Truly I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all

 

 And He said to them, "How can they say that the Christ is the Son of David?  Now David himself said in the Book of Psalms:

'The LORD said to my Lord,

"Sit at My right hand,

Till I make Your enemies Your footstool."'

"Therefore David calls Him 'Lord'; how is He then his Son?"

 

Then, in the hearing of all the people, He said to His disciples, "Beware of the scribes, who desire to go around in long robes, love greetings in the marketplaces, the best sets in the synagogues, and the best places at feasts, who devour widows' houses, and for a pretense make long prayers.  These will receive greater condemnation."

 

And He looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the treasury, and He saw also a certain poor widow putting in two mites.  So He said, "Truly I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all; for all these out of their abundance have put in offerings for God, but she out of her poverty put in all the livelihood that she had."

 

- Luke 20:41—21:4 

 

Yesterday we read that some of the Sadducees, who deny that there is a resurrection, came to Him and asked Him, saying:  "Teacher, Moses wrote to us that if a man's brother dies, having a wife, and he dies without children, his brother should take his wife and raise up offspring for his brother.  Now there were seven brothers.  And the first took a wife, and died without children.  And the second took her as wife, and he died childless.  Then the third took her, and in like manner the seven also; and they left no children, and died.  Last of all the woman died also.  Therefore, in the resurrection, whose wife does she become?  For all seven had her as wife."  Jesus answered and said to them, "The sons of this age marry and are given in marriage.  But those who are counted worthy to attain that age, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry nor are given in marriage; nor can they die anymore, for they are equal to the angels and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection.  But even Moses showed in the burning bush passage that the dead are raised, when he called the Lord 'the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.'  For He is not the God of the dead but of the living, for all live to Him."  Then some of the scribes answered and said, "Teacher, You have spoken well."  But after that they dared not question Him anymore. 

 

 And He said to them, "How can they say that the Christ is the Son of David?  Now David himself said in the Book of Psalms:  'The LORD said to my Lord, "Sit at My right hand, till I make Your enemies Your footstool."' Therefore David calls Him 'Lord'; how is He then his Son?"  Here Jesus is quoting from Psalm 110, and quizzing the scribes with His own question now, on the meaning of the Scriptures.  My study Bible explains that the first reference to the LORD applies to God the Father, while the term my Lord refers to Christ.  This question is answered in that Christ is the Son of David in His humanity and David's Lord in His divinity.  David, as king of Israel, could not and would not address anyone as "Lord" except God.  Yet, in the psalm, David refers to the Messiah as "Lord."  The only conclusion is that the Messiah is both human and divine.

 

Then, in the hearing of all the people, He said to His disciples, "Beware of the scribes, who desire to go around in long robes, love greetings in the marketplaces, the best sets in the synagogues, and the best places at feasts, who devour widows' houses, and for a pretense make long prayers.  These will receive greater condemnation."   After quizzing the scribes, who could not answer, Jesus goes on to criticize their hypocritical practices.  Their outward piety conceals a private predatory behavior upon the poor and those least able to protect or care for themselves.  In effect, they use the trappings of their places of honor in the religious hierarchy as shields for their greed and abuse.

 

 And He looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the treasury, and He saw also a certain poor widow putting in two mites.  So He said, "Truly I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all; for all these out of their abundance have put in offerings for God, but she out of her poverty put in all the livelihood that she had."  My study Bible comments that, according to patristic commentary, the Lord accounts the value of a gift not by how much is given, but by how much is kept back.  So, therefore, the poor widow is counted to have given a great gift, because she kept nothing for herself.  Those who give out of their abundance but keep plenty back for themselves, by contrast to her donation, have given much less. 

 

If we examine the story of the poor widow, what we find is a woman who is in this sense investing all her livelihood, all that she has, in God.  By putting her money into the treasury, she is entrusting all that she has to God.  She is, in this sense, indicating her full dependence on God, and dedication to God.  When we invest ourselves, in this sense, to our faith, we do the same.  In the Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom, celebrated nearly every Sunday in Orthodox churches, and the foundation for other denominations around the world, we frequently hear repeated, "Let us commend ourselves and one another and our whole life to Christ our God."  This phrase is also found in the worship of the St. Basil Liturgy which is performed on particular occasions.  This phrase is, in the same sense that the widow invests all that she has in the treasury to God, our way of giving our all liturgically, in repeated prayer.  We seek to direct our lives to the care and service of God, and leave nothing back "for ourselves."  What that means is that as we pray and as we worship, we are seeking not to dedicate ourselves in the sense of performative action such as hides the hypocrisy of the scribes which Jesus criticizes, but to dedicate ourselves to the way, the truth, and the life that Jesus teaches us (John 14:6).  We seek as best we can to follow His way and His commands, but we also entrust that the Holy Spirit will help us to see where we need to change, things we need to give up, and new things we need to take up and make a commitment to.  This is what it is to dedicate our lives to God, to entrust ourselves to God, as this widow does with her donation.  What we find is that all the practices of worship and tradition are aimed to this end, to help us to fulfill this dedication of our whole lives to Christ our God.  When we fast, we are learning to say No the things Christ would ask us to resist that tempt us, when we pray we bow down to the One who loves us and who in turn we entrust with our whole lives, when we venerate icons and share our love of the saints, we do so with this whole community in mind that is encapsulated in this prayer, "Let us commend ourselves and one another and our whole life to Christ our God."   For our whole lives to be entrusted to God is to go far beyond the practices of the scribes which Jesus so roundly criticizes. In so doing, we find ourselves together with that widow, where we are both part of this community dependent upon and dedicated to God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength.  And we find the poor widow as our neighbor, whom we are to love as ourselves.  (See, for example,  Mark 12:30-31.)  Christ the Lord who came into the world to reveal Himself to us, to give us His care, and teach us to find the way to His Kingdom -- and this is the way He shows us in today's reading.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Assuredly, I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all those who have given to the treasury

 

 Then Jesus answered and said, while He taught in the temple, "How is it that the scribes say that the Christ is the Son of David?  For David himself said by the Holy Spirit:

'The LORD said to my Lord,

"Sit at my right hand,

Till I make Your enemies Your footstool."'

"Therefore David himself calls  Him 'Lord'; how is He then his Son?"  And the common people heard Him gladly.

 

Then He said to them in His teaching, "Beware of the scribes, who  desire to go around in long robes, love greetings in the marketplaces, the best seats in the synagogues, and the best places at feasts, who devour widows' houses, and for a pretense make long prayers.  These will receive greater condemnation."

 

Now Jesus sat opposite the treasury and saw how the people put money into the treasury.  And many who were rich put in much.   Then one poor widow came and threw in two mites, which make a quadrans.  So He called His disciples to Himself and said to them, "Assuredly, I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all those who have given to the treasury; for they all put in out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all that she had, her whole livelihood."

 

- Mark 12:35–44 

 

In our present readings, Jesus is in Jerusalem.  He has made His Triumphal Entry into the city, and for several days answered questions and taught in the temple.  Yesterday we read that one of the scribes came, and having heard Jesus and the Pharisees and Sadducees reasoning together, perceiving that He had answered them well, asked Him, "Which is the first commandment of all?"  Jesus answered him, "The first of all the commandments is:  'Hear, O Israel, the LORD is our God, the LORD is one.  And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.'  This is the first commandment.  And the second, like it, is this:  'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'  There is no other commandment greater than these."  So the scribe said to Him, "Well said, Teacher.  You have spoken the truth, for there is one God, and there is no other but He.  And to love Him with all the heart, with all the understanding, with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love one's neighbor as oneself, is more than all the whole burnt offerings and sacrifices."  Now when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, He said to him, "You are not far from the kingdom of God."  But after that no one dared question Him.

 

Then Jesus answered and said, while He taught in the temple, "How is it that the scribes say that the Christ is the Son of David?  For David himself said by the Holy Spirit: 'The LORD said to my Lord, "Sit at my right hand, till I make Your enemies Your footstool."' Therefore David himself calls  Him 'Lord'; how is He then his Son?"  And the common people heard Him gladly.  We begin with an understanding that He continues to address the scribe to whom He was speaking at the end of yesterday's reading (see above).  My study Bible suggests that He asks this question to lead the scribe to the only logical conclusion:  that He is God incarnate.  It notes that the scribes supposed the Messiah to be simply a man, and therefore in this sense he is the Son of David.  But David, as king of Israel, could not and would not address anyone as "Lord" except God.  But in Psalm 110 (from which Jesus is quoting here), David refers to the Messiah as "Lord."  So, therefore, logic concludes, the Messiah must be God.  The only possible conclusion is that the Messiah is a descendant of David only according to the flesh (as is Jesus), but is also truly divine, sharing His Lordship with God the Father and the Holy Spirit.  We are to understand in this Psalm that the LORD is God the Father, and my Lord is Christ the Son.  Note how St. Mark tells us the common people heard Him gladly.

 

 Then He said to them in His teaching, "Beware of the scribes, who desire to go around in long robes, love greetings in the marketplaces, the best seats in the synagogues, and the best places at feasts, who devour widows' houses, and for a pretense make long prayers.  These will receive greater condemnation."  In St. Matthew's chapter 23, we can read Jesus' extensive criticisms of the practices of the Pharisees and scribes.  Here in St. Mark this shorter set of verses nevertheless encapsulates Jesus' great and most scathing criticism:  their hypocrisy, the gap between what they preach and what they practice, hiding behind an appearance of great piety their greed and predatory practices upon the poor and weak.

 

 Now Jesus sat opposite the treasury and saw how the people put money into the treasury.  And many who were rich put in much.   Then one poor widow came and threw in two mites, which make a quadrans.  So He called His disciples to Himself and said to them, "Assuredly, I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all those who have given to the treasury; for they all put in out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all that she had, her whole livelihood."  My study Bible says that, according to patristic commentary, the Lord accounts the value of a gift not by how much is given, but by how much is kept back.  So the poor widow is therefore counted to have given a great gift, having kept nothing for herself.  Those who give out of their abundance but keep plenty for themselves are counted by God to have given very little.  In the conversion of Cornelius, we learn that God takes note of our giving (Acts 10:4). 

I recently had occasion to consider this story of the poor widow who gave so much into the treasury.  This was because of a fundraising occasion in which I had the privilege of seeing various donations given.  I was most extremely impressed because people whom I knew to be on a limited and fixed income, of not much means, had given -- like the poor widow in today's reading -- very generously out of what they had.  This was a powerful impression, not least of which because it brought to mind Christ's story in today's reading.  There is something overwhelming to the realization of how incredibly generous the poor can be.  Among the people who comment on matters of our faith around the internet I have had occasion to see several articles in which this experience of the generous poor is noted.   If we but look around, we will find such truly gracious behavior and experience.   Once upon a time, as a very young person, I was stuck in my car by the side of the freeway, with a broken clutch cable, two days before Christmas.  As the traffic poured by, it was remarkable to note the people who stopped to offer help.  Most were quite obviously on the poor side of the economic spectrum and all the offers of help were sincere.  There is a tremendous lesson to be taught in that whatever it is we have to offer, we have the ability to do so in a similarly generous manner.  If one is pressed for time, but someone needs your attention, taking that time to do what is compassionate for another is a generous and fine gift, and it is God who will take note of the gracious behavior God asks us to imitate.  Perhaps what we have to give is effort to a project, even at a time we feel overwhelmed or exhausted.  But our effort becomes a potential for a most generous and gracious expression of ourselves, of which the Lord will truly take notice, because we do so in imitation of Him.  Of course we remember that Jesus Himself shows us the greatest gift of all in giving His life for all of us.  As He said, "Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends" (John 15:13).  Therefore I write that such generous gifts are beautiful in their imitation of Christ the Lord Himself.  There have been more occasions than I can count in which I experienced the tremendous generosity of those who had far less than I, and who yet offered me help of one sort or another without reservation, simply to help.  Such gifts seem divinely inspired as they reveal the true gem of good inside of a person, even, if you will, their love of God showing in the act.  In yesterday's reading Christ taught us about the two greatest commandments, to love God and to love neighbor as oneself.  In so doing, we reveal the blessedness of gracious life.  Sometimes if we pare down life to what is truly essential, it can help us to see what is truly great and gracious.  And in those "little ones" whom Christ so loved, especially among the humble, we might find what it is to be greatest.

 

 

 

Truly I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all; for all these out of their abundance have put in offerings for God, but she out of her poverty put in all the livelihood that she had

 

 And He said to them, "How can they say that the Christ is the Son of David?  Now David himself said in the Book of Psalms:

'The LORD said to my Lord,

"Sit at My right hand,

Till I make Your enemies Your footstool."'

"Therefore David calls Him 'Lord'; how is He then his Son?"  

Then, in the hearing of all the people, He said to His disciples, "Beware of the scribes, who desire to go around in long robes, love greetings in the marketplaces, the best seats in the synagogues, and the best places at feasts, who devour widows' houses, and for a pretense make long prayers.  These will receive greater condemnation."  

And He looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the treasury, and He saw also a certain poor widow putting in two mites.  So He said, "Truly I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all; for all these out of their abundance have put in offerings for God, but she out of her poverty put in all the livelihood that she had."

 

- Luke 20:41—21:4 

 

Yesterday we read that some of the Sadducees, who deny that there is a resurrection, came to Jesus i the temple in Jerusalem and asked Him, saying:  "Teacher, Moses wrote to us that if a man's brother dies, having a wife, and he dies without children, his brother should take his wife and raise up offspring for his brother.  Now there were seven brothers.  And the first took a wife, and died without children.  And the second took her as wife, and he died childless.  Then the third took her, and in like manner the seven also; and they left no children, and died.  Last of all the woman died also.  Therefore, in the resurrection, whose wife does she become?  For all seven had her as wife."  Jesus answered and said to them, "The sons of this age marry and are given in marriage.  But those who are counted worthy to attain that age, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry nor are given in marriage; nor can they die anymore, for they are equal to the angels and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection.  But even Moses showed in the burning bush passage that the dead are raised, when he called the Lord 'the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.'  For He is not the God of the dead but of the living, for all live to Him."  Then some of the scribes answered and said, "Teacher, You have spoken well."   But after that they dared not question Him anymore.   

 

And He said to them, "How can they say that the Christ is the Son of David?  Now David himself said in the Book of Psalms: 'The LORD said to my Lord, "Sit at My right hand, till I make Your enemies Your footstool."'  Therefore David calls Him 'Lord'; how is He then his Son?"  Here Jesus quotes from the beginning of Psalm 110.  My study Bible explains that the first reference to the LORD applies to God the Father, while the term my Lord is a reference to Christ.  The question posed by Jesus is answered in that Christ is the Son of David in His humanity and David's Lord in His divinity.  This "riddle" of the Scripture is only answered by understanding that the Messiah is not a mere man, but is also divine.  David, as king of Israel, could not and would not address anyone as "my Lord" except God.  

Then, in the hearing of all the people, He said to His disciples, "Beware of the scribes, who desire to go around in long robes, love greetings in the marketplaces, the best seats in the synagogues, and the best places at feasts, who devour widows' houses, and for a pretense make long prayers.  These will receive greater condemnation."   In Matthew 23, Jesus goes into an extensive listing of His criticisms of the scribes and Pharisees.   His greatest condemnation is due to their hypocrisy, the extensive practice of outward piety and signs of their office (long robes, greetings in the marketplaces, the best seats in the synagogues, and the best places at feasts), while at the same time their practice is to prey on the poor for their own gain and greed (they devour widows' houses), and their practice of making long prayers are but a pretense.  Christ's warnings are pertinent for us today.  My study Bible comments that because the example of a leader can be so influential, leaders who do not love God can hinder others from finding God as well.  Moreover, it maintains that these criticisms are especially important to Orthodox Christians, as the Church has maintained ancient Christians practices, using sacred vessels, and holy rites, following tradition.  It says these practices can be expressions of deep faith, lead a person to deeper commitment to God, and safeguard our life in Christ -- or they can be observed without ever taking them to heart and lead to condemnation.  

And He looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the treasury, and He saw also a certain poor widow putting in two mites.  So He said, "Truly I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all; for all these out of their abundance have put in offerings for God, but she out of her poverty put in all the livelihood that she had."  My study Bible comments that, according to patristic understanding, the Lord accounts the value of a gift not by how much is given, but by how much is kept back.  So, therefore, this poor widow is counted to have given a great gift, as she's kept nothing for herself.  Those who give out of their abundance but keep plenty back for themselves are counted by God to have given very little.

How do we give gifts?  This is a good question for today, as today is the feast day of St. Nicholas.  St. Nicholas lived in the 4th century in the Byzantine Empire.  The stories we've been given about St. Nicholas tell of a great many virtues.  As one might suspect, he's very well known for his charity and gift-giving.  Among other things, we're told about St. Nicholas that his parents were wealthy, and upon inheriting their wealth, he followed the examples of Christ's teaching in the Gospels:  he gave it all away to the needy.  According to a biography found at the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese, St. Nicholas "regarded himself merely as the steward of goods which belonged to the poor and took particular care to keep his good deeds secret, so as not to lose the heavenly reward.  On three occasions he secretly left gold enough for the marriage portions of three maidens whom their debt-ridden father intended to give up to prostitution. When the man eventually discovered his good deed, Nicholas made him promise, as he valued his salvation, to tell no one of it."  He became known, perhaps in return for his generosity of spirit, for gifts given by God, of miracles and charismata (he is also known as St. Nicholas the Wonderworker).  He is known for saving those in danger of drowning at sea through his prayers to calm winds, and for other miracles regarding dangers to ships and people making sea voyages (both before and after his death).  Perhaps for this reason, Nicholas is a very common name among the people who populate islands of Greece.  He is the patron saint of sailors, and also of children.  He became a bishop at a young age, and is also famous for defending the faith against the Arian heresy at the Council of Nicea.  He is indeed the same saint who became known as Santa Claus in the West (coming from the Dutch Sinterklaas, meaning St. Nicholas).  Today's story of anonymous and generous giving is a magnificent parallel with the saint's feast day.  The story of this very humble widow no doubt quietly putting her two mites into the treasury of the temple, in parallel with the secret and hidden generosity of St. Nicholas to others, tells us something very important about our own generosity and good deeds.  Christ is aware even of the things that are hidden to others or unknown generally speaking.  The good things we do, the kindnesses, our acts of compassion, are all known to the Lord, and He takes notice.  God also clearly knows the extent of our generosity, how deeply we give from the heart, and how generous we truly are being.  St. Nicholas, in the East and in the West, becomes the embodiment of the gracious spirit of our faith.  Perhaps the best message we're given today might be one of gratitude, because no matter how small we may believe our resources to be, a gift can always be generous, and we always have indeed a generous gift we can make: of our time, our love, even the truth of our deep convictions, and whatever resources we have.  The sacrifices we make for God always count, for we worship the God who sees (Genesis 16:13).  So let us, today, venerate St. Nicholas, and the poor widow whom Jesus lauds, for each of us is more than capable of bestowing the generous gifts Christ helps us to give.  We are all rich in this respect.  For, as Jesus says, even out of her poverty, this poor widow has put in more than all.

Assuredly, I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all those who have given to the treasury; for they all put in out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all that she had, her whole livelihood

 

 Then Jesus answered and said, while He taught in the temple, "How is it that the scribes say that the Christ is the Son of David?  For David himself said by the Holy Spirit:

    'The LORD said to my Lord,

    "Sit at My right hand, 

    Till I make Your enemies Your footstool."'

Therefore David himself calls  Him 'Lord'; how is He then His Son?"  And the common people heard Him gladly.

Then He said to them in His teaching, "Beware of the scribes, who desire to go around in long robes, love greetings in the marketplaces, the best seats in the synagogues, and the best places at feasts, who devour widows' houses, and for a pretense make long prayers.  These will receive greater condemnation."  

Now Jesus sat opposite the treasury and saw how the people put money into the treasury.  And many who were rich put in much.  Then one poor widow came and threw in two mites, which make a quadrans.  So He called His disciples to Himself and said to them, "Assuredly, I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all those who have given to the treasury; for they all put in out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all that she had, her whole livelihood."

- Mark 12:35-44 

 

Yesterday we read that one of the scribes came, and having heard Jesus reasoning together with the Pharisees, Herodians and Sadducees, perceiving that He had answered them well, asked Him, "Which is the first commandment of all?"  Jesus answered him, "The first of all the commandments is:   'Hear, O Israel, the LORD our God, the LORD is one.  And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.'  This is the first commandment.  And the second, like it, is this:  'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'  There is no other commandment greater than these."  So the scribe said to Him, "Well said, Teacher.  You have spoken the truth, for there is one God, and there is no other but He.  And to love Him with all the heart, with all the understanding, with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love one's neighbor as oneself, is more than all the whole burnt offerings and sacrifices."  Now when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, He said to him, "You are not far from the kingdom of God."  But after that no one dared question Him.   

 

Then Jesus answered and said, while He taught in the temple, "How is it that the scribes say that the Christ is the Son of David?  For David himself said by the Holy Spirit: 'The LORD said to my Lord, "Sit at My right hand,  till I make Your enemies Your footstool."'  Therefore David himself calls  Him 'Lord'; how is He then His Son?"  And the common people heard Him gladly.  My study Bible comments that Christ asks this question in order to lead the religious leaders to the only logical conclusion:  that He is God incarnate.  (In Matthew's Gospel, He directs this question to the Pharisees, with whom, of course, the scribes were closely associated.)   My study Bible further explains that they supposed the Messiah to be a mere man, and therefore the scribes say that the Christ is the Son of David.  But David, as the king of Israel, could not and would not possibly address anyone as "Lord,: except God.  Here Jesus quotes from Psalm 110, in which David refers to the Messiah (in verse 1) as "Lord."  So, therefore, the Messiah must be God.  The only possible conclusion is that the Messiah is a descendant of David only according to the flesh, but is also truly divine, and sharing Lordship with God the Father and the Holy Spirit.  Note that the text tells us the common people heard Him gladly.  Christ's following remarks tell us something about why they did so.

Then He said to them in His teaching, "Beware of the scribes, who desire to go around in long robes, love greetings in the marketplaces, the best seats in the synagogues, and the best places at feasts, who devour widows' houses, and for a pretense make long prayers.  These will receive greater condemnation."  Christ points out the hypocrisy of the scribes, who put on a show of piety, grasp their positions of authority, and yet harm the powerless.  For a full expression of Christ's condemnation of this hypocrisy, see Matthew 23, and Christ's grand critique of the scribes and Pharisees.

 

 Now Jesus sat opposite the treasury and saw how the people put money into the treasury.  And many who were rich put in much.  Then one poor widow came and threw in two mites, which make a quadrans.  So He called His disciples to Himself and said to them, "Assuredly, I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all those who have given to the treasury; for they all put in out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all that she had, her whole livelihood."  My study Bible comments that according to patristic understanding, the Lord accounts the value of a gift not by how much is given, but by how much is kept back.  Therefore, this poor widow is accounted to have given a very great gift, for she kept nothing for herself.  Those who give out of their abundance, but who keep plenty for themselves have not given as much as she.  In the conversion of Cornelius, my study Bible adds, we learn that God takes note of our giving (Acts 10:4).  

The poor widow is an important contrast to the authority and show of piety and honor so coveted by the scribes.  She is powerless.  In this society, she has likely no protector, no one who is going to fight for her if she needs a judgment or rectification of a harm done to her.  Neither has she the means to hire someone to do so.  Christ's noticing of her generosity, her obviously whole-hearted giving, is an image for us of the God who sees (Genesis 16:13), the same God who cares for the widow and the orphan (Psalms 68:5, 146:9).  He is the same Lord who commands us to "learn to do good":  to "seek justice, rebuke the oppressor"; to "defend the fatherless," and to "plead for the widow" (Isaiah 1:16:18).  Here Jesus Himself sets the example, in that He is pleading for the widow before His disciples in the treasury, and to all of us who read or hear the Gospel.  This is a clear example of what is frequently called God's condescension, an example of His compassion.  But it is more than an example, He actually does what He commands us to do; He pleads for the widow.  His action here stands in absolute contrast to the things for which He condemns the scribes.  They, on the other hand, desire to go around in long robes (signifying their place and piety), love greetings in the marketplaces, the best seats in the synagogues, and the best places at feasts (signifying their standing in the community), who devour widows' houses, and for a pretense make long prayers. They are antithetical to the image of the poor widow who puts all she has in the treasury (note how in Christ's observation of their behavior, there is no mention of donations or gifts, only accrual by devious means from the powerless).  What we find in their hypocrisy is not only their lack of a sense of justice and of "doing good" in this sense, but of a heart not truly devoted to God.  It is for this they receive their condemnation.  There is a sense in which the real fruits they bear (or lack of them) show who they truly are, whereas the widow's gift is weighed very heavily in the sight of God.  It's not that we're just supposed to "feel" things in our hearts, but rather that both action and faith go hand in hand.  We're meant to be "faithful"; that is, we're meant to really live our faith, not just believe or feel something.  To be whole-hearted is to bear the fruits of who we claim to be.  This is not so for the judgment of others, but it is God telling us the judgment of God here.  If we live only for the judgment of others, this is the very definition of what is commonly called "pharisaism," meaning to behave in accordance with Jesus' description of hypocritical practice.  In John's Gospel we read, "Nevertheless even among the rulers many believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue; for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God" (John 12:42-43).  That loving "the praise of men more than the praise of God" is what hypocrisy is all about.  In that specific example from John's Gospel, let us note they believed what was correct about Christ in their hearts, but nonetheless, they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God, and therefore put their trust in the former, and lived out that particular placement of trust.  In Mark's 8th chapter, Jesus says, "For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels" (Mark 8:38).  This goes directly to which one of these things we love more.  In Christ's repeated warnings about the final judgment, He tells us about living our faith, acting in accordance with it.  This is particularly clear in the parable of judgment, that of the Sheep and the Goats, found in Matthew 25:31-46.  There He names specific actions taken in accordance with compassion, not the mere feeling of such, and therefore a lived faith.  Some might call it a "faithful faith."  But what might always trip us up is the difference between the scribes, as described here, and the poor widow -- and that is in how much we care about making an appearance before others, how much we love the praise of men more than the praise of God.  Jesus says, "No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon" (Matthew 6:24).  It seems that mammon can be understood not simply as wealth or treasure, but even a purely materialistic perspective on life, which naturally translates into a life lived for accumulation and competition, whether that be for clout, power, any form of wealth, or indeed the "praise of men" as a form of currency which displaces God in priority.  Let us remember once again that the whole of the Old Testament, and Christ's most common emphasis and teaching, is the creation of community, and what a community centered around God is supposed to be and to reflect.  The God who sees does not ask us to live in a community where social hierarchy is the only thing that matters, not to emphasize merely the "praise of men," or what looks good to everybody else and gets us social merits.  Christ asks us to live in accordance with putting God first, the God who sees the widow and all that she gives, and asks us to live in accordance with that way of seeing.  Let us consider what it means to be made in the image of that God, and to grow in accordance with that image.

 

 

 

 

 

Truly I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all; for all these out of their abundance have put in offerings for God, but she out of her poverty put in all the livelihood that she had

 

 And He said to them, "How can they say that the Christ is the Son of David?  Now David himself said in the Book of Psalms:

'The LORD said to my Lord,

"Sit at My right hand,

Till I make Your enemies Your footstool."'

"Therefore David calls Him 'Lord'; how is He then His Son?"

Then in the hearing of all the people, He said to His disciples, "Beware of the scribes, who desire to go around in long robes, love greetings in the marketplaces, the best seats in the synagogues, and the best places at feasts, who devour widows' houses, and for a pretense make long prayers.  These will receive greater condemnation."

And He looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the treasury, and He saw also a certain poor widow putting in two mites.  So He said, "Truly I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all; for all these out of their abundance have put in offerings for God, but she out of her poverty put in all the livelihood that she had."

 

- Luke 20:41-21:4 

 

Yesterday we read that some of the Sadducees, who deny that there is a resurrection, came to Jesus and asked Him, saying:  "Teacher, Moses wrote to us that if a man's brother dies, having a wife, and he dies without children, his brother should take his wife and raise up offspring for his brother.  Now there were seven brothers.  And the first took a wife, and died without children.  And the second took her as wife, and he died childless.  Then the third took her, and in like manner the seven also; and they left no children, and died.  Last of all the woman died also.  Therefore, in the resurrection, whose wife does she become?  For all seven had her as wife."  Jesus answered and said to them, "The sons of this age marry and are given in marriage.  But those who are counted worthy to attain that age, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry nor are given in marriage; nor can they die anymore, for they are equal to the angels and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection.  But even Moses showed in the burning bush passage that the dead are raised, when he called the Lord 'the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.'  For He is not the God of the dead but of the living, for all live to Him."  Then some of the scribes answered and said, "Teacher, You have spoken well."  But after that they dared not question Him anymore.

 

 And He said to them, "How can they say that the Christ is the Son of David?  Now David himself said in the Book of Psalms:  'The LORD said to my Lord, "Sit at My right hand, till I make Your enemies Your footstool."'  Therefore David calls Him 'Lord'; how is He then His Son?"   Jesus quotes from Psalm 110, after being praised by one of the scribes for His interpretation of Scripture (in yesterday's reading, above), and poses a question of His own.  My study Bible explains that the first reference to the LORD applies to God the Father, while the term my Lord refers to Christ.  Jesus' question to the scribes is answered in that Christ is the Son of David in His humanity and David's Lord in His divinity.   The expectations of a Messiah as worldly king only are dispelled in this understanding -- for David, as king of Israel, would not address anyone as "Lord" except God.  David addresses the Messiah as Lord here in the beginning of the psalm, and therefore the Messiah must be God.  The understanding conveyed is that the Messiah is a descendant of David only according to His flesh, but is also divine, sharing Lordship with God the Father and the Holy Spirit.

 

 Then in the hearing of all the people, He said to His disciples, "Beware of the scribes, who desire to go around in long robes, love greetings in the marketplaces, the best seats in the synagogues, and the best places at feasts, who devour widows' houses, and for a pretense make long prayers.  These will receive greater condemnation."   In Matthew 23, we read an extensive critique of the scribes and Pharisees given in this final week of Christ's life.  Here it is much more abbreviated, and yet to the point.  He still criticizes them for their hypocrisy, their conduct of exorbitant displays of pious appearance to others -- and yet hiding their cruelty and greed.  Here He explicitly speaks of their condemnation.

And He looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the treasury, and He saw also a certain poor widow putting in two mites.  So He said, "Truly I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all; for all these out of their abundance have put in offerings for God, but she out of her poverty put in all the livelihood that she had."  After Jesus speaks theft from widows by the scribes (who devour widows' houses), He puts out to all the poor widow and her donation into the temple treasury.  My study Bible says that according to patristic commentary, the Lord accounts the value of a gift not by how much is given, but by how much is kept back.  Therefore, this woman is counted to have given a great gift although she is a "poor widow," as she has kept nothing for herself.  My study Bible adds that those who give out of their abundance but keep plenty back for themselves are counted to have given very little.  

At a time when I was traveling overseas, I happened to be sitting one day in the center of a sunny city, in a nice cafe.  A refugee woman with two small children came to me, and she was asking people for money.  Ordinarily there might be a common experience of some people begging in that city, often people who used drugs.  But this woman was different, and I felt she must have come across the seas from bad circumstances and facing danger in her position.  I gave her a much larger amount that I would ordinarily hand to someone on the street but it still was not a large sum of money.  There was another person in my party who in principle thought I shouldn't do that, but I tersely said that she had two children.  Quietly and with great dignity she mouthed the words to me, "God bless you," with deep gratitude.  She comes to mind as I think about Jesus' final story, pointing out to those who listened the gracious and generous gift of the poor widow.  Although the amount I gave was small, and I didn't know how much it could help her, this woman -- who might have been a young widow with small children -- was grateful in an enormous way, possibly more for the fact that I wanted to protect and defend her than simply the donation.  Perhaps she understood that I saw her dignity and grace and recognized who she was in some sense.  At any rate, a small token or gift from me was met with tremendous graciousness on her part, and so we might think of a poor widow as one who truly knows the value of a gift, especially when the world is unkind to the powerless and the poor.  In the years since I wondered often how I could have done more for her, tried to find her a job, or some other such fantasy, but I remember her gratitude and her grace, and in that, her gift to me of genuine thanks for much more than a small sum of money.  In contrast to the widow in the story, my donation was quite paltry, a pittance.  But let us not forget how Christ looked at the poor widow at the treasury and noticed her, and had not simply compassion, but the recognition of her great gift.  It's too easy to overlook what is small in the world, and without the significance of what we call great, those unfortunate who have been treated badly by circumstances, and who need help.  But God -- our Lord Christ -- tells us differently, and that it is our job not simply to give, but to know and to recognize, to see as He sees.  Let us not forget the true gifts of life, for of such is the compassion and wisdom of Christ.  The woman to whom I gave a small momentary sum had the grace of Christ to recognize I wanted to help even if it was quite a little, but her words to me suggested her faith and its depth of beauty and goodness were much greater than whatever sum I could give her.  We live in a very imperfect world, and we cannot fix all things.  Let us remember to show the mercy we can, for our sisters and brothers are found everywhere, and in them is found much greater treasure than what we give.  What can be given out of one person's poverty may be a greater reward than we can know.

Truly I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all

 And He said to them, "How can they say that the Christ is the Son of David?  Now David himself said in the Book of Psalms:

'The Lord said to my Lord,
"Sit at My right hand,
Till I make Your enemies Your footstool."'

Therefore David calls Him 'Lord'; how is He then his Son?"

Then, in the hearing of all the people, He said to His disciples, "Beware of the scribes, who desire to go around in long robes, love greetings in the marketplaces, the best seats in the synagogues, and the best places at feasts, who devour widows' houses, and for a pretense make long prayers.  These will receive greater condemnation."

And He looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the treasury, and He saw also a certain poor widow putting in two mites.  So He said, "Truly I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all; for all these out of their abundance have put in offerings for God, but she out of her poverty put in all the livelihood that she had." 

- Luke 20:41-21:4

Yesterday we read that some of the Sadducees, who deny that there is a resurrection, came to Jesus in the Temple and asked Him, saying:  "Teacher, Moses wrote to us that if a man's brother dies, having a wife, and he dies without children, his brother should take his wife and raise up offspring for his brother.  Now there were seven brothers.  And the first took a wife, and died without children.  And the second took her as wife, and he died childless.  Then the third took her, and in like manner the seven also; and they left no children, and died.  Last of all the woman died also.  Therefore, in the resurrection, whose wife does she become?  For all seven had her as wife."  Jesus answered and said to them, "The sons of this age marry and are given in marriage.  But those who are counted worthy to attain that age, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry nor are given in marriage; nor can they die anymore, for they are equal to the angels and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection.  But even Moses showed in the burning bush passage that the dead are raised, when he called the Lord 'the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.'  For He is not the God of the dead but of the living, for all live to Him."  Then some of the scribes answered and said, "Teacher, You have spoken well."  But after that they dared not question Him anymore.

 And He said to them, "How can they say that the Christ is the Son of David?  Now David himself said in the Book of Psalms:  'The Lord said to my Lord,  "Sit at My right hand, till I make Your enemies Your footstool."'  Therefore David calls Him 'Lord'; how is He then his Son?"  Jesus has just finished revealing that the Scriptures proclaim God is the God of the living and not the dead, for all live to Him (see above).  Here, He opens another Scripture, for them to truly hear; but it is a kind of riddle.  He poses it as a question.   David writes, "The Lord said to my Lord . . . ."  The first reference to the Lord refers to God the Father, but the term my Lord refers to Christ.  Christ is the Son of David in His humanity.  He is also David's Lord in His divinity.

Then, in the hearing of all the people, He said to His disciples, "Beware of the scribes, who desire to go around in long robes, love greetings in the marketplaces, the best seats in the synagogues, and the best places at feasts, who devour widows' houses, and for a pretense make long prayers.  These will receive greater condemnation."  Matthew's Gospel includes a lengthy final public sermon given here in the Temple which was a grand critique of the scribes and Pharisees (Matthew 23:1-39).  Luke's Gospel includes this critique of the scribes, which we note is said in the hearing of all the people.  It contains several of the criticisms Jesus levels in the longer sermon in Matthew.  In particular we note a life of what we might call social ambition, a life for show, people absorbed in externals, and thereby blindly self-righteous:  the long robes, the  greetings in the marketplaces, the best seats in the synagogues and the best places at feasts.  And then there is the hypocrisy and  greed mixed in:  they devour widows' houses.  And for a pretense they make long prayers.  We can just imagine the response of the crowds to this open condemnation and pronouncement of judgment on the scribes.  My study bible adds that while these charges were directed against the Jewish leaders of Jesus' time, every word applies equally to those in the Church who behave this way.

And He looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the treasury, and He saw also a certain poor widow putting in two mites.  So He said, "Truly I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all; for all these out of their abundance have put in offerings for God, but she out of her poverty put in all the livelihood that she had." According to traditional understanding, God values our gifts not by how much is given, but by how much is kept back.  So this poor widow is counted to have given a great gift, having kept nothing for herself.   Others who give out of their abundance keep plenty back for themselves; in this perspective their gift is far less.

One way we can look at today's reading is to contrast the behavior of the scribes (as described by Jesus) with that of the poor widow.  The scribes operate on the surface of life, and seem to have as goals a world of 'good appearances,' so to speak.  They crave the best seats in the synagogues, greetings in the marketplaces, their long robes and long prayers made for show.  What they want is a sort of social standing that operates as a mask of piety -- while they "devour widows' houses."  And here is the poor widow herself, who gives all she has to the treasury of the Temple.  She's as different from the scribes as she can be.  But what the text doesn't say, but implies, is that she is whole-hearted in her giving and her love for God.  There is nothing phony or pretentious about her.  She is giving all that she has.  And while the wealthy may make a great show of their donations, hers is a very small amount indeed.  It is Christ who observes and draws attention to her donation, which is all she has.  She cannot pretend a piety for show, she cannot command the best seats in the synagogue nor greetings in the marketplace, and she can't wear long robes for show.  All she has is her small gift, a tiny sum of money.  But her real gift isn't just all the money she has; her gift is representative of the all that she is, all that she has, a heart devoted to God.  What we can assume is that her whole life is given over to God.   To live in spiritual poverty is to live as she does.  In the Greek, we can contrast the words that describe the wealthy givers as those who give out of their "excess," while she gives out of her "lack."  She really doesn't have enough to cover her own needs, and does without -- and yet she gives.  This can only be a gift of love.  When you come to that place where you don't have anything to give, and yet you find yourself giving, you are in a place of depth of relationship to God, to God who is love and responding with love.  This is where we find even what we don't have in order to give.  It's a strange sounding paradox, but a true sense of spiritual poverty ("Blessed are the poor in spirit" - Matthew 5:3) is that place where we find we have something to give when it seems that everything is exhausted.  That is the place of real grace, a place where we find our connection to God.  It doesn't matter exactly what one gives, but the fullness of the heart given to God puts us in the place where we find the kingdom -- and more to give that we didn't know we had.  That would include more strength, more encouragement, more inspiration -- all gifts. How can you give more to God?  Where is the place where you find Him and seek His direction?  Let us consider how such humility keeps us from the false life He criticizes in the scribes.   How is this poor widow "full" in ways that even the wealthy are not?  How much is her worth?

Prepare the way of the LORD

The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. As it is written in the Prophets:

"Behold, I send My messenger before your face,

Who will prepare Your way before You."

"The voice of one crying in the wilderness:

'Prepare the way of the LORD;

Make His paths straight.'"

John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins. Then all the land of Judea, and those from Jerusalem, went out to him and were all baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins. Now John was clothed with camel's hair and with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. And he preached, saying, "There comes One after me who is mightier than I, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to stoop down and loose. I indeed baptized you with water, but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit."

- Mark 1:1-8

In yesterday's reading, we read of Jesus' time of trial. We also read of Peter's denial of Jesus - and in Luke's Gospel, we are taught about Jesus' glance at Peter after the three times Peter denies being one of His followers. See If I tell you, you will by no means believe. For today, as we are in the season of Advent, the Lectionary begins readings in other Gospels, preparing us for the celebration of Christ's birth. Today's reading is the beginning of Mark's Gospel.

The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. My study bible has some interesting notes on this passage. Here, it notes that "Gospel refers not to mark per se, but to the sacred story of the life, death and Resurrection of Christ, the Good News of salvation in the Kingdom of God (Matt. 4:17, 23). Beginning refers to the opening events of the ministry of Jesus, namely, the preparatory activity of John the Baptist and the baptism and temptation of Jesus, the Christ, the Son of God." We remember that in the early church, it wasn't the birth of Jesus that was the important celebration of this season, but rather the events of the Baptism by John the Baptist and the beginning of Jesus' public ministry.

As it is written in the Prophets: "Behold, I send My messenger before your face, who will prepare Your way before You." "The voice of one crying in the wilderness: 'Prepare the way of the LORD; make His paths straight.'" The prophesies quoted here are from Malachi 3:1 and Isaiah 40:3. My study bible notes, "Prepare Your way: John the Baptist, the last prophet of the Old Testament period, fulfills prophecy and prepares the people of God for the Messiah's coming. Hearts are softened to receive the Light." John comes, bringing the news - the good news of this gospel. Prophets have always taught about the spiritual realities that are seeking to "break through" in their gifts to the world. Do we listen to them?

John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins. A note here reads: "Baptism . . . for the remission of sins (lit. 'to let go' of sins) is a major part of John's preparation of the people for Jesus' coming. Later, in Christian baptism, God not only forgives our sins, letting them go, but He also brings us into union with Christ. (See Rom. 6:5.)" John's work is in some sense, groundbreaking. He is preparing all for what - or rather Who - is to come. We start with repentance, a turnaround, a change of mind - ready to receive the new.

Then all the land of Judea, and those from Jerusalem, went out to him and were all baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins. A note on this verse says: "All the land of Judea . . . went out to him indicates the sweeping impact of the ministry of John the Baptist. He is perhaps the leading religious figure outside of official and rabbinic Judaism." This passage tells us some very important information for the setting of the birth of Jesus' public ministry: John's proclamation has captured the imagination of the people. It is a time of turmoil, oppression, uncertainty for the nation of Israel, the Jewish people. They look for the One who is to come - and heed's John's charismatic proclamation and ministry. People from all stations of life consider John the Baptist a prophet.

Now John was clothed with camel's hair and with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. A note here teaches that, "John's clothing is similar to that of Elijah (2 Kin. 1:8), indicating that he fulfills the prophecy of Elijah's return." Jesus Himself will teach that the prophecy of Elijah's return was fulfilled in John the Baptist, who had "the spirit of Elijah." Mark's Gospel, teaching us about John's clothing, seems to suggest that John himself was aware of this role. John's description is that of an ascetic - a person who puts the kingdom of God and his work for that kingdom ahead of all material concerns. His vow was for poverty and humility, and he had a widespread following.

And he preached, saying, "There comes One after me who is mightier than I, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to stoop down and loose. I indeed baptized you with water, but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit." A note here reads, "Baptism with the Holy Spirit means that only Christ, the Son of God, fully possesses and gives the Spirit. So to receive the Spirit we must be baptized in Christ and adopted as children of God (see Gal. 3:27; Eph. 1:5). In adoption, Christians become anointed ones; it was of these God said, 'Do not touch My anointed ones' (Ps. 105:15)." And the preparation is complete in John's message here: "There comes One after me . . . He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit." And it is this for which we prepare - this is the great news, the revelation of John and the fulfillment of prophecy.

We see the great gifts of God inherent in the Scripture today, and it is a kind of earth-shattering news to think about. The awaited Messiah, "the Anointed One," is the One who will anoint us with the Holy Spirit. John comes baptizing with a baptism of repentance. We remember the Greek word in these texts for "repentance." It is metanoia - which literally means "change of mind." We are being prepared to have all of our expectations and ways of thinking changed, shaken up. We are being prepared for something new, a revelation of the incarnation of God amidst us, and for all that this will bring into our awareness, if we can but accept it. John's call for repentance is to introduce a radical gift giving and blessing: for God so loved the world that we are blessed with this extraordinary blessing and anointing by the Anointed One - and all the many multitudes of outpouring of that gift that will follow and extend into an infinite holiness for the world, incalculable in its giving to us. It all starts, in this story, with John the Baptist, who comes to us from the wilderness, in camel's hair, and a leather belt, who ate "locusts and wild honey." As we begin this journey, the light comes to us in a form of extreme poverty, of sacrifice for the sake of the kingdom of God. Could we be capable today of understanding the richness and wealth and gifts of infinite magnitude he brings? Are we ready, prepared, for this to be born into our midst? Could we see it today? We still need metanoia, repentance, for our eyes to be opened as widely as they need to be in order to grasp this gift! Let us think about that today, as we await the light we need to truly see.