Jesus at An Hanukkah

The light keeps shining in the dark, and darkness has never put it out (John 1:5 CEV).

For All the So Many Victims

Jesus and the Temple Donors

The setting (context)

And in the hearing of all the people he said to his disciples,  “Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes, and love greetings in the marketplaces and the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at feasts, who devour widows’ houses and for a pretense make long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation” (Luke 20:45-47 ESV). Then....

The event

Jesus sat down near the collection box in the Temple and watched as the crowds dropped in their money. Many rich people put in large amounts. Then a poor widow came and dropped in two small coins.[a] Jesus called his disciples to him and said, “I tell you the truth, this poor widow has given more than all the others who are making contributions. For they gave a tiny part of their surplus, but she, poor as she is, has given everything she had to live on” (Mark 12:41-45 NLT).

What do you think of that brief pericope about the widow? Jesus' words sound odd, do you agree?

As you can see from the context, this moment was when the “gloves were off” as far as Jesus' opponents were concerned. Jesus was watching the donors. Did any of the rich humble themselves to the Nazareth carpenter? Although not directly connected to the preceding lines, I think part of the sad pretending was making conspicuous donations to their Temple. That would surely impress God - wouldn't it? Wouldn't it?

 

Well before that day we find (in Matthew's account) Jesus saying: “Be careful not to practice your righteousness[a] in front of others to be seen by them. Otherwise, you have no reward with your Father in heaven. So whenever you give to the poor, don’t sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be applauded by people. Truly I tell you, they have their reward (Matthew 6:1-2 CSB). Applause, accolades, praise, status - all may be acquired and enjoyed for what they are. At the time. Sad.

Trumpets? Did they actually use trumpets to announce their good deeds, do you think? I do not imagine Jesus just invented that. Do you imagine Jesus frowning that day as he observed the giving by the rich? Were all giving only a small part of their surplus? (Which they were entitled to do.) This voluntary giving was not laid down by God. (There was a "Temple tax" to be paid by males, but this dropping in of money was not that.)

It appears to have been a part of the culture then to make donations to the temple, whatever temple that might be. The temples were repositories of wealth. That wealth might be plundered by victors or used to fund war - as it was in that Jerusalem Temple about 30 years later.

When Jesus pointed out the widow's giving, did he turn to his followers with a smile?

That widow in one author's view

Jesus warmly commends a poor widow (v 43). In Bible times, a widow was not just someone who had lost her ‘significant other’; she was also an insignificant figure, frequently exploited by people who were significant in society (v 40). Yet, despite having no power, no status and very little money, this widow is an incredibly generous giver, demonstrating absolute trust in God by giving ‘all she had to live on’ (v 44). Contemplate the contrast: the teachers of the law grabbed everything they could but she gave everything she had! 

(Tanya Ferdinandusz in Word Live, 26/11/25).

So wrote Ms Tanya in the valued online resource, "Word Live". What do you think?

 

Was the widow wise in her giving? Was she demonstrating her trust in God? Did Jesus warmly commend the widow's kind of giving as generous and trusting? Really? Where? Sorry, Ms Tanya, I see Jesus simply describing the facts. The widow "has given more". He does say what she has done is unlike what other, richer, donors did before her. They had plenty left over; she had nothing! The comment writer's position here reminds me of the mistaken "give away everything" viewpoint. See previous post for that.

https://biblereaderone.blogspot.com/2025/09/did-jesus-really-say-to-give-away.html Well, I really value the Word Live program; the above comment not so much. To take the event that way, I think is unfortunate, but not uncommon.

The widow would receive no honour from those around for her gift. Not that she was necessarily seeking honour. It is very easy - just human nature - to value the gift by its size. Her gift was actually more than all the rest? The amounts differ hugely; the significance is not to do with value, but that is the common measure.

Why did the widow donate the last of her cash? I can imagine her thinking that she could not do much, but she could do this. So she did. There would be a cultural background to her action I should think.

   

And - are there mysteries here? Was Jesus there on purpose to watch the giving? If so, why? How did Jesus know the widow had given all? How did he know the amount? (I am sure she would not have any trumpet sounding.) How concerned was Jesus for that lady - what would she eat? How could she expect to survive without help? Was she unwise? Where and how did she live? No social welfare in those days - did the disciples perhaps give her some money from their poor fund? Was that why Jesus pointed her out and described her need?

Look back over the little story. Thanks to Luke and Mark that lady and her actions that day are not forgotten. (The "rich" are not further described.) What then is the point of this pericope? Does it really inculcate giving? Does it not rather reflect the earlier warning Jesus gave on self praise through religious acts? Does it not say human measures of importance are rational, but erroneous? Does it not say the significance of a person's actions may not be known to the viewer? Does it not say that what appears small may be of greater significance in the life of a person? Does it not say that God sees things as they really are and not as we see?

What do you think?

 

Re the coin: The widow's coins were the smallest value coin then in existence - the (brass) lepton, sometimes called "mite". There are images on the internet showing heavily worn coins. Replicas can be purchased, for a considerable price!

We once used the farthing (one quarter of a penny). Nowadays I would be hard pushed to think of anything that can be done with even a 5 cent coin. The 5 cent coin is equivalent to 24 farthings (6 pence x 4 farthings). Our one cent and the two cent are long gone; how long left for the 5 cent?

I think we could say her gift was less than 5 cents. She had no more.

May you be blessed by God

Allen Hampton

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MARY PUZZLED; JOSEPH CONFUSED ! (Edn 2 revised 2)

Disclaimer: The highlights and links are being auto inserted by Google without my consent. My apologies for the distraction effect.

Break off quietly ….?  Really? Divorce? What? Why?

Joseph the Carpenter seems to have been a decent man and a kindly one. He faced these troubling questions. But, of course, that is not the beginning...

Below is the core story, as we have it.

NO AI HERE !

I have not used intentionally AI anywhere in this blog. 

If ever I do use it (eg for image creation), I will say so.

I suppose it is possible images I use from Unsplash or Pixabay may include AI, but I have not noted any acknowledgement in the ones I have used.

To J udge NOT (!), to S E E, and to A C T (Edn2)

This post is untypical of me. I do not discuss here a topic or a passage. It consists essentially of the New Testament (NT) references which are relevant and instructive for the post title but remain in their original text order, not in systematic arrangement. Careful reading may avoid confusion.

VOTER NOTES Blog - new

UPDATE

New blog

voternotes.blogspot.com

I have removed text from my earlier post and pasted it in my new, specialised, "Voter Notes" blog, with revision and extension.

Specific separate posts re court challenge, missing ballots, failed voters (Bradfield, Barton, Cowper [Missabotti]), etc, and the working of our Federal system.

The postal vote story.

Also about proposed changes.

Why? EXPLANATION from 4 May 2025 post in main blog

HOW TO GET (Revised)

Printed Bibles in various versions and forms are available from many reliable on-line sellers. Some offer free postage. (Some also sell the New Testament separately.)

Will Jesus Really S A V E Just Anyone?

Would a drowning person accept help? 

We find it quite plainly said that Jesus saves sinners.

Did Jesus Really say to Give Away EVERYTHING?

Did Jesus really say give all you have to the poor?

Yes, he did. Or, maybe.

In fact he said to sell up the lot and give away! Sounds impossible? But -  look very carefully!

Jesus - The Christ Recognised! Who? How? When? What? (3Ed)

Jesus recognised as The Christ? Who? How? When? Where? They met him!

How do you learn new stuff? Various senses may be involved, for example, touch ("Ow, that is really hot!").

I have posted previously on Jesus being The Christ (ie, The Messiah). I have included information from disciples who show differing levels of understanding and conviction. But, how did it come about in the first place that they had become disciples of Jesus as being The Christ?

Jesus the Prophet - the Messiah - the King!

From very early Jesus was seen as king. Jesus claimed a kingdom, not of this world.  He is king of his kingdom. He has and welcomes servants (followers) but his retinue is unique.  "The Kingdom of God/Heaven" was a major topic for Jesus. At the time many wrong (human) ideas about God's kingdom were prevalent. Jesus rejected use of force or compulsion.

Did Jesus R e a l l y Say Buy SWORDS? (Machetes) [Edn 3]

Yep; he sure did.

if you don’t have a sword, sell your cloak and buy one he said (see below)
 

HOWEVER, please see the whole, not just the shocking bit!

Did Jesus Really Get ANGRY?

A Day of Anger - Jesus' anger and their fury.

Truly sad to say, one Sabbath day people were so very angry when Jesus healed a man.

Copyrights, The ©

Scripture quotations are extensive in this blog. This is intentional, because...

Did Jesus Really NOT CARE for Her? (or, Martha's Mistakes)

Did Jesus actively care for Martha?

Martha, a kind, hard-working, and dutiful lady had to learn about what is better and to recognise, after all, that Jesus was truly caring for her. Luke gives us a brief compressed pericope, with two unusual words, and it comes with even some alternative (puzzling) clauses.

Like Jesus' Glorious Body (Revised 2)

This phrase comes from Paul, the Apostle of Jesus. 

Here it is with some more context. But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself (Philippians 3:20-21 ESV).

Voter help - Perhaps ! AFTERWORD (4)

UPDATE

New blog - content transferred and extended

voternotes.blogspot.com

Now we have our 48th Federal Parliament. Yes, 48 since 1901!

Elections matter. A lot. What has that to do with "Jesus Saviour for You and Me"?

“Well, then,” Jesus said, “give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and give to God what belongs to God.” His reply completely amazed them (Mark 12:17 NLT). Do these words of Jesus, spoken in different times and a different place, support civic responsibility on our part? Do we actually have civic responsibility today? (Jesus' amazing words actually call for greater thought than I will give them at this point.)*

Voter help here - maybe?

Jesus referred to "Caesar" and Caesar's belongings. The people of then had self-serving, unaccountable, and unelected despots who did whatever they wished. (It is a sad fact that even today so many people live under such rule....)

Alert: This post is NOT about WHERE you write your "1", etc. It is about why.

I like our system of parliamentary election. There is a longish and laudable history. Not least I approve the "Australian ballot", which is about the privacy of your vote. That same privacy rule means you must not write your name on your ballot paper, lest it be deemed invalid and joins the informal total. (You would never know, of course; neither would anyone else know the vote that failed was yours.)

Our system, with all its flaws, has integrity and is transparent and accountable. (See previous post.) 

Actually I like our systems of parliamentary elections! Note the plural.

I do not like our chaotic situation with electors left in the dark.

We have three kinds of elections in each State of the Commonwealth. (I suppose the Territories have similar.)

The federal elections are administered by a specific federal bureaucracy, the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC). The federal system is consistent across the nation. 

Australian national elections are carried out by a very large temporary election workers, a (“seasonal”) workforce of "election officials". The AEC has a large permanent staff and a large Commonwealth-size budget. Its staff are effectively or actually part of the permanent Commonwealth Public Service. Many staff are located in Canberra and the AEC exercises a lot of central control over the entire administration, Returning Officers notwithstanding!

Local federal electorates are called Divisions. In previous eras, as the Act provides, the Commonwealth maintained offices in the Division, a Divisional Returning Office(r), and thus the AEC had a couple of staff relatively close to the electors on the Division roll. (Use of local sites has been partially abandoned by the AEC, and I deplore that fact.)

The other electoral systems (State) came first and have their own (longer) proud history and do not aim to replicate the “new kid on the block”, nor each other. So, we have different systems, as people who relocate interstate find out eventually.

As an example of electoral differences: Victoria readily places voters aged 70 and over on their Registered General Postal Voter list. The Commonwealth does not agree and sticks with rigid rejection rules, even though they may not be energetically enforced. These situations flow from the history, combined with the inaction of the recent members of the respective parliament. (The rules can only be changed by Act of Parliament.) 

And, a little unrelated story to illustrate the robust individuality of the States: in 1877 the then new, and deemed vital, international telegraph was being connected from South Australia to Perth, Western Australia, as the WA Government wanted. The works met at Eucla on the SA/WA border. The necessary telegraph station was built, but it was a dual station. The wires were definitely not joined! Messages for transmission were received and passed through a partition to the opposite officer employed by the other State. (That ended with Federation and the Commonwealth taking over.)

Below I will point you to a very fine illustrated explanatory Federal electoral document produced by the AEC, intended for teachers. It probably gives you more info than you want, including the Commonwealth's historical background, but you may skip stuff. (The AEC website also gives access to authoritative Factsheets.) I would like every Australian elector to read the AEC magazine.

The AEC magazine does not examine different kinds of votes: "ordinary" and "early" and "absent" and "provisional". Ordinary used to mean placed by the voter in the ballot box on Polling Day (voting day).

Many voters now "cast their ballot" in person before "polling day". That is Pre-Poll Voting (PPV). The AEC muddied the data by allowing some PPV to be counted and reported as "ordinary". (That trend has surely been fostered by the very easy to use and easily misunderstood procedure introduced by the Commonwealth. When/if a voter in a line is asked, are you entitled to vote early today, what other answer is likely?)

By the way: For reliable electoral information our best sources are genuine AEC printed matter and the AEC website. New AEC hires and short-term casual AEC staff do the best they can but the AEC does not successfully ensure they are fully informed. (In previous years I have experienced questions answered unfortunately incorrectly.)

Another excellent information source is the Parliamentary Education Office of the Australian Parliament.

Note that everything about the Australian federal election is compulsory. That includes numbering every square on the (small) House of Representatives ballot paper. (State systems, eg NSW, may use optional preferential in their own elections; I think that is better.) Every ballot paper has the instructions you need. There is, of course, no possible "enforcement" of every square; however, in a federal election, any failure to number every box makes invalid ("informal") your attempted lower house vote. The Senate election has its own (different) rules.

The AEC does not try to explain the systems of each State in Australia. They acknowledge but leave to the respective State to explain. (I dare say the States do.)

From the AEC website:

State, territory and local council elections are conducted by other electoral management bodies in accordance with separate legislation. See the Australian elections portal for information regarding state and territory electoral management bodies.

For example, the NSW Parliament, with its history (our longest of course), has an excellent resource on the website:

https://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/Pages/home.aspx

Your Australian Election. You are an elector? For whom will you vote? Where will you write "1"? That is your question and I certainly do not suggest any answer at all. Limited though it is, the power is yours and yours alone. No doubt there are political parties and lobbyists keen to tell you exactly how to fill your boxes.

And, you may ask, what has this post to do with “Jesussaviour 4unme”? I have posted previously on this. The power to rule might be used rightly. That is, in line with God’s intention, for which we pray. The power to rule lies with voters during an election, for the voters choose who will govern.

"Perhaps?": You are an Australian elector and you have read to here? I hope now that you will also look over the AEC magazine (see below) and feel assured you have a reasonable grasp of what this whole election business is about. I think you will find the story, brief as it is, of interest. You can see how your important job fits into the whole Australian picture and into our story. That the choice is more than a chore you have to do. The elections we have to have. The decision you have to make.

Elections do matter. Your vote matters. The election is a prayer topic, and thereafter we know what do do. I urge Australian electors to get their information directly from the AEC. If you are one of my numerous readers from elsewhere (welcome!), then I hope you have found this of interest. I think the principles apply broadly, and certainly do apply to all of us the challenging words penned to believers in an ancient, undemocratic, empire:

First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for everyone, for kings and all who are in high positions, so that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and dignity. This is right and acceptable before God our Savior (1 Timothy 2:1-3 NRSVUE).

Those in high positions may be greedy, liars, rapists, thieves, bullies, deniers of truth, deceivers, abusers, proud, arrogant, cruel, hating and hateful? So it was. So it is. How remarkable that we can still ask God and even give thanks! The power-holder may have many objectionable and repugnant ways but may be preserved by God for their role. That proves nothing about the individual's ultimate destiny. In the big picture, in the final accounting, sins are not erased nor forgiven by men; there is no decree, no order, for that. Only God can forgive, if God is asked for God's mercy.

Community engagement/civic responsibility/activism v. slacktivism

This brings me (us) to matters of opinion. Do you agree that to vote can be seen as a civic duty? A serious, but minimal duty discharged in a brief time? 

But what of all the other "optional" parts of community issues?

There are inquiries looking for information, official groups needing members, avenues to raise observations, identified needs and open meetings.

Individual public officials have two eyes; there are many more eyes out here. Those elected to make our decisions can not know what is in your mind unless you tell them!

It is a pity if a public meeting or community consultation is short on "public".

How much time/effort/prayer is warranted in this realm? I think it its largely left to individual enthusiasts or people with specific interest(s). How do you see it?

I might not like to see "organised" involvement. However, it is a shame I do not hear the names of local office-holders in community prayers. Do you?

* Jesus' words re Caesar, or God? I doubt Jesus was telling his questioners they had a civic responsibility as well as a responsibility to God. However, Augustus #1 (Octavian) had been proclaimed a god not long after his 14 CE death. Thereafter, all the Caesars were deemed to be gods; it was part of their titles. They were to be prayed to! As I do not know which "minting" the particular denarius belonged to, it is not possible to say with certainty Jesus was speaking about alternative claims to be God - Augustus? Tiberius? or even Caesar? However, for Jesus there could be one God only, the God of Heaven, the Almighty Creator, his Father. The Caesar thinks he is god? Maybe he does, but God is not diminished in any way by the imaginings of Rome. 

At the very least Jesus challenged his hearers that day to face the realities of their lives. They may think of themselves as "sovereign", or as living under God alone? In unavoidable reality they had Rome's coinage and Rome's rule. Rome was there, and there long term, and ultimately (135CE) to wipe out their Temple practice, replace Judaea with Palestine, and permanently change Judaism (see Britannica; citation below).

Changing Reactions on the Day Jesus Rose! (edited)

A day is a long time - in already frightened people experiencing a resurrected Saviour!
The first mentioned reaction on the day Jesus rose* from the dead was on the part of tomb guards.

Risen from the dead -Jesus!

 Such incredible news at the time. Is it now less so?

Jesus' (borrowed) tomb held only wrappings and spices..

Garden Arrest; Coins Earned: Jesus Betrayed (Edn 2)

 The final few minutes of Jesus' freedom were spent in a garden. It may have been hereabouts.

The location was known as Gethsemane.

Jesus' Last Words, and After The Cross.

Jesus’ final utterances (but which were not final!)

Jesus Shown Caesar's Coin (edited 4)

Give Caesar's to Caesar, and God's to God. 

Jesus wanted a Roman denarius. Why? But, knowing their hypocrisy, he said to them, “Why put me to the test? Bring me a denarius and let me look at it” (Mark 12:15 ESV).

Wine, Skin, and Bread

 Did you ever see a water bag of canvas, or hessian?

The canvas water bag was not a skin but it could hold water, and even cool it. There was some loss, with water moving through the fabric. However, it was durable and effective.

Consider these words of Jesus: No one pours new wine into old wineskins. The wine would swell and burst the old skins.[b] Then the wine would be lost, and the skins would be ruined. New wine must be put into new wineskins. Both the skins and the wine will then be safe (Matthew 9:16-17 CEV).

Opportunity lost - Opportunity taken (Men Healed)

Could Jesus really give to different men exactly opposite directions to follow?

Do you see here that men grateful to Jesus had opportunity to do exactly as Jesus said...

An old/new controversy re "marriage equality"

I saw a recent "The Other Cheek" report on this - now old news!

Here is a lengthy exract: