Loving God, you speak to our hearts through the Scriptures and call us to grow up into your Son, Jesus Christ.  Help us to see ourselves reflected in your word, and help us to continue to learn and to grow by the power of your Spirit; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

    The scribes were supposed to know better.  They studied the Scriptures, and sometimes they were referred to as teachers of the law.  And so, the scribes should have known about the love and care that God has for the poor and the oppressed.  They should have known the Scriptures that say, “I desire mercy, not sacrifice” (Mt. 9:13; cf. Hos. 6:6).  They should have known God’s commands to care for the orphans and the widows.

    However, other things became more important to them.  They liked to wear the clothes of those who are well-to-do or learned.  They liked it when people greeted them with respect in public places.  They liked sitting in the places of honour as teachers in the synagogue, or being given the best seats at banquets.  They liked standing in the Temple and saying long prayers, so that others could see how well they prayed and how devoted they were.

    They also liked money.  In those days, sometimes when a woman’s husband died and actually left any estate, a scribe would become the trustee of the estate.  This was because they were so well-respected and because, of course, a woman could not be allowed to be trustee of anything.  And so, the scribes would administer widows’ estates, and of course would take a share for themselves – often far more than they should have gotten.

    And so Jesus says, “Watch out for people like this!  Don’t let appearances fool you.  Just because somebody pretends to be learned and respectable doesn’t mean that they are.”  “You will know them by their fruits” (Mt. 7:20)!  It is hypocrisy that will receive the greater condemnation, and not just the scribes per se.  And where are we in this gospel?

    Are we the ones who like to be acknowledged and given the places of honour?  Are we the ones who pray for the sake of appearances?  Are we the ones who have studied our Bibles and yet ignore the parts about caring for the poor and the oppressed?  Are we the ones who like money a little too well and will even take from those who can least afford it in order to have more for ourselves?  Or, are we the ones who need to beware of people like this?  Or, are we the ones whose houses are being devoured by others who already have more than enough?  These are very important questions, for God speaks to our hearts through the Scriptures, and we are always there somewhere in the gospel.

    It might be difficult for many of us to see much of ourselves in the scribes mentioned in the gospel.  Yet, are there ways in which we are similar to those who “devour widows’ houses”?  While we may not literally steal from the poor, do we do the same thing when we make purchases based only on what is cheapest?  How we buy our coffee has long been an example of this.  For a few dollars more, fair trade coffee is available – even in some of the supermarkets now – which means that those who produce it actually get paid a fair wage.  Much of the coffee that is available is quite literally produced by slave labour – sold cheaply because the workers are paid so little.  When we pay a few dollars more out of our abundance, it helps those who have very little.

    Of course, coffee is just one example.  There are many products where there are justice issues to consider, and many cases where Canadians have lost their jobs because of contracts going to other countries where they can pay the workers less.  Many of our own farmers have trouble making a living because of our thirst for cheap produce from other countries.  Is this not a case where we rob others in order to have more for ourselves?

    Now, I also understand that many of these issues are very complex, and there are not always easy answers.  Yet, doesn’t our faith in Jesus Christ compel us to be aware of what we’re doing and share our resources however we can?  Let’s at least be part of the solution rather than part of the problem!

Beware of [those who] ...devour widows’ houses and for the sake of appearance say long prayers.  They will receive the greater condemnation (Mk. 12:38, 40).

    The gospel, of course, continues.  Jesus sits down opposite the temple treasury and watches how people are contributing.  He sees many rich people who come by and donate large sums for the temple.  And then he notices a poor widow who drops in two copper coins.  Jesus calls his disciples over and says, “Do you see what just happened?  This widow gave what looks like a really small donation – but it’s not.  She just gave to this temple all that she had to live on – her whole life.  She gave more than all of those other people who contributed out of their abundance.”

    Appearances, it would seem, can be deceiving, and it’s even more interesting to note that immediately after this conversation with his disciples, Jesus tells them that the entire, magnificent temple will be destroyed (Mk. 13).  It seems almost like back in the days of Jeremiah when people were putting their trust in the temple rather than in God (Jer. 7).  The entire temple system had gone out of whack.  Rather than caring for widows who had nothing to live on, instead it was taking from them their last few coins.

    I came across a number of commentaries that asked what it was that Jesus was actually commenting on when he mentions this widow.  Is he commending her for her faithfulness and trust, or is he condemning the temple system that would leave her in such a state of poverty?  Truthfully, one could make a case for both of these things based on today’s gospel.

    However, once again, we are invited to find ourselves in this gospel, and as Jesus was watching the people, he was watching how they were giving.  Most of them were giving “out of their abundance,” but the widow was giving “out of her poverty” (Mk. 12:44).  Do we give out of our poverty or out of our abundance?  Do we give out of our excess or out of our money that should have gone for food?  Do we put our whole self in or give leftovers?

    Something else to note is that Jesus does not judge by appearances.  There are people who make donations of millions of dollars and get their names on buildings.  Yet, such donations are most often out of their excess and don’t represent any real sacrifice on their part.  On the other hand, there are those who have next to nothing and yet are willing to give what they do have to others.  Jesus sees how people give rather than how much.

    Truthfully, today’s gospel invites us to do an eye check-up and a heart check-up.  Are we among the hypocrites whom Jesus would condemn?  Do we see only appearances or do we see as Jesus sees?  Are our hearts only for ourselves, or do we share God’s heart for the poor and the oppressed?  Do we worship the praise of others, or the seats of honour, or our bank accounts, or do we worship God?

    The Jesus whom we meet in the gospel is the same one who gave his life for ours and exchanged heavenly riches for earthly poverty (2 Cor. 8:9).  Let us then give thanks for God’s generosity in giving his only Son, and rejoice in the fulness of life that Christ brings, living in the Holy Spirit our lives of worship and praise.  Amen.

Lectionary 32(B)                                Mark 12:38-44
November 8, 2009
St. Luke’s Zion Lutheran Church
Pastor Lynne Hutchison

© 2009 Lynne Hutchison  All Rights Reserved