A WORD FOR TODAY, November 3, 2021
Peggy Hoppes
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Blessings. Peg
A WORD FOR TODAY, November 3, 2021
Lectionary Scriptures for November 7, 2021, Twenty-Fourth Sunday in Pentecost: 1 Kings 17:8-16; Psalm 146; Hebrews 9:24-28; Mark 12:38-44
“Happy is he who has the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in Yahweh, his God.” Psalm 146:5, WEB
All Saints Day is November 1st but is celebrated on the next Sunday in many churches. Since I’ve already addressed All Saints and the Triduum of Allhallowtide, I am going to use the scriptures for the ordinary day of the Twenty-Fourth Sunday in Pentecost.
We live in a neighborhood where many children come to “Trick or Treat.” It is hard to judge how much candy I will need. This year we decided to make a certain amount of treat bags and when they were gone, we would just go inside and turn out the lights. I knew from past years that I didn’t make enough for a whole night, but somehow the bin of treat bags didn’t go down as we expected. I began to wonder if Jesus was doing a “loaves and fishes” miracle for us. We had just enough for the night, no leftovers, and the children loved the things that were in the bags.
“How much?” is the question we ask every year. It is hard to judge, especially when you are new to a neighborhood. One year in England, I purchased a huge bag of mini tootsie rolls, expecting to give every child a few pieces. It didn’t take long before I realized I would never have enough for everyone and I started giving just one mini per child. At one point we had twenty children standing in line; I felt very bad that I could not be more generous, but if I gave too much for the first children, I would never have enough for the rest. Somehow this year I had just enough
We want to be generous and hospitable; it is the way God created us to be. However, there is an even more powerful instinct, one learned by experience, to be careful with our resources. We want to share, but we are afraid that if we give too much to too many we might run out and not have enough for ourselves. In some part this is a selfish point of view because we want to ensure that we get our part. Yet, for some generous hospitality might even mean death.
That is how it was for the widow of Zarephath. She was literally cooking on her final meal, a small cake to be shared with her son. Once that cake was eaten they would have no more flour or oil. She exaggerates a little; they would not literally die at that moment. Sadly, it was likely to be a slow and painful death as they starved without food for days or even weeks. Yet, that one cake would give them a few more moments together and perhaps some hope for another day.
Elijah asked the woman to give everything she had, even to sacrifice the little time she had left with her son. Elijah was a stranger and there was no reason why she should give up her food for him. Her maternal instinct was probably very strong, the temptation to reject the stranger must have been intense. Elijah encouraged her to trust, to step out of the box of fear and selfishness so that she might witness the gracious hospitality of God. To see the blessing would take courage. To receive life would take sacrifice. In the end, the widow and her son did not die, but they experienced the power of God because she believed that God could do, and would do, all that Elijah said.
There was a movie several years ago about the biblical story of Queen Esther called “One Night with the King.” The story diverted from the biblical text and it wasn’t the best film ever made, but I enjoyed it. One of the images that stuck with me when I saw the thrill was the portrayal of Esther as a woman of humility. In the biblical story, Esther was befriended by the eunuch that was assigned to care for the virgins. He gave her special treatment and opportunity. In the movie this friendship played out in a scene where Esther was taken to the king to read to him, long before the girls were actually ready for their time with him.
In one scene the girls were given free rein in the treasury room where they could choose any adornments to wear for their night with the king. Most of the girls went wild, choosing so much gold and so many jewels that it was difficult for them to even stand straight under the weight. One of the girls was given the opportunity to ride with the king and she was so heavy with jewelry that she could not even stay on the horse.
Esther, on the other hand, chose nothing from the treasury except a necklace that had been hers but was lost during the struggle when she was taken to the palace. When it came time for her night, she was simply dressed in a lovely dress and her necklace. She would have been invisible next to the other girls, lost in the crowd, but it was her humble appearance and hear that won the king.
The scribes in today’s Gospel story liked to walk around in long robes, beautifully adorned for all to see. They made a big deal about being noticed, about standing out in the crowd. The Temple was crowded with people paying their offerings. Jesus watched as they cast in their money, sometimes great amounts of coin. I wonder how many did it in a way so that they would be noticed?
Yet, in that very crowd was someone who was invisible. The poor widow was a non-person, of no worth because she had nothing to give. She was unimportant and unnoticed by most that were present that day. Only Jesus saw her; her humble appearance and heart won over His heart. He pointed her out to the disciples saying, “...she, out of her poverty, gave all that she had to live on.” Though she was invisible to the world, the King saw her faith.
As we talk about this story, we are very quick to dismiss the grand gifts of the others, thinking that they were all giving simply out of a sense of importance or to be noticed, but, there are people who are wealthy and generous with their resources that do not wish to be visible. There are those who would rather be anonymous with their gifts. So, this is a story about an invisible woman and her incredible gift of faith, we can’t forget that this is also a story about stewardship that might remain invisible. He lifts up the humble and brings down the haughty. There is a stewardship message here: our great gifts however big or small that are given in humble faith are welcome in the treasury; we are never to present our gifts with a sense of haughtiness and pride.
My son played basketball with a youth league when he was a boy. It was a really fun experience for him as he learned the rules of the game and played with his friends. He was even excited when someone he knew was on the opposing team. His coach worked with the children to help them understand sportsmanship, respect for the other players and proper techniques. Unfortunately, the luck of the draw left them with the smallest players in the league, giving them a disadvantage against the other teams. There were also some coaches that were only interested in winning, willing to do whatever was necessary to go home with a victory. Fortunately, Zack’s coach was more concerned with raising these children with a joy for the game and a heart to do their best.
There are times in every person’s life when they are the underdog. Social media has made this even more obvious in our day. People of faith are often ridiculed or persecuted for their belief because so much of the world thinks that Christianity is a fairy tale and that believers are foolish. This is particularly true for those of us who live by faith, since so many think that Christianity is nothing more than a fairy tale that we are foolish for believing. Underdogs are not thought to be blessed, even in some churches. If you aren’t healthy, rich, or successful, then ‘the gods’ have not treated you with favor. You must have done something wrong, or you must not have enough faith. Achieving great things is seen as blessedness, yet the reality is quite different. My son’s team did not get the first place trophy when the season was over, but they learned so much during that experience and they came out of it better young people. There is blessedness in the life of the underdog. In faith this is especially true because God regards those of humble circumstances with great love.
There are those in our society who pursue success to the detriment of all else. The coach who is willing to cheat for the sake of a victory is harming the children on his team because they are not learning sportsmanship and respect. The person who is willing to destroy a family for the sake of a career misses out on the incredible blessings of being part of loving relationships. Yet, it is possible to take ourselves to the other extreme, to pursue underdog status, which can be just as dangerous. I know people who seek martyrdom, who think everything and everyone is against them. They are bound by a desire to be the underdog and they purposely set themselves up for failure just so they can wallow in their humility, but it is a false humility.
God loves those who trust in Him. He is our help in our successes and our failures. He upholds us, gives us food, sets us free, gives us sight, and lifts us up. He guides and guards us when we are far from home or when we have lost those we love. He protects us from our enemies. He is the Lord God Almighty, and our hope is found in Him, through the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. When God is our helper we will be blessed whether we succeed or are the underdog, whether we are on the winning team or the team that just does their best.
The ultimate success might be said of those who are raised to the position of President of the United States. I saw a picture today of the Oval Office in between presidents, and it was absolutely empty. Every president is given a blank slate to fill with items that have meaning to them and to their intent of their presidency. There is a certain amount of adornment meant to build an image, sometimes their choices show haughtiness and pride.
Ever since Franklin D. Roosevelt, the retiring president has built a place to memorialize their service. They choose a place special to their heart, a town where they lived or a university where they studied. These are libraries where the important papers and items from their presidency are kept for safekeeping and study. They often include a museum filled with items from their life history and important events in their government. It takes a lot of money to create a place where the presidency is remembered, but it is funded privately even though the materials are under the care of the National Archives. Most of the former presidents include a replica of their Oval Office in their library.
The Oval Office is the room where the business of the presidency is conducted, where decisions are made, and where internationally vital relationships are formed. Each president, once taking office, is given the freedom to decorate the Oval Office to suit his taste. Rugs are changed, walls are painted, curtains hung. Though there may be some aspects of the room that have stayed constant over the years, each president has been given the freedom to make the office his, at least for his years. Then his choices are memorialized in his library in a replica of the Oval Office.
The replicas might seem real; they might even seem official. The replica at the Lyndon B. Johnson Museum in Austin is oval, though slightly smaller than the real thing. Though these replicas seem real, they are not. No one could conduct the business of state there. Bills will never be signed into laws there. Foreign dignitaries will not be received there. We can go and see what it was like; several presidents (Nixon, Clinton, and both Bushes) allow visitors to sit behind the Resolute desk, but we cannot conduct the business of a nation in the imitation. Nothing lasting comes out of those rooms.
The Temple was a beautiful and very meaningful place for the Jews. It was there that they offered sacrifice for the forgiveness of their sins. However, nothing that happened in the Temple was lasting because it was a place built with human hands. It was patterned after the real thing, the true holy place of God: heaven itself. The priests offered sacrifices, and these were important acts of obedience to God’s Law, but the forgiveness they earned was only temporary. Since the blood offered and the priest who offered it were perishable and imperfect, the sacrifice had to be made over and over again.
Until Jesus. He was not only the perfect Priest, but He also offered His own perfect blood. He offered it in the true Holy Place and the effects of His sacrifice were eternal. It only needed to happen once. From that moment on, sin was forgiven.
We often see the image of Christ’s return as one of a strong warrior riding in on horseback with a sword in hand destroying sin, death and the devil. Yet, Christ has already accomplished this work. It is finished. In the passage from the Letter to the Hebrews, we hear of Christ coming as Judge, but not a judge of condemnation. He comes as the Judge of salvation. In this vision, Christ comes to those who are waiting for Him, those who have been saved by the grace of God. When Christ comes again, He will receive those for whom He died and welcome them into the realm of God. Others miss Him because they are focused on all the wrong things.
The king didn’t see the women in the story of Esther because their hearts were buried under gold chains. Jesus didn’t see any humility in the scribes in the Temple because it was buried under their fancy robes. The condemnation they face will not be by the hands of the King but by their own haughty pride.
Jesus was on his way toward the condemnation of the cross in the passage from Mark. He had entered Jerusalem triumphantly, but He had done so many things that upset the powers of the world, especially during the final week of His life. In today’s passage, Jesus pointed out the hypocrisy of the leaders, how they walked around looking for compliments, acting high and mighty, using their power to harm the weak. They took advantage of widows by seeking payment for prayers. Jesus then noticed the crowds throwing their offerings in the coffers. I can imagine those teachers of the Law clapping people on the back, pulling them aside for private conversations, making deals in the corners as they looked for patrons to support their work.
I’m a people watcher. I like to go places and watch the people around me. It is fun to think about their lives, even though I know nothing about them. Why are they buying that watch? Are they in love? What will that child grow up to be when they are an adult? People do the craziest things, and if we are attentive to the world around us, we often have a front row seat to the joke, or the joy, or even the pain. And by being attentive, we can be a part of their lives, perhaps share a smile or a tear. We don’t even have to speak to them to have a connection; sometimes it just takes a little eye contact to make a difference.
There were people watching people in the courtyard of the Temple that day. The leaders were definitely paying attention to the pilgrims. Who did they approach? Who interested them? Did they give any attention to the average pilgrim, or did they just focus on those who were well dressed and who threw great sums into the coffers? Did they even notice the widow who offered two pennies? She was probably invisible unless they eyed her suspiciously.
There was another group of watchers in the courtyard: Jesus and His disciples. Jesus was watching the people as they gave their offerings. He knew their hearts. Jesus knew the ones who were haughty and proud, but He also saw the multitudes that were doing their duty with reverence and faith. He said nothing negative about the rich because they were generous; Mark tells us that “many who were rich cast in much.” They were generous, giving to God out of their wealth.
But Jesus paid attention to the invisible one, the widow who was lost in the crowd. We don’t know what she looked like or what she was wearing. We don’t know if she was a foreign pilgrim or a local. We don’t know if she was alone in that courtyard or if she’d traveled with a crowd of family and friends. We only know that she gave two pennies as an offering to God and that it was all she had. And we know that Jesus saw her. In this courtyard full of people, she caught His eye. He lifted her up as a woman with extraordinary faith. The lesson we learn is that we can be like her, giving everything to Him, even when it seems insignificant, trusting that He’ll take care of us. Despite the small amount, the widow’s gift was greater than all the others because she gave God everything.
Jesus saw her. Through all those crowds, He picked out the one person whom everyone else ignored. He saw the one who had no earthly worth. That’s what God does. He sees through the exterior and past the mundane; He points out value where the world might see none. She didn’t have much, but she had far more than the rest because she had great faith. That’s worth noting. Money won’t do us any good in the end. No matter how important our life is on this earth, we will never accomplish anything lasting. This life is perishable and imperfect; it is not lasting. Faith is the only thing that will get us through the last days; faith will take us to the other side.
Do you ever feel invisible? Even as people of faith we can find it difficult to believe that God sees us or hears our prayers. I am nobody. I am just one person out of the billions who are currently living on earth, and just one out of the more than a hundred billion people who have ever lived. Who am I that God would notice me? Who am I that God would point me out to His disciples and teach them a lesson using my life as an example? I’m probably even more invisible than those widows because I am one of the multitudes who give to God out of my wealth like the crowds in the Temple.
Our gifts, no matter how big they might be, are not worthy of praise. God does not need anything we have to give. It is all His and He gave it to us to be good stewards for the sake of others. God deserves our first fruits, not our leftovers. Like the widow of Zarephath and the widow in the temple, faith means trusting that God will provide according to His grace. Even if those first fruits mean that we are giving “unto death” we need not fear, for God will bring great blessings out of our faith.
The psalmist reminds us that all good things come from God. God raises those that are bowed down. This is not just about God taking care of those who are victimized, who are oppressed and outcast. God raises up those who are humble before Him, who trust that God will provide. He raises up those who give with the heart of faith, whatever our circumstances. Jesus fed the crowds whether they were poor or wealthy. He healed the sick no matter their circumstances. He raised the ruler’s daughter. He raised Lazarus. He was raised on the cross so that all who believe might be raised to the greatest gift of all, eternal life.
The stories of the widows foreshadow the work of Jesus Christ. The widows gave even their lives for the sake of others in obedience to the Word of God. The widow of Zarephath was blessed with life through the drought as the flour and oil seemed in endless supply. We do not know what happened to the widow in the temple, but when Jesus was only days away from being the final, permanent sacrifice, He showed us what it is like to sacrifice everything through her self-less giving.
“Happy is he who has the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in Yahweh, his God.” This is not a giddy kind of happiness, but rather the blessedness of knowing that everything we are and everything we have comes from God. The widows knew that God takes care of those who look to Him for help. They knew that He would lift those who are bowed, sustain the fatherless and widows and frustrate the way of the wicked as promised in today’s psalm. They did not put their trust in men; they submitted willingly to the Word of God and were greatly blessed. Jesus sacrificed Himself for the sake of the world, and in Christ we can join in the chorus of praise. “Praise Yah! Praise Yahweh, my soul.”
A WORD FOR TODAY is posted five days a week – Monday through Friday. The devotional on Wednesday takes a look at the scripture from the Revised Common Lectionary for the upcoming Sunday. A WORD FOR TODAY is posted on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/pages/A-Word-for-Today-Devotional/339428839418276. Like the page to receive the devotion through Facebook. For information and to access our archives, visit http://www.awordfortoday.org.
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