All

"She...has given everything she has."  Luke 21:4

        There is no hint in Scripture that the widow knew she was being observed as she dropped the two copper coins into the offering box with her work-worn hands. It wasn't the first time she had made her way to the Temple to give an offering and surely wasn't the last. Each and every time God had watched, and all along he had seen her heart. But this time her God was there in the flesh - Jesus, taking notice and making others take notice, without the widow ever knowing. And Jesus wants us to take notice of this snapshot moment captured by him and projected for all the world to see through his Word.
        A widow. Alone. Poor. Not much to live on, much less to give away. Yet her heart is rich with love and devotion to God, and it finds its extravagant expression through her lack. It wasn't coins she was really giving. She was, at the heart level, giving all of herself to God. Jesus, having seen her all along, cries out to his followers on this day, at this moment,  "That's love. That's faith. That's trust. That's what my people do! That's what I am calling you to. That's what I'm doing for you - giving my all!" He came in poverty for relationship, was going to die for love and wanted everyone to see through the beauty of this widow what religion could never be and the religious never do. Love. Extravagantly.
        A widow. Alone. Poor. Not much to live on, much less to give away. Yet her heart was humble and kneeled to God. No one saw her, really saw her. She likely moved throughout her days within the close-knit community with the pity of the people, perhaps given a nod and a smile, but no status, no favor. But all the while, unseen, was the favor of God welling up, waiting to overflow the day Jesus is there in the Temple observing. She was so oblivious to her own self she didn't notice anyone watching. She came, she gave, she turned to leave. But she was seen. Really seen. Deep down beneath the surface seen. Jesus looks deep. He sees underneath. He gazes below to the humble heart kneeled down and lifts her up. "Humble yourselves under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time." Jesus lifted her up, not just to those there with him that day, but to us all. She was lifted up in due time, in a way that honored her heart and let her be truly seen. We don't have her name, but we have her story, because it is meant to be our story too.