The Strand Study Bible

LUKE LUKE Few within the Bible ever rise to the occasion of greatness in God’s eyes higher than this seemingly insignificant poor widow did. The reason this isolated narrative is so important for the Christian is because it teaches us biblical principles concerning meaningful giving . For example, meaningful giving : * Is based on what’s in you, not what’s on you Our Lord commended the widow not for the size of her gift, but for the self that she gave. Materialistically speaking, this lady had very little that she could offer. A mite was made of copper and was considered the smallest of the Greek coins. It was worth c. 1 cent. Meaningful giving is based on the quality of the gift, not the quantity of the gift (II Cor 8:12). It’s not what you give, but what you hold back from giving that matters most to God. The gift of self is the most precious gift that we can offer Him. THE ADAGE IS TRUE: If God can have you, then He’s already got all you have * Is based on what you give God, not what God gives you Weak, lonely, and without a doubt, beggarly, this widow knew the meaning of giving. Our Lord is pleased with who we are, not what we have. We please God when we have nothing to show for long years of service, and yet still go on serving Him. As far as we know, this poor widow never knew what a “hit” she made with our Savior until she got to heaven. He did not call her aside afterwards and congratulate her, nor was there any reimbursement for her generosity. Meaningful giving is based on what’s in your heart, not God’s. It’s not what you’ve been given, but what you’ve been given to give that moves the heart of God in your direction (Mt 6:19-21). 21:7 There is a two-fold sign in Jesus' answer. It concerns: (1) the tribulation days just prior to Christ’s return (vs 8-19 and 25-28) and (2) the destruction of Jerusalem by Titus in AD 70 (vs 20-24). 1691