Luke 21:1-4 Two Copper Coins
Format for Your Devotions
Instructions: Do not read my example devotion until you have completed your own devotional time in the scriptures. Reading my thoughts first may limit your own understanding. Let the Holy Spirit speak to you alone before looking to see what anyone else has to say, whether it is me, a Bible commentary, or a friend. Let God speak to you before you let another person speak to you. I have provided a format, but modify it to fit your needs. For example, I usually combine my application and prayer together talking to God about the application to my own life. You can go through this devotion process mentally, speaking out loud, or in writing as you wish. Don’t worry if you are not following this process exactly. Sometimes, I add extra information and sometimes I emphasize one part more than others. However, you should always think about what you learn about God from this passage.
Step 1: Pray–Ask for the Holy Spirit’s guidance first of all and that God may reveal the lessons that He wants you to have that day. Request that God protect you from Satan’s distractions (and the devil will try to distract you whether it is pinching the baby or putting you to sleep). Ask to see God more clearly as you read and think about the passage.
Step 2: Read the passage–Read to get an overview of the information first. Then start looking at specific parts after the first reading. You may read a larger or smaller section than I have here because you do not have to follow my organization at all.
Step 3: Understand the passage–You can summarize, ask and answer your own questions about the passage, visualize the story, analyze the characters, and relate this passage to other scriptures and personal experiences.
Step 4: What does this reveal about God?–What do you learn about the Father, Son, and/or Holy Spirit from this passage?
Step 5: Apply this to your own life.
Step 6: Prayer
My Example Devotion: November 14, 2018 Luke 21:1-4
Note: In the devotion examples, I leave my questions and thought processes in the text because I am trying to demonstrate that a devotional time is a dialogue with God about what you are reading from His word. As such, any questions or ideas that you have should be explored by talking it out with God. These example devotions are not my attempts to teach you what the meaning of a particular scripture is. They are an attempt to teach you the process of devotions, which is a combination of prayer and Bible study where you explore ideas with God as you read His word.
Jesus looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the offering box, and he saw a poor widow put in two small copper coins. And he said, “Truly, I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them. For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.”
(Understanding the Text / Revelation of God) I think that we can also apply this to spiritual giving. There are some great evangelists with the ability to move thousands. We think of them as giving more than the humble believer who day-in and day-out lives with Jesus without any converts to show for that relationship, yet we are only looking at the outside. The Bible tells us that we have different jobs, such as sowing and reaping. The one who does not show large quantities of rewards is not any less than the one who makes great numbers of converts in God’s eyes. Instead, He looks at our hearts and situations. If we are giving all that we have to Him and drawing from Him for our sustenance, then our gifts are of equal value.
(Understanding the Text) Edersheim describes this scene beautifully. “Weary with the contention, the Master had left those to whom He had spoken in the Porches, and, while the crowd wrangled about His Words or His Person, had ascended the flight of steps which led from ‘the Terrace’ into the Temple-building. From these steps – whether those leading up to the ‘Beautiful Gate,’ or one of the side gates – He could gain full view into ‘The Court of the Women,’ into which they opened. On these steps, or within the gate (for in no other place was it lawful), He sat Him down, watching the multitude. The time of Sacrifice was past, and those who still lingered had remained for private devotion, for private sacrifices, or to pay their vows and offerings. Although the topography of the Temple, especially of this part of it, is not without its difficulties, we know that under the colonnades, which surrounded ‘the Court of the Women,’ but still left in the middle room for more than 15,000 worshippers, provision was made for receiving religious and charitable contributions. All along these colonnades were the thirteen trumpet-shaped boxes (shop̱aroṯ); somewhere here also we must locate two chambers: that of ‘the silent,’ for gifts to be distributed in secret to the children of the pious poor, and that where votive vessels were deposited. Perhaps there was here also a special chamber for offerings. These ‘trumpets’ bore each inscriptions, marking the objects of contribution – whether to make up for past neglect, to pay for certain sacrifices, to provide incense, wood, or for other gifts.”
According to Edersheim it was common practice to give lots of money to the temple. “‘Many that were rich cast in much’ – yes, very much, for such was the tendency that (as already stated) a law had to be enacted, forbidding the gift to the Temple of more than a certain proportion of one’s possessions. And the amount of such contributions may be inferred by recalling the circumstance, that, at the time of Pompey and Crassus, the Temple-Treasury, after having lavishly defrayed every possible expenditure, contained in money nearly half a million, and precious vessels to the value of nearly two millions sterling.” The widow was giving the smallest amount allowed by the temple. “She held in her hand only the smallest coins, ‘two perutahs’ – and it should be known that it was not lawful to contribute a less amount.” Thus, she may have wanted to give less, but the temple would not accept less. Since she really wanted to give, she saved up until she could. This gift wasn’t by happenstance. She was trying to fulfill her duty to God in the way that the religious establishment had told her to do.
(Revelation of God) When we give to God out of our limited resources, whether money, time, or talent, He values the gift. When we give to God out of excess, it is just a normal gift without any great value. Does this mean that I should feel that I give until I am poor? I don’t think so. Jesus was just trying to get His disciples to see that giving is not about the quantity; it’s about the heart of the giver. It’s not about the outward appearance; it’s about doing what you can with the situation you have.
(Application / Prayer) My application for myself is that I should not judge myself against the great evangelists that have brought hundreds, maybe even thousands, messages of love and hope. I am where God has put me with the limited faith and talents that I have developed so far. God is just as happy with me to be in a relationship with Him and taking my baby steps as He is for those more spiritually mature or gifted. This does not take away from God’s pleasure with them, but I should not compare myself. I need to just keep following Jesus wherever He leads me. I want to serve You. Please use me.