Mark 12:38-44
Find a way to separate yourself from whatever’s going on around you so you can fully enter into today’s passage. if you haven’t read the introduction to Mark’s Gospel, read it here.
Read Mark 12:38-44 as one story.
It was an official part of their laws (Exodus 22:22-24) and it was forcefully restated among the commandments given by Moses (Deuteronomy 27:19), and it was held up by God as the way of repentance (Isaiah 1:17), but here in the temple with God-in-the-flesh watching it is flagrantly violated. Those who were meant to care for widows instead exploit them for gain.
In this corrupt temple system, even the destitute are required to pay in order to pray. And this is not the only way the religious system was taking advantage of poor widows. Women could not own property in first century Palestine, so when a woman’s husband died, the scribes assumed responsibility for his estate and charged the widow a fee for their services. For a woman with little means of earning a living, this could be devastating.
The story of the widow’s mite is often used as an illustration of true generosity, but in context with Jesus’ prior remarks about the “teachers of religious law,” or “scribes,” this story points to the unfair burden put on an already powerless and marginalized group of people. The scribes are living out the very scenario God fiercely warned about in Isaiah 1:1-16. They go through the motions of worship but violate the very spirit of worship by seeking honor, recognition and financial gain for themselves while shamelessly exploiting the poor.
Read Mark 12:38-44 again noting Jesus deliberate action in verses 41 and 43.
The exploitation of Jewish widows by the teachers of religious law and the burden put on widows by the temple system were not a secret. These violations of the law were obvious and evident. So why were Jesus’ disciples silent on the subject?
Is it possible that there are accepted practices in your faith community or in your own life that are fostering injustice and furthering the marginalization of certain people groups?
Spend some time reflecting on this and asking Jesus to do what he did for his disciples in the temple. Ask him to sit with you and point out what you need to see.
If anything comes to mind, spend some time meditating on Isaiah 1:17 and then identify a first step you could take to live out these words of God.
If this time of reflection has left you with feelings of guilt, read the words of Isaiah 1:18 and consider that Jesus opened the way for you to be restored to the person God meant you to be.
Are you finding these meditations to be helpful? If so, please forward them to a couple of friends. Interested in going deeper? Check out The Everyday Jesus Follower’s Guide and blog.
