Text: Mark 12:38-44 Revised Standard Version (RSV)
Jesus Denounces the Scribes
38 And in his teaching he said, “Beware of the scribes, who like to go about in long robes, and to have salutations in the market places 39 and the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at feasts, 40 who devour widows’ houses and for a pretense make long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation.”
The Widow’s Offering
41 And he sat down opposite the treasury, and watched the multitude putting money into the treasury. Many rich people put in large sums. 42 And a poor widow came, and put in two copper coins, which make a penny. 43 And he called his disciples to him, and said to them, “Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the treasury. 44 For they all contributed out of their abundance; but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, her whole living.”
In the Name of God, the Holy and Undivided Trinity. Amen.
Today we read about Jesus sitting opposite the treasury. It almost sounds like a stakeout – “Let’s sit over here,” says Jesus, “out of the way, and see if anything interesting happens.”
They don’t have long to wait. A steady stream of the “movers and shakers” of the day come to throw their coins into the cashbox, and each tries to outdo the other with great shows of piety and generosity. They show off their fine robes and their big bags of coins, and when they’re through, they strut home, noses in the air, with an attitude of smug self-righteousness…
Nothing new there. Same old boring display they’ve seen all their lives.
But then, along comes that old widow, shuffling up to give her contribution. She digs into her pocket and comes up with two tiny coins worth less than a penny, and she drops them into the cashbox. Then, eyes downcast, she walks slowly away ….
And at that point, Jesus calls his disciples to him and lifts her up as an example of … what? Generosity? Piety?
She is an example of both, certainly. I think every sermon on stewardship that I’ve ever heard features this woman. Every time the subject of giving comes up in church circles, more often than not, this widow is mentioned.
But there’s more going on here than just that. The two sections of today’s lesson are really part of the same narrative – breaking them out into two parts with headings that seem to have nothing to do with each other just obscures their connection.
And I think the connection can be summed up like this: Actions speak louder than words.
First, Jesus makes some very harsh – even slanderous – statements about the scribes. There was no love lost between them. From the very start of Mark’s Gospel to its very end, Jesus and this class of people were in intense and ultimately deadly conflict. The scribes knew that Jesus spoke with authority, an authority they knew they didn’t have themselves. He pointed out in no uncertain terms that all they had was a wagonload of rules – rules that they themselves had created and which they used to put themselves on top and make everyone else toe the line. They wore long robes – robes that made it impossible to do any sort of work. All they did, all they could do, was strut around, lording it over everyone and getting called “rabbi,” which means “my great one.”
And they do worse than that. They “devour widows’ houses.” This is to say that they were in effect a class of con men. As William Barclay tells us, “An expert in the law could take no pay for his teaching. He was supposed to have a trade by which he earned his daily bread. But these legal experts had managed to convey to people that there was no higher duty and privilege than to support a Rabbi in comfort; that, in fact, such support would undoubtedly entitle him or her who gave it a high place in the heavenly academy. It is a sad fact that religious charlatans have always preyed upon vulnerable people, and it would seem that these scribes and Pharisees imposed on people who could ill afford to support them.”[1]
Though these scribes and Pharisees wanted their actions to indicate their piety, they actually were just transparent manipulations – and Jesus saw through the pretense.
In my life, I can truthfully say that every member of the clergy I have met has without exception had his or her heart in the right place, and truly did and does seek to do the work of God in the world. Nonetheless, today, too, there are those among us in the clergy who fit right in with those scribes and Pharisees – they’re the “Elmer Gantry” types we hear about all too often, people like Jim Jones, Paul Crouch, or Jim Bakker, for example.
But it’s not just restricted to the clergy, either. There are lots of laypeople in the church who also aren’t doing us any favors. On the back cover of the alarming book Why Nobody Wants to Be Around Christians Anymore we read that many people “out there” are saying comments like the following about Christians:
“They judge me.”
“They’re just a bunch of hypocrites.”
“If they’re an example of who God is, I don’t want anything to do with God.”
We read in this book that the Barna Group – a research firm – did a survey among people who professed to be Christians to determine if their attitudes and actions were more closely aligned with Jesus or with the Pharisees. Here’s a sampling of the “Pharisaic” actions and attitudes:
- I tell others the most important thing in my life is following God’s rules.
- I like to point out those who do not have the right theology or doctrine.
- I find it hard to be friends with people who seem to constantly do the wrong things.
- It’s not my responsibility to help those who won’t help themselves.
- I feel grateful to be a Christian when I see other people’s failures and flaws.
- People who follow God’s rules are better than those who do not
Once again, I have to say that I don’t know of anybody here who would fit these comments – but this is what we are up against. Actions and attitudes like these are what create the strong and negative stereotype “out there” in the world of Christians, of the church and those of us who are in it. And it’s hard to fight.
But fight it we must; and this is where the example of that poor widow comes in.
The main thing for us to keep in mind about this widow, believe it or not, has nothing to do with her contribution to the treasury, but the intent of her action. She was, as we might say today, “in it to win it.” She gave from her heart. Professor Emerson Powery tells us that, “[i]n ancient Israel, the poor were not required to give; they simply did so because they believed in the goodness of the institution, the goodness of its leaders, and the need for the religious institution to remain.”[2] This widow didn’t have to do what she did, but she did it, anyway, as an act of trust that, despite her circumstances, God was still a good and just God.
Actions speak louder than words.
So how do we counteract the negative attitudes of the world toward us Christians?
First, we do it by not taking an “us-vs-them” approach! We all know what it feels like to be rejected, or ridiculed, or misunderstood. It hurts us deeply. Even though we might shrug it off, it leaves a scar somewhere. Condemnation and finger-pointing never made anybody feel good, valued, or appreciated. And it is nothing less than a scandal that it’s often in churches at the hands of church leaders and church members, that such damage is done.
But we also all know what it feels like to be loved. Here’s a sampling of the Christ-like actions and attitudes from that Barna Group poll:
- I listen to others to learn their story before telling them about my faith.
- In recent years, I have influenced multiple people to consider following Christ.
- I regularly choose to have meals with people with very different faith or morals from me.
- I see God-given value in every person, regardless of their past or present condition.
- I believe God is for everyone.
- I see God working in people’s lives, even when they are not following him.
- It is more important to help people know God is for them than to make sure they know they are sinners.
Secondly, then, we can counteract the negative stereotype by doing what we Christians do best when we are at our best: Show God’s love to others, without any strings attached.
To paraphrase the Apostle Paul: “Pride puffs up. Love builds up.” When we feel ourselves falling into the judgmental trap the scribes and Pharisees were in, let’s remember verses like John 3:17 – “God sent his Son into the world, not to judge the world, but to save the world through him.” (NLT) Let’s take as our guide verses like I Peter 4:8 – “Most of all, love each other as if your life depended on it. Love makes up for practically anything.” (NLT)
Thirdly, we can help give people what they really need. And just what is it that people really need? Researchers George Gallup, Jr., and Michael Lindsay tell us that all people have these six basic needs:
- The need to believe life is meaningful and has a purpose.
- The need for a sense of community and deeper relationships.
- The need to be listened to and to be heard.
- The need to feel s/he is growing in faith.
- The need to be appreciated and respected.
- The need for practical help in developing a mature faith.
Love is where we start. Love is where we end. It starts with us. Faith is a relationship, and love is its fuel. How we live out our faith is directly related to how we love God and the people around us.
Let’s keep up those actions that show love!
In the Name of God, the Holy and Undivided Trinity. Amen.
[1] Barclay, William, The Gospel of Mark, Westminster John Know Press, Louisville, Kentucky, 2001, p. 350
[2] Powery, Emerson, “Commentary on Mark 12:38-44,” WorkingPreacher.org, http://www.workingpreacher.org/preaching.aspx?commentary_id=2662