Daily Bible Reading Devotional [Luke 21:1-4] December 21, 2017

The Widow’s Offering

Jesus looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the offering box, ² and he saw a poor widow put in two small copper coins.³ And he said, “Truly, I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them. ⁴ For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.”

Observations & Reflections

The passage about the widow’s offering appears in Luke and Mark’s gospel. It’s location in the gospel of Luke appears right after Jesus eviscerates the Scribes and Pharisees. This small lesson about the widow’s offering should not just be read as an encouragement for the poor but also a warning for the wealthy, like the Sadducees. Their flowery prayers and large offerings are not nearly as valuable as the widow’s meager offering.

⁴¹ And he sat down opposite the treasury and watched the people putting money into the offering box. Many rich people put in large sums. ⁴² And a poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which make a penny. ⁴³ And he called his disciples to him and said to them, “Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the offering box. ⁴⁴ For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.” (Mark 12:41-44)

God will always be more pleased by what’s in our hearts than what we do in front of on-lookers.