Sermon 11/12/06
Keeping Up Appearances - Mark 12:38-44
(view lectionary notes for this text)
For the last several weeks, we’ve been sharing together in our annual stewardship campaign. We’ve taken the motto of the United Methodist Church, “Open Hearts, Open Minds, Open Doors,” and we’ve asked questions: What is it that you love most about St. Paul’s? Who at St. Paul’s has inspired you? What do you want to see happen at St. Paul’s in the next year? I hope you’ve taken or will take some time to read some of the responses that have been shared. Today we’re asking you to consider putting it all together – because of what you love about St. Paul’s, because of who you love at St. Paul’s, because of what you want to see happen at St. Pau’s in the next year, how do you feel God calling you to give this coming year? We’ve tried to take a different approach to the campaign this year, and I hope that one thing you see different about our approach is that the last thing it’s really all about it the money. The budget, the numbers, the statistics all have their place – they’re important and necessary. But that’s not what the campaign is really about and it isn’t what St. Paul’s is really about. We need the money, but it’s not about the money. It’s about the mission and ministry of St. Paul’s. It’s about disciple-making. It’s about living as God’s children, and loving as God’s children.
Today, as I said, we’re tying it all together. Our gospel lesson is from Mark, and we find Jesus talking about the practices of the scribes. The scribes were professional interpreters of the religious laws. They were responsible for copying, editing, and studying the sacred texts and explaining them to the people. So, they were learned men, some of few in society who could read and write. And having these skills and this knowledge gave them power over others. Over the centuries, their skills gave them an elevated status. It is this status, this position that Jesus is talking about. He warns the crowds against the scribes, who would have been respected and esteemed by most, criticizing them for making their faith for show. He calls them insincere, calls their intentions into question, and accuses them outright of unethical practices. He comments on their long robes – by which he probably meant their prayer shawls, which had fringes that would be visible under clothing. Some men would wear the prayer shawls all the time, though, instead of just at home and worship, as a sign of their piety. And he talks about the scribes, who would have legal charge of widow’s estates after the death of their husbands, since women could not hold property themselves, he talks about the scribbles taking advantage of their position, their authority over the widows, and using it for personal gain. All this they do while still saying long-winded prayers to God, as Jesus says, “for the sake of appearances.”
Then Jesus sits opposite the treasury at the temple, and watches people bringing their offerings. He sees many rich people putting in large sums of money, and then sees a poor widow putting in two small copper coins – a penny. He calls his disciples to him and says “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the treasury. For all of them have contributed out of their abundance; but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.” Obviously, for Jesus, his apparent admiration of the widow was not about money, but about who she was – about identity.
Whenever we read the scriptures, we always seek to find ourselves in the passages we study. In this passage, we really must take stock of ourselves in two ways. We have to look at both parts of the passage, and see ourselves in both the scribe and the widow. Jesus’ words about the scribes are pretty scathing. But what he most seems to dislike about them is that what they do is only for show. Being a scribe isn’t in itself a bad thing. In fact, being a scribe should represent interest in, passion for God’s word, and devotion and commitment to knowing more about God’s word. But instead, the scribes took all the heart, all the passion out of what they were doing, and kept only the outward pieces, only the public persona. And that they did in a haughty way, relishing in being holier than anyone else.
No doubt the behaviors Jesus describes go on still today. We may not wear our prayer shawls around, but it is still easy to only look like a faithful disciple instead of actually being one. What does the good Christian look like? The scribes were pretty concerned with what a good Jew looked like. But I think Jesus wondered if they were as concerned with what a good Jew was. Which does God prefer, someone who looks like a good disciple, but isn’t really what they appear to be? Or someone who doesn’t have the image of good discipleship, but whose heart is on target? I once read a quote that said something like, “character is what you do when no one else is watching.” It is so rare in today’s world that someone isn’t watching what we’re doing. And so it is easy to end up doing everything because we think we have to, because we want to look good, because we want to fit in. But when it comes to discipleship, what God sees in us is the only thing that matters.
The other part of this passage is about the widow and her meager yet abundant offering. In my preparations for sermons, I sometimes check other sources, other sermons, work of other theologians, especially when I’m not immediately drawn to a certain direction on a passage. With this passage, I thought I had some ideas, but then I came upon one resources that totally opened my eyes to reading this passage in a different way. Sarah Dylan Breuer, author of a lectionary blog I read, writes about the passage and brings up some points I’d never thought about before. (1)
She says, “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."
We always read this passage, at least I always read this passage, and assume that Jesus admire the actions of the widow. And I think that to a point he does admire her. He admires here sincerity and commitment and generosity. But Jesus never says that the woman should have given all of her money to the treasury. In fact, Jesus was highly critical of the practices related to the Temple, particularly the financial practices of the temple. Should the widow have given her all, her last cent, to the temple treasury? Why should the widow feel obligated to give her last to the Temple treasury, when the scribes had no qualms about giving only a percentage of their abundance, and taking her estate as well? If she could give her all, was that the right thing to give to? Why do you think she gave to the treasury? Was that where her heart was? Or where she felt she had to put her money, little bit that it was?
So the message of this passage is two-fold. On the one hand, Jesus wants us to be genuine and be giving of our whole selves, not for the sake of what others think of us, not for show, not for keeping up appearances, but because our loving and generous God also wants us to be loving and generous with all we’ve been given. On the other hand, Jesus wants us to make sure that what we give our all to, what we give our whole lives to, is worth our giving. Why give your whole self, all that you are and all that you have to something that isn’t worth the gift?
On this Pledge Dedication Sunday, then, the issue really isn’t money. And this issue is not giving what you think you are supposed to be giving, what we think must be giving to qualify as a good Christian, like the scribes did to be good Jews. You don’t have to find out what the person next to you in the pew gives and make sure you’re giving more than them. There are no bonus prizes for the highest pledge, no recognition for biggest increase or highest percentage. It’s not about what anyone else things you should give. God wants what is real, what is in you, and what is all of you, down to your very soul.
And, the issue is not giving our all if what we’re giving to is not worth the sacrifice, not worth the generosity. When you think about this community of faith, if you figure out that your heart isn’t really here, then you really shouldn’t be giving this place all of your time and gifts and talents and money. You’d have to figure out where you heart really was, where else God might be calling you. And then put yourself, your gifts, there. God’s not letting you off the hook – wherever your passion is – wherever you find yourself answering God’s call, God will require your deep generosity, your giving your last two cents for God’s purposes. But please, know that God wants your generosity for all the right reasons. Whether you think you’re a modern-day scribe, or you relate to the widow with her coins, God wants your generosity for all the right reasons. Whether you’re a pillar of the church, or a Sunday School student, or up front for Children’s time, or trying to go unnoticed, God wants you, wants your heart and soul, and want you for all the right reasons.
Amen.
(1) http://www.sarahlaughed.net/lectionary/2006/11/proper_27_year_.html