November 2021
As he taught, he said, “Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes, and to be greeted with re spect in the marketplaces, and to have the best seats in the synagogues and places of honor at banquets! They de vour widows’ houses and for the sake of appearance say long prayers. They will receive the greater condemna tion.”
He sat down opposite the treasury, and watched the crowd putting money into the treasury. Many rich people put in large sums. A poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which are worth a penny. Then he called his disciples and said to them, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contrib uting to the treasury. For all of them have contributed out of their abundance; but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.”
- Mark 12:38-44
This is easily one of my favorite stories about Jesus! And yet, we rarely get to hear it because it usually falls on the same Sunday as All Saints’, so I figured that this was a great chance to look at Jesus’ words about the widow and her temple offering…
How do you understand this story? Is Jesus commending the woman for putting all of her trust in her offering to God? Is Jesus condemning organized religion for convincing people to give more monetarily, physically, and emotionally than what is sustainable? Or does the lesson lie somewhere in the middle?
Giving and volunteering are two of the most challenging conversations within any faith community. The last thing that any religious leader want to encourage is someone wrecking their personal finances to make a contribu tion – even if it is a really good cause! At the same time, there are bills to be paid to operate a church. Not to mention our own deep desire to give and to share with others. We all have felt the glow of helping someone and being generous.
We are headed into the time of the year when we vote on annual budgets, try to stretch finances to provide for our families’ holidays, and hope to be responsible in the midst of a global pandemic that has damaged peoples’ per sonal reserves and abilities to earn.
Perhaps the place to begin is to be mindful of our earning, our spending, and our giving? Is this expense or gift responsible, sustainable, and significant?
Responsible? = Will this put me, or my loved ones, in danger of not having the basic necessities of life? Sustainable? = Can I commit to this level of spending or austerity?
Significant? = How does this gift/donation/commitment of time compare to other responsibilities in my life?
How would you apply these three questions to the religious leaders in our gospel story above? How would you answer these three questions as the widowed woman from Mark 12?
How will you answer these questions about your personal finances, your church’s budget, or your holiday ex penditures. I appreciate that Jesus does not leave us with easy answers!
