It’s your heart that matters, not your money.
So He called His disciples to Himself and said to them, “Assuredly, I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all those who have given to the treasury;
(Mark 12:43)
These coins are replicas of the poor Widow’s offering.
See how small these coins are. Now imagine, if that was all you had, do you have the faith to let them go?
For where your treasure is, there your heart shall be also
(Matthew 6:21)
● Display size: 6″ x 4 ” / 15 x 10 cm.
● Contains 2 replica Hasmonean coins.
● Educational for Sunday school.
● Made in Jerusalem.
Luke’s gospel tells us that the widow came to the Temple to give an offering, as everyone was supposed to do. This coin is a replica of one of the Widow’s Mites found in an archeological dig here in Israel. The English word “mite” comes from William Tyndale’s translation of the New Testament, from decades before the King James Version. When he came to the name of a coin in the New Testament, he often compared it to something used in Europe in his time; here, the “mite” was probably a Flemish coin.
The word used in the New Testament refers to the smallest coin in circulation at that time. Fortunately, we know what it was: the prutah. To make a comparison: the shekel was worth 256 prutot (the plural for prutah). So it was a very small coin. These small prutah were first minted in 78 BC under Alexander Jannaeus, and then used throughout the first century AD. Excavations have shown that prutot were used even as late as the fourth century.
Look at the size of these coins, how small they are. Now, imagine how it must have felt for the widow: all she had to give was two of these coins as a freewill offering. That’s 1/128 of what would be required for the Temple tax (the half-shekel). While the rich men before and after her cast impressive sums into the treasury, Jesus singled her out as an example for His disciples. Her faith was greater than those rich men, simply because they left the Temple and went home to a comfortable house, food and a warm place to sleep. She cast everything she owned into the Treasury in complete obedience and faith in God. Any one of the rich men could have shown faith in God and helped her.
As so often is the case in the Bible, we do not know the end of her story. Perhaps God wants you to write the end of her story yourself? Too often we imagine ourselves to be the hero of the story. Instead, imagine that you are one of the rich givers standing around, yet you hear the words of our Lord. How do you react? Are you able to let the poor widow go away in hunger and privation? Or will you take a portion of your treasures and, in obedience to the clear commands of the God of Israel, help the poor widow? Meditate on this and then ask yourself: “Who is the poor widow of great faith in my life?” Who has God sent to me for my help?
You are welcome to visit us at 24 Christian Quarter Road in the Old City of Jerusalem, Israel.
Our shop specializes in selling antiquities, and we are licensed by the Israel Antiquities Authority as an authorized dealer.
