Luke 21
"Jesus looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the offering box, and he saw a poor widow put in two small copper 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 she had to live on.'" - Luke 21:1-4
How is it this poor widow put in "more"? Jesus must take into account our differing situations when evaluating what we do. Those who have much and those who have little will be measured against what they can do. Jesus cares more about the heart of the giver than the amount of the gift. After all, he owns the universe. It is our heart that he really wants.
By putting in these two copper coins, this widow is displaying a very great amount of faith. In those days there was no social security or government safety net. She was saying, "Lord, I am going to give you everything I have, down to the last penny. I will trust you for my daily needs. I know that you can and will provide for me."
Father, I want to have the faith of this widow. It is beyond me accept that you help me. May I begin to totally trust you for all of our family's needs. Prices are going up, and we have medical expenses. But Lord, you are more than able to provide. May I do my job of giving you everything so that you can do your job of providing for us. Thank you for this story in Luke. In Jesus' name, amen.
- Jeff Coleman