As Jesus' encounters with the rich and powerful continued, he even took note of their generosity. Those who gave out of wealth were not praised like the one who gave out of her poverty. Some gave because they had it to spare; she gave because it was who she was. She believed in the "system". She believed in worship at the temple, in giving a tithe of what she had, in coming together for prayer and in the promises made long ago. She believed even though the leaders of what she believed in were seeking fame instead of God, she still believed.
I am often amazed at how Jesus handled the overall picture of Judaism. He condemned the leaders for their bad hearts and called them to repent. Yet, he never stopped going to the synagogue or the temple. He never condemned Judaism per se rather he condemned those who corrupted it. Even after his ascension, his followers still met in the temple courts.
And so it was that day that Jesus did not cry out to the widow and tell her to quit giving to a lost cause. Rather he praised her heart while he continued to meet in the temple with those who had responded to his call.
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