First Congregational Church
November 11, 2018 25th Sunday after Pentecost, Armistice Centennial Mark 12:38-44 “Mite Vs. Might” Rev. Dinah Haag, preaching A few months ago, a request was brought to our Worship Committee, from the Benzie County Historical Museum, asking if we would participate in the centennial celebration of the great Armistice Day, held on November 11, 1918. It has been recorded that, “On the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month in 1918 the guns of Europe fell silent. After four years of bitter fighting, The Great War was finally over. The Armistice was signed at 5am in a railway carriage in the Forest of Compiegne, France on November 11, 1918. Six hours later, at 11am, the war ended.” In honor of that day, and as close to the poetic time as we are able, let us take a moment to reflect on that day, that time, the telegraphs, the relief and sorrow of our forefathers and mothers and those who gave all they had to the cause of freedom - not just that day, but in all those times when veterans served us and this world. —- So I was talking to my dad the other day, and as many of you know, I received my genetic propensity for the delight of fishing from him. In fact, the last couple of conversations I’ve had with him, he’s been talking about hoping to get his boat out one more time this year, because he hasn’t been able to catch a single walleye, and it is near killing him. The fact that walleye have been allusive to most all Minnesotans has not bee a comfort, and the couple of days with no fish caught on my vacation in July hasn’t softened dad’s blow one little bit. I am, however, thinking about connecting dad with a former student I’ve mentioned before; Quinten Larsin. Yesterday, Quintin posted a picture of his fishing boat and said, “Some say 16° out it’s too cold fish. Time to put the smack down on the walleyes.” If I could make it work, it just might be a connection made in heaven. In regard to our scripture passage for today, it just might be one that’s a little uncomfortable - at least the first half, at least for some. Okay. For me. At least the first part. It follows the passage from last week, the one when a lawyer of the day asked Jesus which one of God’s laws was the most important. For several weeks, the book of Mark has been giving us passages that center around a desire or knowledge of what or who is great. Last week, Jesus very pointedly said that to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength, along with the second: to love our neighbors as ourselves, were the two most vital. The writer of Mark doesn’t tell us whether today’s passage happened that same day or not, but Jesus is still on a teaching roll. Maybe he was doing a little topical cherry picking with his points as laid out by Mark. Maybe there were so many different teachers and scribes milling around in the temple, that Jesus was grabbing at object lessons as they strolled in front of him. Mark 12:38-44 Warning Against the Teachers of the Law 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.” The Widow’s Offering 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.” Thank you, Mary Ann. Thank goodness I’ve given up those lengthy robes, if for no other reason that the potential to trip on them! I think that for many ministers, preachers and pastors, the first part of today’s passage is one that is like a hidden road bomb. There have been and are some big names in our small part of Christendom of these contemporary United States: Henry Ward Beecher, Billy Sunday, Billy Graham, Tony Campolo, Frederick Buechner, Charles Stanley and William Willimon, just to name a few. But then there are these names: Jerry Falwell, Bob Jones, Oral Roberts, Jimmy Swaggert and Jim and Tammy Baker. Anyone who’s been around for most any length of time has heard of some of the contention surrounding this second group of names. I’m not making a judgement about any of these individuals, but it is good to take stock of religious leaders every now and again, because we are as tempted by what seems like power and influence as the next guy or gal. Whether it is teaching Sunday School, serving on or chairing a committee, within the church family or in the secular world, all of us have not only the responsibility to pray for those in leadership positions, but most especially those connected to the church. It might not seem like a big thing, prayers for these sorts of people, but your little mite of a prayer is much mightier than you might think. The first part of today’s passage is a reminder to all of us, that others watch us, looking to see if the living out of our personal sermons match our preaching. The second part of this morning’s passage is one that is probably right up there in the top ten most well known in the world - within and without Christendom. With just a little imagination, it is such a vivid scene. In an area of about 2.5 acres, the Court of the Gentiles was not a place for worship, but a place like a huge flea market; people selling and buying animals for sacrifices and changing money into that which the Romans found acceptable: shekels from the city of Tyre. Gentiles and Jews, men and women could all be in this space, so the sound was probably rather elevated, especially with no particular market rules and everyone trying to make the best deal possible. And now, with pure speculation on my part, I’m guessing that the collection containers for the temple gifts were a clay or metal vessel of some sort, because when you drop metal in such containers, they make a sound. And more money means more sound and so your contribution would be “noticed,” if not by sight, then surely by sound. How unnoticeable the widow’s offering would have been that day. But Jesus noticed it. All we have are Jesus words; no clues about how he said them, or his body language, except that he was sitting, so that meant he was in a teaching mode. For a long time, pastors, preachers and theologians have thought Jesus’ words were those of appreciation and admiration. “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.” Given all the previous challenges and questions in Mark about greatness, perhaps Jesus’ commentary on the woman’s offering was not one so much of admiration, but one that has more to say about a remorse - that she felt compelled to give away the little tiny bit she had left, even if the legal experts overlooked her gift as too small with which to bother. Maybe Jesus noted the woman’s gift, and the hypocrisy and corruption of the legal experts, with sadness, because you, know, there were no iron-clad guidelines and rules about how much could be asked of anyone back in those days. And apparently, it didn’t matter that the powerful could literally take away a person’s home, for whatever reasons. It’s also interesting that Jesus doesn’t explicitly tell us to imitate the widow by giving our every last cent. Okay, you all can breathe again. But he is giving this lesson against the backdrop of his eventual death and crucifixion, the giving of his all. Karoline Lewis of Luther Seminary in Saint Paul, MN has this thought. “I think this story tells a truth about God. God sees right through our self-attentive ways, our tendency for self-preservation, our constant leaning toward the lure of all that might build up the self, especially at the expense of those who need our help the most. We are not fooling anybody, especially God, if we think that any acts of philanthropy are truly extensions of the Kingdom of God if we don’t remember where Jesus ended up.” Maybe there is some other-worldly irony in this day being Veteran’s Day, a commemoration of those who gave not only their might, but the last mite they had - and this passage - of the mite of this woman, played against the cinematic background of Jesus on the cross, saying “It is finished.” Maybe the reflection of these passages is one that comes back onto us, as Karoline Lewis also said, “Because the widow’s might is God’s might -- a might known in love and loyalty. In giving and grace. And in dependence and dedication. David Lose, of Mount Olivet Lutheran Church in Minneapolis joined in this idea of deeper sight. "Because this God cares about this woman and her sacrifice. This God sees her plight and recognizes her affliction.” God has seen the plight of all God’s people, throughout the course of time, and recognizes our afflictions, our sorrows, our joys and all our interactions with the world - each and every one of you. Amid all the vast coins of the ages, God sees our might and our mites and God believes in them enough to use them to make a difference. So let us pray. Gracious and Attentive God, thank you for seeing each of us as if we were your most beloved, and for honoring those gifts we offer you - in whatever ways we may offer them. Help each of us to stretch where we can - in offering ourselves to this world - most especially when we feel we may have so little to give or feel least like giving. Thank you for all those who have given their all - across the centuries - for those they would never know, but in the noble pursuits of honor and protection. Help those hearts that may be grieving or broken to heal, that we all might be the best you see of us and in us. For the blessing of using our might and our mite, all your people say, Amen. Comments are closed.
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November 2022
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