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1 And he looked vp, and saw the rich men casting their giftes into the treasurie.
2 And hee saw also a certaine poore widow, casting in thither two mites.
3 And he said, Of a truth, I say vnto you, that this poore widow hath cast in more then they all.
4 For all these haue of their abundance cast in vnto the offerings of God, but shee of her penurie hath cast in all the liuing that she had.
5 ¶ And as some spake of the Temple, how it was adorned with goodly stones, and gifts, he said,
6 As for these things which yee behold, the dayes will come, in the which there shal not be left one stone vpon another, that shal not be throwen downe.
7 And they asked him, saying, Master, but when shall these things be? and what signe wil there be, when these things shall come to passe?
8 And he said, Take heede that yee be not deceiued: for many shall come in my Name, saying, I am Christ, and the time draweth neere: goe yee not therefore after them.
9 But when ye shall heare of wars, and commotions, be not terrified: for these things must first come to passe, but the end is not by and by.
10 Then said he vnto them, Nation shall rise against nation, and kingdome against kingdome:
11 And great earthquakes shall be in diuers places, and famines, and pestilences: and fearefull sights and great signes shall there be from heauen.
12 But before all these, they shall lay their hands on you, and persecute you, deliuering you vp to the Synagogues, and into prisons, being brought before Kings and rulers for my Names sake.
13 And it shall turne to you for a testimony.
14 Settle it therfore in your hearts, not to meditate before what ye shall answere.
15 For I will giue you a mouth and wisedome, which all your aduersaries shall not be able to gainsay, nor resist.
16 And yee shall be betrayed both by parents and brethren, and kinsefolkes and friends, and some of you shall they cause to be put to death.
17 And ye shalbe hated of all men for my Names sake.
18 But there shall not a haire of your head perish.
19 In your patience possesse ye your soules.
20 And when yee shall see Hierusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh.
21 Then let them which are in Iudea, flee to the mountaines, and let them which are in the midst of it, depart out, and let not them that are in the countreys, enter thereinto.
22 For these be the dayes of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled.
23 But woe vnto them that are with childe, and to them that giue sucke in those dayes, for there shalbe great distresse in the land, and wrath vpon this people.
24 And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall bee led away captiue into all nations, and Hierusalem shall be troden downe of the Gentiles, vntill the times of the Gentiles bee fulfilled.
25 ¶ And there shalbe signes in the Sunne, and in the Moone, and in the Starres, and vpon the earth distresse of nations, with perplexity, the Sea and the waues roaring,
26 Mens hearts failing them for feare, and for looking after those things which are comming on the earth; For the powers of heauen shall be shaken.
27 And then shall they see the sonne of man comming in a cloud with power and great glory.
28 And when these things begin to come to passe, then looke vp, and lift vp your heads, for your redemptiou draweth nigh.
29 And he spake to them a parable, Behold the figge tree, and all the trees,
30 When they now shoot foorth, yee see and know of your owne selues, that summer is now nigh at hand.
31 So likewise yee, when yee see these things come to passe, know ye that the kingdome of God is nigh at hand.
32 Uerily I say vnto you, this generation shall not passe away, till all be fulfilled.
33 Heauen and earth shall passe away, but my words shall not passe away.
34 ¶ And take heed to your selues, least at any time your hearts be ouercharged with surfetting, and drunkennesse, and cares of this life, and so that day come vpon you vnawares.
35 For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth.
36 Watch ye therefore, and pray alwayes, that ye may be accompted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to passe, and to stand before the sonne of man.
37 And in the day time he was teaching in the Temple, and at night hee went out, and abode in the mount that is called the mount of Oliues.
38 And all the people came earely in the morning to him in the Temple, for to heare him.
Christ commends a poor widow. (1-4) His prophecy. (5-28) Christ exhorts to watchfulness. (29-38)1-4 From the offering of this poor widow, learn that what we rightly give for the relief of the poor, and the support of God's worship, is given unto God; and our Saviour sees with pleasure whatever we have in our hearts to give for the relief of his members, or for his service. Blessed Lord! the poorest of thy servants have two mites, they have a soul and a body; persuade and enable us to offer both unto thee; how happy shall we be in thine accepting of them!
5-28 With much curiosity those about Christ ask as to the time when the great desolation should be. He answers with clearness and fulness, as far as was necessary to teach them their duty; for all knowledge is desirable as far as it is in order to practice. Though spiritual judgements are the most common in gospel times, yet God makes use of temporal judgments also. Christ tells them what hard things they should suffer for his name's sake, and encourages them to bear up under their trials, and to go on in their work, notwithstanding the opposition they would meet with. God will stand by you, and own you, and assist you. This was remarkably fulfilled after the pouring out of the Spirit, by whom Christ gave his disciples wisdom and utterance. Though we may be losers for Christ, we shall not, we cannot be losers by him, in the end. It is our duty and interest at all times, especially in perilous, trying times, to secure the safety of our own souls. It is by Christian patience we keep possession of our own souls, and keep out all those impressions which would put us out of temper. We may view the prophecy before us much as those Old Testament prophecies, which, together with their great object, embrace, or glance at some nearer object of importance to the church. Having given an idea of the times for about thirty-eight years next to come, Christ shows what all those things would end in, namely, the destruction of Jerusalem, and the utter dispersion of the Jewish nation; which would be a type and figure of Christ's second coming. The scattered Jews around us preach the truth of Christianity; and prove, that though heaven and earth shall pass away, the words of Jesus shall not pass away. They also remind us to pray for those times when neither the real, nor the spiritual Jerusalem, shall any longer be trodden down by the Gentiles, and when both Jews and Gentiles shall be turned to the Lord. When Christ came to destroy the Jews, he came to redeem the Christians that were persecuted and oppressed by them; and then had the churches rest. When he comes to judge the world, he will redeem all that are his from their troubles. So fully did the Divine judgements come upon the Jews, that their city is set as an example before us, to show that sins will not pass unpunished; and that the terrors of the Lord, and his threatenings against impenitent sinners, will all come to pass, even as his word was true, and his wrath great upon Jerusalem.
29-38 Christ tells his disciples to observe the signs of the times, which they might judge by. He charges them to look upon the ruin of the Jewish nation as near. Yet this race and family of Abraham shall not be rooted out; it shall survive as a nation, and be found as prophesied, when the Son of man shall be revealed. He cautions them against being secure and sensual. This command is given to all Christ's disciples, Take heed to yourselves, that ye be not overpowered by temptations, nor betrayed by your own corruptions. We cannot be safe, if we are carnally secure. Our danger is, lest the day of death and of judgment should come upon us when we are not prepared. Lest, when we are called to meet our Lord, that be the furthest from our thoughts, which ought to be nearest our hearts. For so it will come upon the most of men, who dwell upon the earth, and mind earthly things only, and have no converse with heaven. It will be a terror and a destruction to them. Here see what should be our aim, that we may be accounted worthy to escape all those things; that when the judgements of God are abroad, we may not be in the common calamity, or it may not be that to us which it is to others. Do you ask how you may be found worthy to stand before Christ at that day? Those who never yet sought Christ, let them now go unto him; those who never yet were humbled for their sins, let them now begin; those who have already begun, let them go forward and be kept humbled. Watch therefore, and pray always. Watch against sin; watch in every duty, and make the most of every opportunity to do good. Pray always: those shall be accounted worthy to live a life of praise in the other world, who live a life of prayer in this world. May we begin, employ, and conclude each day attending to Christ's word, obeying his precepts, and following his example, that whenever he comes we may be found watching.
Commentary by Matthew Henry, 1710.