Truly I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all; for all of these out of their abundance have put in offerings for God, but she out of her poverty put in all that she had

And He said to them, "How can they say that the Christ is the Son of David?  Now David himself said in the Book of Psalms:

'The LORD said to my Lord,
"Sit at My right hand,
Till I make Your enemies Your footstool."'

"Therefore David calls Him 'Lord'; how is He then his Son?"

Then, in the hearing of all the people, He said to His disciples, "Beware of the scribes, who desire to go around in long robes, love greetings in the marketplaces, the best seats in the synagogues, and the best places at feasts, who devour widows' houses, and for a pretense make long prayers.  These will receive greater condemnation."

And He looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the treasury, and He saw also a certain poor widow putting in two mites.  So He said, "Truly I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all; for all of these out of their abundance have put in offerings for God, but she out of her poverty put in all that she had."

- Luke 20:41-21:4

Yesterday we read that some of the Sadducees, who deny that there is a resurrection, came to Him and asked Him, saying:  "Teacher, Moses wrote to us that if a man's brother dies, having a wife, and he dies without children, his brother should take his wife and raise up offspring for his brother.  Now there were seven brothers.  And the first took a wife, and died without children.  And the second took her as wife, and he died childless.  Then the third took her, and in like manner the seven also; and they left no children, and died.  Last of all the woman died also.  Therefore, in the resurrection, whose wife does she become?  For all seven had her as wife."  Jesus answered and said to them, "The sons of this age marry and are given in marriage.  But those who are counted worthy to attain that age, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry nor are given in marriage; nor can they die anymore, for they are equal to the angels and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection.  But even Moses showed in the burning bush passage that the dead are raised, when he called the Lord 'the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.'  For He is not the God of the dead but of the living, for all live to Him."  Then some of the scribes answered and said, "Teacher, you have spoken well."  But after that they dared not question Him anymore.

And He said to them, "How can they say that the Christ is the Son of David?  Now David himself said in the Book of Psalms:  'The LORD said to my Lord, "Sit at My right hand, till I make Your enemies Your footstool." ' Therefore David calls Him 'Lord'; how is He then his Son?"  Interestingly, it is some of the scribes -- experts in Scripture -- who have just approved of Christ's answer to the Sadducees regarding resurrection and what the Scriptures indicate (see yesterday's reading, above).   Immediately following, Jesus here challenges them regarding what the Scriptures indicate about the Messiah.  This directly involves Jesus' identity as both human and divine.  The first reference to the LORD in Christ's quotation applies to God the Father, and the term my Lord refers to Christ, the Messiah.  The question is answered in that Christ is the Son of David in His humanity and David's Lord in His divinity.   As king of Israel, David could not and would never address anyone as "Lord" except God.  But in the first verse of Psalm 110, David refers to the Messiah as "Lord."   The only possible conclusion for the scribes -- experts in Scripture -- is that the Christ, the Messiah is both a descendant of David and also shares His divine Lordship with God the Father and the Holy Spirit.

Then, in the hearing of all the people, He said to His disciples, "Beware of the scribes, who desire to go around in long robes, love greetings in the marketplaces, the best seats in the synagogues, and the best places at feasts, who devour widows' houses, and for a pretense make long prayers.  These will receive greater condemnation."  We can perhaps assume that it is their failure to give an answer to His question about the understanding of the Psalm that leads Jesus to make these statements to the people.  Most likely, as in the question regarding the authority of John the Baptist, they understand His implications regarding the Scripture, but refuse to answer.  He links their failure to respond truly to their love of stature in the eyes of others, a love of position -- their deep desire for the praise of men over the praise of God (John 12:42-43).  

And He looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the treasury, and He saw also a certain poor widow putting in two mites.  So He said, "Truly I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all; for all of these out of their abundance have put in offerings for God, but she out of her poverty put in all that she had."  Immediately after condemning the hypocrisy and focus of the scribes on their status among people, Jesus singles out this widow -- who in her humility gives a greater gift to God than all others.

There is an American expression (which most likely derives from an earlier English expression), in which one gives one's opinion as "my two cents."   It's a way of indicating humility and politeness while nevertheless stating one's opinion or position on a matter.  The idea is that one's opinion may be just that, one's own opinion -- but it is nevertheless of value to oneself.  So it is understood that the expression comes from the story of the widow's two mites put into the treasury of the temple.  There is a lot to be said for the evolution of language through time, and the expression actually helps to illuminate the truth of Christ's teaching in singling out the poor widow.  She's the image of humility in her poverty.  There is no nonsense about her.  In contrast to the showy and ostentatious hypocrisy of the scribes, who apparently (according to Jesus) love to assert themselves and their public honors in front of the world, this poor widow gives all she has to God, out of her poverty and sincerity and tremendous love.  She becomes, in the image given to us by Christ, the antidote for what plagues, demeans, and even delegitimizes the religious authorities -- their hypocrisy that results from their love of position, of "the praise of men" as opposed to the praise of God.  She, on the other hand, has devoted her whole life to God and contributes everything at her disposal.  She becomes, in some sense, the image of the people of God, of Israel.   It is an image in which poverty is a positive quality -- one in which poverty serves as a great leveler to get down to the truth and total honesty and transparency.  She cannot hide behind an image in the eyes of others; she has only what she truly has, and it is all that she can offer.  And yet a whole heart offered to God is simply the greatest gift that we can give; it is all that we can give.  When we strip down all the worldly honors and images and opinions others have of ourselves, we simply stand as we are before God -- and it is in that place where we offer ourselves as we truly are.  This is the great gift that God wants.  The scribes could never admit that the words of the Psalmist indicate Christ as both human and divine.  It would eradicate their standing among those who await a Messiah who will be merely a great and righteous king, who can re-establish the political and material fortunes of the land of Israel.  They could never admit that Jesus who has no worldly position and no worldly authority could nevertheless be a divine and human Messiah.  This would go too far in threatening their places and the whole of the order in which they participate.  Christ looks to the poor at heart for His disciples, for those who have only their two cents to give (that is, their whole heart and soul and mind and strength).  These are the ones -- both rich and poor, both common people and prominent members of the Council -- who can hear His call and who will clearly respond to it.  It is this image of the poor widow that teaches us about the value of humility to ourselves, stripping down to what is real and true, and to what really counts.  For that -- her two cents -- simply becomes everything we have.