CRITICAL NOTES
Luke 21:1. Looked up.—From the parallel passage in Mark 12:41 we learn that our Lord had taken his seat in the court of the women, where were the chests for containing gifts and offerings to the Temple. These chests were thirteen in number, and had trumpet-shaped mouths for receiving the money. On the chests were labels specifying the purposes to which the money was to be applied.
Luke 21:2. Saw also.—Omit “also”; omitted in R.V. Poor widow.—The word “poor” is emphatic; almost equivalent to “beggar.” Two mites.—The mite was the smallest Jewish coin, about equal to a tenth of an English penny.
Luke 21:3. More than they all.—The estimate being formed, not on the amount given, but on the amount remaining after the gift; or, in other words, on the quality of the gift and not on its quantity.
Luke 21:4. Of their abundance.—Rather, “of their superfluity” (R.V.). A sharp antithesis to the destitution of the widow. All the living.—Lit. “life”—i.e., means of subsistence. “Yet the word seems chosen expressly to indicate entire devotion of herself, her life, as well as livelihood, to God’s service” (Speaker’s Commentary).
Luke 21:5. Gifts.—Rather, sacred “offerings” (R.V.). “Such as the golden chain of Agrippa; gifts of Ptolemy Philadelphus, Augustus, Helen of Adiabene, and crowns, shields, goblets, etc.; the golden vine, with its vast clusters, given by Herod” (Farrar).
MAIN HOMILETICS OF THE PARAGRAPH.— Luke 21:1-6
Self-sacrifice.—This little incident occupies a striking place in the Gospel records. Jesus has just uttered woe after woe upon His hypocritical and malignant foes, and is about to impart to His disciples a revelation of dread events yet to come—the overthrow of the Jewish people, the destruction of the Temple, and startling phenomena that would usher in His Second Coming. Between His burning words of denunciation and the awe-inspiring disclosures He makes to His disciples, comes this genial appreciation of a deed of self-sacrifice and love, done by a poor and obscure worshipper as she passed out of the house of God. As if to show that no feelings of personal anger mingled with His righteous anger, and that, though his heart was sad, His mind was unruffled, He sat down as an unoccupied spectator in the court of the Temple, and, with gentle voice and mien, commented upon the good deed which had come under His observation. We may note His approval of the principle that self-sacrifice is an essential part of true worship, and the commendation He bestowed upon the action of this poor widow.
I. Self-sacrifice an essential part of true worship.—The fact that provision was made in the Temple for gifts and offerings to be presented by worshippers as they retired, is very significant. It teaches that all worship of God should tend towards and end in self-sacrifice. We come to church to worship God—to join with the saints upon earth, and with the angels and the redeemed in heaven, in adoring the Divine majesty and holiness. This is our reasonable service, and by it our lives are sanctified. We humble ourselves before Him who is of purer eyes than to behold evil; in His presence we disclose our thoughts, we acknowledge our transgressions and secret faults, and seek to exhibit that contrition that will justify forgiveness. We contemplate the mercy God has revealed, adore the Saviour whom He has sent, rejoice in the thought of the Divine compassion, and give expression to our gratitude in hymns of praise. This is the worship which God seeks; it is the holy incense which is acceptable to Him: but this worship should issue in self-sacrifice. Sacrifice is the one main idea in every form of religion known to man. Horrible as many of the forms of sacrifice have been, and are, among heathen races, yet in all cases they proclaim the same great truth, that man owes himself and all he has to God. And Christianity, above all other religions, sets forth this truth. What is the cross but the symbol of the greatest of all deeds of self-sacrifice—the complete surrender of a life for the glory of God and the good of mankind? What does it teach but that we belong altogether to God, and should yield ourselves to Him? This is how the holy apostles conceive of religion. In all their writings they remind us that we are not our own, but His, and that we should offer ourselves to Him as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable.
II. The commendation bestowed upon the poor widow.—Why were the two mites of greater value than all the gold and silver which others cast in lavishly? Because, trifling though they were in intrinsic value, they were the sign of a complete and unreserved sacrifice of the whole being to God. She gave herself; the tiny bits of copper were but the symbol of this higher, nobler offering. This it was that threw into insignificance all the treasures that enriched the coffers of the Temple, and even the gifts with which wealthy devotees had adorned the building and made it the pride of the nation. Others gave something they could afford to spare—gave of their superfluity—and in this way gave less than she did. So that it is not a question of giving much or little of our property to a good cause, but of discovering by the light of this passage of Scripture whether we are offering to God a complete sacrifice of ourselves, or are substituting for it something which we can afford to part with, but which in comparison with ourselves has no value. Anything short of the gift of our all to God is unacceptable to Him. Take the case of those who would fain dedicate only part of the life, of the affections, of the interests, to His service. The young man, let us say, plans out the sort of life he would like to lead; he forms schemes of self-advancement, happiness, and self-gratification, from which thoughts of God are excluded. Religion is kept, as it were, in reserve, to be a resource and a consolation, when all the pleasures of life are exhausted, and the time of old age, weakness, and disappointment, has come. When the fortune is made, and success is won, there will be leisure for heavenly things. Is not this professing to give the superfluity and to retain the essential part? And yet we cannot be sure of retaining it, for at any moment death may seize the whole. We have the word of Christ to assure us that we do not lose what we give to God, but lay up for ourselves a treasure in heaven, which will never know diminution, but be an abiding possession. The life which is consecrated to God is not robbed of its delights—nay, it alone is the happy life; it multiplies present enjoyments a hundredfold, and secures for us the crown of eternal blessedness. But if we choose to keep all for ourselves, we are sure of losing it. “She cast in all the living that she had.” “How foolish of her!” some will say. Yes; it has been by folly like this, by lavish and unselfish love, that the world has been redeemed. Her action remains as a cutting rebuke of the selfish, worldly spirit, and of that mean and calculating prudence which even the world despises. For if there are few in the present age who have imitated her literal impoverishment of herself for the sake of religion, there are many who have followed a like course for the sake of country. There are many who have, from patriotic motives, forfeited property, happiness, and even reputation, and are willing to give up their lives for their country’s sake. And what is admirable in the lower sphere is surely not ridiculous in the higher. It is, then, with something like a reproachful pang of conscience that we should listen to the commendation bestowed on this poor widow: “She of her penury hath cast in all the living that she had; she hath cast in more than they all.” (See an interesting sermon on this text by Bernier: “La veuve, ou le don sans réserve.”)
SUGGESTIVE COMMENTS ON Luke 21:1-6
Luke 21:1-6. The Widow’s Offering and the Stones of the Temple.—While the disciples were wondering at the majestic towers and carved stone-work as a great offering dedicated by man to God, Christ had seen in the gift of the poor widow an offering equally great in the eye of Heaven. The contrast suggests—
I. The true measure of sacrifice.—Not the greatness of the outward act, but the perfectness of the inward motive.
II. The true idea of a temple.—The disciples saw God’s dwelling-place in the house of stone with its Holy of Holies and altars of sacrifice. Christ saw it in the broken heart of the widow.
Three practical lessons we may learn:
1. A lesson of duty—to live to God in small things; to dedicate our lives to Him, even if we have no great opportunities of service, and are vexed by cares.
2. A lesson of encouragement. Live to God in all things; consider no sacrifice too great or too small; do your best in everything, as in His sight;—and you will find Him everywhere.
3. A lesson of warning. The Jews had come to see God only in the Temple at Jerusalem. As a consequence they became formalists—the surrender of their souls was forgotten. And the splendid Temple fell! So now and ever. Forget the Divinity of all life, and the temple of your soul will become desolate.—Hull.
Luke 21:1-4. The Eye of Christ.—“He beheld.” This text is full of instruction; it encourages the very humblest to give; it thus makes giving a universal duty and privilege; it proclaims a searching paradox as to more and less; and it requires us to feel that our givings are scrutinised by Him before whose judgment-seat we are to stand.
I. The circumstances are instructive.
II. The scrutiny of the Saviour was very searching.
III. This poor widow gave all she had.—Relatively, it was a great gift.
IV. The Lord does not receive any offering unless it is large enough to prove self-denial on the part of the giver.—The money in itself is valueless to God, but is of value as representing thankfulness, self-denial, prayer, and trust.—Symington.
Hypocrisy and Piety.
I. Some pretended to love God.—They did their good works, their “righteousness,” to be seen of men. They loved themselves, their reputation—not God.
II. One really loved God.—She gave all she had. She had nothing left. There was no ostentation. There would have been condemnation had others known that all she gave was “two mites.” Really, however, others only gave a little, this worshipper gave all, out of grateful love to God.
III. What pleases God.—Not outside show, not display of goodness, not ostentatious giving of much. But love, gratitude, humility, self-sacrifice—these are pleasing in God’s sight. We can please God in little, if that little is our all.—“Sunday School Chronicle.”
Heartiness in Action.—Giving is one form of action for God. What is the aspect which many of the Lord’s people present to the world in this particular? Where is their heartiness in it? How much is there of form, and how little of decided action! Many who are steeped in poverty are rich indeed in action. The poor widow is a case in point.
I. She was of no account in the world’s estimation.
II. She was of no account, so far as man was concerned, in the Temple of the Lord.
III. Yet she alone receives the commendation of the Lord.—To Him who seeth not as man seeth she was immeasurably above all others.
IV. Learn that when we think we are unobserved we are doing all under the immediate eye of God.—We too often forget that we are the servants of One whose eye is ever on us, taking note of what we think, and speak, and do. In all our givings we should so perform these acts that we do not desire them to be hidden from the eyes of God. He who is like this poor widow will delight in the thought that his Lord knows all. Act, then, on all occasions as though you wished Jesus to look on.—Power.
“Two mites.”—Just between the woes and predictions of doom there befel an exquisite little incident, full of the tenderest and loveliest beauty. Jesus was sitting over against the treasury, watching the givers.
I. He sees who give, what they give, why they give.
II. He is arrested by the liberal giving of a poor widow.—He had pleasure in what she did. He commends her with an overflow of joy. He says nothing to herself—nothing in her hearing even; but He teaches the disciples a lesson in the political economy of the kingdom of heaven.
III. The money value of the offering was very small.—Probably it was the smallest of any presented there that day. But the relative value was very great. She had nothing left after giving her two mites. So this was the greatest offering of all contributed that day.
IV. The offering had also spiritual value, because of what it represented.—Men may value money for itself; the Lord does not. It is the heart He cares for. Jesus would not have spoken as He did unless her offering had expressed grateful love to God, and trust in Him for time to come, whatever may betide. Were the principles which appear in this little incident to pervade all Christian giving, the Lord’s treasury would contain exactly the right sum.—Culross.
The Widow’s Mites.
I. It is good to have our Lord’s estimate of the earth’s gifts.
II. In the eyes of Christ, this offering was of great price.
III. This value arose from the motive and spirit of the giver.—Miller.
Human and Divine Estimates.—The widow’s offering was, in the eyes of men—
I. Less than all.—Only a farthing. Not worth giving.
II. More than all.—In Christ’s estimate. She had given all, and left nothing. The others had retained much. What is Christ’s estimate of your givings?—W. Taylor.
I. The lively interest which Christ takes in the smaller details of our life.
II. The special interest He takes in the free-will offerings of His servants.
III. The mode in which He measures our offerings of money or service.—Ibid.
Luke 21:1. “Looked up.”—I.e., turned His attention from those who had been listening to Him, and took note of what was going on near at hand, where the boxes for receiving offerings stood.
Luke 21:2. “Two mites.”—She might have kept one of them.—Bengel.
Luke 21:3. “More.”—Jesus draws attention to the moral quality of the action, and bestows on it the praise which vulgar minds usually reserve for liberality that bulks largely in quantity. With the two mites she gave her heart also.
I. The action of the poor widow appeals to Christ as worthy of admiration.—As having great moral and spiritual value.
II. The disciples admire the magnificence of the Temple building.—They are impressed with the splendour that appeals to the senses and delights the æsthetic taste.
Luke 21:4. “Of her penury.”—
I. The loving heart counts no sacrifice too great.
II. The gracious Redeemer despises no gift, however small, when the motive of the giver is pure.
A Flower in The Desert.—What a contrast to the greed with which the scribes and Pharisees are charged in the preceding verses! This incident, which meets His notice just at this moment, is like a flower which He sees suddenly springing up in the desert of official devotion, the beauty and fragrance of which fills His heart with joy.—Godet.
Luke 21:5. “Adorned.”—
1. Beauty of outward semblance.
2. Yet perishable for lack of the indwelling spirit of religion.
“Gifts.”—The disciples take pleasure in looking upon the splendid gifts, made for the most part by heathen princes; they delight in them
(1) because of their beauty and value, and
(2) doubtless because they saw in them the fulfilment of such prophetical passages of Scripture as Psalms 72, Isaiah 60. They can scarcely fail to infer, from Christ’s words, that a doom rests upon the sanctuary; yet they can scarcely realise the fact, and almost intercede for its preservation.
Luke 21:6. “Not be left one stone.”—
1. The beauty of these things will not persuade the enemy to spare them.
2. The strength of the buildings will not be able to resist the power of the enemy.