AN: Here is this year's "Jesus themed" story for the anniversary of his death. (Which, is actually TOMORROW, April 3rd/Nisan 14th, if anyone's wondering.)
The temple floor felt hard and smooth under the worn sandals of the elderly widow. Her clothes were not of the finest quality, well-patched but also often patched, yet they were her very best, arranged neatly around her aged body.
She did her utmost, this poor widow, to stay out of the way of the better-dressed folk lining up to place their bags of monies, obviously very heavy with coins, with the temple donations.
She smiled a little to herself, pleased that these people were honoring God with their goods.
Slinking discreetly to the back of the line, the widow wet her dry lips nervously. As if to be certain she had not lost them (so small as they were) along the way, she clenched her wrinkled hand tightly, pressing two impossibly tiny coins into her palm. Reassured, she let out a breath of relief.
Phew, it was warm in the temple today, wasn't it? The smell of incense tickled her old nostrils.
"Ah-choo!"
The man in front of her, mildly startled, almost lost hold of his coin bag. Turning slightly, he scowled at her.
She smiled apologetically.
The man rolled his eyes.
Another two men, garbed in purple, got in line behind her, their bags so full to bursting they could scarcely carry it.
The frazzled widow was just trying to decide if she ought to let them go ahead of her, or if, since she was getting closer to the front, it would make less fuss to simply drop in her coins and duck out of their way then, when she caught something one of the men had just said.
He'd said Jesus and a handful of his disciples were here. The widow, having heard of Jesus and his great works, was eager for even a quick sight of him; for a glimpse of the son of God, the long awaited messiah. Only there was no time just now. It was her turn to drop in her donation.
Because she'd been clenching the little coins so tightly, two circles were now etched into the palm of her trembling hand.
Overturning her palm, she let the coins fall. They landed in the middle of so much treasure with barely a clink, clink to mark them.
Leaving the line, the woman kept her eye out for Jesus. That was when she saw him; he was warmly gesturing at the donations, speaking to his disciples.
"Truly I say to you,"Jesus told them, a gentle, approving smile upon his face, "this poor widow put in more than all of these. For they put in gifts out of their surplus, but she out of her want, put in all the means of living she had."
There is a comforting lesson we can all take from this story. We may not have much to give (be it in time, money, or anything else) and, living as we do in a world full of materialism, we may feel embarrassed by what we can reasonably offer.
The Bible itself makes no comment on how the widow felt as she gave up those coins, however, it is noteworthy that these coins could not have even purchased so much as a single sparrow! Being human, perhaps she felt guilty and wished she could give something more. Yet, in the eyes of Jesus, she gave more than everyone, because she gave the best of what she had, not begrudgingly or to look holy, nor for any other reason!
Simply because that was what she wanted to do.
So if we are truly motivated by love, we can take heart, knowing that Jesus and our heavenly father will never fail to take notice.
Even of two coins of very little value.
AN: Comments welcome.
