THE ROOM in the Temple where Jesus spoke on that Tuesday, the last day
of his teaching in public, was called "The Treasury," because beside its
walls were chests or boxes in which people who came to worship placed
their money for gifts to pay for the offerings of poor people. As Jesus
rose up to leave the room, he noticed the people dropping their money
into these boxes. Some rich men made a show of giving large sums of
money, letting it make a noise as they dropped it slowly, piece after
piece, into the box.
There came in a poor woman, whose dress showed that she was a widow; and
she dropped into the box two little copper coins, worth together only a
quarter of a cent. Jesus saw her, and calling his disciples, he said:
"I tell you in truth, that in the sight of God this poor widow has put
into the box more money than any of the others. All the rest have been
putting in money that they could spare and did not need. But she in her
need gave all that she had, her whole living!"
Then Jesus walked out of the Treasury through the door on the east,
which was so richly decorated that it was called "The Beautiful Gate,"
his disciples with him. They stepped down into the Court of the
Gentiles; and at the foot of the stairs met a number of men whose looks
and dress showed that they were not Jews, but foreigners. These men were
Greeks, from a land far away. They were waiting for Jesus at the foot of
the stairs, for not being Jews they were forbidden to enter the inner
courts of the Temple.
These Greeks stepped up to one of the twelve disciples, Philip, who had
come from Bethsaida in the north of Galilee, and could speak their
language.
"Sir," they said to Philip, "we would like to meet Jesus."
Philip was not sure whether his Master would be willing to talk to these
men; for Jews kept Gentiles or foreigners at a distance, would never eat
with them, and would scarcely speak with them. Philip thought that
Andrew, the brother of Peter, might know whether to bring these men to
Jesus or not, so he spoke to Andrew, and Andrew took the lead in coming
to Jesus with the Greeks.
[Illustration: The poor widow drops in two little coins]
"The time has now come," said Jesus, "for the Son of Man to be lifted
up, and to die. For it is only by dying that I can bring forth fruit.
When a kernel of wheat is dropped into the ground, unless its outside
shell dies, it lives alone; but if it dies, then it becomes a seed and
brings a harvest of many kernels of wheat. He who loves his life and
keeps it, loses it; but he who takes no care of his life here shall have
it forever. If any man is ready to serve me, let him follow me; and
where I am going there shall my servant be with me. If any one is my
servant, he shall have honor from my Father."
At that moment it came to the mind of Jesus that in less than three days
he would be hanging dead upon the cross. For an instant the thought gave
him pain. "I am deeply troubled, and have sorrow in my heart," said
Jesus, "and what can I say? Shall I say, 'Father, save me from the hour
that is coming so soon?' No, I will not say that, because it was for
that hour of death on the cross that I have lived even until now. I will
say, 'Father, give honor to thine own name!'"
Then a voice from heaven was heard, saying, "I have honored my name
already, and I will honor it once more."
The people standing around said, "That was a peal of thunder just now."
"No," said others, "it was an angel speaking to this man!"
"It was not on my account that the voice came," said Jesus, "but on your
account. Soon will come the hour when God will judge this world, and the
prince of evil, who rules this world, shall be driven away."
Then Jesus thought of his coming death on the cross; what it was to
bring to the world; how that everywhere after his death men should
believe on him as their Lord and Saviour; not only Jews, but Greeks, and
people of every land; and he said:
"And when I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw all men to me."
Soon after this Jesus walked out of the Temple, never again to set his
foot within it.
Jesus Telling of Dark Days to Come