Subscription Lists
Word from Scotland
by Sandy Shaw
Having been considering one of the most demanding passages of Luke with its questioning and challenging, we now move on into Chapter 21.
These words are like a breeze of fresh air, after all the questioning and criticising. Amidst all the darkness it is just like a light being switched on.
People had been giving their offerings of money, while this conversation or interrogations had been going on. Religious life had been going on as usual.
Money was thrown into a great trumpet like receptacle, noisily. Hence we call people who make a show of what they do or what they give, "blowing their own trumpet".
Jesus is watching all that is going on. Jesus watches all that goes on, and Jesus sees a poor widow putting in two copper coins, and there is a ping.
This is the last incident in the public life of Jesus.
What a lot of nonsense has been spoken about these verses over the years. You hear people speak of the widow's mite. Well, to begin with it was two mites. Jesus saw her put into the offering trumpet her only two copper coins. It was all she had.
In modern day terms, it was as if this widow had collected her pension and placed it all in the Offering Trumpet, and that was all she had.
For some reason, totally unknown to us, this widow gave all, to God, the only way she knew how, and it was noticed by Jesus.
Jesus saw rich wealthy people giving reasonable sums, and Jesus made no comment.
They were giving what they could afford to give, and what it was their duty to give. We have seen in these Chapters how often Jesus refers to money and the reason is simply this. Money says to so much about us, and can reveal our level of commitment to God and His Word.
Some give from what is left over. This widow gave all that was left.
In the eyes of Jesus, what she gave was very precious, and she was commended by Jesus. Not many people are commended by Jesus. She gave all, everything. She went far beyond her duty. She probably would never be noticed. She would probably be overlooked, never to be remembered by anyone, but Jesus sees and comments and remarks.
He saw this as clearly saw through the duplicity and deceit and hypocrisy of the spies in the previous Chapter.
Jesus notices our devotion. Jesus is aware of our commitment.
Of course this can applies to all kinds of areas, and can be shown in all sorts of ways. When it comes to time, talents, gifts and money, whatever it might be, ask some questions.
"Lord Jesus, do You have all that You want me to give? Lord Jesus, what more do You want from me? What more can I do for You? Lord Jesus, what is it that I need You to point out, that I might surrender that?"
Man sees what is in the hand or comes from the hand. Jesus sees what is in the heart and what flows from the heart.
Alexander 'Sandy' Shaw is pastor of Nairn Christian Fellowship in Nairn, Scotland. Nairn is 17 miles east of Inverness - on the Moray Firth Coast - not far from the Loch Ness Monster!
Gifted as a Biblical teacher, Sandy is firmly committed to making sure that his teachings are firmly grounded in the Word.
Sandy has a weekly radio talk which can be heard via the Internet on Saturday at 11:40am, New Orleans time, at wsho.com.
Receive the newest devotional each week in your inbox by joining the "Word from Scotland" subscription list. Enter your email address below, click "Go!" and we will send you a confirmation email. Follow the instructions in the email to confirm your addition to this list.