A Familiar Story from a Different Perspective

 

Photo courtesy Chionsu Barclay

It’s always good to see things from a different perspective even those stories that are very familiar to us.

The Word of God is alive, not stagnant because as you grow and mature so does its meaning. As you dive deeper below the surface the Word evolves from milk into solid food.

everyone who partakes only of milk is unacquainted with the word of righteousness, for he is an infant. But solid food is for the mature (Hebrews 5:13, 14 NASB)

To see a familiar story from a different perspective is to partake of solid food. One such story is the parable Jesus told of the widow who puts her last two coins in the temple treasury.

And He said, “Truly I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all of them; for they all contributed to the offering from their surplus; but she, from her poverty, put in all that she had to live on.” (Luke 21:3-4 NASB)

Now, for many years I have viewed this story as one of faith, trust, selflessness and so on and I won't doubt that it is, however in reading what Jesus spoke of before and after He told this story I see it from a different perspective.

Jesus always used parables as a teaching tool, to give His listeners an example they could visualize and relate to, and this story of the poor widow was just that. Immediately before giving this example, in Luke 20:45-47 (NASB) it is written,

And while all the people were listening, He said to the disciples, “Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes, and love personal greetings in the marketplaces, and chief seats in the synagogues and places of honor at banquets, who devour widows’ houses, and for appearance’s sake offer long prayers. These will receive all the more condemnation.”

And, immediately after Jesus’ poor widow story, in Luke 21:5-6 (NASB) it is written,

And while some were talking about the temple, that it was decorated with beautiful stones and vowed gifts, He said, “As for these things which you are observing, the days will come when there will not be left one stone upon another, which will not be torn down.”

What are you observing?

Unlike His other parables, Jesus didn’t utter a word about this widow being selfless, full of faith, generous, kind, loving, healed, giving all she had to God, or anything of that nature. None of the usual interpretations we believed and heard of this story Jesus applied to this story.

Jesus first warned His disciples about the vainglory and feigned piety that had become the basis for worship in the temple, then told the story, then predicted the destruction of said temple.

Do you see it?

This story isn’t about a poor widow giving God His due, this story is about a poor widow who was forced to conform to the unholy practices meted out to the poor, the widows, the marginalized and vulnerable of society by the wealthy elite which included the pride-filled scribes who devour widows’ houses.

Jesus’ story emphasized a religious system that was unholy, broken, undeniably corrupt and on the verge of collapse.

Beloved, in his letter to the church at Philippi, Apostle Paul clearly states, Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves (Philippians 2:3 KJV), yet to this day we see similar practices in some churches.

The religious system in Jesus’ day saw no problem in taking everything from poor widows, their houses and their last cent, and give them absolutely nothing in return, not as much as a comforting word.

I once visited a gaudily decorated church with its walls draped in deep burgundy velvet curtains and armchairs upholstered in gold fabric atop a stage covered end to end in green carpet. After about an hour or so an army of uniformed youngsters bearing large mop buckets appeared, the time had come to collect tithes and offering from the congregation, as this army moved from row to row, the well-dressed preacher shouted into the mic, “I don’t want to hear anything falling into the bucket!”. 

With the filled buckets now at the foot of the stage, another group of persons, older and in civilian clothes, appeared with another set of buckets, and we were told that it was “first lady’s” birthday and she needed a new car. The people, some of whom arrived at church via public transportation were feverishly digging into their pockets and purses to feed the greed. I did not participate. 

I must confess that after the first hour I wanted to leave but I'd been invited so despite my aversion to the performative Christianity masquerading as church, I stayed to the end. By the way, after church, the pastor drove away in a shiny blue Volvo; I did not see him offer anyone a ride.

Yes, woe upon you, Pharisees, and you other religious leaders—hypocrites! For you tithe down to the last mint leaf in your garden, but ignore the important things—justice and mercy and faith. Yes, you should tithe, but you shouldn’t leave the more important things undone. (Matthew 23:23 TLB)

Was Jesus commending the widow’s sacrifice, or did He use the giving of her last two coins to an institution that promoted greed and practiced exploitation, to highlight the injustice of a religious system that convinced her that she had no choice but to give everything she had?

Jesus was calling out the religious leaders of His day and sadly we see that not much has changed.

Beloved, take a closer look at your own story. Have you been admiring the beautiful stones that decorate your church and standing in awe of the vowed gifts that its leaders receive rather than observing and condemning the social injustice they practice?

Lent presses you to look at the familiar from a different perspective, to really see what is truly embedded in your usual practices and traditional religious belief systems.

Lent challenges you to not justify the vanity of the norm and the mistreatment of the vulnerable but to ask yourself whether what you are condoning is contributing to the demise of the temple – the church, individuals’ temples – people’s lives, and your own temple – your body, physically and spiritually.

This is a season of building up what is spiritually acceptable to God and tearing down what is not. Ask God for His revelation, wisdom and discernment in these times when a different perspective of the familiar is sorely needed.

Amen †

Shelley Johnson “A Familiar Story from a Different Perspective” ©2026 February 27, 2026