"He said, "I tell you that this poor widow put in more than all the others"" (Luke 21:3, GNV) When it comes to God, the value of a gift is not measured by how much it cost to acquire it but by how much it cost to part with it. God does not look at the size of the gift given to determine its value. He looks at what is left to determine the true value of what has been given. It is actually quite simple, realistic and very understandable. God has everything, and we can't make Him any richer by whatever we may give. We can't impress Him with gifts. At a time He told David, I own every beast of the forest, every cattle on a thousand hills. I have no need of bulls. (Psalm 50:9-10). All the money in the world, the earth and its fullness belongs to our heavenly Father, so we couldn't give Him anything that didn't already own. Hence,it follows that what moves God is not the gift but the attitude of the giver. It was the same reason He valued Abel's gift above that of Cain. .
It was an unprecedented Sabbath morning. Jesus characteristically walked into the temple but unlike the other days when it came time for the bringing in of offerings, He announced that He was to going to give special recognition to the highest giver at the end of the offerings. Hearing this, most people responded by doubly their offerings. Some rushed to their ATM and withdrew more money. They were going to impress Jesus. This was an opportunity for them to show who has more money! Not long the offering started. I would naturally assume they came in single file and as each dropped his offering Jesus would look at what they had given, and then unknown to them He would also look at what they had left. Some would purposely brandish their offering so Jesus would see it properly. Some rich ones who came with money wrapped in a bundle would stand by the offering plate and unwrap their money, dropping it bill by bill, note by note making sure that Jesus was counting along with them. It was a wonderful service as people made a displayed of God's goodness and greatness on their life. But there sat a poor widow on one of the pews, possibly intimidated by all the display of wealth and affluence. She knew she had only a mite (a copper coin). It was all she had and the Bible said she was poor...What was she going to do? Jesus wants to see the highest giver. She knew she was in no way a candidate for that. She had seen the result. She had seen what others gave. What was she going to do?
To be continued...