Jesus was sitting in the temple near the offering box and watching people put in their gifts. He noticed that many rich people were giving a lot of money. Finally, a poor widow came up and put in two coins that were worth only a few pennies.
(Mark 12:41-42 CEV)
The sun was hot and bright. She tucked damp stray strands of hair back under her headscarf and crossed the street to find the shade. The dust was getting into her eyes and the smell of the sweaty sticky throngs of people and animals got into her nostrils. The pushing and shoving of the crowd carried her through the temple gates into the Women’s Court.
She stayed at the edge of the crowd, trying to pray despite the noise. The richly dressed Teachers glared sharply at her, sneering as they strode past. She shrank back into the shadows the best she could, to stay out of the way. She tightened her hand around the coins, their edges digging into her palm reassuring her that she hadn’t dropped them.
She carefully made her way to the offering box. Several times she was shoved roughly by one of the Teachers, their flowing linen robes showing the status of their office. It was one of those very Teachers that had evicted her from her hovel the previous day, after demanding more rent than she could afford, and more than the room was worth. She watched as he made a great show of dropping a fat purse of gold into the offering box.
A trickle of sweat escaped from under her headscarf and ran down her temple.
She remembered previous offerings she’d made. The time when she saw the box after the priests had emptied it and carried the contents to the treasury at the end of the day, and realised her small pennies were still stuck in the grime at the bottom – overlooked and forgotten.
Or the other time when the guards watching the offering box jeered at her as she dropped her small coins in, and cuffed at her to get out of the way of the wealthier worshippers.
Tears pricked in her eyes at the memories. She inhaled deeply, and reminded herself it didn’t matter, she was here to make her offering to God, and not to people. The taunts and jeers and blows were not going to stop her. This was her act of worship.
She’d learned to be as invisible as she could, to creep in when there were fewer people around, or they were looking elsewhere, quick and quiet and not noticed. There was that new teacher on the other side, he was talking to the crowds and everyone was listening to him. Even the guards were straining to hear him. Now. Quickly.
As she was scuttling back from the box, she glanced around to make sure she was unobserved, and to her shock found the new Teacher’s eyes were looking directly at her. But there was no scorn, no displeasure. Those eyes somehow looked right into her heart and soul, and they were filled with only Love.
Jesus told his disciples to gather around him. Then he said: “I tell you that this poor widow has put in more than all the others. Everyone else gave what they didn’t need. But she is very poor and gave everything she had. Now she doesn’t have a cent to live on.”
(Mark 12:43-44, CEV)
Who am I
To come into Your Holy Presence
What have I
To bring as my offering
All those around
Offer gifts of shining gold
All I have
Are these two copper coins
Here am I
I bring myself to Your altar
All of my heart
All of my life
I pray You’ll find my gift worthy
Here at Your altar
With my two copper coins
Here am I
I’m kneeling in Your Holy Presence
Here I come
Bringing You this offering
All those around
Offer gifts of shining gold
Here I bring
You these two copper coins
Here am I
I bring myself to Your altar
All of my heart
All of my life
Your Love has found my gift worthy
Here at Your altar
With my two copper coins
(Two Copper Coins, © Claudia McFie 2014)
