Have you ever thought about what you can buy with just one pound? Perhaps only a small piece of bread. In the temple, Jesus noticed a widow who placed two small coins into the offering box—worth about that much. Yet He declared, “This poor widow has given more than all the others.” Why? Because she gave not out of surplus, but out of everything she had.
This short passage teaches us three important lessons about offering and faith.
1. God values the heart, not the amount
When the rich gave, the coins clattered loudly into the metal chest, drawing attention. But when the widow offered her two small coins, only two faint sounds were heard. If it were us, perhaps we would feel embarrassed, worried that others might look down on our small gift. We often measure value by numbers.
But the widow did not hold back. She knew her offering was not for people to see, but for God alone. What matters most is not how much we give, but whether we honor God with it. I once heard about an elderly woman who had little money to spare. Out of love for God, she broke a jade bracelet she had worn for years and placed the pieces in the offering box. To people, its worth was diminished. To God, it carried deep weight, because He saw her heart.
2. God delights in proportion
Jesus said the widow gave more than all the others. He was not comparing amounts but proportion. The rich gave what they could easily spare. The widow gave everything. Her faith was not in what she had left, but in God who provides.
Many of us feel our expenses already outweigh our income. How can we give more? But if we always wait until we “have leftover,” it is often God’s portion that gets cut. Real faith means giving to God first, then trusting Him to provide for the rest.
This principle goes beyond money. It applies to our time and talents too. Worship and service should not be what we do only when we are free. We set aside time for God first, trusting He will enable us to handle the rest. We do not need to be fully equipped before we serve; instead, we step out in faith, knowing God will supply what we lack.
3. Even the small can be used greatly
A true story from Philadelphia tells of a little girl who wanted to attend Sunday School. The church was overcrowded, and she nearly had no seat. She was so thankful when she was welcomed in that she began saving money—just pennies—for two years. When she passed away, a worn little purse was found with 57 cents inside and a note: “This is to help build a bigger church so more children can come to Sunday School.”
Her story touched the congregation and the wider community. Donations poured in. That small gift helped build Temple Baptist Church, Temple University, a hospital, and more. What seemed like almost nothing—57 cents—became the seed of something far greater. Just like the widow’s two coins, God multiplied it beyond imagination.
Conclusion
Jesus did not dismiss the gifts of the rich, but He praised the widow’s offering of faith. The real question is not whether we are like the “rich” or the “widow,” but whether we allow God to be Lord over our money, our time, and our lives.
When we are willing to “put in” ourselves—our resources, energy, and heart—God is pleased. And He is able to take even the smallest offering and use it for His greater purposes.
Rev Chiu