Jesus could really be rough on certain people, especially those whom he perceived to be falsely religious and self-righteous. Judging by some of the severe language we read in the gospels, you didn't want to be on the receiving end of a tongue-lashing administered by one Jesus of Nazareth.
When our Lord spoke to the scribes and Pharisees and to the other religious celebrities of His time, he used words like "hypocrites" (Mark 7:6), "ravenous wolves" (Matthew 7:15), "serpents" and a "brood of vipers" (Matthew 23:33). He used many other colorful phrases as well, including this one which I recently read again: "Woe to you scribes and Pharisees, for you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within they are full of dead men's bones." (Matthew 23:27).
Words like that cut deep, don't they; even deeper than the foul-mouthed obscenities which so often pass for insults today. How would you like to be compared to a whitewashed tomb - on the outside, you appear clean and beautiful, but on the inside, you are just a pile of dead bones? There is no question that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, could be moved to righteous anger, and he could express this anger in no uncertain terms. Like I said before, it couldn't have been much fun to be on the receiving end.
In our text from Mark, Jesus is again speaking of the scribes; and again, he is reprimanding them for their religious hypocrisy, which is probably the sin that angers Jesus the most. They are the celebrities, the big names, the superstars of the faith, and they love every minute of it. They parade around in long robes and luxurious clothing so that everyone will know how important they are. They take the most prominent seats at public events and they expect the V.I.P. treatment wherever they go. They preside over a system of fund-raising which funnels money from poor struggling widows into the rich coffers of the temple treasury and so they "devour widows' houses." Jesus hates that! They make a pretense of long prayers in public to show off their faith. Jesus hates that, too! "Woe to you scribes," he cries; and to the people he says, "Don't you be like them, because they will receive the greater condemnation."
Of course, there are such scribes and religious celebrities in every age, even our own. Today they are as likely to be on TV as in the temple, but they are still the same scribes Jesus knew.
They may not wear long, luxurious robes today, but they wear custom-fitted suits and solid gold watches. They may not devour widows' houses, but they devour their Social Security checks. They may not make a pretense of long prayers in the public square, but they do it in front of the camera, to show off their piety and their closeness to God. Jesus wasn't impressed with the scribes of His day and I'm sure He isn't impressed with the scribes of our day, either. They will still receive the greater condemnation.
Nor was Jesus impressed with the rich people who made a show of putting big money into the temple treasury. We know He watched them because our text says so, but Jesus wasn't dazzled as they strutted forward to make their large donations. The rest of the crowd may have been "oohing" and "aahing" over them, but Jesus didn't say a word.
Jesus didn't speak until he saw a poor widow come forward and drop two copper coins – one penny– into the treasury. "Do you see that widow, the one who gave a penny?" he said. "She has put in more than all these proud rich people combined, because they still have a lot left over after they give their money; but she, out of her poverty, has put in everything she had, her whole living."
On a college campus there is a large library named after Andrew Carnegie, the coal and steel magnate. His name was cut in marble over the door and a huge bust of the man sits in the lobby, next to an exhibit about his life
There was, of course, no mention of his monopoly price-fixing, or his brutal treatment of underpaid workers. There was just immense gratitude that Carnegie had given so much to the library.
But did he really give that much, out of his abundance? Suppose there was also a poor widow, an alumna of the college, who sent $10 to the library campaign? Her name wasn't carved in marble over the door and the story of her life wasn't exhibited in the lobby, but maybe she gave more than Carnegie. "She, out of her poverty, has given everything she had, her whole living."
Jesus' words in this text mean good news for all of us "little people" – we who don't have much to give compared to some, but we who can certainly give our all.
The other day, around five o'clock (which, as every young parent knows, is the children's insanity hour), three children were racing through the house, sliding full-speed down the stairs on their bellies and generally being out of control. Finally, their father collared them and sent them upstairs to sit on their beds. "You're acting like wild and crazy animals," he told them; whereupon the six-year-old said, "But Dad, acting like wild and crazy animals is what we do best!"
Doing what we do best and offering it to the Lord. That's certainly the spirit of the poor widow and the spirit God loves to see in us today.
One day a member of a church showed that spirit when she said to her pastor, "I hear you and your wife sometimes have problems finding child care during the week. I don't have a lot of money I can give to the church, but I can help with your children once in a while, so feel free to call on me." That is the spirit of the poor widow. "She has put in everything she had, her whole living."
We see a lot of that same spirit in the church when we get together for big projects, like potluck dinners or church fairs. We have a lot of people giving their all - giving what they can. Some bring their best dishes and recipes. Some bring homemade crafts or other knick- -knacks. Many people donate their time and labor for other chores, like washing dishes and cleaning-up! When we labor together at the church like this, we see people putting in "everything they have, their whole living."
Start using what you do have. Start giving what you do have. Jesus' words about the poor widow tell us there is no reason to think that our gifts are insignificant because they are small. There is no reason to think that our gifts are unimportant because we are giving them. When we give our all – to God and neighbor alike – it makes what we give precious beyond any price.
We may not have much to give, but we can give what we've got. Our gifts may not dazzle and shine, but they are precious gifts just the same. Jesus shows us that God loves the poor widow who gives her all, even her living; so we should be inspired to do the same. And even if it seems that our small gifts don't mean too much on earth, they certainly mean a lot in heaven.