Day 14: Heart Work
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Transcript
Prior to his arrest and crucifixion, in one of the last recorded interactions Jesus has with his disciples, we find a very short account that’s been talked about many times in the centuries since then. In fact, you might even think of this story as one of Jesus’s parables (a fictional story), but it’s not. It’s an account that actually happened, and Jesus offers a lesson based on what he saw in the moment.
It’s found in Luke 21, when Jesus was at the temple, making a couple of observations about people who were giving their money to the temple.
Just for context, the money people gave was used to pay for the upkeep of the temple, to give a stipend to the Jewish religious leaders, and to distribute money to the poor—particularly widows and orphans. Here’s what the text says about what happened.
“As Jesus looked up, he saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury. He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins. “Truly I tell you,” he said, “this poor widow has put in more than all the others. All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.””
You might notice something peculiar about the passage: Jesus doesn’t necessarily condemn the rich people’s gifts, but he commends the gift of the poor widow. He even said that this poor widow had given more than all the others.
The disciples had seen what Jesus saw that day, and probably on other days prior: wealthy people bringing their large sums of money and this woman giving her coins. They’d heard the big thud of the rich, dropping in their large gifts. Perhaps they heard the small clink of the widow’s coins. The rich left that day still rich, not concerned about their daily needs. But the widow gave in a way that left her trusting God would meet her needs. He was her hope.
The point Jesus was making wasn’t that we should give away all our money. But the widow’s offering reveals the fact that God sees what people overlook: he sees our heart when we give.
This widow recognized that all she had was God’s. She gave first and trusted God to provide. Her gift was the opposite of leftover giving. It was sacrificial giving. It was a gift directly connected to her faith in God.
Sacrificial giving is hard work, but also heart work. It’s about asking God to refine our hearts so we give from love, not obligation. That’s when giving becomes a privilege, not a burden. When our hearts are right, giving isn’t just an action—it’s a reflection of our faith.
“Heavenly Father,
Help me see that true generosity isn’t about the amount I give, but the trust behind it. Teach me to give in a way that stretches my faith. Amen.”
