Jesus observes a poor widow giving her offering at the Temple

Throughout the Old Testament, the Jews are instructed to be merciful to widows and other vulnerable people. Jesus demonstrated this by raising from the dead the son of a widow of Nain. During his ministry, it is highly likely that Jesus’ own mother was a widow. There is no doubt that Jesus had a special place in his heart for widows.

This event takes place at the very end of Jesus’s ministry. He is teaching at the Temple in Jerusalem, where the Pharisees and Jewish leaders have made Jesus public enemy number one. They are looking for a way to kill him without arousing the sentiments of the crowds who adore him. One of the reasons the crowds love Jesus is he points out the faults and inconsistencies of the leaders. The people of the crowds are unwilling and unable to do so because the leaders have the ultimate weapon of keeping people from worshiping at the Temple.

Scripture References: Mark 12:41-44, Luke 21:1-4