THE WIDOW’S MITE (LUKE 21:1-4)
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No matter how the poor in Hong Kong strived, they seem to be falling further behind and falling between the cracks. Money regularly spent on social welfare is the second highest government expense, behind funding for education, and minimum wage has increase in from HK$32.50 to HK$34.50 per hour the previous year, but still more than 1.37 million people in Hong Kong are living below the poverty line, surviving on as little as HK$4,000 a month, according to official figures released on Monday.
A fifth of the population is classed as living in poverty - the highest figure in seven years - while 17.5 per cent of children are impoverished, despite government intervention. In real terms that means a single person with a monthly income of HK$4,000, a two-person household earning HK$9,800 a month, or a three-person household earning HK$15,000. 90 per cent of HK primary school children on welfare are not having their basic needs met.
https://yp.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/111127/record-137-million-people-living-below-poverty-line-hong-kong
Money is quite an issue in the New Testament. It’s been said that one third of the parables or up to sixteen of the thirty-eight parables talked about money, depending on who counts. Also the word “money” is mentioned 140 times in the King James Version of the Bible, gold 417 times and silver 320 times.
Is giving for the rich, the poor or the average person? How does giving reflect or reveal your relationship with God? Why is it more blessed to give than to receive?
Giving is an Accountability and an Attribution
1 As Jesus looked up, he saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury.
Teyve the milkman from The Fiddler on the Roof tells of the advantages or riches. He sang,
If I were a rich man…..
I wouldn't have to work hard.
I'd build a big tall house with rooms by the dozen,
Right in the middle of the town.
A fine tin roof with real wooden floors below.
There would be one long staircase just going up,
And one even longer coming down,
And one more leading nowhere, just for show.
I'd fill my yard with chicks and turkeys and geese and ducks
For the town to see and hear.
If I were a rich man,
All day long I'd biddy biddy bum.
If I were a wealthy man.
I wouldn't have to work hard.
If I were a biddy biddy rich,
I see my wife, my Golde, looking like a rich man's wife
With a proper double-chin.
Supervising meals to her heart's delight.
I see her putting on airs and strutting like a peacock.
Oy, what a happy mood she's in.
Screaming at the servants, day and night.
The most important men in town would come to fawn on me!
They would ask me to advise them,
Like a Solomon the Wise.
"If you please, Reb Tevye..."
"Pardon me, Reb Tevye..."
Posing problems that would cross a rabbi's eyes!
And it won't make one bit of difference if i answer right or wrong.
When you're rich, they think you really know!
If I were rich, I'd have the time that I lack
To sit in the synagogue and pray.
And maybe have a seat by the Eastern wall.
And I'd discuss the holy books with the learned men, several hours every day.
That would be the sweetest thing of all.
The first people Jesus saw in the temple was not the widow, but the rich. There are but few instances of specific “rich” people in the gospels Jesus met. First was the very sorrowful rich young ruler who claimed he kept previous commandments since youth, but could not keep Jesus’ three present commandments, in contrast to he: “sell” all he had, “give” to the poor, and “follow” the Lord (Luke 18:21-23). Another was the converted chief tax collector Zacchaeus (Luke 19:2), who gave half of his goods the poor and pledged to compensate fourfold those he defrauded (Luke 19:8). The third was disciple Joseph of Arimathaea, who asked Pilate for the body of Jesus (Matt 27:57-58). None of them got a bad name, a bad rap or a cold shoulder by Jesus. Jesus even loved the unrepentant rich, young ruler (Mark 10:21).
Giving is obligatory for the rich and the poor, man and woman, holy or hypocritical people. Jesus had never accused the rich of giving to flatter themselves, flaunt their money or further their own causes. He accused them previously of a life of greed (Luke 12:15, 16:14), not for the lack of giving.
Jesus was not against people who were rich, who became rich or who pursue riches. If there’s any blame in the rich the blame goes to the lack of concern for the poor. He was against them for being ungrateful, ungodly and ungenerous to God. God himself is rich, abundant in giving, freely give us all things (Rom 8:32). In the King James Version the Lord is rich in mercy (Eph 2:4, 1 Peter 1:3) and abundant in goodness and truth (Ex 34:6), and abundant in grace (2 Cor 4:15, 1 Tim 1:14).
God is the Judge of all the earth (Gen 18:25), the Lord of all the earth (Josh 3:11), the great King over all the earth (Ps 47:2) and the most high over all the earth (Ps 83:18). Our heavenly Father makes the sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust (Matt 5:45). He did good, and gave us rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness (Acts 14:17).
Giving is an Adoration and an Affection
2 He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins.
One of the most touching stories revealed to the public after the death of former United States president George W. Bush, or simply "G. Walker," was his part in sponsoring a boy in the Philippines, and his kind letters and gifts to the boy for sixteen years.
Bush's true identity was kept secret due to security concerns, but he wrote in his initial letter sent on January 24, 2002, with a monthly donation until the young man’s graduation from the charitable program in 2012: “I want to be your new pen pal. I am an old man, 77 years old, but I love kids; and though we have not met, I love you already," said the former president, identifying himself as a resident of Texas.”
At times, Bush's letters contained hints of his true identity, such as one in which he wrote: "I got to go to the White House at Christmas time. Here is a little booklet that I got at the White House in Washington."
In others, he offered gentle advice: “I sure hope you like school and athletics. I do. I am an old man -- now 78 -- but I feel young at heart.”
https://news.yahoo.com/george-h-w-bush-secretly-sponsored-filipino-boy-205853455.html
The woman was not just a widow, but poor and anonymous. She was the only person in the Bible who was identified as a “poor widow,” not only once but four times - twice in Luke (vv 2, 3) and twice in Mark (Mark 12:42, 43), not only in the New Testament but the whole Bible. Nobody but the Lord knew her sacrifice, her struggles and her sustenance. She Was anonymous because she needed no recognition, recompense or even respect.
The amount of two mites is not the least “mite” or “small copper coin” (NIV) credited in the Bible; that remains to the “very last mite” (Luke 12:59). A mite is a small coin; she did not have much but she was not broke. The NIV translated the coin “mite” as “two very small copper coins,” and the translation is no better as “two small copper coins” in NASU and “two tiny coins” in Holman Christian Standard Bible, but the adjective “small” was not found originally in the Bible. The mite (lepton) is light but never small, very small or tiny in Jesus’ eyes. Any gift or giver is sweet, significant and substantial when it is given sincerely in service and not superficially for show. Alfred Plummer noted that “according to Jewish law at the time, it was not permissible to cast in less than two coins.”
A widow has nothing or nobody to depend on. She gave all – nothing to depend on, and she was a widow -nobody to depend on. The woman had no money to draw upon and no man to depend on from now on, but for strength and solace from the Lord. Her comfort, consolation, cheer, certainty and confidence were in the Lord.
Giving is an Assurance and an Attestation
3 “Truly I tell you,” he said, “this poor widow has put in more than all the others. 4 All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.”
In the 40s a mother, whose husband had died, and her three kids of 12-16 years old responded hearing the pastor’s plea to save and give sacrificially to help a poor family during Easter. Besides saving electricity on lights and the radio, the family lived on potatoes for a month to save $20 for the offering. The children cleaned houses and yards and babysat to raise money. They sold $20 worth of pot holders from $3 of raw material. That month was very gratifying as the family sat in the dark and counted the money saved and envisioned the poor family’s joy.
The day before Easter, the children got crisp bills from the grocery store for the offering. The kids had never had so much money before and could hardly sleep at night. The rain that day could not stop them as they walked a mile to church on that rainy Sunday without an umbrella in their leaky shoes.
Late that afternoon the minister paid them a visit and opened an envelope and out fell their money. They suddenly realized they were the poor family and were ashamed to return to church. They sat in silence for a long time and went to bed quietly that night.
The mother insisted everyone must go to church on Sunday, but the kids could hardly sing. At church we had a missionary speaker talked about how churches in Africa needed $100 to put a roof on a church. The family looked at each other and smiled for the first time in a week. When the offering was counted, the minister announced that it was a little over $100. The excited missionary said, "You must have some rich people in this church." From that day on they never felt poor again. (Eddie Ogan)
Jesus explained the reason why He said the widow had put in more than the rich people and the not-so-rich people. More (v 3) does not mean amount, but in the assurance because “more,” to a lesser extent, can mean greater (Matt 12:41), further (Acts 4:17), more excellent (Heb 11:4). Unlike the rich, her wealth was in the sacrifice and not in the sum, in the abundance in the gift and not the ability of giver, in the in the gesture, the gratitude and the generosity.
The “wealth” (v 4) of the rich is translated as exceed (Matt 5:20), remained (Matt 14:20) and abundance (Matt 25:29) and increased (Acts 16:5). It means surplus, extras and spare. The rich offered because they had the means, the money and the margin for shortage, standby and security. The wealthy could afford the proportion, the percentage and the payment.
The “poverty” (v 4, husterema) of the widow in NIV, like NASB and ESV, is over-exaggerated. The normal translations are lacking (1 Cor 16:17), want (2 Cor 8:14) and behind (Col 1:24) in KJV. KJV translates it as “penury” and the Authorized version translates it as “want.” It means inferior, short and deficient. The Bible never says she was hungry, starving or famished. By the Lord’s grace she could make ends meet, make do with less and make it through the day.
Conclusion: Is the Lord your strength, your security and your solace? The Lord cares about your worries, weariness and weaknesses. Seek first the His kingdom and his righteousness (Matt 6:32). Will you trust Him through thick and thin, through the highs and the lows, and through good times and bad times?
