Scripture Reading Mark 12:38-44
As he taught, Jesus said, “Watch out for the
teachers of the law. They like to walk around in flowing robes and be greeted
with respect in the marketplaces,
and have the most important seats in the synagogues and
the places of honor at banquets.
They devour widows’ houses and for a show make lengthy
prayers. These men will be punished most severely.”
Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings
were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury.
Many rich people threw in large amounts.
But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper
coins, worth only a few cents.
Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, “Truly I
tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others.
They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her
poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.”
Here ends this reading of the word of God
for the people of God. Thanks be to God. Amen.
Prayer for Understanding
O God, as we turn to listen to your Word in scripture, send your
Spirit among us. Open our ears to your truth. Open our minds to the challenge
in your message. Move our hearts so that we live out your challenge in the name
of Jesus Christ, you Word made flesh. Amen.
Message Risk and Restoration
When I was 16,
I had my first, real job. I worked at an outdoor theater as an usher. We were
paid once a week, I think on Wednesdays. After my confirmation, I received
offering envelopes because I was, as a confirmed church member, a member of the
church. When I became a freshly minted earner
as a 16 year old, I finally had something to put into those envelopes. As soon
as I cashed my paychecks, I took 10 percent of the proceeds and put them in my
offering envelope for the upcoming Sunday. I was excited about being able to
finally use my envelopes. I was excited to contribute to the work of my church.
I suspect that most of us don’t feel a
burst of joy when we put money into our offering envelopes. The more responsibilities
and bills we have, the less fun money seems. Instead of having a joyful
attitude towards money, we possibly have an anxious relationship with money. We
worry about having enough to pay our bills. We worry about having extra money
to buy birthday and Christmas presents for our family members. We feel pressure
to pay down our debts and pay off our cars and mortgages and student
loans. Instead of joy, we feel burdened
by money and burdened by the drive to have more of it.
In our reading this morning, we
reflect on a visit Jesus made to the Temple in Jerusalem and the teachings he
shared while he was there. Jesus was critical of people who showed off. He was
critical of people who drew attention to themselves by sitting in the best
seats in the synagogue and showed off their piety by publically saying lengthy
prayers. Jesus was critical of people who pretended to be faithful but were
acting. Jesus held up as an example a
poor widow who put all of her money into the temple treasury. The poor women didn’t give only her extra
funds, instead she gave all she had.
Although Jesus and his Disciples lived
a nomadic lifestyle, Jesus didn’t ask all of his followers to become like him.
When Jesus and the disciples travelled from village to village, they stayed at
the homes of friends who were settled in towns. They ate dinner with friends
who had homes and cooking facilities and servants. Jesus didn’t expect his
followers to give all of their money away.
But, Jesus did expect people to be
generous. Jesus was worried about people who let things stand in the way of
their relationship with God. He was
critical of the show-off teachers of the law who were proud of their piety.
They allowed their pride to interfere with their devotion. They wanted glory. Instead, Jesus praised the
humility and generosity of the poor widow. She didn’t make a proclamation that
drew attention to her sacrificial giving. She just gave.
Jesus wants us to be generous without
making a big deal out of it. As church
goers, we believe the church makes a positive difference in the lives of
people. We appreciate the support and relationships we have among the people of
the church. We appreciate the opportunity we have to worship God together. We
appreciate the work the church does to educate us about our faith and share the
Good News of Jesus with others.
We give to the church because of our
appreciation. We appreciate what the church has done in the past, we appreciate
what the church has done in the present, and we are excited about what the
church will do in the future. We give
because we believe in the message of the Gospel – God created us, God loves us,
God forgives us when we fail, and God wants us to live generous and
compassionate lives – through the sacrificial love of Jesus and the grace of
God, we receive eternal life – God’s Holy Spirit is now working among us to
guide and sustain us. As people who
believe in the message of Jesus and the guidance of the Bible, we are compelled
to share that message with others. Our generosity to the church and the
furtherance of the work of the church helps the message of God’s love spread.
There is a saying that says, “God
loves a cheerful giver.” This comes from Paul’s 2nd letter to the
Corinthians, chapter 9, where he wrote: “Each of you
should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly
or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” We may not be as
cheerful as a 16 year old is when they are
giving their first hard-earned money to the church. But, the sentiment still
drives us. We give because we love God, we are grateful for our relationship
with God, we appreciate the work of the church, and we want to make sure the
church can continue its work to change the lives of people now and the
generations of people who are to come.
May we do so in love. Amen.
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