And the coins , which the Roman emperors had struck specially for Palestine, bore till the
time of Vespasian, in accommodation to Jewish prejudices, no image of any kind.
31. St. Mark xii. 17.
It was an answer not only most truthful, but of marvellous beauty and depth. It elevated
the controversy into quite another sphere, where there was no conflict between what
was due to God and to man - indeed, no conflict at all, but Divine harmony and peace.
Nor did it speak harshly of the Nationalist aspirations, nor yet plead the cause of Rome.
It said not whether the rule of Rome was right or should be permanent - but only what
all must have felt to be Divine. And so they, who had come to 'entangle' Him, 'went
away,' not convinced nor converted, but marvelling exceedingly. 32
32. εξεθαυµαζον, according to the better reading in St. Mark.
3. Passing for the present from the cavils of the Sadducees and the gainslaying of the
Scribes, we come unexpectedly on one of those sweet pictures - a historical miniature,
as it is presented to us - which affords real relief to the eye amidst the glare all around.33
From the bitter malice of His enemies and the predicted judgment upon them, we turn to
the silent worship o f her who gave her all, and to the words with which Jesus owned it,
all unknown to her. It comes to us the more welcome, that it exhibits in deed what Christ
had said to those hypocrites who had discussed it, whether the tribute given to Cæsar
was not robbing God of what was His. Truly here was one, who, in the simplicity of her
humble worship, gave to the Lord what was His!
33. St. Mark xiii. 41-44; St. Luke xxi. 1-4.
Weary with the contention, the Master had left those to whom He had spoken in the
Porches, and, while the crowd wrangled about His Words or His Person, had ascended
the flight of steps which led from 'the Terrace' into the Temple -building. From these
steps - whether those leading up to the 'Beautiful Gate,' or one of the side gates - He
could gain full view into 'The Court of the Women,' into which they opened. On these
steps, or within the gate (for in no other place was it lawful), He sat Him down, watching
the multitude. The time of Sacrifice was past, and those who still lingered had remained
for private devotion, for private sacrifices, or to pay their vows and offerings. Although
the topography of the Temple, especially of this part of it, is not without its difficulties,
we know that under the colonnades, which surrounded 'the Court of the Women,' but
still left in the middle room for more than 15,000 worshippers, provision was made for
receiving religious and charitable shaped boxes (Shopharoth ); somewhere here also we
must locate two chambers:34 that of 'the silent,' for gifts to be distributed in secret to the
children of the pious poor, and that where votive vessels were deposited. Perhaps there
was here also a special chamber for offerings.35 These 'trumpets' bore each
inscriptions, marking the objects of contribution - whether to make up for past neglect, to
pay for certain sacrifices, to provide incense, wood, or for other gifts.
34. Sheqal. vi. 5; v. 6.
35. Midd. i. 1.