A Deeper Look at the Widow's Mites
Year B: Proper 27
Where do you see any suggestion at all in the text that Jesus thinks it’s a wonderful thing that this poor widow put her last two coppers — all she had to live on — in the Temple treasury, going away destitute?It just isn’t there. If anything, the text suggests the opposite. The passage starts with Jesus warning his followers to beware of those who like to walk around in long robes, receive the seats of honor, put on a good show of prayers, and DEVOUR WIDOWS’ HOUSES. That last bit is particularly important because of what follows:
Jesus watches a bunch of guys in long robes take a widow’s last two coins — all she has to live on.
Then Jesus says something. What he says boils down to “and just in case you thought I was making stuff up on that point, check out this woman — she just put literally her last cent, all she had to live on, in the treasury to maintain this lovely building.”
Year B, Proper 27, November 10, 2024
First Reading: 1 Kings 7:8-16
Psalm: Psalm 146
Second Reading: Hebrews 9:24-28
Gospel: Mark 12:38-44
This is Much More Important
We have a tendency to skim over popular stories in the Bible because of our familiarity with them. After all, we’ve listened to sermons on these passages dozens of times throughout our lives; what else might we glean from them that we haven’t already heard again and again?
I find this to be the case with the widow and her two mites.
There is nothing wrong with the popular telling of this story, but I believe there is more here than we typically think. The point of classes and sermons on this widow is usually “This widow gave all she had because of her faith in God, so you can afford to give a portion of what you have if you have the same kind of faith.’
I think, though, the location of this story in Mark’s gospel matters. It does not exist in isolation, but is found at the very end of Jesus’s public ministry. After a series of debates with various religious leaders, Jesus said, “Beware of the scribes who like to walk around in long robes, and like respectful greetings in the market places, and chief seats in the synagogues and places of honor at banquets, who devour widows’ houses, and for appearance’s sake offer long prayers; these will receive greater condemnation” (Mark 12:38–40).
These popular religious leaders who were respected by the people would receive a “greater condemnation” because among a list of faults they “devour widows’ houses.”
In the Law and the prophets, abuse of widows and orphans ranks among one of the worst offenses. It was a sure sign that the people had left the God of heaven to pursue other gods. In James, pure religion is defined as caring for orphans and widows as well as keeping oneself unstained by the world (James 1:27).
How could one be a scribe and, at the same time, forsake the most vulnerable among the people?
After Jesus offered this critique of the scribes, he sat down across from the treasury and observed the people who were putting in contributions. The rich people were putting in large sums. Then, a poor widow came and put two small copper coins into the collection, which cost 1/64th of a day’s wage each.
Jesus called his disciples to himself and told them how the poor widow gave far more than the other people because they gave from their surplus while she gave all she had.
As Jesus’s disciples were leaving the temple with Jesus, they began pointing out the beauty of the stones and buildings of the temple and the surrounding area. Jesus then told his disciples that all the beautiful buildings would be torn down (Mark 13:1-2).
This exchange opens us up to the dramatic irony of the whole episode involving the widow and her mites.
These rich people were giving of their surplus to the temple, which was destined to fall within one generation. As Jesus said of the scribes, these people had a surplus because they devoured widows’ houses. They were directly responsible for the widow’s poverty, and instead of turning to her, realizing their iniquity, apologizing, and supplying her every need, they contributed to a building that would soon fall, a judgment that was coming because of their neglect of the “least of these.”
Here’s the challenge to us today: are we using our resources wisely? Do we make big shows of contributing to systems that are destined to fall when we could give of our surplus to support the “widows and orphans” among us?
Second Reading: The Most Holy Place
Jesus gave himself for our sins. Eternal life, eternal redemption, and eternal joy belong to us because of what Jesus did. Since Jesus has entered heaven itself, as Hebrews 9:24 says, we too can have confidence to enter the sanctuary by the blood of Jesus through a “new and living way” (Hebrews 10:19-22). Sacrifices of bulls and goats could bring the people only so close to God, and only certain people could enter the Holy Place; this isn’t the case in the new covenant. Every one of us regardless of ancestry, economic status, or gender can approach the Most Holy Place with “full assurance of faith.”
All throughout the history of Israel, only one person per generation was able to enter the Most Holy Place. Now we have full access to God through Christ. Despite our failures, shortcomings, or perceived unworthiness, Jesus has fully demonstrated God’s love for us.
“Just as it is appointed for mortals to die once and after that the judgment…” (Hebrews 9:27). Offering himself as he did, Jesus has shown us that death is nothing to fear (Hebrews 2:15). Seeing death, and even the subsequent judgment, as something to embrace rather than fear comes from confidence in Jesus’s finished work. Heaven is not just a faint hope or wishful thinking; it is a home we can “confidently” and “boldly” claim as our own.
Regardless of what we’ve been through or what we’ll go through, with God on our side, we have the victory of sin, condemnation, and death. Others may try to make us doubt our full salvation, but Jesus’s sacrifice says otherwise. Christ has won the victory! King Jesus has entered the Holy Place and beckons us to follow him into the arms of God.
Thanks so much for keeping up with this blog. If you have any suggestions, recommendations, or critiques, you can always comment here or reach out through my website: https://danielr.net.