How does Luke 21:3 connect with 2 Corinthians 9:7 about cheerful giving? Setting the Scene in Luke 21 Luke 21:1-4 pictures Jesus in the temple, watching worshipers drop their offerings into the treasury. Wealthy people give “out of their surplus,” yet a widow deposits “two small copper coins.” Jesus singles her out: “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all the others.” (Luke 21:3) What Jesus Measured • Amounts differed, but Christ weighed motives, not money. • Her gift was “more” because it represented wholehearted devotion—she “out of her poverty put in all she had to live on” (v. 4). • The scene highlights trust: she surrendered earthly security to the Lord who sees in secret (cf. Matthew 6:4). Paul’s Counsel to Corinth “Each one should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” (2 Corinthians 9:7) Shared Thread between the Passages • Heart over hand: both passages emphasize inner attitude above outward amount. • Cheerful = willing, joyful, uncoerced; exactly what motivated the widow’s sacrifice. • God-focused generosity: she trusted the Lord with her last coins; Paul calls believers to trust God’s sufficiency (2 Corinthians 9:8). • Freedom from pressure: temple gifts were public, yet the widow ignored social comparison; Paul urges giving “not under compulsion.” Practical Connections for Today • Evaluate motive: ask if giving flows from gratitude and faith rather than obligation. • Prioritize proportional faith, not proportional wealth; smallest gifts can carry greatest eternal weight (Mark 12:44). • Give what you purpose beforehand; planning fosters cheerfulness, not reluctance. • Expect God’s provision: “My God will supply all your needs” (Philippians 4:19). Supporting Scriptures • Proverbs 3:9-10 — honor the Lord with firstfruits. • Acts 20:35 — “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” • 1 Chronicles 29:14 — “Everything comes from You, and we have given You only what comes from Your hand.” • Malachi 3:10 — trust God to “open the windows of heaven.” Key Takeaway Jesus and Paul echo one voice: the Lord delights in gifts springing from joyful, trusting hearts. Amounts vary; cheerful faith remains the true measure. |
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