surpassed their donations in motive and in moral worth, and in lasting effect, showing a generosity and unselfish spirit their offerings did not possess. Its preciousness lay in the sacrifice and trust it expressed, in love and faith and benevolence toward God and His work.
Christ measures a gift not by its size but by whether it is all the giver has. The two mites were as dear to her as the riches of the wealthy are to the rich, and for that reason they were accepted. In the same way He did not reproach His disciples for forsaking only a few fishing boats and nets to follow Him, but accepted their sacrifice because it was their all.
Lasting Influence For Good
Her two small coins became an act of love whose influence reached far beyond its size and far beyond what she knew. Across the centuries her self-sacrifice has stood as an example that has prompted countless gifts to the Saviour's cause. That example has inspired and encouraged generosity in people of every class and every age and station. It especially encourages those who have little to give what they can, since every gift however small helps in the Lord's work.
Its influence has proved far greater than the larger contributions of the rich. It has helped sustain missions and missionary work, establish hospitals, feed the hungry, provide for the needy and sick, relieve the poor, extend truth, preach the gospel to the poor, and bring souls to faith. This shows that a gift given sincerely for God's glory can produce good that no one can measure. A very small gift in Christ's hands is multiplied for His work, and small regular offerings given through self-denial can support the gospel ministry. Even children's saved pennies can help save souls.
Such gifts, when offered with sincere purpose and love, are made effective in doing good. They will be rewarded hereafter. She will see the results of these far-reaching blessings in the day of God, and children who save their pennies for the Lord will see in heaven what their gifts accomplished.
Call For All To Give
Even the poorest can take part in giving, for the two mites show that poverty does not excuse neglecting the duty to give. The poor, children, and the ignorant and humble who do duty to the best of ability from love are not despised but are noticed in heaven. God values effort according to what a person has, not what he does not have, accepting every sincere gift and counting a small willing offering given from love as acceptable as a rich person's large donation.
Those who cannot give much should still give what they can, forgoing something they could do without. This means giving up money once spent on personal gratification and putting it into God's work, denying useless spending on dress and needless gratification. Parents are to teach children this self-denial, laying aside in the home from parents to children, saving pennies by economy, using self-denial boxes for mission work, with children putting in candy money or earning by making and selling simple useful household articles for the needy southern missionary field. Even a small amount given by giving up some personal gratification matters when put into the Lord's treasury, bringing the joy of generosity and laying up treasure in heaven.
Humble offerings should be cherished, welcomed, and not judged inferior, dismissed as too meager, despised, or withheld because of size. When given willingly, with understanding and in love they become priceless, and God smiles upon, receives, blesses and multiplies them so their work of mercy bears fruit in keeping with wholehearted cheerfulness. Faithful use of little lays up treasure in heaven and brings the joy of generosity.
Her example calls everyone entrusted with means to follow her self-denial in giving to support God's work, including churches, gospel ministry, missionaries, missionary work for the destitute and needy, and gifts that comfort widows and fatherless children and satisfy hunger. A simple offering from the heart with Heaven's blessing is more acceptable than money raised by lavish feasts indulging appetite. Lowly service close to Christ can appeal to one out of Christ and should be put out to usury like larger talents, for God does not make light of small ability. When the poor embrace truth and labor to the extent of their ability, God brings in other talents to carry forward the wonderful work, for which His people are to act like living soldiers of the cross.