Why Does the Preacher Always Talk about Money? —Lectionary Reflection for Pentecost 25B (Mark 12:38-44)
Mark 12:38-44 New Revised Standard Version UpdatedEdition
38 As he 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.”
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According
to Mark, Jesus was in the Temple preaching and having conversations with
representatives from different groups within the Jewish community, ranging from
Sadducees to Pharisees. In the reading from Mark 12 for the Twenty-fourth
Sunday after Pentecost Jesus engaged in a conversation with a Scribe about which
commandment was the greatest. They seemed to be in agreement that the command
to love God was the greatest, and the command to love one’s neighbor was
second. Jesus commended him for answering wisely. But then Jesus turns on the
Scribes, denouncing them. Why is that?
We
might want to start by identifying just who these Scribes were. In the New
Testament, they appear to have been learned members of the religious
leadership. They appear to be teachers of the Law or Torah. In other words,
they are experts in religious law. You might even say that they were
professional Bible scholars; the kind of people who show up at the annual
Society of Biblical Literature meeting. While the scribe who discusses which
commandment is the greatest seems to receive a bit of praise, scribes generally
get bad press. That is the case here, in
this reading.
The
focus of this discussion in Mark 12 focuses on money. It falls right in the
midst of what for many churches is stewardship season. While it appears that
preachers are always talking about money, most of us dislike that conversation.
Visitors to churches don’t like it. Regular attendees don’t like it either.
Nevertheless, in my years of ministry, I often preached stewardship sermons,
which generally serve as the spiritual foundation for the annual pledge drive. Fortunately,
for me, I’m now retired, and I don’t have to participate in leading a pledge
drive. But, Scripture does raise questions about money rather regularly.
The
reading from Mark 12 takes place in the Temple precincts. While he is teaching those
gathered around him, he offers a warning to the crowd to “Beware of the
scribes.” Here is why he makes that comment. According to Jesus the scribes “like
to walk around in long robes, and to be greeted with respect in the
marketplaces.” If you’re clergy, that might hurt. Whether we wear long robes
(and I often do when preaching), we do like to be greeted with respect in the
marketplace. After all, many of us are well-educated professionals. I hear
clergy tell people to call them Reverend or Doctor. The question is why?
Now,
Jesus wasn’t finished. He told the crowd that scribes like to have the best
seats in the synagogue, along with places of honor (head table) at banquets.
That hurts as well. Then Jesus gets pointed. He suggests that these religious
scholars not only like to be honored, but they use that status to “devour
widows houses and for the sake of appearance say long prayers.” While Jesus
focuses his attention on the scribes, James Thompson could be correct when he
suggests that Jesus could also be “addressing the abuses that were temptations
among his own followers. He has already pointed to the negative models of
conduct in the stories of James and John, who ask to sit at his right and left
hand in his kingdom (10:37). [Feasting on the Gospels: Mark, p. 389]. By
addressing the problem of seeking high status, something we’re all tempted by,
Jesus focuses on that human desire to achieve power over others. This is a
temptation that especially entices people in leadership, at whatever level. Again,
James Thompson points out that “Jesus’ critique of the scribes culminates in
his pointing to the very problem that desire for prestige engenders: despite
outward signs of piety, they violate the call to give of oneself for others,
especially those in need, which is one of the most basic statutes of the Torah”
[Feasting on the Gospels, p. 389]. Here the problem is revealed not only
in status-seeking but in the exploitation of widows, women without financial
support who might be taken in by promises made by unscrupulous religious
leaders. What was true then remains true today.
After
Jesus made these comments about unscrupulous religious scholars, he sat down
across the way from the Temple treasury. He watched the crowd from that vantage
point. He focused on the people who put money into the treasury. Mark tells us
that Jesus noticed how the rich put in large sums. Of course, as a pastor, you
like it when some of your members choose to make large pledges that help
sustain the ministry. Things were no different here. Then Jesus noticed a poor widow, who put in a
couple of copper coins worth no more than a penny. Jesus drew his disciples
around him and pointed to the woman, telling those standing around him that
this impoverished widow had put into the treasury of this magnificent religious
complex built by King Herod, which was built not only to provide space for the worship
of God but to also display his own greatness, more than all the wealthy patrons
had given. It is worth remembering that this was one of the great wonders of
the ancient world. So, while the wealthy patrons of the Temple contributed out
of their abundance, this impoverished widow gave everything she had, even what
she had to live on (Mk. 12:43-44). While
we tend to see this remark as an encouragement to do likewise, perhaps we’re
mistaken.
We
might want to jump back to that word about the scribes exploiting/devouring the
funds that widows live on. Isn’t that what is happening here? The widow is
outgiving the wealthy who give out of their excess, but is Jesus suggesting
that giving your last penny to the Temple is a good thing? If Jesus is focusing
on the call to discipleship, perhaps this serves as an example of total
devotion. After all, Jesus had told the rich man to sell everything, give to
the poor, and follow him (Mk. 10:21-22). But if that man, like the woman, gave
everything away, how would they support themselves? So, we need to be careful
about how we apply this passage, especially if it is used in an exploitative
way.
While this passage appears during stewardship season it may not be the best text to use in a stewardship sermon. While it appears that Jesus is commending the woman for her gift, perhaps he is calling into question the kind of exploitative efforts used to get money from people who are struggling to make ends meet. It would be wise to remember how Jesus judged the religious scholars who “devoured widows’ houses.” As we ponder this passage, we might want to also consider the message of the letter of James, which declares: “Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world” (James 1:27). Fairly or not, Christian churches are regularly critiqued by those outside the faith of hypocrisy because they seem intent on gaining power, fame, and money. While television evangelists are often the target of the critique, even small churches can engage in such tactics.
As we consider the message of this passage, it is good to remember that Mark’s Gospel likely was written after the Romans destroyed Herod’s Temple. While it had once been a magnificent edifice, by the time the Romans were finished, it lay in ruins. It led to a revolution in the way Jews understood their faith. Many churches today face the prospect of letting go of beloved edifices, which drain their finances. It’s hard to let go—I know because one of the churches I served has left the building. So what message might we take from this passage? William Placher writes: “Giving to the church is not always the right thing to do with one’s money. We have other responsibilities too. Churches should therefore not always urge without qualification that people give sacrificially before thinking about how much the church needs the money and what other needs it might serve.” [Placher, Mark (Belief: A Theological Commentary on the Bible), p. 183]. Placher adds a further word to the church, reminding church officials charged with determining how the church spends money to remember from whence it came. The church should be prudent in the exercise of its own stewardship. In so doing, it can refrain from engaging in the kinds of exploitive practices Jesus critiqued. It can then also focus on what true discipleship involves, which is the opposite of what the scribes exemplified and Jesus’ disciples aspired to.
Comments
A compelling read that encourages deeper contemplation on the true essence of discipleship and the ethical responsibilities of religious institutions. The connection to modern-day practices and the call for prudent stewardship is particularly insightful.