Sometimes we can read into a scripture text something that is not there. It may simply be a matter of missing the significance of key words or phrases, and failing to heed their cues. Regardless, we miss the point that the author is trying to make and substitute another lesson – one which may not be bad in itself, but does not fit the author’s intent, and causes us to lose a valuable insight.
One passage of Scripture that has fallen victim to this is the story of the widow’s two coins in Mark 12. This passage has been a go-to for those who want to make a point about giving as a leap of faith. Unfortunately this interpretation provides an easy mechanism to exploit the poor.
We often think that the woman giving her last money to God was something that pleased Jesus and hence she becomes an example, an object lesson to us. The problem is, Jesus didn’t actually say anything about the widow’s attitude or faith or rationale for giving the coins. And he certainly didn’t attach to it the “go and do likewise” we would expect from him if he were holding up her act as an object lesson.
So what was Jesus saying? Earlier in the passage we read today, Jesus calls out the scribes by saying: They devour widows’ houses and for the sake of appearance say long prayers. And then two verses later, a widow appears and gives her last two coins to the temple treasury.
She is an example, a specimen of the exploitation of the poor widows by the Jewish leaders.
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He was pointing her out as a widow who was having her house devoured. Regardless of what many tele-evangelists may wish one to believe, Jesus’s saying is not to give us insight in how we measure gifts. It is a lament for the sorry situation whereby the rich exploited the poor.
In those days, because of their public reputation for piety and trustworthiness, scribes would earn the legal right to administrate estates. As compensation they would usually get a percentage of the assets; the practice was notorious for embezzlement and abuse.
Jesus confronted them with an unapologetic honesty that might make some of us cringe. In no uncertain terms, he was chastising the religious and political elite who created and perpetuated a society that took advantage of the weaker and disadvantaged, that conditioned widows like her to give away money she needed to feed herself with.
The message from today’s Gospel should cause us to do two things. Firstly, this is a profound and possible disturbing message for you and I. Because all to often we ignore how systemic issues in our society exploit those who are weaker or voiceless. So the Gospel calls us to examine how our actions and attitudes contribute to this oppression. Secondly, and most importantly, we are called to pray and seek guidance from the Holy Spirit – to know what is the right thing to do, and to have the strength to stand up and be counted in building a more just, and less oppressive, society.