Mark 12:38-44
Once again in the Gospel of Mark, Jesus counters-pose the vision of his kingdom with the vision of this world. For this world those who “walk around in flowing robes are greeted with respect in the marketplaces; they always are invited to seat in the most important seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets.” For Jesus instead of seating in the most important seats in the synagogues and places of honor at banquets, “these men -he said-, will be punished most severely.”
The counters-pose vision of God’s kingdom continues through the whole story. Mark says that while Jesus was sat at the opposite side of the place where the offerings were put, he watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. 42 But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a few cents.
The widow, who does not have much, does something that makes no sense for this world; she gives her last two coins. “Out of her poverty she has put in everything she had; all she had to live on.” Said Jesus. This widow who in Jesus’s society did not have any value, for Jesus what she did had more value before God’s eyes than what the rich were doing.
To make better sense of this scripture, we must take into consideration the context. You see, Jesus is talking about the teachers of the law’s attitude. These men were supposed to know what God’s law said. Not doubt they knew what Deuteronomy 14:28-29 says, “At the end of every three years, bring all the tithes of that year’s produce and store it in your towns, 29 so that the Levites (who have no allotment or inheritance of their own) and the foreigners, the fatherless and the widows who live in your towns may come and eat and be satisfied, and so that the Lord your God may bless you in all the work of your hands.”
Or Deuteronomy 24:19 “When you are harvesting in your field and you overlook a sheaf, do not go back to get it. Leave it for the foreigner, the fatherless and the widow, so that the Lord your God may bless you in all the work of your hands.” Without any doubt, I believe Jesus had these and others verses in mind when he saw the widow placing all she had to live in the temple treasury.
Most of the interpretations of this passage I have heard are centered on the gratefulness of the widow, or on the right reason behind our offering, also in the spiritual or genuine faith and sacrificial giving over the outward displays of wealth and piety. Today within the post-election context, I want to interpret the widow’s act as an action with which she claims her belonging in God’s people. With her action this human being who was pushed to the periphery of her nation is telling those who are on top of the pyramid, “I am part of God’s people too.” Malachi 3:10 say to all Israel, “Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it.”
When the widow in our story brought her tithe, she was saying I am part of God’s people, I am part of Israel, I am part of those God promised to bless, I am part of the covenant. Covenant that you have forgotten when you neglect me.
The attitude of the teacher of the law and the rich people that Jesus was watching was like if they were the favorite children of God. They wanted to look godly, but at the same time they neglected and exploited the vulnerable, such as widows. Their outward was a show of piety to mask their self-serving behavior, and Jesus condemns them for it. “These men will be punished most severely.”Why will these men be punished severely? Jesus gives us the answer, because they “devour” the houses of the widows.
In the Center for Excellence for Preaching website, Chelsey Harmon in her commentary on Mark 14:38-44 says that there is historical evidence that tells us several ways of how scribes (or teacher of the law) could have devoured the widows’ houses. She gives 5 ways.
- Though it was forbidden, many took payment from widows for providing legal assistance.
- While serving as lawyers, some cheated on the wills or mismanaged the widows’ estates.
- Some scribes were known to take advantage of and freeload upon the hospitality offered to them by widows.
- Certain scribes were in the habit of taking payment and promising to make intercessory prayers for widows (making prayers a business).
- if a widow could not pay, there were known cases where scribes literally took the widow’s home as payment for services rendered.
Maybe the condition of the widow in our story was the result of the actions of one or more of the teachers of the law present that day in the temple. No doubt her presence was a reminder of their inaction to fulfill what God told Israel though Moses in Deuteronomy14:28-29 and 24:19. Maybe her condition was the result of the scribes devouring her house.
Now, you may be asking, what do the widow, or the teachers of the law have to do with our post-election moment? A lot. At this moment many people in our country are feeling as the scribes and the rich people, in control and walking around in flowing robes, while others are feeling like the widow, left out … and as in the Gospel story, Jesus is watching, Jesus is watching with our eyes. In the Gospel those in control did not pay attention to the widow, they did not see her. But Jesus did, her action, ignored by all was so relevant for Jesus, that he called his disciples and used this ignored and insignificant widow as an example. Jesus reoriented his disciples who were possibly admiring those who were throwing the offering, to what the poor widow did.
Today, Jesus is asking us to do the same, therefore, let us reorient our celebration and let us assure those vulnerable and poor, those who live in the periphery of our society that God is watching over them, that they are children of God and we Jesus’ disciples, we the Church of Jesus commit ourselves to watch for our new government “To do justice and to love kindness and to walk humbly with our God” As the Almighty God asks us in Micah 6:8.
No doubt, the disciples learned the lesson of caring and watching for the widows. Because later after Jesus ascended to heaven and Christianity became a movement, we can read in the Book of Acts chapter six, how they took care of the widows and the most vulnerable of their society.
Today, Jesus continues watching our country and he wants -through us, his feet and hands- to lift up the widows of our times.
Sisters and brothers, we have a great challenge before us. We must preach and live unity within a divided country. Now, once again, we must pray and practice what Saint Francis of Assisi taught, “God make us an instrument of your peace. Where there is hatred, let us sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; and where there is sadness, joy.”
Brothers and sisters, what are you going to do now that many those who live in our country feel threatened and rejected? I invite you to embrace them as Jesus would. Sisters and brothers, what are you going to do now in this post-election season to bring healing, harmony and unity? Let us my sisters and brothers do with this post-election what we do when Christmas is over. When Christmas is over, we put everything in boxes, we continue with our lives and do not talk about it until next time.
Remember, those who voted differently than us are persons for whom Jesus gave his life for; they are neighbors we are commanded to love. And finally remember, our identity and belonging does not come from any political party, it come from God our Creator, Jesus our Savior and The Holy spirit our Sustainer and this comes before any party affiliation and allegiance to a country. May God lead all of us to be agents of reconciliation.