(2) A certain poor widow.—St. Luke’s word for “poor” differs from St. Mark’s, and seems to have been carefully chosen to express the fact that the widow, though “needy,” and compelled to work for her scanty maintenance, was yet not a “beggar,” as the more common word for “poor” suggested. It is not found elsewhere in the New Testament. read more
The Presence of Christ (For Advent) Luke 21:5-6 This discourse of our Lord is one of the most difficult for us to follow and apply, and yet it has made a vivid impression on the imagination of the world. Our Advent hymns and services are full of reminiscences of it, while, like so much else in Holy Scripture, it has suffered from an irreverent literalism which has at times imposed too great a strain on the imagination until faith has closed her wings and dropped heavily to the earth. The Day... read more
CHAPTER 21 1. The Widow’s Mite. (Luke 21:1-4 ) 2. The Destruction of the Temple Predicted. (Luke 21:5-6 ) 3. The Disciple’s Question Concerning the Future. (Luke 21:7 ) 4. Things to Come. (Luke 21:8-19 ) 5. The Destruction of Jerusalem and the World-wide Dispersion of Israel. (Luke 21:20-24 ) 6. The Return of the Lord with Power and Great Glory. (Luke 21:25-28 ) 7. The Fig Tree and Warnings. (Luke 21:29-38 .) This entire chapter with the exception of the incident of the widow’s mite is... read more
21:1 And {1} he looked up, and saw the rich men casting their gifts into the treasury.(1) According to the judgment of God, the poor may even exceed the rich in generosity and liberality. read more
THE WIDOW'S TWO MITES (vs.1-4) The first four verses are a continuation of the sublect of Chapter 20. If the scribes had no regard for widows, God takes full account of them. Rich men may donate large sums to the temple service and yet make no real sacrifice at all, however much it may impress others. The Lord of glory sees and discerns the motives of every heart as well as the actual gifts given. The poor widow, putting in only two mites, is commended above all the rich men, for she gave... read more
LAST TEACHING IN JERUSALEM The facts of this lesson are: (1) the challenge of the chief priests and scribes as to the authority of Jesus which, as we saw in Matthew 21:0 , was equivalent to their formal rejection of Him who had just entered their city as the Messiah in fulfillment of Zechariah’s prophecy; (2) the parable of the vineyard which, as we saw in the same place, was equivalent to His formal rejection of the nation; (3) the questionings of the Pharisees, the Sadducees and the... read more
How to Treat Commotion Luk 21:14-29 Jesus Christ is teaching us how to conduct ourselves in the midst of tremendous commotions. The chapter should be read from Luke 21:5-36 : within that space you hear thunder, and great winds blowing like tempests; you are made familiar with the shock of earthquake and the falling of things supposed to be immovable. There is in very deed what we have termed tremendous commotion, nation rising against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and great... read more
CONTENTS The Lord Jesus foretells of the Destruction of the Temple. He answers the anxious Questions of His Disciples, in fortifying their Minds with suitable Advice for the Approaching Trials. read more
And he looked up, and saw the rich men casting their gifts into the treasury. And he saw also a certain poor widow casting in thither two mites. And he said, Of a truth I say unto you, that this poor widow hath cast in more than they all: 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. By Jesus looking up is not meant to say that the treasury was on an elevated spot, for Mark tells us that he sat over... read more
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Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers - Luke 21:1-4
XXI.(1-4) And saw the rich men casting their gifts.—See Notes on Mark 12:41-44. This may, perhaps, be thought of as one of the incidents which St. Luke derived from verbal communication with his brother-evangelist. (See Introduction.) read more