Let’s talk about the Holy City of Jerusalem. Jerusalem was known as being a “company town.” That is, “in the sense” of being an “old fashioned company town” that ruled everything in a person’s life. That’s what Jerusalem did and was like… That is what it eventually became.
The Temple proper had hundreds, if not thousands of employees. The Temple was not only a religious institution. It was also an economic institution. The Temple performed “many” financial functions, including operating as a central bank and as a treasury.
We know that Jesus and his rhetoric challenged, maybe even, “constantly challenged” the Temple establishment.
It was a known fact that the Temple priests and scribes lived high on the hog. They actually received a cut from every Temple sacrifice and were beneficiaries of a five-shekel-tax on every first-born child.
All of this generated great revenues for the priests, who manned the Temple, day and night…twenty-four-seven.
Several other offerings (or perhaps, better yet, “taxes”) brought in even “greater wealth!”
So much so, those priests got into the business of “lending money” which meant they were also in a position to foreclose on property, if the debt was not paid for…
There was a lot of “commercial activity” that went on “rather routinely” in the “sacred spaces…”
The money-changers might have been just the tip of the proverbial iceberg…but much more – laid below the surfaces. Exchange rates in excess of 50% seemed like nothing.
Practically everyone involved had their hands out and wanted a piece of the action…
At one point it got so far out of hand that the poor could not even afford to make the most simple of sacrifices.
Doves were the acceptable sacrifice for poor people, but the poor could no longer even afford to purchase a dove. When the price of sacrificial doves was lowered by 99% – the merchants were still making money off the poor.
In the Hebrew Bible, “widows and orphans” were often associated as people who experienced “constant and deliberate injustices.” They were vulnerable populations to say the least, and society often ignored both them and their needs.
When someone died, the lawyers would swoop in and help “manage” the deceased person’s estate. These matters were too weighty to be left to women, in a patriarchal society.
Naturally the scribes would charge a fee for their services. When the fees were more than the inheritance, the scribes would confiscate the houses.
The treasury (itself) was located in the Court of the Women.
It consisted of 13 flute-shaped chests into which people threw their offerings… It was all a very open procedure. Donors would state publicly the amount of their gift and the purpose for which it was given.
That such a system might generate some “showing off” is not surprising.
All of this, with a lot more corruption…and we have not even mentioned the High Priest or the dealings with Rome.
Jesus was appalled. He was right to turn over the money-changers tables…He was right to protest and to call the whole system into question.
His point was…the giving was in the wrong direction. Jesus was not celebrating the widow and her giving. It was not the widow who needed to give to the Temple, but rather, the Temple needed to take care of her…
The size of our gift, the enormity of our sacrifice, and the amount of our offering does not buy a relationship with our God.
But it does say something about us!
Nor was Jesus criticizing the generosity of the wealthy…that were generous in order to get positive attention, respect and admiration.
Nor does Jesus invite us to be like the widow and to give EVERYTHING we have to God.
Rather, we are invited to have MORE of an “inner heart” like this widow.
We are to love the Lord with all our heart, mind and soul. We need to realize that we too, are dependent upon God, for our next breath, for our next meal, for our next morning.
The widow woman knew the truth that she was totally dependent on God for everything.
Where there is a closeness to God, a reliance on God, a deep trust in God who cares for us in all circumstances…there is a happiness and inner peace.
Are you relying on God?