Poem: She Gave More

One ordinary day at the temple,
Jesus purposed to watch people go by;
He observed their heart attitudes,
without them… even knowing why.

He watched the gait of the proudly rich,
dressed in their expensive clothes;
they jingled a portion of their wealth
and drew attention with uplifted noses.

Christ properly noticed and judged the scene
of them depositing their offering coins,
disappointed that they collected their reward
(of pride) below the temple’s cornerstone quoins.

Along came a widow, who gave her last two mites,
a reflection of a poor and impoverished state,
unknowingly falling victim to the scribes’ greed,
as she quietly suffered under poverty’s weight.

At the moment, Christ exclaimed to His disciples
that ‘she had given more’ than those preceding her;
for the others offered a pittance of their wealth,
although possessing an abundance of gold and silver.

For the misguided woman was improperly taught
that God would replenish her monetary seed,
when pressured to extreme and unholy sacrifice,
as she clung to the belief of His meeting her needs.

Unfortunately, she failed to recognize the false doctrine,
being perpetuated under the malpractice of the scribes.
For near to her was the Christ - the One who provides
the Living water, upon which one may graciously imbibe.

Please note that this story is not about giving,
but about learning to observe false Pharisees.
The widow’s unhappy sacrifice was for nothing,
since the Christ’s presence… she did not see.

Author Notes

Loosely based on:
Mark 12:41-44; Luke 20:45-47, 21:1-4; Matt 23:37-38

By Joseph J. Breunig 3rd, © 2013, All rights reserved.
Author/poet, Reaching Towards His Unbounded Glory