In the 1950’s and ‘60’s, one of the most beloved super heroes on Saturday morning television was an animated character produced by Terrytoons. He was about as small as one could get, but he could fly and he could fight. His name was Mighty Mouse. The theme song started out “Here I come to save the day. That means that Mighty Mouse is on the way.” Mighty Mouse was a mouse; he was tiny; he was a cartoon character. But I watched that little guy take on the bad guys over and over. He never quit and he never lost. That little cartoon mouse was a serious role model for me. It always fascinated me that something so small could possess so much power. Such is the lesson to be learned from Jesus’ teaching in Mark 12 about the scribes and the widow.
Walking through the grounds of the temple in Jerusalem
Jesus first warns those who would listen to beware of the scribes. Jesus says they walk around in long robes that prevent them from working, that they sit in the best seats in the synagogue, in the places of honor at feasts, that they devour widow’s houses, that they make long prayers for the pretense of being important. This is quite an indictment. The scribes are among the best educated religious people in Israel
It was typical of the time for scribes to wear long, flowing robes which swept the ground. This was the sign of importance. You can’t hurry or work when your clothing is dragging the ground. The same kind of thing is true for the seats of honor which the scribes demanded. On the right hand of the host at dinner. Up front in a place of prominence at the synagogue. Everything said “Look at me. I’m important.” The charge about the widow’s houses is also mentioned by the Jewish historian Josephus, in connection with the Pharisees’ taking advantage of gullible widows and literally taking over their homes. They were Rabbis, and they conveyed the thought that nothing could be more rewarding than to put up and feed a man of God so that he could concentrate on his studies.
So Jesus says beware. Beware of those who would have you believe they are men of God. His indictment says look to their behavior. Do they act like men of God? He has only just finished talking about the greatest commandments. Then he turns his attention to the so-called religious leaders of the nation, and he says watch out. Do these men act with love? What is their real motive? The loudest prayers and the slowest walkers and the people always up front are not necessarily who they say they are. They are using religion for self-advancement. They are using their religious connections for personal gain. This is not the kind of leadership or example that Jesus teaches.
Then Jesus takes a seat in the courtyard. He is people-watching. I love to do that, don’t you? You can learn so much if you camp out on a park bench or sit on a towel on the sand at the beach. It’s better than going to the movies. Jesus does it in the temple courtyard. William Barclay says that Jesus was probably sitting at a place called the Gate Beautiful, a spot between the Court of the Gentiles, where he had been speaking, and the Court of the Women. This makes good sense, because Mark describes a donation being made by a woman. Both men and women were allowed in the Court of the Women, but this is where women would have made their donations. The temple treasury was also located there, and there were thirteen different trumpet-shaped boxes used for collecting those donations.
While Jesus watches, many rich people are coming by and making large contributions. Then Jesus spots a woman making a donation. She is a widow, and she is obviously poor. She puts in two mites, or two copper coins, the value of which is about a half of a penny. We know this as the story of the Widow’s Mite.
How powerful! Less than a penny, and Jesus calls over his disciples to tell them of this major contribution, for the widow has given all that she had. The widow didn’t hold back anything. While others gave from their excess, the widow gave from her essence. The smallest gift became packed with power.
In this story, the final incident in Jesus’ public ministry, we can clearly see a foreshadowing of what Jesus was about to do for us. The widow gave all she had for her Lord; Jesus gave all he had for humankind. Mark uses a poor widow to make his point, that it’s not the market value of the gift, but rather the cost to the donor, that counts.
Today, we come to donate not only our tithes and offerings, but also shoeboxes—shoeboxes filled with socks and shoes and pencils and tee shirts and school supplies. To that will be added a little tract called “The Greatest Gift of All.” The booklet will tell the story of Jesus and his love for all of us. It will tell how he died for us; how he gave all that he had for us. Operation Christmas Child is a Christian effort to reach those who have nothing. They can relate to the widow better than we can. The shoeboxes we have packed will find their way to countries and villages we have never heard of, to children we will never see. But God will. God will count the smiles that this effort reaches, the lives that it touches. These gifts that seem so small are packed with God’s power.
The cost for Jesus was supreme. There was nothing held back. Today on this day that we remember those who have served our country, some with the last full measure of devotion, it is a day to also remember the cost of giving that our Lord spent for us. Today as we celebrate this truly American holiday commemorating harder times survived and thanking God for our abundance, it is also a day to remember that it is not that way for many of our fellow man all over our world. They not only do not have the abundance; they lack the very necessities we have come to take for granted; plentiful food, warmth and shelter, basic nutrition, running water, sanitation. It is a day to understand how mighty even a widow’s mite can be…when given at the cost she paid.
While we carve the Thanksgiving turkey and dine on the dressing and all the other trappings of our feast, let us give pause to remember why we filled those shoeboxes and where they are headed. Let us give pause to remember the sentry walking his post, the sailor standing his watch, the airman doing the maintenance. Let us give pause to remember the might of the widow’s gift, the cost of salvation to our Lord…and the power of love that each of us has been given to give away. Let us all find the power of God that lies within us, and let that be our gift to our Lord this day…and every day.
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