Luke 21 – The Widow’s Offering & Top 10 of 20 Famous Love Stories in History and Literature

Finger Pointing Up1Love has existed since the beginning of time, actually love was here before even the world because God is love

(1 Jn 4:8).  It is through His love that we were even created and it is also His love that is saving us from spending eternity in hell.

Yet, the devil has managed to use love in an evil way, e.g., lust, sex, money, etc.

Speaking of money, in the beginning and for centuries there was no money, people bartered until certain material matters were used for payment, such as animals and crops.  Until finally they started using metal coins  So tomorrow we’ll look at…

Luke 21
The Widow’s Offering

The below pictures are more of the Virtual Garden that we had viewed with Zechariah 8 – God’s Intent to Restore Jerusalem and Luke 2 – The Birth of Jesus

1 A3nd he looked up, and saw the rich men casting their gifts into the treasury.

“The treasury” – in the court of women 13 boxes, shaped like inverted megaphones, were positioned to receive the donations of the worshipers.

2 And he saw also a certain poor widow casting in thither two mites.

“Two mites” – Jewish coins worth very little.

3 And he said, Of a truth I say unto you, that this poor widow hath cast in more than they all:

4 For all these have of their abundance cast in unto the offerings of God: but she of her penury hath cast in all the living that she had.

5 And as some spake of the temple, how it was adorned with goodly stones and gifts, he said,

“Temple…was adorned” – one stone at the southwest corner was some 36 feet long.  “Whatever was not overlaid with god was purest white” (Josephus, Jewish Wars, 5.5.6).

4

Herod gave a golden vine for one of its decorations.  Its grape clusters were as tall as a man.  The full magnificence of the temple as elaborated and adorned by Herod has only recently come to light through archaeological investigations on the temple hill.

6 As for these things which ye behold, the days will come, in the which there shall not be left one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.

7 And they asked him, saying, Master, but when shall these things be? and what sign will there be when these things shall come to pass?

8 And he said, Take heed that ye be not deceived: for many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and the time draweth near: go ye not therefore after them.

9 But when ye shall hear of wars and commotions, be not terrified: for these things must first come to pass; but the end is not by and by.

5“The end is not by and by” – refers to the end of the age.  All the events listed in vv. 8-18 are characteristic of the entire present age, not just signs of the end of the age.

10 Then said he unto them, Nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom:

11 And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.

 12 But before all these, they shall lay their hands on you, and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues, and into prisons, being brought before kings and rulers for my name’s sake.

“Delivering you up to the synagogues” – synagogues were sued not only for worship and school, but also for community administration and confinement while awaiting trial.

13 And it shall turn to you for a testimony.

14 Settle it therefore in your hearts, not to meditate before what ye shall answer:

15 For I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries shall not be able to gainsay nor resist.

16 And ye shall be betrayed both by parents, and brethren, and kinsfolks, and friends; and some of you shall they cause to be put to death.

17 And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake.6

18 But there shall not an hair of your head perish.

Although persecution and death may come, God is in control and the ultimate outcome will be eternal victory, at least for God and believers.

“Shall not a hair of your head perish” – this doesn’t refer to physical safety, but to spiritual loss.

19 In your patience possess ye your souls.

20 And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh.

21 Then let them which are in Judaea flee to the mountains; and let them which are in the midst of it depart out; and let not them that are in the countries enter thereinto.

22 For these be the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled.

23 But woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck, in those days! for there shall be great distress in the land, and wrath upon this people.

24 And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.

“Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles” – except for brief revolts in 66-70 A.D. and 132 A.D, Jerusalem remained under Gentile rule until their city, signaling that God’s time clock with the Jews is now set in motion once again.

25 And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring;

726 Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.

27 And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.

28 And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.

29 And he spake to them a parable; Behold the fig tree, and all the trees;

30 When they now shoot forth, ye see and know of your own selves that summer is now nigh at hand.

31 So likewise ye, when ye see these things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand.

32 Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass away, till all be fulfilled.

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“This generation” – if the reference the destruction of Jerusalem, which occurred about 40 years after Jesus spoke these words, “generation” is used in its ordinary sense of a normal life span.  All these things were fulfilled in a preliminary sense in the 70 ad destruction of Jerusalem.

If the reference is to the second coming of Christ, “generation” might indicate the Jewish people as a nation, who were promised existence to the very end.

Or it might refer to the future generation alive at the beginning of these things.  It  doesn’t mean that Jesus had a mistaken notion He was going to return immediately.

33 Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away.

34 And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares.

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35 For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth.

“The whole earth” – when Jesus returns the entire world will know it all at the same time.

36 Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.

37 And in the day time he was teaching in the temple; and at night he went out, and abode in the mount that is called the mount of Olives.

38 And all the people came early in the morning to him in the temple, for to hear him.

Top 10 of 20 Famous Love Stories 
in History and Literature

Do you believe in true love? Do you believe in love at first sight? Do you believe in love lasts forever?  I’m not sure if love at first sight is true, meaning it may not be the person one falls in love with, but the moment or ideal.

But true love is true real and lasts forever because God is love (1 Jn 4:8) and He lasts forever.  If you doubt maybe these love stories will renew or reinforce your faith in love.

The following are the most famous love stories in history and literature.  Some of them are stories, but then again, is the story just an idea or imagination, or is it a fact with a different and place?

1. Romeo and Juliet

10 Romeo and JulietThis is probably the most famous love story of all time. This couple has become a synonym for love itself. Romeo and Juliet is a tragedy by William Shakespeare.

Their love story is very tragic. The tale of two teenagers from two feuding families who fall in love at first sight and then marry, become true lovers and then risk it all for their love.

To take your own life for your husband or wife is definitely a sign of true love. Their “untimely deaths” ultimately unite their feuding households.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2. Cleopatra and Mark Antony

11 Cleopatra and Mark Antony The true love story of Antony and Cleopatra is one of the most memorable, intriguing and moving of all times. The story of these two historical characters had later been dramatized by William Shakespeare and is still staged all over the world.

The relationship of Antony and Cleopatra is a true test of love. They fell in love at first sight. The relationship between these two powerful people put the country of Egypt in a powerful position.

But their love affair outraged the Romans who were wary of the growing powers of the Egyptians.

Despite all the threats, Anthony and Cleopatra got married. It is said that while fighting a battle against Romans, Antony got false news of Cleopatra’s death. Shattered, he fell on his sword.

When Cleopatra learned about Antony ‘s death, she was shocked. And she took her own life. Great love demands great sacrifices.

3. Lancelot and Guinevere

12 Lancelot and GuinevereThe tragic love story of Sir Lancelot and Queen Guinevere is probably one of the best-known stories of Arthurian Legend.

Lancelot fall in love with Queen Guinevere, King Arthur’s wife. Their love grew slowly, as Guinevere kept Lancelot away from her. Eventually, however, her love and passion overpowered her and the pair became lovers.

One night, Sir Agravain and Sir Modred, King Arthur’s nephew, led a band of 12 knights to Guinevere’s chamber where they burst in upon the lovers. Discovered, Sir Lancelot made a fighting escape, but poor Guinevere was not so lucky.

She was seized and condemned to burn to death for her adultery. Fear not. Sir Lancelot returned several days later to rescue his beloved Guinevere from the fire.

This whole sad affair divided the Knights of the Round Table and weakened Arthur’s kingdom.  Poor Lancelot ended his days as a lowly hermit and Guinevere became a nun at Amesbury where she died.

4. Tristan and Isolde

13 The left side
The left side is a Stain Glass window (1862) showing the marriage of Tristan to Isolde.
The right picture is The giant finger of rock bearing a weathered Latin inscription which, although extremely faint, can still just be translated as: “Drustanus lies here, son of Cunomorus” (Drustan is a variant of Tristan).

This is 1,500 years old.
The legend of Tristan and Isolde is far too complicated to go into, but essentially Tristan had an affair with his uncle’s wife and the uncle – who was a king – killed Tristan in revenge.

When Isolde came upon her lover’s body, her heart broke and she took her own life.

The tragic love story of Tristan and Isolde has been told and retold through various stories and manuscripts.

It takes place during medieval times during the reign of King Arthur. Isolde of Ireland was the daughter of the King of Ireland. She was betrothed to King Mark of Cornwall. King Mark sent his nephew, Tristan, to Ireland to escort Isolde back to Cornwall.

During the voyage, Isolde and Tristan fell forever in love. Isolde did marry Mark of Cornwall, but could not help but love Tristan. The love affair continued after the marriage.

When King Mark finally learned of the affair, he forgave Isolde, but Tristan was banned from Cornwall. Tristan went to Brittany. There he met Iseult of Brittany. He was attracted to her because of the similarity of her name to his true love.

He married her, but did not consummate the marriage because of his love for the “true” Isolde.

After falling ill, he sent for Isolde in hopes that she would be able to cure him. If she agreed to come, the returning ship’s sails would be white, or the sails would be black if she did not agree.

Iseult, seeing the white sails, lied to Tristan and told him that the sails were black. He died of grief before Isolde could reach him. Isolde died soon after of a broken heart.

 

 

 

5. Paris and Helena

16 Napoleon and JosephineRecounted in Homer’s Iliad, the story of Helen of Troy and the Trojan War is a Greek heroic legend, combining fact and fiction.

Helen of Troy is considered one the most beautiful women in all literature. She was married to Menelaus, king of Sparta. Paris, son of King Priam of Troy, fell in love with Helen and abducted her, taking her back to Troy.

The Greeks assembled a great army, led by Menelaus’s brother, Agamemnon, to retrieve Helen. Troy was destroyed. Helen returned safely to Sparta, where she lived happily with Menelaus for the rest of her life.

6. Orpheus and Eurydice

14 Paris and HelenaThe Orpheus and Eurydice story is an ancient Greek tale of desperate love.

Orpheus fell deeply in love with and married Eurydice, a beautiful nymph. They were very much in love and very happy together.

Aristaeus, a Greek god of the land and agriculture, became quite fond of Eurydice, and actively pursued her. While fleeing from Aristaeus, Eurydice ran into a nest of snakes which bit her fatally on her legs.  Distraught, Orpheus played such sad songs and sang so mournfully that all the nymphs and gods wept.

On their advice, Orpheus traveled to the underworld and by his music softened the hearts of Hades and Persephone (he was the only person ever to do so), who agreed to allow Eurydice to return with him to earth on one condition: he should walk in front of her and not look back until they both had reached the upper world.

In his anxiety he forgot that both needed to be in the upper world, and he turned to look at her, and she vanished for the second time, but now forever.

 

 

 

 

7. Napoleon and Josephine

15 Orpheus and EurydiceA marriage of convenience, at age 26 Napoleon took a fancy to Josephine. An older, prominent, and most importantly wealthy woman.

As time drew on, Napoleon fell deeply in love with Josephine, and she with him, but that didn’t deter the adultery on both sides – their mutual respect for one another kept them together, and their burning passion between them didn’t falter, and was genuine.

They eventually split, as Napoleon deeply required something Josephine could not give him, an heir.  Sadly they parted ways, both bearing the love and passion in their hearts, for all eternity.

8. Odysseus and Penelope

17 Odysseus and PenelopeFew couples understand sacrifice quite like this Greek pair. After being torn apart, they waited twenty long years to be reunited.  War takes Odysseus away shortly after his marriage to Penelope. Although she has little hope of his return, she resists the 108 suitors who are anxious to replace her husband.

Odysseus is equally devoted, refusing a beautiful sorceress’s offer of everlasting love and eternal youth, so that he might return home to his wife and son.

When complication occur in a relationship, take a cue from Homer, and remember that true love is worth waiting for.

9. Paolo and Francesca

18 Paolo and FrancescaPaolo and Francesca are made famous by the Dante’s masterpiece “Divine Comedy”.

It is a true story: Francesca is married with Gianciotto Malatesta an awful person, but she has Gianciotto’s brother, Paolo, as lover.

The love between them grows when they read together a book (according to Dante) about Lancelot and Guinevere.  When the two lovers are discovered they are killed by Gianciotto.

 

 

 

10. Scarlett O’Hara and Rhett Butler

19 Scarlett O’Hara and Rhett Butler“Gone with the wind” can be identified as one of the immortal pieces of literary works in this world.

Margaret Mitchell’s famous work has chronicled the love and hate relationship between Scarlett O’Hara and Rhett Butler. Proving that timing is everything, Scarlett O’Hara and Rhett Butler never seem to be quite in synch.

Throughout the epic story, this tempestuous twosome experience passion but not permanence, and their stormy marriage reflects the surrounding Civil War battles.

The flirtatious, promiscuous, and perpetually pursued Scarlett can’t make up her mind between her many suitors. When she finally decides to settle on being happy with Rhett, her fickle nature has already driven him away.

Hope springs eternal in our devious heroine, however, and the novel ends with Scarlett proclaiming, “Tomorrow is another day.”

…coins and numismatics.

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