Biblical WOMEN OF INFLUENCE

The old widow continued in the court observing a man and a woman near the Rabbis. The man pointed to the tapestry and then to the carvings in the ornate columns. With each item indicated, the woman nodded in agreement. They were admiring the beauty of the temple at every turn.
A young family standing in the middle of the court caught her attention. The father held the hand of his small son. The mother held a baby in her arms. They appeared to have traveled to Jerusalem, as their clothing was of the coastal villages. The young father walked proudly as he held the hand of his son. The small boy looked to his father asking questions about everything he was seeing in the court. The father bent down to his knee in front of the boy and spoke softly. The sparkle of joy in the father’s eyes brought a smile to the widow.
“Lord, bless this young family, provide work for his hands, food for their table, health to their bodies and let their hearts be tender to your ways always,” she whispered as she moved by them and approached the offering chests.
The offering chests were around the wall under the colonnade. There were thirteen chests for different offerings. They were there for different purposes: the temple tributes, sin offerings, offerings for the wood used in the burnt offerings of the animals, incense used in the courts and in the Holy of Holies, golden vessels used in the priestly service and sacrifices and one for the voluntary offerings of worship.
Each chest had a metal opening to deposit the coins down to a beautifully carved wooden box. The carvings illustrated pictures of the temple, offerings, animals, birds and other images. The metal opening had a narrow and fluted mouth, then it was wider at the bottom, shaped like trumpets. The sound of the coins dropping into the chest was magnified by trumpet shape. The heavier coins would make a louder sound, while the smaller lighter coins would not make much of a sound at all.
The widow approached the chest for her offering. Several others were depositing coins in the chest close to where she was standing. The noise of the many coins that were being deposited could be heard in the women’s court.
Naarah noticed, as she waited for her turn, a man drawing near a chest off to her left. His head and beard were anointed with fragrant oil. His outer robe was exquisitely decorated in purple and gold. His tunic had the same purple and gold around the collar and down the front in a pattern that matched the outer robe. His belt was woven leather and cloth with tassels that almost reached the floor. Arriving at the chest, he opened a leather bag full of coins and one by one he dropped the heavy coins into the trumpet of the chest. Each coin made a resounding clang as it dropped to the bottom. Each heavy coin announced its value. Some of the people in the court turned to see who was giving such an offering. The repetition of the sound continued as the coins dropped one by one into the chest.
Naarah, unfazed by the noise, walked quietly over to the farthest chest on the right for voluntary offerings. The melody of the psalm was still ringing within her heart.
“Lord, I don’t know what my insignificant offering can do, but it is yours, bless it to your service,” she thought as she stood in reverence at the chest.
She retrieved her two tiny copper coins from her pouch and put them into the metal trumpet opening. As the tiny coins fell into the chest, hardly a sound could be heard. Yet, peace overwhelmed her heart as she turned from the chest and moved back toward the center of the court. She went to the stairs and stood.
Naarah continued to silently praise the Lord, thanking him for his mercy and grace and for his care for her. Her lips moved and her eyes were closed as she worshipped God. Naarah’s heart was overflowing with joy as she left the outer court and made her way home.
Unbeknownst to Naarah a group of men had stood against the wall near the chests, observing her making her offering. In that group was Jesus of Nazareth and some of his disciples. Jesus was well aware of her hardships, difficulties and lack of resources. Naarah was unaware that Jesus was using her life and her example as an important instruction for his disciples.
The act of total dependence on God and sacrificial giving would be recorded by those with Jesus. She never knew Jesus’ disciples would use story many times to explain sacrificial giving to new believers.
Naarah left the temple and made her way home. Meanwhile, Jesus spoke to the disciples. He compared her act of sacrificial giving to the giving of the rich man from his abundance. Jesus wanted his disciples to see that she gave cheerfully all that she had. He wanted them to know that she had spared nothing from God while teaching that the rich man had given from his wealth, but it was not a sacrifice for him.