As Jesus watched the rich “putting their gifts into the [temple] treasury,” he observed “a poor widow put in two copper coins [“two mites” KJV] (Lk. 21:1-2). Jesus himself analyzed what she had done by putting it into perspective: the others gave out of their abundance; she gave all of her living. But did Jesus mean that simply because she gave all she gave more (vv. 3-4)?

Is there a deeper point to Jesus’ life-lesson? Perhaps we are meant to ask, “What motivated the widow to give all,” and “Why did she feel free to give all?” Moreover, does the widow’s gift disqualify the gifts of the others, who gave out of their abundance?

Maybe the answers to these questions showcase much more than just the degree of generosity manifested by the two categories of givers. Perhaps they reflect the level of the givers’ sense of dependence upon God, and their level of commitment to God. Perhaps the difference in the level of their giving says something about the level of their Christlikeness, their holiness.

In support of this claim, we might argue first, that the widow did not give out of a sense of poverty, but out of a sense of complete trust in God her provider (cf. Habakkuk’s attitude, 3:17-19). It was a lack of this basic trust that was a problem for the rich young ruler (Lk. 18:18-30). It is our lack of trust in God alone to provide for us which makes our dependence upon wealth (detached from its source in God) the basic form of idolatry (cf. Eph. 5:5; Col. 3:5).

Second, her gift of “all the living that she had” (v. 4) was not a means of shaming God into helping her, but rather expressed the freedom from worry she already had as a result of her fully committed trust in God. She saw herself as a love slave of God. Therefore, her whole life belonged to God. Her whole life was His, and therefore her daily source of food was His concern as well. She perfectly demonstrated the kingdom value of seeking first the kingdom of God (Matt. 6:33). She had a great mentor in Joseph: it was this attitude of complete trust that enabled Joseph to retain spiritual victory in face of multiple injustices, and which enabled him finally to forgive his brothers who had tried to exterminate him (Gen. 50:20). It was this profound level of totally committed, complete trust in the Father, that enabled Jesus to forgive his enemies and “when he was reviled, . . . [to] not revile in return; . . . but he trusted to him who judges justly” (1 Peter 2:23).

The widow’s mite was not more just because it was all; it was more because she herself was more. She gave to the Father (through contributing to the Father’s house) out of the same sense of servanthood and abundance that enabled Jesus to give his life for the world. They were free to give all because their “all” was the Father himself the Father’s total commitment of himself to them (cf. 1 Peter 5:7).

This does not seem to be the attitude nor basis of giving of the rich givers. They gave out of “their abundance,” (italics mine): they had already begun to see their wealth as their security/life, rather than seeing their security as being God, the true Source of their wealth. Already the seeds of idolatry had been sown. The widow was living in a different world than they were, not just on the human social/cultural level, but more importantly, on the spiritual level. She was a true citizen of heaven.

This total trust in, and commitment to God, is the foundational attitude behind biblical holiness. It cannot exist where the servant does not love God with his/her whole heart, soul, mind and strength. It is the foundational requirement of a right relationship with God. Its fruit is seen in transformed behaviour and character Christlikeness (cf. 1 Jn. 2:1-6; 3:9).

Thus, in Jesus and Joseph and the widow we see citizens of heaven walking about on earth. Their identity and character is defined solely by who they are in relation to the Father. Therefore their behaviour and ethics are those of the kingdom. They are free from self bondage and from bondage to the earth. They are free for others precisely because they are free for God. And they are free because they are consciously living out of the abundance of the Father himself.