Mark
12:38-44–The sacrifices of God – a
sacrifice of faith. Jesus compliments a poor widow for her sacrificial gift to
the temple. Verses 38-40 serve as an introduction to our Gospel lesson for
Sunday. Jesus warns the disciples against the scribes, for in their greed they
devour widows’ houses. By contrast we see an impoverished widow who places two
of the smallest coins, worth a penny, into the temple’s treasury. Jesus is
sitting across from the offering boxes and observes the gift being given. He
calls attention to the widow’s penny in contrast to the million-dollar gifts of
the rich. He claims that she gave more
than any other, because she gave out of her poverty while others gave out of
their abundance.
Jesus warns against using self-serving religion
to elevate ourselves above others. Clergy especially need to listen to Jesus at
this point. Jesus shows all religious leaders and scholars the model for their
leadership; humility, service, and sacrifice. For His sacrifice has atoned for
us all.
Jesus uses the sacrifice of a widow to
illustrate for His disciples the character of absolute dependence on God.
Wealth and possession can pose a spiritual threat - wealth has a way of owning
its possessor. Jesus' love and sacrifice motivate us to offer our whole lives
to Him as our daily offering of gratitude. He gave up everything, including His
life, on the cross for us.
A widow was almost always poor because she had no
husband to support her. There was no insurance policies, no death benefits
plan, no Social Security. Because she was extremely poor, she could have been
excused from giving to the Lord’s treasury. Rather she should have been given
something from the treasury. Her gift proved that she was not poor spiritually.
She had the riches of faith in God to motivate her.
Lord, grant us humble hearts and willing spirits to fulfill our callings faithfully.
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