Much More Than We Know

I have a sign in my office at work that offers me a potent reminder each and every day. Small, hand painted and hanging above my file cabinet (a solid metal block full of facts) it says simply, “Don’t Believe What You Think.” It illustrates the truth that our thoughts are influenced by many things – false tales, famous artistic images, preferences and prejudices, history and alliances. Nowhere is that more evident than our views of biblical people and stories.

We’ve taken our mental image of Jesus largely from art depicting him with long (but very meticulously groomed) hair, an angular face and whiter-than-likely skin. Many in faith believe Mary the Magdalene was a prostitute, which the Bible neither says nor implies, simply because of an ancient tale. We assume the woman at the well who had 5 husbands to also be filled with shame and guilt, although there is no indication as to why she had so many – maybe they died, or maybe she was barren. Yet we cheerfully pack her into the bad girl box and go on with the story.

Today’s scripture from Mark is another place we let images and old sermons influence us, and in doing so we lose a part of the great lesson of dignity and faithfulness. The Widow’s Mite is a story as full of myth as it is meaning. Let’s start with the word “mite”. There were no “mites” in the time of Christ. The word describes a small copper coin that was used during the time of King James (when the word “mite” entered the translation). The Greek word used was “Lepton” – a coin that was actually a fraction of the lowest denomination of currency. I guess if the bible were translated in the time of King Edward, I guess we would call the “ha’pennies”. But – there are tons of handy dandy websites that will sell you “Widow’s mites” – even though that’s not a correct name.

Not only are we susceptible to shady marketing, but lost meaning as well. Years upon years of sermons have taught us about how poor this widow is – as if that’s the point – that the poor give everything and the rich give only a token. By the time she’s described to us – we can see her clearly – in our collective consciousness we see her as old, in worn (if not tattered) clothes, shuffling into the court of the treasury through the dark shadows, her head bent in awareness of her poverty around the rich Pharisees. By the time preachers are finished with her she looks in our mind’s eye like the Disney Crone from Snow White or a desolate sunken-in, sullen obedient figure . We figure she must have definitely felt the shame of having such a small amount to give in front of the puffed up rich people.

But what if she wasn’t? What if she were a young mother, or young bride whose husband died from infection or a threshing accident? What if she were wearing clean everyday robes – simple but functional? What if she walked to the trumpeted bowl and put her two leptons in with her head up, with her walk steady, and with her confidence intact. What if she gave her offering with the same surety and joy that you give yours? Wouldn’t that be something? What if she looked more like this:

("The Widow's Mite" by Gustave Dore)

What if when Jesus says “this widow hath cast more in” – that he means more than money? What else could she have casted?

A giant shadow

The first part of this lesson begins before the widow comes along. Jesus talks about the tendencies of the rich and privileged to abuse and take advantage of the people and the temple. Jesus said all this while sitting “opposite” the treasury. This position not only gave him a vantage point to see the giving that was taking place, but also the imagery of being opposed to the treasury and the way the treasury demanded money from the very poor while giving status and the best seats to the very rich.

Mark 12:40 says:

40 They devour widows’ houses and for a show make lengthy prayers. Such men will be punished most severely.”

Really? They ate houses??? Well, not literally (this is the Bible, not Hansel and Gretel). What this refers to is the practice of temple staff, “teachers of the law” to eat at the homes of people. Because temple staff were not paid for their work (beyond all the perks) they often would go to someone’s home and demand to be fed or housed or spend Sabbath with the family. Frequently they would go to the houses of widows who were more vulnerable and while there eat all that the widow had to sustain herself. This practice of taking from the poor was something Jesus clearly had an issue about.

Now – lets go back to our widow – not the old crone one, the one who looks at home putting her money in the collection bowl. Imagine the pastor from your church showing up at your door, demanding to be fed and housed and while there eating everything you own without apology and even demanding you get up and make some special dessert – pawn some furniture if you need the fixins’. Then, imagine the next day is Sunday. Are you going to take your offering envelope and give the church whatever you have left? Probably not! When the choir announces its time to stand and take offering – you’ll be thinking “I already gave more than I wanted. Forget it!”

We have all heard of or experienced churches where offering was a touchy issue. It is not unthinkable that a person would say, “I’m not happy with this program, pastor, church building project…and I’m not donating until there is a change!”. There are churches where subgroups put the money in a bank account until a pastor leaves and others where members struggle with the concept of “over and above giving”. There are people with some mixed up ideas about donation and devotion. But not this widow.

She walks into the temple (even though she might have been the victim of one of these teachers of the law and their luxurious dinners) and she puts her offering in the bowl. She recognizes that offering is not about money and it’s not about the temple. It’s about doing what God wants you to do with your treasure. She doesn’t offer excuses, justifications, rationalizations, or an itemized list of deductions. She takes her offering and deposits it faithfully. What a huge contrast to those sitting in the treasury who have lost sight of what is really important. They should shrink from the light of her dignity and her grace.

A generous heart

Not only did our widow give to a place that she had every reason to be resentful about, but she gave far more than she was required. Temple tax was commonly a minimum of one coin fitting your status in society. Historians record a basic temple tax was desired to be paid in silver coins. But the impoverished were allowed to give lesser coins. Still, they only had to give a representative offering which could be required as anything up to half their assets at any given time. So, she could have gotten by with tossing ONE of her leptons into the bowl.

But not only does she see offering as a part of her relationship of obedience to God, she goes one further. She gives both the coins she has left. She balances the scale perfectly – one coin for duty; one coin for generosity. In other words, she illustrates an idea all people of faith should remember – don’t do anything half-way. The widow seems keenly aware that no matter what the temple may “require” God enjoys our all – all our attention, all our devotion, all our gifts – poured out not to be seen or earn favors – but to create a culture of generosity befitting the people of a God who gives abundantly.

A living lesson

What happened to those teachers of the law who were standing around sneering and staring? Can you name them? Can you remember anything they did that inspired you? Can you go onto ebay and buy “teacher of the law coins”? Do you hear about them every Stewardship Sunday as an example to follow? Nope. They may have gotten the best seats in the temple, and had some awesome meals, but all they are to history is a list of “attitudes not to have and things not to do”.

The widow, on the other hand, is still talked about, raised up, learned from and sought for inspiration. Through her act of obedience and generosity she does something amazing. She never preached a sermon, wrote a best-seller, built a gymnasium, sponsored a charity event, or even had her name etched into one of the stones in the temple. Yet we remember her to this day. She didn’t need all the symbols of acclamation and success. All she needed to do was to live her faith and follow her heart.

So when we hear about this widow – lets wipe away the tattered old crone withering under the gaze of temple officials and remember her for the strength, vision and generosity she truly embodied in Christ’s time and in our time.

When we have an understanding that our offering to God is NOT about our relationship to the church, but about our relationship with the Lord; when we give what God desires instead of just what is required; when we live our faith instead of talk about it – we will hear our Savoir lean back and say we have “cast much more in than anyone can imagine.” Let it be so with us.