WIDOW’S MITE
JESUS WAS RESTING
IN THE COURT OF THE
WOMEN
HE’S BEEN WRESTLING
WITH THE SCRIBES
THEIR MOTIVES
WERE NOT TO MAKE MEN’S
LIVES BETTER
BUT TO MAKE RELIGION
ONEROUS
HE WAS WATCHING THE
OFFERING PRACTICES
OF SOME INDIVIDUALS
A MAN RICHLY DRESSED
MAKING DRAMATIC
GESTURES
AS IF SEMAPHORING GOD
LOOK HOW GENEROUS I
AM
THREW VIOLENTLY
HIS COINS AT THE
TRUMPET
A METAL DEVICE
LIKE A FUNNEL
IN WHICH COINS WERE
PLACED
TO FALL INTO THE
COLLECTION BOX
BELOW IT
HIS OBJECT
WAS TO MAKE A LOUD
NOISE
COINS AGAINST METAL
SO BYSTANDERS WOULD
KNOW HOW GENEROUS HE WAS
HE’S ALREADY TOLD GOD
ADJUSTING HIS ROBE
FROM HIS ACTIVITIES
HE WALKED PROUDLY
HEAD HELD HIGH
SURE HE WAS THE
CENTER OF ATTENTION
INTO THE TEMPLE
BEHIND HIM
A NEW WIDOW
WITH CHILDREN
CLUTCHING AT HER SKIRT
DODGING THE RICHMAN’S
WINDMILL ARMS
GENTLY PUT IN TWO LEPTON
COINS WHICH TOGETHER
WERE WORTH LESS THAN
A PENNY
THEIR NAME MEANS THIN
ONES
IT WAS ALL SHE HAD
THE COINS FELL LIKE A
WHISPER INTO THE BOX
THE WIDOW WALKED AWAY
REGRETTING IT WASN’T
MORE
NOW NOT ALL RICH
PEOPLE ARE EVIL
NOT ALL POOR PEOPLE
ARE GOOD
JESUS USES HYPERBOLE
EXAGGERATION
STEREOTYPES
TO TEACH LESSONS
IT WASN’T THE AMOUNT
OF THE COINS
THAT WAS IMPORTANT
BUT THE HEART THAT
GAVE THEM
PERHAPS SHE WAS
PRAYING FOR HER HUSBAND’S SOUL
PRAYING THE HAZKARA
JEWISH PRAYER FOR THE
DEAD
Have mercy upon him; pardon all his transgressions
. . . Shelter his soul in the shadow of Thy wings. Make known to him the path
of life."
THE SOUND OF THE GENTLE FALLING COINS
OF THE WIDOW
HAVE BECOME AN ECHO
A LESSON
TO WHICH WE SHOULD GIVE HEED
FRANK A VOLLMER
