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Give til it hurts!

The Widow’s Offering

41 Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. 42 But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins,a worth only a fraction of a penny.b

43 Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. 44 They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.
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a Greek two lepta

b Greek kodrantes

Sacrifical Giving

That meant she would not be able to eat until she earned more. The widow exemplified true sacrificial giving..

• Level 1
• With solemn introductory words (I tell you the truth; cf. 3:28) Jesus said that she had given more . . . than all the others. The reason was (gar, “for, because”) the others gave out of their material wealth at little cost to them, but the widow out of her poverty gave everything. Proportionally she had given the most—all she had to live on. In giving to God sacrificially she completely entrusted herself to Him to provide her needs.

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cf. confer, compare

• Level 2
• She could have kept back one coin for herself. A Rabbinic rule stating that an offering of less than two lepta was not acceptable related to charitable gifts and does not apply here. Jesus used her example to teach His disciples the value God places on wholehearted commitment. Their own commitment to Jesus would soon be severely tested (cf. 14:27-31). This incident also illustrates Jesus’ total self-giving in death.