The Widow's Mite: Stewarding All that We Have for the Sake of Our Neighbors - Sermon for 11/10/24

Gospel Reading: Mark 12:38-44
     38 As [Jesus] taught, he said, “Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes, and to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces, 39 and to have the best seats in the synagogues and places of honor at banquets! 40 They devour widows’ houses and for the sake of appearance say long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation.”
    41 He sat down opposite the treasury, and watched the crowd putting money into the treasury. Many rich people put in large sums. 42 A poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which are worth a penny. 43 Then he called his disciples and said to them, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the treasury. 44 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.”  (NRSVUE Translation)

Dear siblings in Christ, grace and peace to you from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen. 
       Today we hear the gospel passage most often referred to as the Widow's Mite. This kind of mite isn’t about the little insect of the same name, or even the might as in power like mighty, but a mite in Jesus’ time is the smallest denomination of coins, so a mite is similar to a penny today. But even though the common name of the passage is referring to the coins, there is an argument that can be made that the widow’s actions could very well be an act of might, an act of the last remaining power that she has in face of the marginalization and oppression that she encounters just by the fact that she is a widow without a safety net in that society. 
        So often we hear this passage being used in a way that we assume that Jesus is pointing out the widows great gift of all that she owned as something to be idolized and emulated, compared to those rich people who give a lot compared to her 2 coins, but they still have an excess of money left over, where as this widow has nothing left. She gave all that she had, and had nothing left to live on. Even though we as a congregation will soon be in the midst of our yearly stewardship campaign, with letters and estimate of giving cards to be sent out soon, this doesn’t give us the right to lift up the widow’s last act of giving up all she had as the end all be all. Instead, what if Jesus was pointing out this widow to all who were gathered as a way of focusing their attention on someone who they otherwise would ignore or look down on? What if Jesus was pointing to this widow as a way to further bring his point of being aware of the scribes, of the religious leaders who walked around in their fancy robes, having the best seats in the fancy synagogues and banquets, and acting all piously (or in other words, holy-er than thou) all while they devour the widows’ houses. All while they take all that the widows have left in the world. It wasn’t uncommon at that time to have scribes be the legal trustees of widow’s estates, and then demand a large chunk of change for their services, and so perhaps Jesus was calling out this practice as devouring widows’ houses (Salt's commentary for the 25th Sunday after Pentecost). These leaders were entrusted to take care of these widows, who were among the most vulnerable in Jesus’ time, and instead of ensuring that the widows had enough to live the rest of their lives well, they were often bled dry of all their belongings, while the leaders, and the places of worship were getting richer and richer and more grand. 
        Jesus seemed to be pointing out the hypocrisy of those leaders, who were entrusted to take care of their community, especially the vulnerable like the widows, the orphans, and the poor but instead were more focused with helping themselves become more “important”, and taking the seats of honor at banquets, and making their places of worship be extravagant. Out of the abundance of what has been given to the treasury, the leaders were not living into the call in which God has entrusted to us all, to steward our resources in ways that reflect God’s abundant care and love and live into the promise of creation that God has created more than enough for all people and all of creation, and yet those leaders were not stewarding the resources they have been given to work to ensure that all, including the vulnerable and marginalized have enough to live, just like anyone else. This can lead us to question and think about how we steward the resources that we have been entrusted with. How do we as a church, as a congregation and the larger church body, how do we use our resources for the work of the gospel, how do we use our resources to share the good news for and with the poor, vulnerable, and marginalized? How do we steward our resources not as a way to build up the church for the sake of a pretty building, or for the sake of getting butts in the pews, but for the sake of our neighbors both near and far? How do we or how can we better steward the resources that we have been given for the sake of all of our neighbors, not just the ones who look, think, and act like us, but for the refugees and strangers, and for our neighbors who are now facing even more harm and danger today just because of the color of their skin or their gender, or for living as the person whom God created them to be, or for loving who they love, or for being differently abled, or for any kind of difference whatsoever used to push people to the margins?
     Our resources that we are entrusted to steward for the sake of all our neighbors includes our financial resources of course, but also includes our time and talents, and our bodies and voices, and our places of privilege whatever they might be. How can we use all that has been entrusted to us for the sake of our neighbors? In the face of recent events, I have really been wrestling with this question myself. Since Wednesday, I have heard from multiple friends who have been harassed by people who have been emboldened to think it is alright to yell sickening sexist remarks and disgusting homophobic slurs at them while they are just going about their day, let alone hearing so many of the stories from this past week that have been shared by countless people throughout social media. How will we, how will you use all that has been entrusted to you to care for and look out for all our neighbors in the face of hate and oppression? Like Jesus, brought attention to the widow who is from the margins and often looked over, we are called to bring attention and notice those who are on the margins of today’s society and to care for all people and all of creation so that all may be able to live life and live it abundantly, as well come to know the unconditional love of God in the face of the oppressive systems of the world. 
        I know that we have not often read the assigned Psalms during our weekly worship but today’s Psalm seems to be very applicable for where we are as a society today and I invite you to please open your hymnal up to Psalm 146, which can be found after the various order of services in the front but just before the hymns. I invite us to read Psalm 146 responsively, I’ll read the odd verses and ask you to read the even. 

Psalm 146
1 Hallelujah! Praise the Lord, O my soul!  2 I will praise the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praises to my God while I have my being.  3 Put not your trust in rulers, in mortals in whom there is no help.  4 When they breathe their last, they return to earth, and in the day their thoughts perish.  5 Happy are they who have the God of Jacob for their help, whose hope is in the Lord their God; 6  who made heaven and earth, the seas, and all that is in them; who keeps promises forever; 7 Who gives justice to those who are oppressed, and food to those who hunger. The Lord sets the captive free. 8 The Lord opens the eyes of the blind; the Lord lifts up those who are bowed down; the Lord loves the righteous.  9 The Lord cares for the stranger; the Lord sustains the orphan and widow, but frustrates the way of the wicked. 10 The Lord Shall reign forever, Zion, throughout all generations. Hallelujah!     (Translation from Evangelical Lutheran Worship)

       This Psalm is a source of comfort reminding us that, no matter who are the rulers or leaders of our world or country, that they are just mortals and should not have our complete trust but that we trust in God and the teachings of Jesus who reminded us that he came to set the captive free and bring justice for the oppressed and he did that through his life giving act of his death and resurrection so that we all will be liberated into eternal life. But for now just as Jesus brought attention to the widow, he brought attention to one of the most vulnerable and marginalized, we are called to do the same and work towards stewarding all of our various resources in ways that will better ensure all people are able to live life abundantly, without fearing for their life or the lives of their loved ones, while working to hold our leaders accountable to do the same, to ensure they see all people as human and beloved children of God no matter who they are. And in doing so, in using our resources that we have been entrusted with, for the betterment of all people and their rights to live abundantly as God intended, we better share and show God’s unconditional love to all people, especially those on the margins who may feel forgotten, unloved, or lesser by society.  
       Like how the widow from today’s gospel gave all that she had, she in a way was liberated from the oppressive system of her day, that she had nothing left to give, she had nothing left for those in power to take from her and she was finally free, so what did she have left to lose? What do we have to lose to notice the marginalized and vulnerable like that widow within our own world today and what do we have to lose to work for the liberation of all people in the here and now, to follow Jesus’ command to love God and to love your neighbor as yourself, so that all people may be able to live life without fear of the oppressive systems and the actions that oppressive systems and leaders make possible in people's day to day lives. And for those of us who may be a part of marginalized groups, know that you are not alone, that God sees you and calls you a beloved child, and through Jesus makes your presence known and shows you love and calls all people to do the same. Let me end by asking again, how are you individually and how are we as a church being called to steward all of the resources that we each have been entrusted with to work to share and show God’s unconditional love to all people, so that all may live life and have it abundantly? Amen.
        -- Written and preached by Pastor Tamara Siburg

If you wish to listen to the sermon be preached the Reading of the gospel starts at minute 38:46 and sermon starts at minute 40