Luke 21:1-4

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When Jesus looked up he saw some wealthy people
putting their offerings into the treasury
and he noticed a poor widow putting in two small coins.
He said, “I tell you truly,
this poor widow put in more than all the rest;
for those others have all made offerings from their surplus wealth,
but she, from her poverty, has offered her whole livelihood.”

Luke 21:1-4



Life had always been hard, but it had become so much more difficult since the death of her husband.  She herself was moving on in age, still she made the trek to the temple treasury to offer her pitiful amount.  She had two small copper coins in her hand.  She rubbed them together.  They were smoothed from friction and not worth much, but they were all she possessed at the moment.  She prayed God would provide, even a crust of bread, in the coming days.

When she entered the room for offerings she took note of a cluster of younger men across the way.  They looked to be men who had journeyed a great distance on foot to come to the temple.  They weren't wealthy in appearance.  Their garments were worn and coated with a layer of dust.  One of the men spoke to the others.  She heard them refer to him as teacher.  This confused her somewhat, since the one speaking was not dressed in the fine robes of a Pharisee.

A small group of obviously wealthy men were turning to leave, after giving their offering.  Their token from their bounty could provide her with a month's worth of bread for her barren table.  How she hungered for a tiny morsel to ease the pains in her stomach.

She looked at the two coins in her hand, rubbed them together again and considered their value.  They were worthless, even to a child, if picked up off the street.  All she had was her poverty and faith in the God of Abraham.  She set the two coins in the proper place and turned to leave.  Today God would provide or her stomach would surely rumble in protest.

The group of men, clustered across the room, still watched her as she left the treasury and once again she wondered why the one dressed as a pauper would be honored with the title of teacher.




copyright 2016 - Donald P James Jr 


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