Certain stories of Jesus’ life on earth immediately pull on my heartstrings, and this is one of them. Picturing Jesus sitting at a distance watching people drop their money into the temple treasury, and Him seeing this widow go up to give what seemed like so little compared to those around her. By Jesus’ words to the disciples, we can see that He cuts straight to the heart of the matter. It’s not that Jesus praised her for giving a certain amount; it’s the fact that she gave “everything—all she had,” which points to the condition of her heart. Based on this segment of Scripture, we don’t know that Jesus ever approached her directly. Even though she was seemingly unseen in her generous giving, Jesus saw not just her gift but her heart and praised her for it.
How can we follow the widow’s example in our giving? Not just in our financial giving, but in giving everything we have for God to use in greater ways. Giving Him all of our time, talents, and treasures. Do we give to the point of it costing or challenging us? Are we willing to continue giving even when it’s unseen? The widow might have walked away without deliberately being acknowledged. Still, her offering received the greatest thing we could ask for: praise and approval from Jesus Himself.