Two Bits

This sermon was preached on Sunday November 12, 2006 at the First Presbyterian Church in Berryville, Arkansas.

Ruth 3:1-5, 4:13-17
Psalm 127
Hebrews 9:24-28
Mark 12:38-44

May the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable to you, O Lord, our rock and our redeemer. Amen

Last week, I ended the sermon with this:

God has offered us everything, and that is what the Lord our God expects in return from us, everything. These are the first thing. Hear, O Church of Jesus Christ, the Lord our God, the Lord is one, love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength, and love your neighbor as yourself. This is what God expects of us…everything.[1]

Today’s gospel reading covers two different stories, the first is called “The Warning About the Scribes” and the second “The Widow’s Offering.”[2] The first contains a warning, the second; depending on how it is interpreted is either a condemnation of the system or a blessing upon the woman.

“Beware the scribes,” warns Jesus, “who like to walk around in long robes, and to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces, and to have the best seats in the synagogues and places of honor at banquets!” Beware those who walk around like they are someone more special than you are and more important than they are. They like to eat the upper crust,[3] especially when someone else is buying dinner. Beware of those who are attracted to the things they do not deserve.

Beware them because they will take you for all you are worth. Sure, they will do what they are supposed to do; they will recite their prayers and even recite them in public. After all, it is impossible to attract attention for doing good works if they are done in private. But beware, the Scribes eat well, but they eat like a plague of locusts. “They devour widows’ houses and for the sake of appearance say long prayers.”

This part of today’s reading could not be more straight forward. Jesus is speaking plainly; there are no figures of speech used here. Jesus shows us how ludicrous the Scribes look, pointing out their absurdity. To see a Scribe walking around the marketplace in long robes would be exactly like me walking around the square or WalMart in my robe and stole. How presumptuous.

As straight forward as this passage is, we need to ask “are the Scribes the only people Jesus is warning us about?” The Scribes were the “Doctors of Law” of the day. They were Pharisees in training. They were the assistants of those who interpret the law. Some were lay members of the Sanhedrin.[4] In the day, they were politicians and legal clerks. As Jesus was warning us about church professionals, he was also warning us about others in powerful positions.

Long ago, I worked in a program to help current and future poverty-stricken and first generation college students get a college education. It was a federally funded TRIO program, part of President Johnson's War on Poverty.

Every year, programs take TRIO students to DC to meet local congressmen. It helps give students a look at government and the government a look at the poor.

In the 80's, when the Democrats held the Congress and the Republicans held the White House, TRIO people heard the same rhetoric every trip up Capital Hill.

The Democrats would tell the visiting students how important their work was and how important it was that TRIO Programs be fully funded. “There should be more programs and the current programs should have more funding.”

The Republicans would always say that they had their own funding priorities, and while TRIO Programs were important, they weren't on top of the list.

This ended in 1992 when Governor Bill Clinton was elected President.

The TRIO people returned to Capitol Hill with all of the markers they had received over the years and this is what they heard:

The Democrats told them that they had their own funding priorities, and while TRIO Programs were important, they weren't on top of the list.

The Republicans told them how important their work was and how important it was that TRIO Programs be fully funded. “There should be more programs and the current programs should have better funding.”[5]

The day I heard this story was the day I decided that there weren't too many Republicans in DC and there weren't too many Democrats.

This was the day I decided there are too many politicians.[6]

Given the results of the last election, please don’t blame me if I don’t get too excited. We still probably elected too many politicians.

There isn’t so much difference between politicos and Scribes. They are people in powerful positions who use their position and status to rule—sometimes well and sometimes not. We are called by Jesus to beware of them because they devour the widow’s home (Social Security and Prescription Drug Benefits anyone?) and for the sake of appearance make great speeches; or rather they say long prayers.

But we do not pass from the temple without another example, the tale of the widow’s offering.

Many rich people were putting large sums of money into the treasury. The way the treasury was set up, there were large horn shaped funnels that led to metal boxes where the worshipper placed their offering. When someone put a large offering into the horn, it caused a great racket. To our ears it would sound more like a Vegas slot machine paying off than the offering. But with a flourish, everyone within earshot would be able to discern who the rich folks are, and how extravagant their gift is. So when the widow placed two small copper coins in the treasury, hardly anyone took notice at all.

In relative terms, she did not give much, but she was not able to give much. Scripture tells us that she gave all she had to live on.

Now, let me take a pause here. She gave all she had to live on…so was Jesus praising her for her faith or was Jesus condemning a system which demanded every last cent from the weak members of the community?

It would be consistent with the first half of the reading if Jesus is condemning the system. Jesus lambastes the Scribes for being holier than thou. He takes them to task for flaunting their roles in the society and taking advantage of their status for personal gain.

They would be able to give extravagantly because they have received extravagantly. And don’t confuse extravagance with generosity. You can make more noise dropping thousands of pennies into the treasury box than you can putting a check in the offering plate; but where the first is extravagant, the second is more likely to be generous. I would not be surprised if this is what Jesus was pointing to; he had a habit of comforting the afflicted and afflicting the comfortable. Perhaps he was pointing to something else.

Jesus could have also been showing the disciples that the widow is a model to be followed. Another way to translate this phrase is that by her offering, “she gave all her life.” Literally, she gave her entire self to the temple and to the Lord. This is similar to what I said at the end of last week’s sermon, Jesus demands everything from us.

So, how should we interpret this? Both interpretations have merit. If you can give, give generously. And for you who do give generously, praise God. Praise God! If you are impoverished, if you are living on a minimal fixed income, if you are working class and taking care of children, and you hear me saying “forget your earthly responsibilities, pay the treasury!” then you should be suspicious. You should ask yourself (or shoot, ask me) are you demanding every cent from my purse? I hope the answer you hear is that you must care for yourself and your children, and you must also care for the work of the body of Christ.

An example of how both of these interpretations meet is found in the Paramount Pictures release Leap of Faith[7] starring Steve Martin as the Reverend Jonas Nightengale, an “evangelist” who is far more con man than man of God. When one of the Kenworth trucks in his caravan breaks down in Rustwater, Kansas, he makes the choice to turn lemons into lemonade by holding his revival there, instead of in Topeka.

Like any good con man, he finds the greatest need in town and exploits it. Rustwater is in a five year drought and if it doesn’t rain this weekend, the crop will be ruined again this year. On the first day of the revival, before the meeting, Jonas walks around town inviting everyone, promising miracles and wonders.

At the end of the movie, the sick are healed and the lame walk in Rustwater. Everyone praises God and says halleluiah. They have seen the signs and wonders and they give glory to God. But these healings are not the miracles.

As Jonas leaves the revival tent for the last time, he is met with the vision of a tent city on the revival grounds. People are camping, and sharing food. In their poverty, they share the abundance of God. A community founded in Christ rises out of the ash of Jonas’ deception. This is a miracle.

As Jonas hitchhikes out of town leaving his old life behind, it begins to rain. The people of Rustwater declare it a miracle, rain heaven sent. But this is not the miracle either.

The miracle is the redemption of a man in Jesus Christ. The miracle is in the relationship God initiates with creation and humanity. The miracle is Jonas’ response to the Almighty God.

Jonas Nightengale comes to town as the Scribe demanding the last two bits from every body in Rustwater, Kansas. Jonas leaves a believer, seeing the wonders of the Lord at work in the work of God’s people.

If you are able to give out of abundance, then by all means, give generously. Remember the Lord who has blessed you and return that blessing so that it may do God’s work through the church. And yes, hold the church accountable. For all of us, give in humility; don’t sound a ruckus with the treasury. Give whether it is from your wealth or your poverty.

This story is told in the introduction to one of my favorite books:

In a recent class discussion, a student mentioned a workshop she had attended in which an “image consultant” spoke to the gathered ministers (or church professionals as they referred to themselves). The consultant pointed up to the need for clergy to project a positive professional image. She told them that, because they are made in the image of God, they should buy only the best clothes, jewelry and accessories, and should make every effort to look as chic and smart as possible. After the student related her (all too true) story, I paused for a very long time. I was frankly appalled and, momentarily at a loss for words.

The students sat as the silence hung heavy around us. Finally, I said: “I guess what I’m trying to picture in my mind is this: how should we look if we are supposed to reflect the image of the God who has revealed himself to us in the tormented shape of a Jewish man named Jesus, crucified on a city dump and discarded by the powers of his world?”[8]

I am sure that this image consultant had the best interests of church professionals in mind when she gave this piece of advice to those who paid good money to attend her workshop.

Unfortunately, one way to interpret her advice is that church professionals are to behave like the Scribes of two millennia ago wearing expensive suits, walking around the square, and being greeted with the adoration of the little people.

As the children of God and the body of Christ, that is not our vocation. Our call is not to be like or even dress like the Scribes who seek the best seats in town. We are to give our time, talent and treasure in the service of God and to the people of God. We are to give in humility. We are warned; regardless of the era to beware the Scribes. Scripture reminds us that the Scribes will receive greater condemnation. Our vocation is to do as the widow, and give all our lives to the Lord. We are to be humble, and live like the widow who was willing to give her life for the body of Christ.

[1] “These Are the First Thing,” accessed from http://timelovesahero.blogspot.com/2006/11/these-are-first-thing.html preached at First Presbyterian Church, Berryville, Arkansas, November 5, 2006
[2] Heading titles in the New Interpreter’s Study Bible, Mark 12:38-40 and 12:41-44 respectively.
[3] The first draft said “high on the hog,” but that just wasn’t kosher.
[4] The Interpreter’s Dictionary of the Bible, “Scribe” entry.
[5] This story was told to a workshop at an ASPIRE meeting by Dr. Paul Thayer, then Director of TRIO Programs (The Center for Educational Access and Outreach) and Talent Search at Colorado State University, 1994. Dr. Thayer is now the Executive Director of Center for Advising and Student Achievement at Colorado State.
[6] A version of this story was originally published in my MySpace.com blog, http://blog.myspace.com/timelovesahero
[7] Paramount Pictures presents a Michael Manheim/David V. Picker production of a Richard Pearce film, Leap of Faith, 1992.
[8] Jinkins, Michael, Transformational Ministry, Church Leadership and the Way of the Cross. Edinburgh: Saint Andrew Press, 2002, page xi.