The Widow's Mite

³⁵ While Jesus was teaching in the temple courts, he asked, “Why do the teachers of the law say that the Messiah is the son of David? ³⁶ David himself, speaking by the Holy Spirit, declared:

“‘The Lord said to my Lord:
    “Sit at my right hand
until I put your enemies
    under your feet.”’

³⁷ David himself calls him ‘Lord.’ How then can he be his son?”

The large crowd listened to him with delight.

³⁸ As he taught, Jesus said, “Watch out for the teachers of the law. They like to walk around in flowing robes and be greeted with respect in the marketplaces, ³⁹ and have the most important seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets. ⁴⁰ They devour widows’ houses and for a show make lengthy prayers. These men will be punished most severely.”

⁴¹ Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. ⁴² But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a few cents.

⁴³ Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. ⁴⁴ They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.”

Jesus continues to make himself a presence in the temple, but now as with the question of whose authority John baptizes with, he presents his own conundrum to the people gathered there.  "Why do the teachers of the law say Christ is the Son of David?"

The question brings to mind the encounter with the blind man Bartimaeus who recognizes Jesus for as Son of David.  He is the only one in the gospel to do so and is for him a confession of Jesus as Messiah.

Jesus however challenges this title by quoting scripture.  From the Psalm, he reminds that David wrote of God telling the Messiah that his enemies will be placed under his feet.  When he does he refers to the Christ as Lord which would not be the way a father refers to a son.  If this is the case then clearly the Messiah is not a son of David.

This seems like a strange bit of overreaching instruction, but the people are delighted by it.  It is also interesting that the other synoptic gospels go to great lengths through genealogy to establish Jesus as the son of David.  Mark seems unconcerned to go to these lengths.  In fact, Jesus is not subordinate to anyone but God, not even David.

As he delights the crowd by poking holes in the orthodoxy of the teachers of the law, he goes from a criticism of what they believe to a criticism of how they act.  Because they don't hold the proper faith, they don't/can't live the proper life.  They are more concerned with establishing their own importance and authority than they are with leading people into a relationship with God.  Among their faults are wearing ostentatious clothing, desiring respect for their position rather than their person, living off the charity of the poor, and using language to obfuscate their lack of spiritual devotion.  Their punishment for these misplaced priorities will be of the most severe nature.

Jesus then goes to watch the offerings being brought to the temple.  The temple offering boxes had a horn that amplified the sound of gifts being placed within the treasury.  The more coins deposited, the louder and longer the sound, leaving no doubt as to who were the big givers.  Large contributions were a way to bring honor to one's self and one's family.

But Jesus pays little attention to these who give large gifts because they will not miss them.  He instead focuses on a widow who puts two small copper coins in the till.  I suspect that she tried to go unnoticed on her silent effort hoping to draw no attention to herself.

Unseen by everyone else, Jesus notices her and sees the perfect example of what he has just been teaching about.  He tells the disciples that giving out of her poverty she has given more than those who have made the horn ring.

This is perhaps the most essential teaching on stewardship that Jesus makes.   First, he proposes a progressive view that equates the value of the gift not in its face value, but in the level of sacrifice it requires.  Also, even though he has condemned the temple's offering system, he praises the widow because she gives faithfully even though the system has been unfaithful to her.  She is judged not on who she gives to, but on what she gives.  Her accountability is for her response to God, not the response of others.