Articles
She Put In More
“And He looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the treasury. And He saw a poor widow putting in two small copper coins. And He said, ‘Truly I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all of them; for they all out of their surplus put into the offering; but she out of her poverty put in all that she had to live on’” (Luke 21:1-4).
Two small coins, amounting to only a cent (Mark 12:42), must have looked paltry. Our tendency would be to smile and say, “That’s nice, sister, but. . .” Jesus said she did more. How so?
Her gift was more in proportion to what she had. We are to give as we have prospered (1 Corinthians 16:2), yet God does not specify a proportion. That is up to us, to our hearts. It is a system that strikes the tenderhearted and leaves the selfish self-satisfied.
Her gift was a greater expression of faith. Others would not really miss what they gave. She put in what she had to live on that day.
Her gift did more lasting good. The others’ pricier contributions were soon spent on whatever, thereby doing some good for the moment. But who can measure the impact that this widow’s gift has had on the millions who have since read what she did that day? We often have no idea how far a seemingly small good deed may go.
