Sermon: Stewardship, or not? (Nov. 8, 2015)

Pentecost 24B

November 8, 2015

Mark 12:38-44

            One of the valuable things I did when I was in seminary was attend a couple readers workshops, short classes on how to read scripture effectively in worship. I remember the woman leading the workshop demonstrating three different ways to read the resurrection story from Mark. All three were carefully prepared and well done, but the style of her reading was completely different. With each new style, we experienced the story completely differently. It really showed me how the person who stands up here to read the lessons is not just filling a role; each choice that person makes about how to read the scripture serves as an interpretation of scripture. Since the Bible rarely includes descriptions of the tone with which people say things, how the reader decides to inflect dialogue is all we have to go on.

            Today’s Gospel lesson is a perfect example of how the way you interpret Jesus’ inflection makes all the difference in how the listeners understand the story. Let me show you…

            [First read text with appreciation in Jesus’ tone]

‘A poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which are worth a penny. ⁴³Then he called his disciples and said to them, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than
all those who are contributing to the treasury. ⁴⁴For 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.”’

[Reflect on that with people, how we like this interpretation, and it is an especially helpful one for stewardship season.]

            Ok, now listen to it again with a different intonation... [Read the text with tone of condemnation that widow is caught in this abusive system.] What do you hear this time? How does Jesus sound this time? [wait for responses]

            So, which tone do you think Jesus really used? […] It’s hard to know just from looking at this one little snippet. From just these few sentences, I am inclined toward the first, because it is much nicer. Who doesn’t love Jesus’ affirmation of an inspiring model of faith?

But honestly, I’m having trouble getting on board with that interpretation. First of all, nowhere in this text does Jesus actually commend the woman – he merely points her out. Then, there’s the placement of the story: if we look at where this “inspiring” story appears in Mark, we see that Jesus has just been harshly criticizing the Temple. Directly before observing the widow, Jesus has denounced the scribes, pointing out their pretentious ways. In fact, in that condemnation, Jesus has talked about the scribes “devouring widows’ houses,” in other words, hungrily taking advantage of these vulnerable members of society by demanding they give what ends up being their whole livelihood. Mark is such a careful writer, always placing stories beside each other very intentionally to bring out a larger meaning, so it is safe to assume that here is no exception. Jesus talks about

Replica of the widow's copper coins

scribes taking advantage of widows, and then points to such a widow to prove his point.

Then, directly following this, Jesus foretells the complete destruction of the Temple – the building as well as the corrupt system. Even though the Temple is the place of worship, it is also the economic center of Jerusalem, where taxes are paid and currency exchanged, and Jesus is clearly unhappy with the way it is functioning, and the abuses people experience there. Essentially, the way it functioned, the rich and powerful ended up with more money, and this was on the backs of the poor. This led that same ruling class to see themselves as assets to society, and the poor – like the widow – as burdens on society. And so, the rich get richer and the poor get taken advantage of. It is indeed a corrupt system, and our dear, generous widow is a victim of it. Here she comes to give her very last penny, so that the scribes can wear their long robes and go to parties. The scribes do indeed “devour widow’s houses.”

            Okay, so… with apologies to the stewardship committee, maybe this story isn’t so much about a faithful steward. What are we to do, then, with a story about abuse of the poor and vulnerable? What does this mean for us? Well, first of all, we can recognize that this Jesus, this one who condemns poor treatment of the vulnerable, is actually truer to the Jesus we see elsewhere in the Bible, not to mention the witness we see throughout scripture. The Bible is replete with the command to care for the poor, the widow, the orphan, the stranger, the alien. Old and New Testament alike, this is a clear mandate of the life of faith.

But in this story about the self-sacrificing widow, the need to notice the poverty among us is brought even more to the forefront. As I said, it’s no accident that this beloved story appears directly following Jesus’ condemnation of the corruption of the Temple. First he points out how flauntingly the rich behave. Then he sits back, and he watches. He simply takes in the scene, watching some put in large sums, watching the long robes of the scribes. And then he sees the widow. Probably no one else noticed her – widows were not really the type to be noticed. After all, it was believed she had nothing to offer society, certainly nothing like the scribes had. But Jesus notices her. He watches her offer her two coins. And he points her out to the disciples. “Do you see her?” he asks. “Do you see

how she already has so little, and this corrupt system is taking even that? Do you see the poor and vulnerable right here in your midst? Did you even notice?”

As he points to the vulnerable in his midst, he invites us to take a look around, and notice the poor and vulnerable in our midst. It is convicting. When Jesus invites us to notice those around us in need, he calls us out of our comfort zone, out of our comfortable lives and into lives that are lived for others. He doesn’t do this to accuse us. He does it because he loves us, loves us enough to not want us to keep our blinders on, and instead to point us toward change. He doesn’t want us to continue participating in a system that does not care for the proverbial widow and other vulnerable members of society. When Jesus notices that widow and invites us to notice her, he calls us also to do something about it, perhaps, even, to change the system that causes her oppression.

We have many means by which to change such a system. One of them many of us exercised this past week, and that is to vote people into office who will care for the well-being even of the poor, who will see each and every person, regardless of socioeconomic status, race, gender… not as a burden, but as someone who has something to offer this world. Once people are elected, another way we can prevent corruption is to talk to those people we elected, tell them that poor people matter to us. Another way to avoid participation in a system like the one described in our Gospel today is to build relationships. Before making an assumption about a person, or applying a stereotype to them, have a conversation with them. Hear their story. Learn about their gifts and dreams. All of us are beloved children of God.

There’s no part of the gospel that says, “Earn your keep, then sit back and enjoy.” And so Jesus won’t let us stay there, comfortable as it may be. Immediately following this encounter with the poor widow, Jesus also gives all he has, his whole life, for the sake of the corrupt world. He goes to the cross so that we would have life. And now the question becomes, how do we use that life? Heh, it turns out this is a stewardship tale, after all. In gratitude for what Christ has done for us, how can we use this life to care for those around us, both friends and strangers alike? How will we be good stewards of the comfort God has graced us with?

Let us pray… God of the weak and vulnerable, you point us toward the poorest among us. Help us to see those around us who are in need. Help us to see them as unique and wonderful gifts, and as your children, that together we might grow closer to you. In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.