CHAPTER THIRTY ONE: WIDOWS AND FEMALE DISCIPLES

The morning time in the Temple courts on Thursday began with Jesus sitting with his disciples opposite of where people would come and throw money into the vessels called temple treasuries. These were large fluted vessels made of stone into which it was easy to throw coins. As he taught, Jesus said, “Watch out for the teachers of the law. They like to walk around in flowing robes and be greeted in the marketplaces, and have the most important seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets. They devour widows’ houses and for a show make lengthy prayers. Such men will be punished most severely.”

Jesus then fell silent for a bit and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasuries. Many rich people threw in large amounts. But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a fraction of a penny. Pointing out the woman to his disciples to him, Jesus said, “Amen I say to you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything–all she had to live on.

“Let me tell you another parable: In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared G-d nor cared about human opinion. And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, ‘Grant me justice against my adversary.’ For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear G-d or care about human beings, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually wear me out with her coming!’ ” And Jesus added, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off?I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”

It was especially the female disciples, Miryam, Joanna, Susanna and others who had come down to Jerusalem with the Twelve for the Festival who most appreciated this teaching, for it was so congruent with the many exhortations in Torah about taking care of widows. They had been staying in Bethany as well with a family well known to Miryam and Martha, and had been present at most of the teaching sessions both in Eliezer’s home and on the Temple Mount.

Jesus seemed very sad on this day, and as he looked out over the Temple courts he lamented: “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing. Look, your house is left to you desolate. For I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace–but now it is hidden from your eyes. The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every side. They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of G-d’s coming to you.”

On this day Jesus did not stay long in the Temple courts, but went across to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray during the afternoon. The plan was that late in the afternoon all the disciples would regather at the house of Eliezer and then follow directions to the place where they would celebrate Passover with Jesus.