Mark 12:38-44 NIV
38 As he taught, Jesus
said, “Watch out for the teachers of the law. They like to walk
around in flowing robes and be greeted with respect in the marketplaces, 39 and have
the most important seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets. 40 They
devour widows’ houses and for a show make lengthy prayers. These men will be
punished most severely.”
41 Jesus sat down opposite
the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their
money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. 42 But
a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a few
cents.
43 Calling his disciples to
him, Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has
put more into the treasury than all the others. 44 They all
gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all
she had to live on.”
Get Naked
Jesus teaches with a heavenly vision. It seems to me that we don’t need
all the stuff and baggage we carry around. We don’t need all the fancy clothes.
Think about it, God created us naked. As mankind stood in the presence of God
naked at the beginning of the world, we also stand before Jesus naked in life.
Jesus sees right through all of our nonsense. Jesus teaches with a heavenly
vision and Jesus teaches us to get naked.
In this scripture, we see how the scribes put on a show to gain man’s awe
and favor. And they go on to consume and exploit poor widows. Jesus silenced the scribes and revealed their
unbelief. Jesus makes the scribes naked in their sinfulness.
Don’t get too haughty about all of this exposing the scribes. Jesus makes
me and you naked in our sinfulness as well. I have done it, and I’m sure you
have too. Done what?
When we focus on how great we are, that’s the very moment we lack
greatness. How’s that? As we push our way to the front of thinking that we
deserve the best in life, Jesus points us to the lack of love we have for our neighbor.
In the push and shove of life towards personal greatness we just become naked.
How? To be great is not something we deserve because of our own effort.
We only become great through serving. Look at Jesus. Did He seek greatness in
power, money, or shoving to the front? Jesus’ service to God and man is the
real stuff.
The scribes, as well as you and I, sometimes serve God in a phony way. We
think we are the ones that have earned our way. We become self-righteous. When we
are self-righteous, we really don’t love God or our neighbor. Rather, we love
ourself and what we have done to be great. And it’s at this point that Jesus
makes us naked in His presence.
When we are self-righteous, we tend to devour our neighbor for our own privilege.
Look at what the scribes did. What was the cause of poor housing for the needy
widows?
Our privilege, even today, devours
houses and yes, even homes. We think it’s fine to forget the needs of the
suffering and the poor and the alien. We flaunt our own privilege of belonging
in the face of our neighbors in need. We become self-righteous thinking that we
earned all that we have and deserve to be greater than our neighbor. And it’s
here, at this point, that Jesus undresses us in our sin to the point that we
stand naked before Jesus.
Now that you and I and the scribes, stand naked in our sin before Jesus,
the passage moves on to Jesus observing a widow, naked before Jesus as he watches
on.
But first let me offer a visual. There may or may not have been a
building labeled the “Treasury.” However, along the colonnade which surrounded
what was referred to as the “Court of the Women,” were thirteen chests with
trumpet shaped opening for the offerings of the worshippers at the Temple. These
trumpet shaped openings would make a noise at each offering of coins. So, when this poor widow gave, there would not
have been much of a noise.
But here is the deal. The widow, unknowingly naked in the presence of
Jesus, didn’t just give a small portion, no, she gave all she had. Really you
could say, she gave herself.
Paul talks about this type of giving, from the churches of Macedonia
giving to the Jerusalem church…
2 Corinthians 8:5 NIV
5 And they (the churches of Macedonia)
exceeded our expectations: They gave themselves first of all to the Lord, and
then by the will of God also to us.
And Jesus speaks of this widow, also in the Gospel of Luke…
Luke 21:1-4 NIV
21 As Jesus looked up, he saw
the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury. 2 He
also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins. 3 “Truly I
tell you,” he said, “this poor widow has put in
more than all the others. 4 All these
people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in
all she had to live on.”
This particular tribute to the widow, was Jesus last act in the Temple.
This tribute to the widow who gave all she had as an offering to God. Hmm… You
see, Jesus never entered the Temple again after this.
Here, this widow, stands naked before Jesus. Here, we come to understand
that God looks to the amount of love and self-sacrifice we have, not the amount
of our own perceived self-righteousness. For, now we can see, that our righteousness
only comes through God in Jesus, not something that we can conjure up for ourselves.
Here, as the woman stands naked before Jesus, Jesus’ comments on what the
woman has done, but does not praise her for her actions. True giving is a
sacrifice. The gift’s value is relative to the giver. The widow gave all!
This widow’s act is a free act of generosity.
And as this widow stands naked before Jesus, we see her giving a gift
that counts. There it is again; giving is relative to what is left. It’s not
the size of the gift.
When we see our sinfulness and reach the end of ourselves, standing naked
in our sin before Jesus, it’s then that we see it, and it’s then that Jesus
hears it.
As the widow gives her all, Jesus hears the “Greatest” gift go into that
trumpet shaped offering vessel. It’s then that Jesus sees our heart. It’s then
that Jesus sees that no gift of love is too small to count.
But wait! Isn’t this type of giving what the Father gave to us through
Jesus serving to all mankind in His birth, life, suffering, death, resurrection
and ascension?
There it is! Point to Jesus and see. Point to Jesus and follow. Point to
Jesus and run in obedience. Perhaps this widow is a type of Jesus?
Don’t worry. All you have ever had from your nakedness in birth before
God, has come from God. God provides even when you doubt your resources. It’s
all a gift from God. Trust in God… not in man.
Yes, Lord Jesus of Heaven and Earth, I stand once again naked in your
presence and I eagerly wait for you… today… tomorrow… and forever, as I follow
you and Point to Jesus!
Thanks be to God!
I leave you with this YouTube Music Video of how Jesus and the Widow have given…
Artwork … Lucas Cranach
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