The Significance Of The Widow's Offering.

[Scott Hutchinson]

He looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the treasury;and he saw a poor widow put in two cooper coins.
And he said Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them;for they all contributed out of their abundance,but she out of her poverty put in all of the living she had. Luke 21:1,2,3,4 RSV

What is the spiritual significance of the widow's offering why do you suppose The Master mentioned it ?

[Ron]

Originally Posted by Scott Hutchinson

He looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the treasury;and he saw a poor widow put in two cooper coins.
And he said Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them;for they all contributed out of their abundance,but she out of her poverty put in all of the living she had. Luke 21:1,2,3,4 RSV

What is the spiritual significance of the widow's offering why do you suppose The Master mentioned it ?

It isn't what you give, but the manner in what you give it.
They gave of her abundance, she sacrificed!

[Sister Alvear]

One thing she gave of her living...her bread money...not left overs...

[Sam]

I've heard that God does not judge us by how much we give but by how much we have left over.

[Sinatra]

Originally Posted by Scott Hutchinson

He looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the treasury;and he saw a poor widow put in two cooper coins.
And he said Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them;for they all contributed out of their abundance,but she out of her poverty put in all of the living she had. Luke 21:1,2,3,4 RSV

What is the spiritual significance of the widow's offering why do you suppose The Master mentioned it ?

The rich gave of their surplus, their excess. They weren't going to miss it. They sacrificed nothing. What they gave cost them nothing.

The widow however, gave her all. It was all she had. There was nothing left. Her act was true sacrifice. Her gift cost her everything.

Sacrifice costs something. God knows our heart, our intent, when we give, whether it's time, money,.... He sees the heart and desires that we give Him our all in whatever we do.

[Digging4Truth]

I think it was signifying a changing of the guard.

The law dictated their giving. It told them what measure they must line up to and when they had lined up to that measure then they could say they have attained.

I feel that it is a safe assumption that all of those whose giving Jesus was talking about met the measure of the law or Jesus would have said something. But some of them met the measure but did not have the true spirit that our giving should be driven by. They had a spirit of meeting the minimum... fulfilling the law... measuring their righteousness and feeling they had accomplished it.

While the widow gave out of a heart that wanted to give. What would the others had given had they walked to the temple that day with the same heart? There would have been much more given.

Those who lived to the measure of the law... because the very spirit of God was in the midst... were suddenly found wanting.

A new age was coming. A new day was dawning. There was a new measure by which to judge by.

A measure that can only be understood when the law of God not only fills our mind... but our heart. And not only the law... but the spirit also.

[Pressing-On]

Originally Posted by Digging4Truth

I think it was signifying a changing of the guard.

The law dictated their giving. It told them what measure they must line up to and when they had lined up to that measure then they could say they have attained.

I feel that it is a safe assumption that all of those whose giving Jesus was talking about met the measure of the law or Jesus would have said something. But some of them met the measure but did not have the true spirit that our giving should be driven by. They had a spirit of meeting the minimum... fulfilling the law... measuring their righteousness and feeling they had accomplished it.

While the widow gave out of a heart that wanted to give. What would the others had given had they walked to the temple that day with the same heart? There would have been much more given.

Those who lived to the measure of the law... because the very spirit of God was in the midst... were suddenly found wanting.

A new age was coming. A new day was dawning. There was a new measure by which to judge by.

A measure that can only be understood when the law of God not only fills our mind... but our heart. And not only the law... but the spirit also.

Excellent, Digging!!!

[gloryseeker]

Originally Posted by Digging4Truth

I think it was signifying a changing of the guard.

The law dictated their giving. It told them what measure they must line up to and when they had lined up to that measure then they could say they have attained.

I feel that it is a safe assumption that all of those whose giving Jesus was talking about met the measure of the law or Jesus would have said something. But some of them met the measure but did not have the true spirit that our giving should be driven by. They had a spirit of meeting the minimum... fulfilling the law... measuring their righteousness and feeling they had accomplished it.

While the widow gave out of a heart that wanted to give. What would the others had given had they walked to the temple that day with the same heart? There would have been much more given.

Those who lived to the measure of the law... because the very spirit of God was in the midst... were suddenly found wanting.

A new age was coming. A new day was dawning. There was a new measure by which to judge by.

A measure that can only be understood when the law of God not only fills our mind... but our heart. And not only the law... but the spirit also.

Interesting observation....let me take that observation to a conclusion.

What is the "intent" of the American heart that brings 5%, 8%, or 15% to the Lord? People conclude that "as you can give." But an "as you can give" amount is reduced significantly by lust. What can I give and what would my heart be if I put Jesus first?

The Christian who has their HD Plasma financed through Circuit City, their car that they couldn't afford financed on 7 yrs, oh sorry we are in America...their 2 cars they couldn't afford. They've got their iphone that they didn't need, nor could they afford, their MasterCard, Visa, Discover, Sears, JCP charging them 20+%. All of which they ran up to the hilt so that they could wear clothes they couldn't afford and have things they didn't really need or couldn't afford then comes to the house the Lord and brings 12% (of which most Christians don't give that much).

How then under your analysis does Jesus look at it? Because if lust was so abundant in their life they could have easily brought 15%, 20% or 30%.

And then to the intent of the heart having a right attitude toward the One who said that we are bought with a price and that we are not our own what is the "right amount" in having a "right heart?"

Where is the mark? What is "right?" Consider Christmas, which is supposed to be a celebration of the birth of Christ. Many will spend $500, $1,000, or even more on Christmas....but....how much was the offering you brought to the house of the Lord on Christmas Sunday?

We celebrate the greatest sacrifice at Easter. Many will buy their children gifts that can easily run $50 or more, buy a new outfit for Sunday that cost $100.00 or more, go out to lunch and spend $30 - $60 on a meal, but how much did the heart allow you to give at church?

When we talk about Jesus giving His ALL for us....how does that translate back into what we give Him? Maybe 2-3 hours on Sunday another 1.5 hours on Wednesday, but please don't ask me for my Saturday or to help with something.

Personally, I think that a large majority of Christian hearts are way out of wack.

[Digging4Truth]

Originally Posted by gloryseeker

Interesting observation....let me take that observation to a conclusion.

What is the "intent" of the American heart that brings 5%, 8%, or 15% to the Lord? People conclude that "as you can give." But an "as you can give" amount is reduced significantly by lust. What can I give and what would my heart be if I put Jesus first?

The Christian who has their HD Plasma financed through Circuit City, their car that they couldn't afford financed on 7 yrs, oh sorry we are in America...their 2 cars they couldn't afford. They've got their iphone that they didn't need, nor could they afford, their MasterCard, Visa, Discover, Sears, JCP charging them 20+%. All of which they ran up to the hilt so that they could wear clothes they couldn't afford and have things they didn't really need or couldn't afford then comes to the house the Lord and brings 12% (of which most Christians don't give that much).

How then under your analysis does Jesus look at it? Because if lust was so abundant in their life they could have easily brought 15%, 20% or 30%.

And then to the intent of the heart having a right attitude toward the One who said that we are bought with a price and that we are not our own what is the "right amount" in having a "right heart?"

Where is the mark? What is "right?" Consider Christmas, which is supposed to be a celebration of the birth of Christ. Many will spend $500, $1,000, or even more on Christmas....but....how much was the offering you brought to the house of the Lord on Christmas Sunday?

We celebrate the greatest sacrifice at Easter. Many will buy their children gifts that can easily run $50 or more, buy a new outfit for Sunday that cost $100.00 or more, go out to lunch and spend $30 - $60 on a meal, but how much did the heart allow you to give at church?

When we talk about Jesus giving His ALL for us....how does that translate back into what we give Him? Maybe 2-3 hours on Sunday another 1.5 hours on Wednesday, but please don't ask me for my Saturday or to help with something.

Personally, I think that a large majority of Christian hearts are way out of wack.

Several points.

1. Where is the mark. The question brings us right back to attaining by fulfillment of the law.

2. Having said that... I understand your point completely and agree with you.

3. What you have demonstrated here is the end result of giving by law and not by spirit. When we give by law we give our little X amount and we are free to splurge like wild people after that. When people learn to give by spirit and to seek after the spirit and nature of God then many of the extravagance purchases will be met with some level of conviction of how we are heaping our abundance upon ourselves.

4. You are absolutely right that America is totally out of whack in the way we view "giving". We see amounts that make others giving pale in significance while we fail to understand that their level of sacrifice makes our giving pale in significance. There is a drastic need for a move to teaching along the lines of giving that is in tune with the spirit and nature of God.

[missourimary]

Very good post GS!

Scott, I suspect that it wasn't that Jesus felt the others did wrong to give of their abundance. He didn't rebuke them. However, others would have looked down on the poor widow that brought her pennies. Jesus stopped this line of thinking several times. As a woman washed his feet with her tears and dried them with her hair. As an alabaster box was broken. As 5 loaves and 2 fish were offered to feed a multitude...