Readings
1 Kings 17:8-16
Psalm 146
Hebrews 9:24-28
Mark 12:38-44
Today we hear the perennial story of what is commonly referred to as the “widow’s mite.” For many of us who grew up in the church it is a familiar story that calls to mind stewardship messages about the nobleness of sacrificial giving and the dangers of comfortable complacency.
But as I reread this lesson multiple times this past week there are some things I noticed. First off, the passage begins with Jesus warning his disciples to not be like the scribes of the temple who “devour widows’ houses and for the sake of appearance say long prayers.” It is only after this teaching that we then hear about Jesus sitting down opposite the treasury where people are making their gifts to the temple. It is noted that the rich put in large sums, but then the widow comes and offers only two small coins. From a casual perspective her gift is not worthy of notice, especially in the presence of such lavish donations. But Jesus says that the widow has put in more than all the others who are contributing, because she has given all that she has out of her poverty, in contrast to the rich who give out of their abundance.
Now it is important to note that these two stories are not unrelated. They go together as a theme. This is a story that shows Jesus offering a significant critique of the temple system and its economic consequences. He is making clear that while the rich may give large sums, their generosity is suspect because of the wealth they retain. He is also making clear that the gifts of the poor, which would be expected to participate in temple worship, are onerous to those in need. It is a system that “devours widows’ houses.” It is a system that is marked by piety without justice. It is a system that reflects the brokenness of the economic systems at work in the temple and the lives of the faithful.
Now, we would do well to be attentive to Jesus’ critique. You see, while we are accustomed to the practice of religion being discreet from our civic life, in Jesus’ time the temple was not simply a religious institution, but a social institution as well. Religion, economics, and politics mixed and mingled in the ancient world in ways that we are not accustomed to. We must be clear that Jesus isn’t simply criticizing the practice of religion, but the real social and economic impacts that it had. He is calling to account a piety that masks economic injustice and participates in the brokenness of the social order of the time.
We would do well not to assume too quickly that Jesus is simply commending the widow for her generosity. Rather it is more likely he is using her as an example of the hypocrisy and injustice of the system.
Frustratingly, however, this passage does not include Jesus offering a vision or a solution to the problem. We do not hear him describe what a blessed alternative would be. We do not hear him commend a set of behaviors. We do not hear him rail against those who would do the widow harm and teach us the path of righteousness.
What then do we do? How do we respond?
Well, the truth is that whole of Jesus’ teaching calls us to two things. The first is a commitment to the Kingdom of God, sometimes referred to as the Reign of God. And the second is a commitment to what we now call the summary of the law.
We live in a world where the poor are called upon regularly to make huge sacrifices relative to the demands that our society places upon them. We live with an expression of religion that often practices charity without transformation. We, like many or most institutions in our society, struggle to not cater to the wealthy in the face of the largeness of the gifts they make. In short, while the Church does not impose itself on the poor the way the temple did, as a civil society we continue to have a broken system with no shortage of hypocrisy and economic injustice.
But Jesus calls us to love God with all our heart, soul, strength, and mind. He calls us to love our neighbor as ourselves. He calls us to participate in the Reign of God, a commonwealth of peace and justice where the needs of all are met by all. He calls us to put ourselves in the shoes of those below us or different from us and imagine how we might treat them with the care, concern, respect, and dignity we ourselves would want. He calls us to be agents of peace and justice in the face of inequity and prejudice.
Yes, we are called to be generous. Yes, we are called to give sacrificially. But moreover, we are called to embody the love and the life of Jesus. We are called to work to ensure that the widows of our age (the poor and the downtrodden) are not exploited or impoverished by our social expectations and norms. We are called to do nothing less than be agents of God’s peaceable Kingdom, offering an alternative to this broken and sinful world.
As we move through our lives, and this world, may we always be ready to be an advocate for God’s Reign. And may we be agents of peace and justice, both now and always.