Gospel : Mark 12: 38-44
Poor Widow! This coming week’s gospel challenges us differently.
Most of us think that it is a story of generosity – the act of giving without
holding back. We have heard this sort of interpretation of the story over and
over again from the pulpit. Sometimes, the generosity demonstrated by the widow
in the gospel of Mark is blown out of proposition so much so that it sounds
quite impossible for someone to act the way the widow acted in the gospel. In
other words, the story of widow is too ideal to be true! Perhaps, the story of
generosity or the act of giving is one side of the truth or lesson Jesus
intends to communicate but this particular lesson does not entirely swallow up
the other possible lesson/teaching intended.
Jesus
in Mark 11:1-12 has made his entry into Jerusalem and from now on, from chapter
11 onwards, everything Jesus does will be centred on Jerusalem and its temple.
Not only that, Jesus’ death eventually will be also directly connected with
Jerusalem – its temple, city and the people there. This is the first
observation we should make. The very fact that Jesus has entered Jerusalem –
triumphant entry and dramatic as it was - the people themselves expected some
sort of dramatic event about to unfold through him. There is a high intense
expectation and excitement! Within this given context, Mark, the evangelist has
portrayed Jesus sitting down opposite the treasury and watching the people
putting money into the treasury. Interesting, instead of accomplishing something
dramatic in Jerusalem, Mark in 11:38-40, has Jesus sitting and pointing out the
hypocrisy of the scribes – “Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes, and to be
greeted with respect in the marketplaces, and to have the best seats in the
synagogues and places of honor at banquets!
They devour widows' houses and for a pretence make long prayers. They will receive
the greater condemnation.” Note that one of the outrageous actions mentioned of the scribes is “they
devour widows’ houses and for a pretence are making long prayers.” In other
word, the scribes use long prayer to hide their act of injustice done to the
widows. That is hypocrisy! Within this act of injustice committed towards the
widows, that Jesus strikingly, sets his eyes on a widow who puts in two small
coins. “Two small copper coins” were the smallest coinage of that
time. It took 64 such coins to make a denarius, that is, a day's wage, which is
enough to live for a day. The woman had only 1/32 of what it took to live for a
day, yet she put it all in the temple treasury. One person
devours as much as he wants and hides behind prayer and the other gives
everything she owns. What a contrasting attitude!
Perhaps,
we should ask some questions now! What is the implication of this text? What does it
mean for us?
1. Have you ever thought why the widow was left with only 2 small coins? Jesus remarks, “this poor widow has put in more than all those putting into the treasury; for all, out of their abundance, put in, but she, out of her want, all that she had put in - all her living.” Was this a lesson/story to demonstrate generosity or a depiction of the state of injustice and the state of poverty-stricken widows in Jerusalem to the point that this widow in Mark (representing the widows’ of Jerusalem) had put in everything she possessed, all that she had to live on. Now, she is left with nothing to live on for! The injustice and corruption in Jerusalem has reached its climax, its peak that it calls for action from God! The plea of the poor of YHWH! Mark as an apocalyptic theologian, having written his gospel about 70 CE, after the fall of the temple perhaps saw that with this destruction of Jerusalem, all these corrupt practices of the temple came to end and God in Jesus replaces with a new order – where special care for the widows are expressed in the writings of the New Testaments, see 1 Tim 5:3-10 (by St. Paul), James 1:27, Acts 6:1-15
2. On the other hand, is this a lesson whereby in spite of being the subject of abuse, victim of the scribes, the poor victim, though left with only 2 small coins, is yet able to contribute to the Treasury? She spoke no words, no complains and no excuse was on her lips. She just threw in two small coins! Even, in this circumstance, she could give something. What a commendable act!
1. Have you ever thought why the widow was left with only 2 small coins? Jesus remarks, “this poor widow has put in more than all those putting into the treasury; for all, out of their abundance, put in, but she, out of her want, all that she had put in - all her living.” Was this a lesson/story to demonstrate generosity or a depiction of the state of injustice and the state of poverty-stricken widows in Jerusalem to the point that this widow in Mark (representing the widows’ of Jerusalem) had put in everything she possessed, all that she had to live on. Now, she is left with nothing to live on for! The injustice and corruption in Jerusalem has reached its climax, its peak that it calls for action from God! The plea of the poor of YHWH! Mark as an apocalyptic theologian, having written his gospel about 70 CE, after the fall of the temple perhaps saw that with this destruction of Jerusalem, all these corrupt practices of the temple came to end and God in Jesus replaces with a new order – where special care for the widows are expressed in the writings of the New Testaments, see 1 Tim 5:3-10 (by St. Paul), James 1:27, Acts 6:1-15
2. On the other hand, is this a lesson whereby in spite of being the subject of abuse, victim of the scribes, the poor victim, though left with only 2 small coins, is yet able to contribute to the Treasury? She spoke no words, no complains and no excuse was on her lips. She just threw in two small coins! Even, in this circumstance, she could give something. What a commendable act!
Fr
Robert Daniel Francis
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