As Jesus looked up, he saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury. He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins.
- Luke 21:1-2

Jesus and his disciples made their way into the temple in today’s passage. This was the center of worship for the Jewish community in their day and age, their holiest piece of earth, their most precious community center. Hundreds and thousands of people from all over the world would pour in and out of the temple every day. They gathered to worship the Lord and to show their devotion to him.

Jesus paid attention to who gave and how much each gave. This can make us feel uncomfortable. As we talked about yesterday, religious predators have used observations to induce guilt, shame, and fear-motivated generosity. But look at it from another angle.

Despite everything else going on in the cosmos, Jesus paid attention to something as mundane as temple finances and giving patterns of Jewish worshippers. God pays attention. He pays attention to us when we pray, when we serve, and (yes) when we give. The God who says he loves us also pays attention to us. And this is good news.

Catch this: Jesus didn’t just pay attention to the large gifts of the wealthy; he also paid attention to the significant gift of a poor widow. In fact, as we’ll see tomorrow, she gets singled out for special attention. God bends down low to keep an eye out for the vulnerable.

All generosity is public before the eyes of our Lord. He sees not only the gift but also the meaning behind it, the intent and the sacrifice that it represents. He searches our hearts and remains faithful to his commitments to us. He honors our every sincere effort and delights even in our smallest, stumbling steps.

How does it affect your practice of generosity to see that God is paying attention? How do you connect with the God who sees you and loves you as you practice generosity?