April
4th Luke 21 The
Widows mites
1: And he looked up, and saw the
rich men casting their gifts into the treasury. 2: And he saw also a certain
poor widow casting in thither two mites. 3: And he said, Of a truth I say unto
you, that this poor widow hath cast in more than they all: 4: For all these
have of their abundance cast in unto the offerings of God: but she of her
penury hath cast in all the living that she had.
Question
– The Temple
5: And as some spake of the temple,
how it was adorned with goodly stones and gifts, he said, 6: As for these
things which ye behold, the days will come, in the which there shall not be
left one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down. 7: And they asked
him, saying, Master, but when shall these things be? and what sign will there
be when these things shall come to pass? 8: And he said, Take heed that ye be
not deceived: for many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and the time
draweth near: go ye not therefore after them. 9: But when ye shall hear of wars
and commotions, be not terrified: for these things must first come to pass; but
the end is not by and by. 10: Then said he unto them, Nation shall rise against
nation, and kingdom against kingdom: 11: And great earthquakes shall be in
divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs
shall there be from heaven. 12: But before all these, they shall lay their
hands on you, and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues, and into
prisons, being brought before kings and rulers for my name's sake. 13: And it
shall turn to you for a testimony. 14: Settle it therefore in your hearts, not
to meditate before what ye shall answer: 15: For I will give you a mouth and
wisdom, which all your adversaries shall not be able to gainsay nor resist. 16:
And ye shall be betrayed both by parents, and brethren, and kinsfolks, and
friends; and some of you shall they cause to be put to death. 17: And ye shall
be hated of all men for my name's sake. 18: But there shall not an hair of your
head perish. 19: In your patience possess ye your souls. 20: And when ye shall
see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is
nigh. 21: Then let them which are in Judaea flee to the mountains; and let them
which are in the midst of it depart out; and let not them that are in the
countries enter thereinto. 22: For these be the days of vengeance, that all
things which are written may be fulfilled. 23: But woe unto them that are with
child, and to them that give suck, in those days! for there shall be great
distress in the land, and wrath upon this people. 24: And they shall fall by
the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and
Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the
Gentiles be fulfilled. 25: And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the
moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with
perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; 26: Men's hearts failing them for fear,
and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the
powers of heaven shall be shaken. 27: And then shall they see the Son of man
coming in a cloud with power and great glory. 28: And when these things begin
to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption
draweth nigh. 29: And he spake to them a parable; Behold the fig tree, and all
the trees; 30: When they now shoot forth, ye see and know of your own selves
that summer is now nigh at hand. 31: So likewise ye, when ye see these things
come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand. 32: Verily I say
unto you, This generation shall not pass away, till all be fulfilled. 33:
Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away. 34: And
take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with
surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon
you unawares. 35: For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the
face of the whole earth. 36: Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may
be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to
stand before the Son of man. 37: And in the day time he was teaching in the
temple; and at night he went out, and abode in the mount that is called the
mount of Olives. 38: And all the people came early in the morning to him in the
temple, for to hear him.
Christ is in the temple and he goes
to see the treasury where Jews threw their tithes. These tithes were their
yearly or quarterly offerings and he saw a very poor widow throw in her two
mites. These were the lepta. A copper coin valued at 3/16ths of a penny, the
penny was a days wage for a labourer.[1] Did she give the tithe
out of duty? Yes, but, more out of a full heart of devotion. It was her last
few coins. It was all she had.
Then Christ gives teaching about the
end times. Somebody had pointed out the beautiful stones in the temple. Christ
said the days will come in which there will not be left one stone upon another.
Luke records two of their questions. When shall these things be? And what sign
will there be when these things shall come to pass? First Christ warns of a
rise of False Christ’s. Christ says that there will be a general conflagration
of war such as in the first and second world wars. He says this is not the end.
Then he says there will be a massive increase of seismic activity and there
will be an increase of famine and pestilences. And there will be fearful sights
and signs in the heavens. However before these things there will be a general
persecution of the remnant of Israel. The remnant will be delivered to Kings
and Governors and when they come before Kings the Holy Spirit will give them in
that hour what to say. Families will be divided over Christ. Christ says that
in those days the Jews will be hated of all men for Christ’s sake. However not
one hair of their head will perish. Christ says, in your patience possess ye
your souls. Then Christ gives specific instruction about what to do when
Jerusalem is surrounded by Enemy armies. He says, Flee to the mountains. And
don’t take any time about it or you will be caught. This prophecy was partially
fulfilled AD 70. When Israel is surrounded by Armies then they will know that
the Desolation is near. Christ says that at this time Israel will be led away
into all nations and Jerusalem will be trodden down of Gentiles. (These
prophesies merge into one as if the Church age will not occur. Of course it is
not certain that Israel would continue to reject the Lord.) Then Christ speaks
of signs in the heaven which have never occurred yet. There will be a general
failing of the confidence of men. Then and only then will they see the coming
of the Son of man in a cloud of heaven with great power and great glory. Christ
says when these events occur then lift up your heads because the redemption of
Israel is near. Christ says when you see these things come to pass then you
will know that the kingdom of God is at hand. Then Christ says that this
generation will not pass away until everything is fulfilled. The injunction of
the Jews is to be watchful and not to live carelessly.
[1] In
2010 the average days wage is £80 - in the UK, so 3/16ths of £80 is £15 and
she gave two.. If this was her quaterly tithe offering then she was living on £300
for three months. This would mean she was living on about £3.30 a day or £23.10
a week – That’s poverty and she gave it all. The NT church had a great
responsibility to poor widows.
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