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.
- Why was Christ so excited about the poor widow?
- When will the things occur that Christ predicted?
- What is the sign of his coming?
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 quarterly 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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