The Widow’s Mite
She had all the natural reasons not to give what she gave—a poor widow with a meager income. Yet Jesus recognized the magnitude of her two-mite gift with His declaration that she had given more than all those who were rich who had preceded her to the offering box. Why? “For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on” (Luke 21:4 ESV).
It is interesting that both Mark and Luke introduce the need to endure (see Mark 13:13; Luke 21:19) with the Widow’s Mite story.
A. S. Worrell opened the reason to me for such an introduction. Her ‘more than all’ gift was:
“more in God’s sight because it showed complete victory over the world, and supreme confidence in God. In estimating the value of a gift, God looks not at the largeness or smallness of the gift, but what is left after the gift is made. A perfect gift is all one has.”
Giving It All – and Enduring
To focus his commentary, we see that endurance comes from victory over the world.
If we are not of this world, then the world’s thoughts, feelings, and actions—its persecutions—cannot overcome us.
It matters not what “they” may do to us, for not a hair on our head will perish! (see Luke 21:18).
That was the picture of the widow. It didn’t matter what people thought of her two mites or how much others had given. There was no pomp or promotion pushing her action. She simply gave the perfect gift…and it was between her and the Lord.
That can be our picture of endurance too. And I’m not speaking only of a financial gift, but the gift of our lives. Holding nothing back from Him, not caring what the world may say or do, not succumbing to the persecutions that will come, but giving Him everything out of our poverty.
That gift is the picture of endurance.
