Luke 21 · WEB
The Widow's Mite and the Olivet Discourse
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He looked up and saw the rich people who were putting their gifts into the treasury.
2He saw a certain poor widow casting in two small brass coins.
3He said, "Truly I tell you, this poor widow put in more than all of them,
4for all these put in gifts for God from their abundance, but she, out of her poverty, put in all that she had to live on."
5As some were talking about the temple and how it was decorated with beautiful stones and gifts, he said,
6"As for these things which you see, the days will come, in which there will not be left here one stone on another that will not be thrown down."
7They asked him, "Teacher, so when will these things be? What is the sign that these things are about to happen?"
8He said, "Watch out that you don't get led astray, for many will come in my name, saying, 'I am he,' and, 'The time is at hand.' Therefore don't follow them.
9When you hear of wars and disturbances, don't be terrified, for these things must happen first, but the end won't come immediately."
10Then he said to them, "Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.
11There will be great earthquakes, famines, and plagues in various places. There will be terrors and great signs from heaven.
12But before all these things, they will lay their hands on you and will persecute you, delivering you up to synagogues and prisons, bringing you before kings and governors for my name's sake.
13It will turn out as a testimony for you.
14Settle it therefore in your hearts not to meditate beforehand how to answer,
15for I will give you a mouth and wisdom which all your adversaries will not be able to withstand or to contradict.
16You will be handed over even by parents, brothers, relatives, and friends. They will cause some of you to be put to death.
17You will be hated by all men for my name's sake.
18And not a hair of your head will perish.
19By your endurance you will win your lives.
20"But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation is at hand.
21Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let those who are in the middle of her depart. Let those who are in the country not enter therein.
22For these are days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled.
23Woe to those who are pregnant and to those who nurse infants in those days! For there will be great distress in the land and wrath to this people.
24They will fall by the edge of the sword, and will be led captive into all the nations. Jerusalem will be trampled down by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.
25"There will be signs in the sun, moon, and stars; and on the earth anxiety of nations, in perplexity for the roaring of the sea and the waves;
26men fainting for fear and for expectation of the things which are coming on the world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.
27Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.
28But when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is near."
29He told them a parable. "See the fig tree and all the trees.
30When they are already budding, you see it and know by your own selves that the summer is already near.
31Even so you also, when you see these things happening, know that God's Kingdom is near.
32Most certainly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all things are accomplished.
33Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will by no means pass away.
34"So be careful, or your hearts will be loaded down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that day will come on you suddenly.
35For it will come like a snare on all those who dwell on the surface of all the earth.
36Therefore be watchful all the time, praying that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will happen, and to stand before the Son of Man."
37Every day Jesus was teaching in the temple, and every night he would go out and spend the night on the mountain that is called Olivet.
38All the people came early in the morning to him in the temple to hear him.
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Summary
Jesus contrasts the wealthy donors with a poor widow who gives all she has, declaring her offering greater. He then predicts the destruction of the temple and delivers the Olivet Discourse — warning of false messiahs, wars, persecution, the siege of Jerusalem, and cosmic signs preceding the coming of the Son of Man. He calls disciples to endure, watch, and pray, knowing their redemption is drawing near.
Themes
- Sacrificial giving from the heart
- Coming judgment on Jerusalem
- Endurance under persecution
- The return of the Son of Man
- Watchfulness and prayer
Key verses
- Luke 21:19 — “By your endurance you will win your lives.”
- Luke 21:28 — “But when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is near.”
- Luke 21:3-4 — “Truly I tell you, this poor widow put in more than all of them, for all these put in gifts for God from their abundance, but she, out of her poverty, put in all that she had to live on.”
- Luke 21:33 — “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will by no means pass away.”
Context & background
The Olivet Discourse was given on the Mount of Olives, just east of Jerusalem (modern Israel), overlooking the temple Jesus was about to leave for the final time. Herod's temple was a massive marble-and-gold structure that took decades to build; Jesus' prophecy of its destruction was fulfilled in AD 70 when Roman armies under Titus razed Jerusalem. The temple treasury where the widow gave had trumpet-shaped receptacles in the Court of the Women, where amounts could often be heard as they were dropped in. Luke wrote after these events for a largely Gentile audience, making the prophecy especially poignant.
Cross-references
- 2 Kings 12:9 — Temple treasury chest established by Jehoiada
- Daniel 9:26-27 — Prophecy of the destruction of the city and sanctuary
- Mark 13:1-37 — Mark's parallel Olivet Discourse with similar warnings
- Matthew 24:1-44 — Matthew's expanded version of the end-times teaching
- Revelation 6:12-17 — Cosmic signs and the wrath of the Lamb echo verses 25-27