Sunday, November 11, 2018

32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time (25th Sunday after Pentecost/Proper 27)

The Revised Common Lectionary passages for the Lord’s Day are:

First Reading: Ruth 3:1-5; 4:13-17; Psalm 127
Second Reading: Hebrews 9:24-28
Gospel Reading: Mark 12:38-44

The liturgical color for the day is: Green

The Scribes prance around and parade out their giving so that everyone sees. The scribes wear their long robes like us preachers do and they love to be the center of attention—uh, um—sort of like us preachers do.

Jesus was observing that day in the temple courtyard. There in the courtyard were 13 collection bins—now understand these bins were not like our offering plates. Our offering plates have these little pads at the bottom of the plate so on the chance that dropping your money into the plate it could make noise—it is silenced by the little cushion.

Those collection boxes in the temple were not that way. They were more like horns of a brass trumpet. Drop something in and it made a sound. The more you drop in the larger and louder the sound. Of course—there were plenty in the crowd who like to make a big noise of what they put in.

It was as good, if not better than prancing around in long flowing robes. Jesus was observing that day—and there among them was that poor widow woman.

And there that poor woman is—doing as the rest making her contribution. She gently drops in two coins. Bing. Bing. That is all. The sum of them is a penny. Economically speaking not worth anything really.

A penny. It was all—but it was everything. Everything.

Jesus explained that she gave it all.

Her bing, bing, added up to more than the heavy plunking and pounding of their gold coins. How could that be?

Well, its economics done God’s style.

It might not add up in those without eyes to see or ears to hear, but it does to those who see and hear God style.

Her life matched her faith. She believed all the way. She believed with everything and she gave her everything. She did not show off; she did not parade around—she presented it all to God because God was her all.

Its economics done God’s style. The world won’t get it, but we will. This faith is a place where a penny is worth more than mega millions.