He
looked up, and saw the rich people who were putting their gifts into the treasury. He saw a certain poor widow casting in two small brass coins. He said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow put in more than all of them, for all these put in gifts for God from their abundance, but she, out of her poverty, put in all that she had to live on.”
Luke 21:1-4
Luke 20 [45.] In the hearing of all the people, he said to his disciples, “Beware of the scribes, who like to walk in long robes, and love greetings in the marketplaces, the best seats in the synagogues, and the best places at feasts; who devour widows’ houses, and for a pretense make long prayers: these will receive greater condemnation.”
Luke 21 [1.] He looked up, and saw the rich people who were putting their gifts into the treasury. He saw a certain poor widow casting in two small brass coins. He said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow put in more than all of them, for all these put in gifts for God from their abundance, but she, out of her poverty, put in all that she had to live on.”
Luke 21 [5.] As some were talking about the temple and how it was decorated with beautiful stones and gifts, he said, “As for these things which you see, the days will come, in which there will not be left here one stone on another that will not be thrown down.”
Meaning:
Jesus had just warned the crowds in the temple about the scribes “who devour widows’ houses, and for a pretense make long prayers” (Luke 20:47). Now he looks up and sees a widow who is the very opposite of those religious leaders. Her gift was tiny, but Jesus judged it the greatest of the day. Mark records the same scene (Mark 12:41-44; Mark 12:43-44).
- “He looked up, and saw the rich people who were putting their gifts into the treasury”
The treasury stood in the Court of the Women, where, according to Jewish tradition, trumpet-shaped collection chests received offerings for the temple and its sacrifices. Gifts were made in public view, and the size of a gift could easily be noticed by those standing near. The rich gave publicly and generously, and many probably admired them. Jesus sat and watched, and his eyes saw what others missed. As God told Samuel, “man looks at the outward appearance, but Yahweh looks at the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7).
- “two small brass coins”
The WEB footnote in Mark explains that these coins were lepta, “very small brass coins worth half a quadrans each,” worth “less than 1% of an agricultural worker’s daily wages” (Mark 12:42). She had two coins and could have kept one. Instead she gave both. A widow in Israel had little protection or income, which is why the Law described God as one who does “execute justice for the fatherless and widow” (Deuteronomy 10:18). This woman, who had every reason to receive, chose to give. Luke, who often draws attention to the poor and to women whom others overlooked, sets her quietly in the centre of the scene, while the wealthy donors remain nameless and unremarkable.
- “this poor widow put in more than all of them”
Jesus measures giving by what remains after the gift, not by the size of the gift. The rich gave “from their abundance,” so their lives were unchanged. She gave “out of her poverty” and “put in all that she had to live on.” In God’s accounting her two coins outweighed every large donation. Her gift was an act of complete trust: she placed her daily bread in God’s hands.
The contrast with the scribes is sharp. They used religion to take from widows; this widow used her poverty to give to God. Jesus did not praise the system that consumed her, for in the next breath he foretold the temple’s destruction (Luke 21:5-6). He praised her heart.
The Significance of Luke 21:1-4
- Giving measured by love
God values sacrifice, not size. Paul wrote, “Let each man give according as he has determined in his heart; not grudgingly, or under compulsion; for God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Corinthians 9:7). Small gifts given with a whole heart are great in heaven.
- Seen by God
No one else noticed the widow, but Jesus did. Quiet faithfulness is never wasted. Jesus taught that giving done in secret is seen by “your Father who sees in secret” (Matthew 6:3-4).
- Trust rather than possessions
Her gift shows where her security lay. Jesus warned, “Beware! Keep yourselves from covetousness, for a man’s life doesn’t consist of the abundance of the things which he possesses” (Luke 12:15). The widow lived out that freedom.
Cross-References:
Mark 12:43-44: "this poor widow gave more than all those who are giving into the treasury," Mark’s parallel account.
1 Samuel 16:7: "man looks at the outward appearance, but Yahweh looks at the heart." God sees the heart behind the gift.
2 Corinthians 9:7: "God loves a cheerful giver." Willing generosity pleases God.
Proverbs 19:17: "He who has pity on the poor lends to Yahweh;" God honours care for the poor.
Conclusion: While the rich gave large gifts out of their abundance, Jesus noticed a poor widow who put two small coins into the treasury, all that she had to live on. He declared that she had given more than all of them, because God measures a gift by the love and trust behind it, not by its size.
PIB Scriptures are derived from the World English Bible