Mark 12:38-44
As I sit at my desk, writing this blog, with people just outside my office door voting for the next president of the United States, I admit I am a bit taken aback by the timing of this week's lectionary passage. Really?
We have the gospel passage telling us of the scribes who parade around in their fine garb, 'devouring widows' houses,' which meant, basically, eating and drinking and using up the resources of those who could least afford to entertain them. The scribes, all the while, made sure they were publicly seen and acknowledged.
The scripture doesn't stop there, but also insists on telling us of the poor widow who gave every last coin she had to the offering at the temple, an offering, by the way, which was not mandatory for her, but voluntary. Jesus notes that the rich gave large sums, but only gave out of their abundance, in no way a sacrificial offering, in fact, money they would hardly miss at all. He notes the woman gave all of what she had, an amount of great sacrifice.
I can't help but think of the ridiculously insane amounts of money given for political ads during this campaign season, billions and billions of dollars...all for mostly negative and mostly false campaign slogans repeated over and over again. An abundant waste of precious resources, while people in this country went to bed hungry each night. And the campaign itself... often times seeming like scribes parading around in poor communities, 'devouring widows houses' and pretending they care about the needs of those who live there...
And yet, I am reminded that these stories told by Jesus are meant to teach us the power of sacrificial giving, the power of paying it forward.
This month we are focusing on that power of Paying It Forward. Last week we looked at our responsibility to continue paying forward the contributions of the saints who have gone before us. This week, we are given the example of giving as a form of worship. The scribes offered themselves to the church for show, for appearances. Any gift they gave was to be paraded around and lauded. The widow gave all she had, not to a required sacrifice, but to a voluntary offering.
A commentary I read posed this question, "What changes would our churches experience if more of us began to see giving as worship instead of obligation?" I might add to that: What changes would occur in our personal lives and our communities and our world?
Email me or comment below. May God be with us as we seek to be a nation of givers, rather than takers.
Pam, I have to admit it. I'm so old I continue to give because I should, but also because I want it to be an example to others--another way of saying I want it to be known that I give! I have pangs of being embarrassed when the offering plates goes by and I don't have anything to put in it since I have my contribution automatically transferred from my bank. How silly. For I'd have to remind myself to write a check otherwise and at my level of competence I'd probably leave my checkbook behind but it does feel strange to be nonparticipatory during offering time..
ReplyDeleteI feel that way, too. Electronic giving is a very effective way for me to be sure that I tithe, but it comes at a 'participatory loss' on Sunday morning.
ReplyDeleteJust a thought, maybe we could also put in our "other" service that we did that week or plan to do as our offerings. We could recycle these slips of paper as not to waste the resource but we could feel like we are offering of ourselves when the offering comes by. I try to do my offering monthly so most weeks I don't have anything to offer either so a note or something could be a fun ritual to get into. It could make us think of how else we could serve that week.
ReplyDeleteJust a thought.