Luke 21:1-4 (NIV)
The Widow's Offering
1As he looked up, Jesus saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury. 2He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins. 3"I tell you the truth," he said, "this poor widow has put in more than all the others. 4All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on."
Background information:
Back then, women had little rights or power in the society, so they did not have the right to have jobs or make living for themselves, that is why they marry in a young age. Before they are married, women depend on their parents to provide for their daily needs in order to live. After they are married, they depend on their husband to provide for them.
Widows were women who's husband had passed away. If a woman's husband died, then she would have to marry her husband's brother because they wouldn't be able to live on their own. There are two possibilities for a woman to become a widow, either a woman's husband did not have any brothers or she has remarried to all her husband's brothers but they had all died.
If either of these situations happened, then, she would become a widow and be ranked in the society as the poorest of the poor.
Although the widow in the parable, was the poorest of the poor, but she still gave all she had (two small copper coins) as an offering to God.
My Interpretation
When Jesus said that the widow has given more than the others, he is partly true and partly false. First of all, I'm sure Jesus doesn't mean that the widow has given a bigger amount of money than the rich, but what Jesus meant was that, because she gave with her heart, the value of the two copper coins worth much more than the expensive gifts that the rich offer. Second of all, it is true that the widow has given a bigger amount compared to the rich. She has given a bigger amount because she gave 100% from what she had. Apart from the rich, it might seemed that they gave a larger amount of money, though actually from the total amount that they owned, they only gave 10% as an offering to God.
The widow is a good example to us. We should learn from her to give our offerings willingly with our hearts and to give 100% to God.
