Summary
Following several debates between Jesus and leaders from Jerusalem’s priestly elite, Jesus witnesses a widowA widow is a woman whose spouse has died, often plunging her into poverty and putting her in a vulnerable position in society. Jesus, in his concern for the poor, regards widows with compassion and concern. making a meager donation to the templeThe Jerusalem temple, unlike the tabernacle, was a permanent structure, although (like the tabernacle) it was a place of worship and religious activity. On one occasion Jesus felt such activity was unacceptable and, as reported in all four Gospels, drove from the temple those engaged... treasury. He comments that her gift outweighs all the other gifts, because the two coins she contributes are “all she had to live on.”
Analysis
On its own, this scene is relatively simple. A small gift to the temple treasury represents more than the other gifts, because it comes from someone who has virtually nothing. While others give only a proportion of their money, the “poor widow” in this story appears to give everything she has—a mere two copper coins. These coins, called lepta in Greek, were the least valuable coins in circulation.
Not all widows in the ancient world were poor and vulnerable, but in the Bible they usually signify people who are at risk from a financial and social point of view, in part because of the limited options available to many widows in a patriarchal culture. This widow, the narrative reveals, is “poor.” From what Jesus says, it appears she is down to her last two tiny coins. One might compare them to pennies.
The temple system required donations in order to operate. There were a variety of ways in which Jews could contribute to its upkeep and thereby support the priestly class and fund their charitable activities on behalf of those in need. Jesus appears to be observing a place in the temple complex where freewill offerings might be offered. It is not clear whether wealthy people might be making a display of their generosity when they leave their gifts (something Jesus criticizes in Matthew 6:2), but he interprets the widow’s gift as more significant than any other.
Jesus certainly sees the widow as virtuous when he regards her gift as great, not because of its monetary value, but because of her willingness to share all that she has (see Luke 12:22-34). At the same time, his comments about the widow take on added significance when considered in light of where this passage sits: immediately after Jesus criticizes scribes for the ways they secure and revel in their prestige and advantages (Luke 20:45-47). Among the things the scribes do to keep themselves ensconced in comfort and honor is this, according to Jesus: “They devour widows’ houses” (Luke 20:47). That means their enterprise is funded in part by seeking or coercing money from widows who cannot afford such generosity. When Jesus calls attention to the poor widow’s gift, therefore, he is also criticizing the scribes for creating and maintaining a system in which a widow has been left nearly destitute, down to two coins of negligible value. The scribes should be ensuring that she receives assistance, not advancing themselves at her expense.
