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       The Widow and Two Coins
                 Introduction:

The definition of the word “parable” is to “lay next to or compare”.
A parable is a story with a hidden message that only 
“spiritually opened” ears can hear.

The parables are word pictures into what God is trying to teach us. 


The parables of Jesus are one of the times Jesus teaches lessons 
for future generations. These parables need to be meditated on and 
closely studied. Parables have a “layered” meaning, for example 
the parable of the Prodigal Son. The story is one of going astray 
and coming back. It seems to be the story of an actual son, with 
an older brother, and his father…like in any family. 
We have all read this before and it has given much comfort and 
hope to the families that have had a child gone astray. 

We must realize that the parables have layers...there is a surface 
layer and a deeper layer. For example, the surface layer would be 
relating to children going astray within your own family and the 
deeper meaning is what we are going to present to you in the 
following papers.


The Scripture:
Luke 21

The Widow's Gift

1 And He looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into 
  the treasury. 

2 And He saw a poor widow putting in two small copper coins.

3 And He said, "Truly I say to you, this poor widow put in more 
  than all of them;

4 for they all out of their surplus put into the offering; but she 
  out of her poverty put in all that she had to live on." 

The Lesson:
Scripture in BLACK.  Commentary in RED.

1. "And he looked up,"

   Symbolizing as God see's it...



2. "and saw the rich"

   ...those who God has blessed abundantly...



3. "putting their gifts"

   ...their works, their life's efforts...



4. "into the treasury"

   ...the Kingdom of God / Kingdom of Heaven...



5. "And He saw a poor widow,"

   ...the Jews...



6. "putting in two small copper coins."

   ...these two coins represent the two tribes that compose the 
   "Jews", the Tribe of Benjamin and the Tribe of Judah which are 
   the nation of Israel today and are called "Jews" today because 
   of non-Hebrews in the Old Testament story calling the Judahites
   "Jews" as a shortened name for those Hebrews from the Tribe 
   of Judah.


7. "And He said, "Truly I say to you,"

   As God sees it,


8. "this poor widow"

   the Jews...


9. "put in more than all of them;"

   have placed more of life's efforts into the Kingdom of God
   than the Gentiles and the Church...


10."for they all"

   these other people have placed their works, their life's efforts
   for the Kingdom of Heaven...


11."out of their surplus put into the offering"

   out of their ease of circumstance...


12."but she"

   "the widow", the Jews, the Nation of Israel who are the Tribe
   of Judah and the Tribe of Benjamin...


13. "out of her poverty"

    out of the Jewish harshness of circumstances (look at their
    history)...

14. "put in all that she had to live on."

    the Jews have lived as "THE TARGET" of this world and have
    placed everything they have in this world for the hope of the 
    Kingdom of God.

End.



NOTES:

The Widow put her two tribes (coins) in the Kingdom of God (the
treasury).  These two coins have lived their lives as the target 
of Satan and the world as "God's people".  The rich people who
threw in large amounts into the treasury...are the Gentiles and
the Church who have been blessed with abundance with lands and 
physical possessions as well as the Gospel message. The Gospel
message is given by God's Grace and is a gift.  The Gospel message
is abundant outside of the Jews, and is freely distributed in the 
world, but the Jews are singled out time and time again in this
world as a target of genocide and persecution.  Why the widow?
Jews were the bride until the death of Jesus.  The death of Jesus
made the Jews the widow...but still the target!



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