The 24th Sunday after Pentecost, November 8, 2015, Rev. David Ota
Ruth 3:1-5; 4:13-17; Psalm 127; Hebrews 9:24-28; Mark 12:38-44
Today’s gospel lesson is commonly known as the widow’s mite. Jesus tells the story while he is teaching in the Temple. Jesus has been at odds with the Temple leaders and in today’s lesson he criticizes the scribes, the ones who like to wear long robes and say long prayers, who have the best seats in the synagogues and at banquets. His critique could easily apply to any of the clergy of most denominations of Christianity. Look at how I am dressed and where I sit. We who lead religious communities are in danger of seeking our own privilege and prestige instead of being faithful servants.
While Jesus was alive, the Temple represented the heart of Judaism. Sacrifices were offered for the sins of the people. But Jesus criticized the hypocrisy of the leadership, who sought to serve themselves while putting on a show that they were serving God. In fact, he accused them of “devouring widow’s houses” for their own sake.
Then Jesus turned his attention to people who brought large offerings to the Temple. Although they seem to be generous, they were giving out of the abundance they had received. He contrasted that with a poor widow off to the side who put in two copper coins, the widow’s mite. He said she gave more than the others, because she gave all the she had to live on.
For the first 25 years of my ministry, I might have said that the widow was to be commended, because she gave of herself fully, completely. But in light of the long critique of Jesus against a Temple system which served itself at the expense of the poor, even poor widows, I finally noticed that Jesus didn’t commend her at all. He merely said, “this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the treasury.” And in next Sunday’s gospel lesson, Jesus talks about the destruction of the Temple. (Mark 13:1-2)
The poor widow in the Temple already knew that in her time and society, she did not have the means to care for herself. Like Naomi and Ruth before her, she would have to depend on the kindness of others.
I am interested in widows primarily because it helps me to understand my mother and aunt better. My mom has been a widow since 2001, and she has always been trying to eke out a living and have been frugal with her purchases. My aunt who has Alzheimer’s disease depends on others who meet her daily needs. As Americans, we don’t like to be dependent upon others. We tend to be fiercely independent. But sometimes we have no choice. This was the reality of Naomi and Ruth as widows.
Naomi was an Israelite woman who was married and had two sons. They lived in Judah when there was a drought. So they decided to move to Moab, the land of their ancestral enemies. As immigrants they settled in the land, and the two sons married Moabite women named Ruth and Orpah. But tragedy befell them. First, Naomi’s husband died. Then her two sons died. What would Naomi as an old widow do? The drought had long since ended in her homeland, so she decided to go home. But what would happen to her Moabite daughters-in-law? As they were still young, they had hope of remarrying, perhaps to Moabite men. But they were both loyal to Naomi and loved her. But Naomi persisted knowing that she had little to offer them. Orpah eventually took Naomi’s advice and stayed in Moab, and we hear nothing more about her in scripture. But Ruth would not let go of Naomi, and she said these now famous words,
“Where you go, I will go; where you lodge, I will lodge; your people shall be my people,and your God my God. Where you die, I will die—there will I be buried.May the Lord do thus and so to me,and more as well, if even death parts me from you!” (Ruth 1:16b-17)
Ruth, who also was a widow, proved to be faithful to her mother-in-law Naomi. And when they arrived in Judah, they would have to depend upon the kindness of others. Boaz, a kinsman of Naomi had fields of grain. Ruth went out to glean from the harvest of the grain that was left behind. Unlike our culture which tends to be so efficient, ancient Israel had a practice of allowing the poor to glean what was left behind. Boas took note of Ruth and heard of her faithfulness to his kinswoman Naomi.
When Naomi learned that Ruth had been gleaning in Boaz’s fields, and had been protected, she encouraged Ruth to glean only there. Then in today’s lesson Naomi strategically instructed Ruth to wash and anoint herself and wear her best clothes, and to lie with Boaz on the threshing floor after he had eaten and drunk his fill. She was to “uncover his feet and lie down.” This is a euphemism for being intimate with Boaz.
Boaz awoke and was pleased. He decided to take Ruth as his wife as next of kin, if the man who had the right before him would not take her. And Boaz was able to marry Ruth, and to care for both Ruth and Naomi. And Ruth would give birth to Obed, who would become the grandfather of King David.
Naomi and Ruth exemplify faithfulness in their relations with one another. Although they too were poor widows, they were determined to live with and for one another. Ruth was dedicated to Naomi. Naomi knew the cultural and social mores of ancient Israel. Together they with Boaz would recreate a new family and give birth to Obed.
When I think about the poor widow in the Temple that Jesus pointed out giving all that she had to live on, two copper coins, I think about how she was faithful. She did not trust in her own ability to care for herself, and the power of money. She needed to trust in God’s care for her and in the Temple’s care for widows like her. She may have been poor in money, but we don’t know if she was poor in relations with others.
Although Jesus was not commending her for giving all her money to a corrupt Temple, he did say that she gave more than those who gave out of their abundance. Moreover, the widow was able to give her all unlike the rich man who sought eternal life, but couldn’t sell his possessions and give them to the poor so he could join and follow Jesus. (Mark 10:21-22)
What made the most sense to me about the dilemma of the widow giving her all to God through a corrupt Temple was when I read that the widow in the Temple was like Jesus who gave his life for a world that was corrupt and would crucify him. Just as the offering of his life for a corrupt world did not tarnish his sacrifice, so too would the widow’s offering of her mite for a corrupt Temple would not tarnish her sacrifice.
Finally, today is the end our 2016 Pledge Campaign, A Community of Sharing, A Community of Giving. I am not going to tell you to give all your money to St. Ambrose or even to charity. Our stewardship is not only about money. Our stewardship is about how we use the lives we have been given to express our love for God and our neighbors. We are to remember that we are connected to God in love and are to share that love with the people in our lives just as Ruth and Naomi, two widows, did for one another, and as Boaz did for them. We are to take the gift of our lives and to share them with others so they may be blessed and we may be connected to them. And so I invite you to share who you are with us here as St. Ambrose Church, and to give your life away in love. And in doing so may God in whom we trust be glorified by our faithfulness in loving one another and all the people we meet along the road of life. Amen.
I propose to show that the widows Naomi, Ruth and the lone poor widow in the temple reveal that our lives depend on our trust in God and our connectedness rather than solely on our material assets, so that we who seek to be faithful may have the courage to live as stewards of our lives trusting in God’s goodness for us and being faithful friends and neighbors.
Eke
O God, whose blessed Son came into the world that he might destroy the works of the devil and make us children of God and heirs of eternal life: Grant that, having this hope, we may purify ourselves as he is pure; that, when he comes again with power and great glory, we may be made like him in his eternal and glorious kingdom; where he lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Ruth 3:1-5; 4:13-17
Naomi her mother-in-law said to her, "My daughter, I need to seek some security for you, so that it may be well with you. Now here is our kinsman Boaz, with whose young women you have been working. See, he is winnowing barley tonight at the threshing floor. Now wash and anoint yourself, and put on your best clothes and go down to the threshing floor; but do not make yourself known to the man until he has finished eating and drinking. When he lies down, observe the place where he lies; then, go and uncover his feet and lie down; and he will tell you what to do." She said to her, "All that you tell me I will do."
So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife. When they came together, the LORD made her conceive, and she bore a son. Then the women said to Naomi, "Blessed be the LORD, who has not left you this day without next-of-kin; and may his name be renowned in Israel! He shall be to you a restorer of life and a nourisher of your old age; for your daughter-in-law who loves you, who is more to you than seven sons, has borne him." Then Naomi took the child and laid him in her bosom, and became his nurse. The women of the neighborhood gave him a name, saying, "A son has been born to Naomi." They named him Obed; he became the father of Jesse, the father of David.
Psalm 127 Page 782, BCP
Nisi, dominus
1
Unless the LORD builds the house, *
their labor is in vain who build it.
2
Unless the LORD watches over the city, *
in vain the watchman keeps his vigil.
3
It is in vain that you rise so early and go to bed so late; *
vain, too, to eat the bread of toil,
for he gives to his beloved sleep.
4
Children are a heritage from the LORD, *
and the fruit of the womb is a gift.
5
Like arrows in the hand of a warrior *
are the children of one's youth.
6
Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them! *
he shall not be put to shame
when he contends with his enemies in the gate.
Hebrews 9:24-28
Christ did not enter a sanctuary made by human hands, a mere copy of the true one, but he entered into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf. Nor was it to offer himself again and again, as the high priest enters the Holy Place year after year with blood that is not his own; for then he would have had to suffer again and again since the foundation of the world. But as it is, he has appeared once for all at the end of the age to remove sin by the sacrifice of himself. And just as it is appointed for mortals to die once, and after that the judgment, so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin, but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.
Mark 12:38-44
Teaching in the temple, Jesus said, "Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes, and to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces, and to have the best seats in the synagogues and places of honor at banquets! They devour widows' houses and for the sake of appearance say long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation."
He sat down opposite the treasury, and watched the crowd putting money into the treasury. Many rich people put in large sums. A poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which are worth a penny. 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. 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."
In preparation for this coming Sunday’s worship, please pray this coming Sunday’s Collect of the Day and read and reflect on the lessons assigned as printed below
The 25th Sunday after Pentecost, November 15, 2015
1 Samuel 1:4-20; 1 Samuel 2:1-10; Hebrews 10:11-25; Mark 13:1-8
Blessed Lord, who caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning: Grant us so to hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them, that we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life, which you have given us in our Savior Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
1 Samuel 1:4-20
On the day when Elkanah sacrificed, he would give portions to his wife Peninnah and to all her sons and daughters; but to Hannah he gave a double portion, because he loved her, though the LORD had closed her womb. Her rival used to provoke her severely, to irritate her, because the LORD had closed her womb. So it went on year by year; as often as she went up to the house of the LORD, she used to provoke her. Therefore Hannah wept and would not eat. Her husband Elkanah said to her, "Hannah, why do you weep? Why do you not eat? Why is your heart sad? Am I not more to you than ten sons?"