Mark 12:38-44

"The widow who has given 'all she had to live on' foreshadows the coming contribution of Jesus to his mission of proclaiming God's Good News of non-violent justice in the face of Rome's violent injustice."

Year B, Season of Pentecost
Proper 27, Ordinary Time 32
Sunday Between November 6 and November 12 Inclusive
23rd Sunday After Pentecost 2009

Read the passage: The Message   or   The New Revised Standard Version (NRSV).

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Having successfully bested all challengers from the Jerusalem elites, Jesus now honourably moves to the offensive. However, as we move into the denunciation of these elites and the Temple, it is good to remember the Scribe we met last week whom Jesus praised with the high honour of being "not far from the Kingdom of God." Which is another way of remembering that what is being condemned is behaviour, and not a whole class of people.

And of course, before we get wagging our fingers at these Scribes, we should also remember to examine our own behaviours first. Are they any among us who have not felt entitled to be greeted with respect, to have our favourite seat in church or the honoured place at the potluck. Do any of live in ways that impoverish others - while reciting long prayers? Let those without sin cast the first stone I say. Well, actually it was Jesus who said that.

As Malina notes (see footnote below), Jesus has just condemned the Scribes for bankrupting widows, and then we see a widow giving her last coins - perhaps as part of her personal piety and devotion - but certainly in keeping with the various Temple obligations. She is bankrupted by religiously sanctioned regulations.

Jesus does not comment on how women's utter economic dependence on men because of social and religious customs and traditions forced all but a fortunate few widows into poverty. So we need to be cautious that his praise of her example doesn't cause us to lose sight of the broader social-systemic issue - Why is this widow poor?

But we also need to not lose sight of Jesus' observation:

The wealthy have contributed out of their abundance / surplus in a way that does no harm to their continuing to be wealthy.
The widow has contributed all she has.

The widow who has given "all she had to live on" foreshadows the coming contribution of Jesus to his mission of proclaiming God's Good News of non-violent justice in the face of Rome's violent injustice.

She - and Jesus - set a standard that challenges us to re-examine just where-who-what we think our wealth is.

David Ewart,
www.davidewart.ca

* Link to Amazon.com Bibliography for Bruce Malina, et. al., Social Science Commentary on ... The Synoptic Gospels; The Gospel of John; The Book of Acts; The Letters of Paul; The Book of Revelation; and others. 

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