The Twenty-fourth Sunday after Pentecost - November 11

For People Like Us
Mark 12:38-44

The Gospel passage we heard this morning is relatively familiar. It’s the source of our English phrase, “a widow’s mite.” Jesus’ message seems pretty clear.

First, Jesus harshly condemns the scribes… those who use religious practice to make themselves feel good and look good. Long prayers and opulent robes are all about drawing attention to themselves, improving their status and wealth. They even devour widow’s houses for their own gain.

Moving on from his condemnation of the self-serving scribes, Jesus takes a seat in te treasury. The temple treasury. Evidently, many rich people put in lots of money. One commentary I read noted that they were probably tithing according to a complicated formula from an established tradition with significant deductions. Publicly meeting their pro forma obligation. Evidently there were a set of donations chests in the temple marked with the purpose for which the money would be used. So the donors could “control” or earmark their donations. In this passage, Jesus doesn’t actually condemn the rich donors, although he seems totally unimpressed.

In contrast, he lifts up the poor widow who puts in her two small copper coins, worth only a penny, but they are all she had to live on. Not all she could spare. Not all she had in her pocket that day. All she had to live on. And as a widow, she most likely did not have access to financial reserves or the ability to earn more.

Jesus commends her. It seems pretty clear. It’s funny, though, how we are able to ignore or rationalize our way around this passage.

As I was reading a bit about this passage this week, I discovered some interesting insights which provide an additional way to interpret what Jesus is saying. Not to disregard the familiar interpretation, but an additional message that Jesus may be conveying.

First: In Mark’s Gospel Jesus’ comments about the poor widow are the last thing he says in his public ministry before, pardon the phrase, all hell breaks loose. After this there are some apocalyptic pronouncements about the destruction of the temple and then the events of his passion. This is his last “normal” interaction with the people and his disciples. This is what the disciples are left with just as events begin to propel Jesus towards his crucifixion.

Second: Maybe this passage isn’t meant so much to answer the question: What are we supposed to do with our money? Maybe it’s meant to answer the question: Who is Jesus? Or who is the Messiah?

The Gospel passage we heard today begins a few verses earlier in Mark 12:35. Jesus begins teaching in the temple and he asks: “How can the scribes say that the Messiah is the son of David... When David himself calls him Lord?” Who is the Messiah? A literal son of David or something more? Lord of all.

So the passage we heard could be interpreted as a further exploration of the question, Who is the Messiah?

The Messiah certainly is not about fancy robes or long prayers just for show. He is not a puppet of the religious establishment, one who will fulfill the expectations or meet the needs of the Pharisees and scribes.

And then there is the poor widow. Who gives all she has to live on. And she gives it, think about it, to the temple! She gives all she has to the very people who are devouring the houses of widows. She gives her livelihood to people who are corrupt, self-serving, and hypocritical. It seems a reckless gift, sad and misguided. Yet Jesus lifts her up for all to see.

Perhaps this passage is an overture to Jesus’ passion. Like a traditional overture it introduces themes that will become even more important as the story unfolds. The widow’s gift foreshadows the one Jesus is about to make.

Can you see Jesus in this poor widow? Can you see her as a type for the Messiah? Jesus gives us this image to ponder. Can you see this poor widow on the cross? She gave up all she had to live on, her very life, on behalf of people who, at their best are indifferent to her. She gave all she had for people who, at their worst, devoured her for their own benefit. She gave up her life for selfish, corrupt, hypocritical scribes. People who surely did not deserve her gift and who would not use it well.

Apparently without any reservation she gave her life for people like us.