Sunday, November 07, 2021

 

Sunday Reflection: The Widow's Mite

 

It's November in Minnesota. The palette shifts from a riot of color to grayscale in these weeks, just before the shift to stark black and white. 
 
This morning I am giving a sermon on this text from Mark 12:

38 As he taught, he said, “Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes, and to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces, 39 and to have the best seats in the synagogues and places of honor at banquets! 40 They devour widows’ houses and for the sake of appearance say long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation.”

41 He sat down opposite the treasury, and watched the crowd putting money into the treasury. Many rich people put in large sums. 42 A poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which are worth a penny. 43 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 contributing to the treasury. 44 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.”

The "Widow's mite" parable embedded here is well-known. But it is important to recognize that it is only one of two references to the widow-- the first one is to her house being "devoured" (such evocative language!) by the wealthy scribes. 
 
Taken together, we see the widow in two roles: first as a person harmed by another's greed, and then as the empowered willing giver. We tend to over-simplify the view we have of the poor or oppressed-- as victims or criminals--but as usual, Jesus complicates things with truth. She is not simple. And she is the possessor of a heart the others in the story lack.

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