Two Mites and the Temple Destruction (Lk 21:1-5)

This lesson introduces Luke chapter 21 then discusses the widow’s two mites, and finishes with Jesus’ prediction of the temple destruction.

Luke 21:1-5

Luke 21 - Chapter Introduction  

The last two verses in chapter 21 establish the context for what is going on:  

37 And in the daytime He was teaching in the temple, but at night He went out and stayed on the mountain called Olivet. 38 Then early in the morning all the people came to Him in the temple to hear Him.  

Jesus spends His last days in Jerusalem preaching in the temple to those who will hear him. However each evening He left the city and went to the Mount of Olives, which is roughly .2 miles east of the temple, directly across the Kidron Valley.  

The majority of Luke 21 is given over to Jesus’ discussion of the destruction of Jerusalem and the events of the last days. But prior to launching into those topics, Jesus has a few words to say about giving.

  

The Widow's Two Mites  

Luke 21:1-4

1 And He looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the treasury, 2 and He saw also a certain poor widow putting in two mites.  3 So He said, "Truly I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all;  4 for all these out of their abundance have put in offerings for God, but she out of her poverty put in all the livelihood that she had."  

We see from the parallel account in the Gospel of Mark (Mk 12:41-44) that Jesus is seated where He can see people entering in the temple treasury and giving their gifts or free will offerings. The Greek word translated “treasury” is gazophulakion; it occurs only here in Luke, twice in the parallel passage in Mark, and once in the Gospel of John (John 8:20).  In John the word seems to designate the place in the temple where the collection occurred, while in Mark and Luke the word seems to be one of the collection (or agape) boxes rather than the place the boxes were located.  

We do not know exactly where in the temple the treasury or the collection boxes were located. However, since the poor widow was able to access the treasury, it must have been either in the Court of the Gentiles or the Court of the Women, as these were the only parts of the temple to which women had access. From non-biblical sources, such as the writings of Josephus, apocryphal books like 1 and 2 Maccabees, and rabbinical writings such as the Mishna, scholars speculate that the treasury in Herod’s temple “was a part of or contiguous with the court of the women, and in it were placed thirteen trumpet-shaped receptacles for receiving the free-will offerings of the people; each receptacle carried a sign indicating the use of the money placed therein.” (From article on the Treasury, International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, revised edition, Copyright © 1979 by Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co..) Jesus could see into this area and saw people placing their free-will offerings into the various receptacles. The fact that Jesus could see what coins the window donated suggests He was relatively close by.

In both the account of Luke and Mark, the two coins the widow donates are identified as lepta, which are roughly equivalent to 1/5^th of our penny. Two Lepta were equivalent to one quadrans, another small Roman coin made of bronze. Four quadrans were equivalent to an as, another small Roman coin. Scholars believe that the usual cost of a loaf of bread in Jesus’ day was one Roman as. Two lepta were thus enough to purchase ¼ of a loaf of bread.  

The word “mite,” which occurs in both the KJV and the NKJV, is a reference to a 16^th century coin called a mijt, which was used in Netherlands and was the smallest copper coin in circulation in Europe at that time. Other translations use “small copper coins” in place of “mites.” Below is a photo of lepta from the time of Jesus.

Figure 1 Greek lepta

The giving of the poor widow is I believe intended to be contrasted with that of both the rich givers mentioned in our passage as well as the scribes whom Jesus warns at the conclusion of Luke 20, “devour widows’ houses.”( Luke 20:47) The Greek word translated in the NKJV as “gifts” is doron, which is used both for the gifts that God gives to man and that man gives to God. In the later context these gifts could be either sacrifices prescribed by the Law or strictly voluntary, free-will offerings; to the best of my knowledge, our passage does not indicate. Many scholars believe that in our passage the word means monies given for support of the temple or to meet the needs of the poor.  

When we think of the sacrifices and tithes prescribed by the Mosaic Law, we typically think of animals and foodstuffs, such as grain and oil. However, at times the Lord commanded collections be taken of money, as well as of gold and silver jewelry, brass, fine linens, wood, and precious stones Exodus 35:29). For example, we know that in the time of the census in Exodus 30:11-16 the Lord had commanded His people that each man over the age of twenty should pay a ransom of half-shekel which was to be used for “the service of the tabernacle of meeting….” In the time of Nehemiah (Nehemiah 10:32-34), an annual temple tax seems to have become the tradition. That temple tax was still in effect in Jesus’ day. In Matthew 17:24-26, when the disciples are approached by the collectors of the temple tax who Peter ask whether Jesus pays the tax, Jesus commands Peter to catch a fish which had swallowed a shekel to pay the temple tax for them both.  

Because of the varying amounts being given, as well as the way the tax is being collected, it seems clear that our passage does not describe the collection of the temple tax. I believe that the gifts offered in our passage were probably free-will or thanksgiving offerings.  

While the rich givers in our passage give more money than the poor widow, Jesus makes it clear that they give out of their abundance. The implication here is that these rich had a large amount of money at their disposal, enough to address all their needs and wants, and then some. They are being generous with their surplus riches. Although Jesus does not criticize these rich people, scripture frequently warns against the danger of those who are wealthy trusting in their riches and themselves for their needs.  

For example, Proverbs 11:28 warns that “He who trusts in his riches will fall, But the righteous will flourish like foliage.” In the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 6:19-21, Jesus admonishes His listeners:

Luke 21: 19-21

19 "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal;  20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.  21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”  

 

And in 1 Timothy 6:10 Paul tells Timothy “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.” The love of money can lead us to stray from our faith, and it is by faith through grace that we are saved.

Unlike the rich, the poor widow gives not out of her abundance; rather “she out of her poverty put in all that she had, her whole livelihood." (Mark 12:44) Jesus knows that these two coins represent all the widow had because He can read our hearts. The poor widow willingly gives everything she has to God, trusting not in money to provide for her but in God. I believe she exhibits the faith in God’s provision that Jesus calls us to have:

Luke 12:29-34

29 "And do not seek what you should eat or what you should drink, nor have an anxious mind.  30 For all these things the nations of the world seek after, and your Father knows that you need these things.  31 But seek the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you.  

32 "Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.  33 Sell what you have and give alms; provide yourselves money bags which do not grow old, a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches nor moth destroys.  34 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

  

Because she has so very little, it was easy for the widow to give to God everything she had and trust in Him to provide for her. The more we have, the more likely we will be to think twice about what we give to God and how much we trust Him to provide for us. This is, I believe, part of the reason that Jesus, after speaking with the rich young ruler, tells His disciples:

Matthew 19:23-24

"Assuredly, I say to you that it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven.  24 And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."   

It is not more of the things of the world that we need but more of Jesus. And when the things of this world become distractions for us, we need to if necessary flee from them and leave them behind, as Joseph fled from the embraces of Potipher’s wife, leaving his garment behind in her hands.  

Recall that at the end of Luke 20, Jesus warned His disciples about the scribes. One of the negative things Jesus pointed out was that the scribes “devour widows’ houses.” Rather than helping those who like the widows were in need, Jesus’ phrase indicates that the scribes were consuming whatever assets widows might have. We are not told exactly how the scribes were doing this but only to be careful about them because they were doing so.  

Widows, along with orphans, were one of the groups whom the Lord was always concerned for. In Exodus 22:22-24, the Lord tells Israel

22 "You shall not afflict any widow or fatherless child. 23 If you afflict them in any way, and they cry at all to Me, I will surely hear their cry; 24 and My wrath will become hot, and I will kill you with the sword; your wives shall be widows, and your children fatherless.

We see this sentiment also in Zechariah 7:8-10, where the Lord speaks to Israel about the cause of their captivity

8 Then the word of the Lord came to Zechariah, saying, 9 "Thus says the Lord of hosts:

'Execute true justice, Show mercy and compassion Everyone to his brother.10 Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, The alien or the poor. Let none of you plan evil in his heart Against his brother.'  

As copyists and teachers of the Old Testament the scribes were in a position to know these things and act accordingly. However, rather than having more faith in God and trusting Him more, rather than being generous to the widow, the scribes were taking advantage of the widows. And by not treating the widows properly, the scribes in Jesus’ day had displeased the Lord and had brought greater condemnation on themselves. On the other hand, the widow, as Jesus observed, had decided to hand over all to God the means of livelihood she had. Her faith in this regard is a striking contrast to that of the scribes.

In the end what matters is not how much we give but the heart with which we give it. Jesus remarks that even though she put in the least amount of money, the poor window gave more than all. I believe it was the condition of her heart that prompted Jesus to say that.  

We must not give seeking to impress our fellow man and woman. If we do so, our reward will be the praise we receive from men. Our sacrifice will profit us not at all spiritually. Jesus discusses this plainly during the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 6:1-4:

1 "Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them. Otherwise you have no reward from your Father in heaven.  2 Therefore, when you do a charitable deed, do not sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory from men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.  3 But when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,  4 that your charitable deed may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly.”

Whatever we give, we need to give it with a heart that is right with the Lord. The example of the poor widow suggests that we are to give in faith, knowing that God will take care of us. We should not give to receive God’s abundant blessing, out of greed, but because we understand, like the poor widow, God has promised to care for us. His promise allows us to be generous.  

Listen to how the Lord rebuked the Children of Israel through His prophet Malachi when they ceased to bring in their tithes and offerings in faith (Malachi 3:8-12):

8 "Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed Me! But you say, 'In what way have we robbed You?' In tithes and offerings.  9 You are cursed with a curse, For you have  robbed Me, Even this whole nation.  10 Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, That there may be food in My house, And try Me now in this," Says the Lord of hosts, "If I will not open for you the windows of heaven And pour out for you such blessing That there will not be room enough to receive it.  

11 "And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, So that he will not destroy the fruit of your ground, Nor shall the vine fail to bear fruit for you in the field," Says the Lord of hosts;  12 And all nations will call you blessed, For you will be a delightful land,"

We need to give in love for if “I give all my possessions to feed the poor… but have not love, it profits me nothing.” (Corinthians 13:3)I’d like to close tonight by reading 2 Corinthians 9:6-15, where Paul writes to the church at Corinth encouraging them to be generous:

6 But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. 7 So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver. 8 And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work. 9 As it is written:

"He has dispersed abroad, He has given to the poor; His righteousness endures forever."  

10 Now may He who supplies seed to the sower, and bread for food, supply and multiply the seed you have sown and increase the fruits of your righteousness, 11 while you are enriched in everything for all liberality, which causes thanksgiving through us to God. 12 For the administration of this service not only supplies the needs of the saints, but also is abounding through many thanksgivings to God, 13 while, through the proof of this ministry, they glorify God for the obedience of your confession to the gospel of Christ, and for your liberal sharing with them and all men,  14 and by their prayer for you, who long for you because of the exceeding grace of God in you. 15 Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!  

Jesus Predicts the Destruction of the Temple  

Luke 21:5

5 Then, as some spoke of the temple, how it was adorned with beautiful stones and donations, He said, 6 "These things which you see — the days will come in which not one stone shall be left upon another that shall not be thrown down."  

(Compare Matthew 24:1-2,  Mark 13:1,2)

Having taken time to remark on the importance of being “all in” for God, Jesus now turns His attention to the destruction of Jerusalem and the end of the age. In these two short verses prophesying the destruction of Herod’s Temple, there are, I believe, at least three things that we ought to take note of:

1. The accuracy of prophesy
2. The superiority of Jesus to man-made things
3. The foolishness of earthy memorials

We look at each of these points in turn briefly.

The accuracy of prophesy

From the retaining walls and the remains of the blocks that made up the temple walls, we know that Herod the Great’s temple must have been an impressive building. Regarding the temple in Jerusalem, there was a proverb among the rabbis which stated, "He who has not seen the temple of Herod has never seen a beautiful building" (HEROD in International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, revised edition, Copyright © 1979 by Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.)

Herod began the work on the temple in 20 B.C. and it is believed that the sanctuary was completed in about eighteen months. Herod’s Temple was modeled on Solomon’s Temple and the sanctuary itself was roughly the same size: 60 cubits long, 20 cubits wide, and 40 cubits high. Scholars believe a Jewish cubit was roughly 18 inches, making the dimensions of the sanctuary roughly 90 feet long, 30 feet wide, and 60 feet high.  

The other structures took much longer to complete. John 2:19-20 suggests that work was still going on 46 years after Herod began but this may just be referring to repairs and maintenance. However some scholars speculate that the temple was still being worked on as late as A.D. 63, long after Herod’s death in 4 A.D., and just seven years before the temple was destroyed.  

Jesus’ prophesy, that “not one stone shall be left upon another that shall not be thrown down”, was fulfilled in 70 A.D. when Titus, the son of the Roman Emperor Vespasian, took Jerusalem after a six-month siege, during which Herod’s temple was demolished and burnt. When the Roman soldiers finished their demolition, none of the stones that comprised the walls of Herod’s temple were still standing. It is still that way today.  

The superiority of Jesus

From the parallel accounts in Matthew 24:1-2 and Mark 13:1-2 we learn that it was Jesus’ disciples who were pointing out the splendor of Herod’s Temple to Him. We can understand somewhat how that might happen. All of us have the tendency to be astonished by both the wonders of nature and the monuments of man. We visit the Grand Canyon or Niagara Falls and are amazed at their size and beauty. We see photographs or drawings of the Great Pyramids of Egypt or of Hoover Dam and wonder how such things were ever built. We travel to big cities like New York or Chicago and stare at all the tall buildings and bright lights.  

Such sights are spectacular and indeed in their own way point to God. Whenever I see the wonders of nature, I can’t help but think of the God who made them all. And when I see spectacular man-made structures sprawling over acres of land or scraping the sky, I am reminded of mankind’s first recorded building project, the Tower of Babel, as we sought to reach up to God by our own ingenuity.  

However, it is critical that we keep things in the proper perspective. We need to remember who Jesus and God are compared to the things, especially man-made things, which amaze us. The same disciples who tugged on Jesus’ garments and pointed out details of the temple to Him had seen Him raise Lazarus from the dead not more than a few weeks before and resurrect two others before him. Over the course of three years these same disciples had seen Jesus make the blind see, the lame walk, the deaf hear, and the dumb speak. They had seen Him walk on water, calm the storms and waves, heal the sick, cast out demons, and feed thousands from a few small fish and loaves of bread. And some of them had seen Jesus transfigured and had heard God attest that Jesus was His beloved Son in Whom He was well-pleased. Yet Herod’s temple struck them as something marvelous!

In Pastor Robert’s study in Hebrews 1 we have learned that Jesus is the heir of all things; the one through whom all things were made; the express image of God’s person; the upholder of all things the word of His power; the one who purged of our sins; who is seated at the right hand of God, His Father. Jesus is the alpha and the omega, the beginning and end of all things. 1 Corinthians 8:6 tells us that it is through Christ that we live; He is our everything, our all-in-all. When we meditate on whom Jesus is and on what He has done, I believe that it will become obvious that nothing is more marvelous than Jesus, and nothing is more deserving of praise than Him.  

In this light I want to read you chapter 4 of the Book of Revelation, where the Apostle John is taken up into heaven and describes the scene he sees there:

Revelation 4:1-11

1 After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven. And the first voice which I heard was like a trumpet speaking with me, saying, "Come up here, and I will show you things which must take place after this."  

2 Immediately I was in the Spirit; and behold, a throne set in heaven, and One sat on the throne. 3 And He who sat there was like a jasper and a sardius stone in appearance; and there was a rainbow around the throne, in appearance like an emerald. 4 Around the throne were twenty-four thrones, and on the thrones I saw twenty-four elders sitting, clothed in white robes; and they had crowns of gold on their heads. 5 And from the throne proceeded lightnings, thunderings, and voices. Seven lamps of fire were burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God.  

6 Before the throne there was a sea of glass, like crystal. And in the midst of the throne, and around the throne, were four living creatures full of eyes in front and in back. 7 The first living creature was like a lion, the second living creature like a calf, the third living creature had a face like a man, and the fourth living creature was like a flying eagle. 8 The four living creatures, each having six wings, were full of eyes around and within. And they do not rest day or night, saying:

"Holy, holy, holy,  Lord God Almighty, Who was and is and is to come!"  

9 Whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, who lives forever and ever, 10 the twenty-four elders fall down before Him who sits on the throne and worship Him who lives forever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying:  

11 "You are worthy, O Lord,  To receive glory and honor and power; For You created all things,

Certainly God has filled His creation with things that take our breath away. As the Psalmist reminds us, man himself is wonderfully and fearfully made (Psalm 139:13-14). And throughout the centuries man has created some amazing things. But neither man nor any of man’s creations is deserving of our praise and worship; God alone is worthy. We need to be on our guard so that we do not allow ourselves to worship anything except the original creator, our Heavenly Father.  

In the end, I believe the temple in Jerusalem was just a shadow or type of Jesus. This I believe is the truth which underlies Jesus statement to the Jews in John 2:19: "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up." Rather than worship or be in awe of the shadow of Christ, we as His disciples should worship and be in awe of Jesus Himself.  

The foolishness of earthly memorials

The temple in Jerusalem was just one of the many building projects that Herod undertook.  During the period from 25 B.C. - 14 B.C., Herod also constructed theaters, amphitheaters, and hippodromes. He built or restored fortresses, such as Masada and Herodium, and pagan temples which had fallen into ruin or disrepair. He greatly enlarged the Phoenician seacoast city known as Strato's Tower (the King’s tower) and renamed it Caesarea Maritima. There Herod built a remarkable man-made harbor, constructed from concrete forms poured underwater,  and an impressive temple to Caesar. Within a century Caesarea Maritima had become the chief port of Palestine and the administrative center for Roman Judea. In 24 B.C. Herod also built himself a royal palace in Jerusalem.  (HEROD in International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, revised edition, Copyright © 1979 by Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co. and the Wikipedia article on Herod the Great.)

It is not wrong to build buildings as King Herod did. After all God commanded Solomon to build a temple in Jerusalem every bit as splendid as what Herod the Great built. What was wrong I believe was his reason for doing so. While we cannot say definitively why Herod devoted so much time and money to his building projects, I believe that it was because he desired to create a legacy which would live on after him. I believe Herod undertook his building projects out of pride, because he thought he was someone special who deserved to be remembered.

In scripture Herod the Great does not come across as a godly man who is led by the Holy Spirit but rather as a man who was interested in his comfort and power, who is led by the spirit of this world. When the wise men came to Herod seeking the newborn King of the Jews, Herod’s response was slay the male children in the area of Bethlehem.   

Psalm 127:1 tells us that
 

1 Unless the Lord builds the house, They labor in vain who build it; Unless the Lord guards the city, The watchman stays awake in vain.  

Because it was Herod who was behind the building, much of what he built did not endure for long. Herod’s palace in Jerusalem was also destroyed in 70 A.D. and his fortress at Herodium, built to commemorate his victory over the Parthians, was destroyed by the Romans the following year. Masada also was taken by the Romans in 73 A.D. and many of its structures were reportedly destroyed by fire. Herod’s construction projects at Caesarea Maritima fared better. A tsunami struck the man-made harbor sometime in the 1^st or 2^nd century A.D.. Afterwards the harbor deteriorated until it ceased to be usable sometime in the 6^th century A.D.. The temple and other buildings endured until the city was conquered by the Moslems and reduced in 638 A.D..  

Jesus tells us clearly that we should not lay up treasures for ourselves here on earth where they will be destroyed but rather in heaven, where they will endure forever (Matthew 6:19-21). Nor are we to exalt but rather to humble ourselves, because as Jesus tells us Luke 14:11 “For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted." God gives His grace to the humble but scorns the proud (James 4:6). We are called to be like our Lord, who Philippians 2:7 tells us “made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men.” Like Jesus, we should not seek to establish ourselves but should wait for the Lord to establish us.

Ozymandias by Percy Byssche Shelley

I met a traveller from an antique land
Who said: "Two vast and trunkless legs of stone
Stand in the desert. Near them on the sand,
Half sunk, a shattered visage lies, whose frown
And wrinkled lip and sneer of cold command
Tell that its sculptor well those passions read
Which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things,
The hand that mocked them and the heart that fed.
And on the pedestal these words appear:
`My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings:
Look on my works, ye mighty, and despair!'
Nothing beside remains. Round the decay
Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare,
The lone and level sands stretch far away".