In Part 1, a bright
spotlight was tightly focused on unfaithful, duplicitous teachers of the law.
Jesus concluded his "calling out" of these religious pretenders with "They will receive the greater
condemnation." Without a doubt, the Nazarene ratcheted up the
irritation level with the Jewish authorities.
From his teaching place in
the temple, Jesus moved to where the temple tax and freewill offerings were
placed -- "opposite the treasury."
The Temple treasury
referred "to the 13 trumpet-shaped receptacles on the walls in the Court
of the Women." [i]
From his observation
point, Jesus could see the contributors (rich and poor alike) and how their
offerings were being placed in the various receptacles. "Many rich people put in large sums." Was Jesus making a
judgment against people who were wealthy? No,… but his statement was
matter-of-fact that many "contributed
out of their abundance."
Jesus notices a widow who
places two small copper coins in the treasury. Those particular coins known as
"mites" were the smallest denomination in use by any nation.
To provide insight into
the value of these coins (also called leptons):
* The temple tax was a
half-shekel (roughly two day's worth of labor), which was worth one and a half
denarius.
* One and half denarius
would be worth 192 mites.
* Two mites would be worth
about five minutes of labor.
While Jewish males of a
certain age were expected to make payment of the temple tax, the widow was not
under this obligation. She gave a freewill offering and did so without a show of
ostentation -- unlike others who desired to be noticed. In essence, the widow gave
her life in the offering.
Questions about the widow
for the curious: How did she become so poor? Was it because of the scribes and
their self-interest, swindling, estate-planning techniques? Did they "devour
her house"? Was she exploited?
With what Jesus had stated
earlier, there definitely seems to be a direct connection. In the three prior
verses, Jesus made a scathing declaration how these corrupt Torah-teachers prey
upon the weak; specifically -- "They
devour widows' houses." In these next verses, Jesus walks to the treasury.
Surely a large number of the enthralled crowd who heard those words of rebuke followed
him. Once here, Jesus points out a poor widow.
It is as if Jesus says,
"And here's exactly what I was
talking about! This poor widow who you see before you was prey to an
unscrupulous scribe. She was left destitute; yet, look at her even in this
horrible situation. Out of her poverty, the two mites which she gave as an
offering were everything she had. It was all she had to live on. What devotion
to God!"
Now some may consider her action
foolish. She contributed money that could've put food on the table. How much
would two mites buy? Who knows? Probably not much. Nonetheless how would the widow
eat when she gave away everything she had? Also, why would this woman make any
kind of offering to God when it was a "respected" religious authority who had taken her to the cleaners?
What Jesus wants known is
this woman acted out of faith in spite of what happened to her. She's utterly,
completely faith-driven. Her gift to God was a true sacrifice. She didn't hold
back.
As Gene * succinctly said,
"She gave extravagantly as God gives and loves extravagantly."
In many instances, widows
had no one to rely upon except those who would be hospitable. They had to rely
upon the kindness of others to survive. The gifts given to them would be
received openly, humbly, graciously, sincerely.
The scribes for whom Jesus
said "beware" would prey upon the kindness of others to add to their
abundance. How sincere, humble and gracious were these scribes with the gifts
given to them?
Applying these last four
verses of Chapter 12 to our own lives…
What are the motives
behind our own actions? What would we humbly offer to God? What do we openly give
out of gratitude? What treasures have we kept locked away for ourselves? What
would we consider a true sacrifice?
All of us are being told
by Jesus to live up to our higher calling. And within that call is sacrificial
giving. "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." [ii]
Actions = Beliefs
NEXT
Warning upon warning upon
warning…
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