And he sat down opposite the treasury and watched the people putting money into the offering box. Many rich people put in large sums.And a poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which make a penny. And he called his disciples to him and said to them, “Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the offering box.For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.” (ESV)

Have you ever felt it was easy to give something you had plenty of, but when faced with the prospect of giving your last, suddenly, you didn’t want to?

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Reading this Scripture causes me to reflect deeply on the periods of my life when I only wanted to be generous with the excess I had. Oh man, is that hard to admit. But if we’re honest, we often hold on tightly to the things we “need” and want, only to give away that which is insignificant to us.

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In today's reading, we see this same difference. Some gave out of abundance, but this woman gave the last of what she had, which wasn’t much. It’s not that the wealthy giving large sums of money was bad, but when we consider the posture of the widow’s heart behind her giving such a small amount, we can see a beautiful image of sacrifice – one that mirrors the same heart that Jesus has for us.  

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He gave all of himself and poured himself out for us because he loves us so deeply. When we present this heart posture, we show our gratitude for the gift we can never repay. We demonstrate our trust in God to provide. We step out in faith to surrender all that we have to our Father from whom every gift comes in the first place.

Here's what we are really seeing here: Jesus is not concerned about our money but with our hearts. He doesn’t need our money to make things happen. Through his power, he can achieve anything, but he still chooses to give us the opportunity to partner with him in what he is doing and live according to the truth that all power is his. From a worldly perspective, it seems odd not to think of quantity as the important measure of what constitutes generosity. But in God’s Kingdom, the value of giving is determined by something far greater: our hearts.

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There is truly something special about the Holy Spirit enabling us to joyfully give something we have little of. There is such freedom in complete surrender to God, and our resources are no exception. What is more, generosity doesn't end with our monetary resources; being generous is a lifestyle that draws us into a unique, deep relationship with him.

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What does your giving reveal about your own heart? No matter how you think you “measure up” when it comes to generosity, I encourage you to ask God to search your heart and show you the answer to this question.

Jesus, thank you for giving everything you had for me without reservation. Please help me to see the posture of my heart behind everything I do, including giving. I want to mirror how you give sacrificially and the love you show. Help me live open-handed like the poor widow, placing all my trust in you. Amen!