He looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the treasury; and he saw a poor widow put in two copper coins. And he said, "Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them; for they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all the living that she had." Luke 21:1–4 (RSV)
Two copper coins, called lepton, was her offering in the Temple. Two lepta, coins you would earn if you worked six minutes on any given day. Almost without any real value compared to the amounts others were putting in that day. They would not glitter like the gold and silver coins that tumbled into the offering. She, like her two copper coins, would hardly be noticed.
Jesus did. He noticed the widow. Jesus noticed all those whom others had written off. He noticed those who the 'right people' would not give the time of day. Jesus noticed the ill, deformed, the disabled, the leper, the sinner, all whose brokenness others chose not to see.
There was no sin in giving out of one's abundance. God blesses the wealthy to give to the work of the Lord out of their abundance. We can give thanks for their stewardship, but giving from your excess is not a challenge. What they gave did not come close to who they were nor would it cause their bellies to growl that evening.
The widow put in her life. The coins were food for supper or a few sticks for warmth against the chill of the night. They were her treasure, and she chose to give it to the Lord.
I marvel at such devotion, such faith, for all she had left to her was her trust in God. We pray, 'give us this day our daily bread,' with hardly a thought. The widow knew that any bread she would receive that day would be pure grace. It would be holy bread, a mercy of God for which she would give true thanks.
Where are our hearts when we bring our offerings to the Lord? Where are our hearts when we pray 'give us this day our daily bread'? It is always the question in everything we do, where are our hearts? The widow's heart was living in trust that God will provide. Where are our hearts?