Let us live a life that boldly casts our very lives and trust upon God, just like the poor widow.

Let us live a life that boldly casts our very lives and trust upon God, just like the poor widow.

 

 

 

 

“Jesus looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury. He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins.  ‘Truly I tell you,’ he said, ‘this poor widow has put in more than all the others.  All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on’” (Luke 21:1-4).

 

 

(1)   After reading today’s passage—Luke 21:1-4 (and the parallel passage in Mark 12:41-44)—in the Greek New Testament, a particular Greek word caught my attention first.  The reason is that words belonging to the *ballō* (βάλλω) family—meaning “to throw” or “to put in”—appear a total of five times: *ballontas* (βάλλλοντας) (“putting in”) (v. 1), *ballousan* (βάλλουσαν) (“putting in”) (v. 2), *ebalen* (ἔβαλεν) (“put in”) (v. 3), *ebalon* (ἔβαλον) (“put in”) (v. 4), and *ebalen* (ἔβαλεν) (“put in”) (v. 4). What is the specific meaning of this word?

 

1.      The essential meaning of the word: A rough and bold ‘throwing’

 

The Greek word *ballō* does not refer to the simple act of carefully setting something down.  It carries the dynamic meaning of “throwing” or “casting” something forcefully with power.  

 

Whether it was the wealthy making their offerings or the widow putting in her two lepta, the Bible describes them all as having "thrown" their money into the offering box.

 

The "offering box" (*gazophylakion*) of that time featured a trumpet-shaped opening made of brass. Consequently, when coins were tossed in, a loud clanging sound would echo throughout the temple.

 

[Note: The term *gazophylakion* (γαζοφυλάκιον) refers either to the specific "offering box" inside the Jerusalem Temple or to the entire "treasury chamber" (temple storehouse) where these boxes were kept.  Based on biblical history and archaeological context, the specific characteristics of the *gazophylakion* are as follows (Internet):

 

a.      Structural features: Trumpet-shaped brass receptacle

 

Sound amplification: The offering boxes placed in the temple were made of bronze (brass) and featured an opening shaped like a trumpet—narrow at the top and widening toward the bottom.

 

Visual and auditory effects: As coins were inserted, they would roll down the chute, creating a loud, metallic clanging sound that echoed through the temple.  When the wealthy tossed in large sums of money, everyone in the temple could hear the noise.

 

b.      Location: Court of the Women

 

Accessibility: The offering boxes were arranged along the walls of the "Court of the Women," one of the temple's various courtyards.

 

A place accessible to all: This area marked the limit of entry for Jewish women as well as Jewish men.  Therefore, it was a place where even a poor widow could come and offer her contribution without restriction.  The 13 Offering Chests: According to Jewish tradition (the Mishnah), a total of 13 trumpet-shaped offering chests were installed along the walls of the Court of Women.  Each chest bore a plaque indicating its specific purpose, such as the Temple tax, payments for mandatory offerings, or voluntary gifts.

 

c.      Function: The Financial Hub of the Temple

A National Treasury: These chests were more than mere receptacles for coins; they served as a national treasury, holding collected funds, Temple treasures, and materials required for the Temple's maintenance.

 

A Place of Jesus’s Teaching: This was a symbolic location where Jesus frequently stayed and proclaimed the Word; He sat opposite these chests to observe the people (Mk. 12:41), and John 8:20 records that He spoke these words "while teaching in the temple courts near the place where the offerings were put" (the *gazophylakion*).

 

Connection to the Text:

The fact that Jesus sat opposite the offering chests implies that He witnessed and heard not only the act of giving itself but also the volume of the sound echoing from the trumpet-shaped openings and the attitudes of the people.

 

The wealthy likely tossed their money in triumphantly, creating a loud clatter, whereas the widow quietly and perhaps shyly deposited two small coins that made no sound at all.  Right there in front of the treasury (*gazophylakion*), Jesus taught values ​​of the Kingdom of Heaven—centered on the heart—that overturn the values ​​of the world, which focus on the volume of the sound.

 

2.      The Rich People’s ‘Casting’ (vv. 1, 4): Ostentation and Ease

 

Characteristics of the act: For the rich, the verb *ballō* (to cast/throw) represented a "display of casting"—a way to prove their abundance through the sound it made.

 

Specific meaning: They cast a portion taken from their ample surplus (v. 4).  For them, this act was the fulfillment of a religious duty performed with ease and safety, without impacting their lives in the slightest.

 

3.      The Widow’s ‘Casting’ (vv. 2, 3, 4): Casting Her Life and Everything She Had

 

The widow’s act of *ballō* (casting)—which Jesus took note of—was qualitatively completely different from that of the rich.

Characteristics of the act: The two lepta coins the widow cast were light, making almost no sound as they landed in the bronze treasury chest.  Yet, Jesus declared that she had "cast the most" (*ebalen*).

 

Specific meaning: In Verse 4, Jesus states that she cast "all that she had, her whole livelihood." The original Greek word used here for "livelihood" is *bios*, meaning "life."

 

In other words, for the widow, the act of *ballō* was not merely an offering; it was an act of total commitment in faith—casting her very life and future entirely into God’s hands.

 

To summarize:

The word *ballō* (to cast), repeated five times in this passage, poses the question: "What are *you* casting toward God?"  It holds a profound meaning by contrasting a life that merely tosses aside surplus material and time—much like the wealthy—with a life that boldly entrusts one’s very life and faith to God—like the widow; it demonstrates that true devotion pleasing to God lies not in the "size of the amount" but in the "attitude of surrendering one's whole being" (Internet).

 

(a)    Just as the loud, metallic clatter of coins hitting the trumpet-shaped brass offering chests in the Jerusalem Temple allowed everyone inside to hear when the wealthy cast in large sums, I believe that today, too, the large amounts given by the wealthy are becoming known to everyone in the church.  What is the problem here?

 

(i)     The "clattering sound" that echoed from the offering chests in the Jerusalem Temple two thousand years ago now reverberates within the church as a different kind of "invisible sound."  The specific problems arising from this phenomenon are as follows (Internet):

 

1.      Distortion of the Essence of Offering: From "Worship" to "Ostentation"

 

Shifting from God-centered to people-centered: Offering is a holy act of "worship" in which we express gratitude and acknowledge the sovereignty of the God who saved us.

 

The Problem: When the structure allows the amount given to be revealed to the public and praised, the offering ceases to be a gift presented to God and instead degrades into a means of "social display" to prove one's influence and piety.  This precisely mirrors the behavior of the hypocrites whom Jesus rebuked in Matthew 6:2—those who "sound a trumpet in the synagogues and on the streets" to be honored by others.

 

2.      Erosion of Communal Spirit: Spiritual Stratification

 

Wealth as Spiritual Power: When an atmosphere develops where larger financial contributions garner recognition and special treatment, a "spiritual class structure"—mirroring that of the secular world—emerges within the church.

 

The Problem: If major donors dominate church decision-making and even pastors feel compelled to defer to them, the church ceases to be a body with Jesus Christ as its Head and instead degenerates into a "corporation" where wealthy individuals act as shareholders.

 

3.      Alienation and Intimidation of the Poor: A Sense of Spiritual Relative Deprivation

 

The Widow’s Shame: When the widow offered her two lepta at the Jerusalem Temple, how intimidated and ashamed she must have felt—her lightweight coins making no sound amidst the loud clatter of the rich people's offerings.

 

The Problem: Modern church practices that emphasize contribution amounts or publicly display lists of names and donation figures instill a sense of spiritual deprivation and feelings of inadequacy in economically struggling congregants.  Heartbreaking situations arise where individuals who offer small but sincere gifts feel compelled to hang their heads in shame within the church community.

 

4.      Inversion of God’s Values ​​(Kingdom Economics)

 

Amount vs. Heart: Jesus looked not at the quantity of the offering, but at the proportion it represented in the giver's life and the attitude of their heart (the quality).  This is because the rich gave "a portion of their surplus," whereas the widow gave "her all."

 

The Problem: When the church applauds only the large sums given by the wealthy, it commits the sin of directly contradicting Jesus’s standard of judgment—that the widow gave more than the rich. This allows the materialistic values ​​of the world to infiltrate the church, ultimately hindering the power of the Gospel.

 

In conclusion,

The reason the contributions of the wealthy still resound so loudly within the church today is that the community pays more attention to the total amount collected than to the heart of the giver.  Just as the Scripture instructs us not to let the left hand know what the right hand is doing (Mt. 6:3), restoring the secrecy and purity of giving is an urgent task facing the church today (Internet).

 

(2)   Second, I wanted to understand more specifically the contrast between the words “πλουσίους” (plousious, “the rich”) (Lk. 21:1) and “πενιχρὰν” (penichran, “poor”) (v. 2) / “πτωχὴ” (ptōchē, “poor”) (v. 3).

 

(a)    The deliberate contrast between these words in Luke 21:1–3 is not merely intended to illustrate an economic gap between the rich and the poor.  When we examine the nuances of the Greek text, it vividly reveals the collision between the values of the world and the spiritual reality that Jesus sees.  The specific meanings of each word and the depth of their contrast are as follows (Internet):

 

1.      πλουσίους (plousious) – Material Abundance and a Fortress

 

Lexical meaning: Derived from the idea of being "abundant" or "filled to overflowing," this word refers not simply to people who possess much money, but to those whose wealth has become a secure fortress, providing stability and protection for their lives.

 

Nuance in the passage: Because of their material prosperity, these people occupied positions of social confidence and influence even within the Temple.  For them, the offering chest (gazophylakion) became a stage upon which they could display both their wealth and their apparent piety.

 

2.      πενιχρὰν (penichran) – Luke's Description of Her Social Reality (v. 2)

Lexical meaning: This word refers to someone who "barely survives by daily labor," a poor and destitute person.  It is a unique word (a hapax legomenon) occurring only once in the entire New Testament—in Luke 21:2.

 

Nuance in the passage: Luke, the physician, carefully observes the widow's condition and objectively describes her desperate socioeconomic poverty.  This word captures the harsh reality of someone marginalized, whose immediate survival depended upon the help of others.

 

3.      πτωχὴ (ptōchē) – Jesus' Description of Absolute Bankruptcy (v. 3)

 

Lexical meaning: Derived from a verb meaning "to crouch," "to cower," or "to beg," this word describes someone who is not merely poor but utterly destitute—a beggar who has completely lost the ability to provide for himself or herself and would starve without another person's help.  It is the same word used in Matthew 5:3: "Blessed are the poor (πτωχοὶ) in spirit."

 

Nuance in the passage: Whereas Luke describes the widow's social poverty (penichran) in verse 2, Jesus calls her an absolutely destitute person (ptōchē) in verse 3.  Yet the remarkable reversal is that Jesus declares, "This poor (ptōchē) widow has put in more than all the others."

 

The Spiritual Meaning of the Contrast Between These Three Words

 

1.      A Contrast of Possession (Everything vs. A Portion)

 

The rich (plousious) gave only a portion of their overflowing wealth. After giving, they remained rich.

 

The widow (ptōchē), by contrast, possessed no remaining means of sustaining her own life. She threw in everything she had—her two lepta.

 

2.      A Contrast of Trust (Wealth vs. God)

The rich gave while remaining safely protected behind the fortress of their wealth.  Their confidence ultimately rested in their possessions.

 

The widow, however, stood in a condition where every material fortress had completely collapsed (ptōchē).  By throwing in her two lepta, she entrusted her very survival exclusively to God. It was an act of absolute trust and a venture of faith.

 

Ultimately, Jesus exposes the spiritual poverty hidden beneath the rich people's outward prosperity (plousious), while proclaiming the spiritual riches of the widow, who, despite her outward bankruptcy (ptōchē), cast her entire life upon God (Internet).

 

(i)       Since this widow belonged to the marginalized class whose survival depended upon the help of others, and since every material fortress she could rely on had completely collapsed, I became curious about the actual monetary value of the "two lepta" (λεπτά δύο, lepta duo) that she placed into the offering chest.

 

a.      The Actual Monetary Value of Two Lepta

 

A lepton was the smallest and least valuable Jewish copper coin in circulation at that time. The name comes from the Greek word λεπτός (leptos), meaning "thin" or "small."

 

Equivalent in labor wages: In those days, an ordinary laborer's daily wage was one denarius.  One denarius was equal to 128 lepta.

 

Mathematical calculation: Therefore, two lepta amounted to only 1/64 of a day's wage—an extremely insignificant sum.  If we were to compare this with modern South Korea, assuming a daily minimum wage of approximately 80,000–100,000 won, two lepta would be worth only about 1,200–1,500 won (roughly US$1).

 

Purchasing power: This amount was insufficient to buy even the cheapest piece of bread or a single sparrow in the marketplace.  At best, it represented enough value to prolong one's life for only a few hours.

 

b.      An Interesting Difference in Mark's Account (Mk. 12:42)

Luke simply records that the widow "put in two lepta."  Mark 12:42, however, writing for readers in the Roman world, further converts the value into Roman currency: "A poor widow came and put in two lepta, which make a quadrans (λεπτὰ δύο, ὅ ἐστιν κοδράντης) (Mk. 12:42).

 

Here the Roman coin quadrans appears, revealing additional depth in the Gospel writers' message.

 

①     Why Did She Put in Exactly Two Lepta?

 

According to Jewish Temple regulations, at least two coins had to be deposited into the offering chest. The minimum Temple offering was therefore two lepta.  The widow literally possessed only these two coins. To meet even the minimum legal requirement, she had to surrender her entire livelihood.  Had she possessed only one lepton, she would not even have been able to present a legally acceptable offering.

 

②     The Spiritual Paradox: "Two Lepta" Becoming "One Quadrans"

 

The world's arithmetic (2 lepta = 1 quadrans): To Roman observers and by worldly standards, her offering consisted of two tiny coins which, even combined, amounted to the value of only one insignificant Roman coin.  Its sound was completely drowned out by the loud clatter of the wealthy donors' large coins.

 

Jesus' economy of the Kingdom (1 quadrans = 100%): The world regarded it as the smallest, most insignificant amount imaginable.  Jesus, however, knew that it represented her bios (βίος)—her very life, her entire livelihood (100%).  No matter how much the rich contributed, they gave only a tiny fraction (0.x%) of what they possessed.  The widow, however, gave 100%.  According to Jesus' way of reckoning, she was therefore the one who gave the greatest offering.

 

Reflection:

Although the widow's two lepta amounted to almost nothing monetarily, the fact that she withheld not even one lepton but threw in both coins demonstrates an uncalculated, wholehearted trust in God (Internet).

 

·     When I read the phrase "an uncalculated, wholehearted trust in God," I immediately thought of Philip, one of Jesus' disciples, who often approached situations through calculation.  First, when Jesus saw the great crowd coming toward Him and asked Philip, "Where are we to buy bread, so that these people may eat?"  Philip answered, "Two hundred denarii worth of bread would not be enough for each of them to receive even a little" (Jn. 6:5, 7).  Second, during the Last Supper, shortly before Jesus' crucifixion, when Jesus spoke about His departure and the way to the Father, Philip replied, "Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us" (14:8).  In other words, Philip was saying, "If You will only show us visible proof—the Father Himself—that will be enough."  This also reminded me of Proverbs 3:5–6: "Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make straight your paths."  What lesson do these passages teach us?

 

-      The central lesson God gives us today is this: "Stop relying on the calculations of your own eyes ('Enough') and choose the sovereignty of God."  Three specific lessons emerge (Internet):

 

1.      Lay Down Your Conclusion of "Not Enough" (Jn. 6:7)

 

When Jesus asked Philip how they should feed the crowd, Philip immediately began calculating.  After estimating the enormous sum of 200 denarii—about two hundred days' wages—his conclusion was: "It is not enough" (οὐκ ἀρκοῦσιν).

 

The problem: Philip's arithmetic was correct.  But one constant was missing from his calculation: Jesus Christ.

 

Lesson: We often calculate our knowledge, finances, and circumstances and conclude, "This isn't enough. It's impossible."  But the economy of the Kingdom is determined not by the size of our resources, but by whether the Lord who multiplied the five loaves and two fish is present with us.

 

2.      Recognize the Limits of "Show Us" Faith (Jn. 14:8)

 

At the Last Supper Philip said, "Show us the Father, and it will be enough" (ἀρκεῖ).  His faith was conditional: "If You will just give us unmistakable visual proof, then we will believe."

 

The problem: Philip had already spent three years with Jesus.  He had personally witnessed countless miracles, including the feeding of the five thousand.  Yet faith built upon visible signs never reaches true satisfaction. It continually demands more evidence.

 

Lesson: Waiting until every circumstance becomes visibly perfect before obeying is not faith.  Jesus answered Philip, "Whoever has seen Me has seen the Father," calling him to trust the revelation already given through Christ Himself.

 

3.      Put Aside Your Own Understanding and "Acknowledge Him in All Your Ways" (Prov. 3:5–6)

 

The key to overcoming the limits of human calculation is found in Proverbs 3:5–6. 

 

"Do not lean on your own understanding”: Here "understanding" represents the kind of human reasoning, calculations, common sense, and experience that Philip relied upon.

 

"Acknowledge Him in all your ways": The Hebrew word translated "acknowledge" is yada (יָדַע), which signifies knowing someone intimately through personal relationship and experience.  Instead of continually pressing the buttons on our own mental calculator, we are called to trust deeply in the faithful God.

"He will make straight your paths": When we stop insisting on our own calculations and instead trust God, He accomplishes what exceeds human reason: He transforms a widow's two lepta into one of the greatest examples of devotion in biblical history, and He makes five barley loaves sufficient to feed five thousand people.

 

Conclusion: The Final Destinations of the Widow and Philip

 

Philip calculated 200 denarii and still concluded, "Not enough."  The poor widow cast in only two lepta—worth almost nothing—and yet, because she gave her entire life to God, her life declared, "God is enough." 

 

The life God desires is not one that constantly calculates in order to secure personal safety.  Rather, it is a life that honestly acknowledges its own smallness—its own "two lepta"—and its insufficiency, yet boldly confesses, "God alone is enough."  It is the life that throws itself (βάλλω) entirely upon Him (Internet).

 

(3)   Third and last, I wanted to understand more specifically the meaning of the words “περισσεύοντος” (perisseuontos, “out of their abundance”) and “ὑστερήματος” (hysterēmatos, “out of her poverty”) in Luke 21:4.

 

(a)    These two words go beyond a simple quantitative comparison.  They vividly illustrate how humanity's "zone of security" intersects with God's "divine provision."  The following is an analysis by artificial intelligence based on the meanings and nuances of the original Greek words (Internet):

 

1.      “περισσεύοντος” (perisseuontos) — "Out of Their Abundance"

 

Lexical meaning: This is the present participle of the verb περισσεύω (perisseuō), which is derived from the preposition περί (peri), meaning "around."  It describes a cup so full that the water overflows around its sides, or the idea of a surplus—that which remains after all needs have already been met.

 

Nuance in the passage: This word exposes the true nature of the rich people's offering.  They had already built complete material walls of security around their lives.  Then they simply took a portion of what overflowed beyond those walls—what they could easily live without—and threw that surplus into the offering chest.

 

Spiritual meaning: For them, giving was not a confession that they were transferring ownership of their lives to God.  Rather, it had become something closer to a religious hobby through which they confirmed and displayed their own prosperity.

 

2.      “ὑστερήματος” (hysterēmatos) — "Out of Her Poverty"

 

Lexical meaning: This noun comes from the verb ὑστερέω (hystereō), meaning "to lack," "to fall short," or "to run out."  It does not merely describe being poor.  Rather, it denotes deficiency, deprivation, or absolute poverty—a condition in which even life's necessities are lacking.

 

Nuance in the passage: This word portrays exactly where the widow stood in life.  Everything that ought to have filled her life was already absent. Her life had been emptied.  Yet Jesus says that from the midst of that deficiency ("out of her poverty") she threw in everything she possessed.

 

Spiritual meaning: For the widow, the two lepta were not surplus; they were her very means of survival.  To throw them in from the midst of her deficiency meant that she ceased trying to satisfy her own lack through human effort and instead sought only God's provision.  It was an act of complete dependence upon God.

 

The Ultimate Lesson from the Contrast Between These Two Words: The Connection with Philip

 

These two Greek words fit perfectly with the story of Philip in the Gospel of John that we reflected on earlier.

 

The Life of the Rich (perisseuontos): The rich always desired to keep their lives in a state of abundance.  They acted only when their own calculations assured them that everything was secure.  The reason Philip answered, "Two hundred denarii worth of bread is not enough," was that, even though Jesus Himself was standing before him, Philip could not calculate enough visible surplus to satisfy his own reasoning.

 

The Life of the Widow (hysterēmatos): The widow, however, lived in a state of deficiency.  From the standpoint of human wisdom and calculation, hers was a situation of complete hopelessness—a place from which no rational person would move.  Yet instead of complaining about her lack or desperately clinging to it, she threw that very deficiency into God's hands.  She believed that her deficiency (ὑστέρημα) would become the very channel through which she would experience God's abundance (περισσεύω).

 

Conclusion:

The world continually tells us, "First make your own life abundant (περισσεύοντος). Only then will you be secure.  After that, if something is left over, you can share it and devote yourself to God."  Jesus, however, performs the miracles of the Kingdom through those who acknowledge Him and entrust their lives to Him even in the very midst of their deficiency (ὑστερήματος) (Internet).