THE CHIEF CORNER STONE
MARK 12:1-12
1 And He began to speak to them in parables: “A man planted a vineyard
and put a wall around it, and dug a vat under the wine press and built
a tower, and rented it out to vine-growers and went on a journey. 2 “At
the harvest time he sent a slave to the vine-growers, in order to
receive some of the produce of the vineyard from the vine-growers. 3
“They took him, and beat him and sent him away empty-handed. 4 “Again
he sent them another slave, and they wounded him in the head, and
treated him shamefully. 5 “And he sent another, and that one they
killed; and so with many others, beating some and killing others. 6 “He
had one more to send, a beloved son; he sent him last of all to them,
saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ 7 “But those vine-growers said to
one another, ‘This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and the
inheritance will be ours!’ 8 “They took him, and killed him and threw
him out of the vineyard. 9 “What will the owner of the vineyard do? He
will come and destroy the vine-growers, and will give the vineyard to
others. 10 “Have you not even read this Scripture:
‘The stone which the builders rejected,
This became the chief corner stone;
11 This came about from the Lord,
And it is marvelous in our eyes’?”
12 They were seeking to seize Him, and yet they feared the people, for
they understood that He spoke the parable against them. And so they
left Him and went away.
MARK 12:1
And He began to speak to them in parables: “A man planted a vineyard
and put a wall around it, and dug a vat under the wine press and built
a tower, and rented it out to vine-growers and went on a journey.”
“A man planted a vineyard”
Before we examine the parable, let us first examine its context. Jesus
made this statement to the crowds in the presence of the Religious
leaders. Remember, they had just questioned his authority and then
wound up silenced when Jesus called them on the carpet with the
following question:
MARK 11:29-33
29 And Jesus said to them, “I will ask you one question, and you
answer Me, and then I will tell you by what authority I do these
things. 30 “Was the baptism of John from heaven, or from men? Answer
Me.” 31 They began reasoning among themselves, saying, “If we say,
‘From heaven,’ He will say, ‘Then why did you not believe him?’ 32
“But shall we say, ‘From men’?” — they were afraid of the people,
for everyone considered John to have been a real prophet. 33
Answering Jesus, they *said, “We do not know.” And Jesus *said to
them, “Nor will I tell you by what authority I do these things.”
When we examine the life of Jesus we must also examine the context of
Jesus. It is helpful to understand the culture, the circumstances and
even the languages of his time to fully understand him.
The story of the Prodigal Son was told in the context of the Pharisees
attacking the people with whom Jesus was eating. The story of the Good
Samaritan was told in the context of a Scribe questioning Jesus about,
“Who was good?”
This story — of men who stole a vineyard killing the owner’s messengers
(prophets) and son (the Messiah) — was told in the temple facing down
the bitter anger of the Sanhedrin. Over the years artists have often
given us images of a timid Jesus, frail and pasty, barely able to lift
a hammer let alone be a carpenter.
But here is the true image of Jesus: Tough with those who upheld
systemic poverty; compassionate with the victims of such societal
abuse. That is the context of this important reading.
Now let’s look at how Jesus sets up this parable. “A man planted a
vineyard...”
In this story, the man is God. The vineyard he plants is not just a
patch of vines but everything needed for a thriving farm. He plants the
vines but also digs a well, builds a storage bin, adds protective walls
and a watchtower and even presses for the grapes. God did everything
necessary to make the vineyard self-sufficient.
God did everything necessary to make the vineyard self-sufficient.
The vineyard is Israel. God did not deprive Israel of any needs.
However, Israel’s problem wasn’t production, it was distribution.
How different is our world today? My own country (the US) spends more
on dietary supplements than many developing nations spend on basic
sustenance. Our portion sizes make our children obese and the fat
content in those meals lead to a whole host of bodily disorders. Does
our world have a production problem or a distribution problem? As
Gandhi once said of our world, “There is enough for everyone’s needs,
but not enough for everyone’s greed.”
2
Can I recognize the difference between my own needs and greeds? I
remember the innocent statement amicably made by a Rwandan Pastor
visiting my home. “Brother Jerry, your pets eat better than my
orphans.”
MARK 12:2-8
2 “At the harvest time he sent a slave to the vine-growers, in order to
receive some of the produce of the vineyard from the vine-growers. 3
“They took him, and beat him and sent him away empty-handed. 4 “Again
he sent them another slave, and they wounded him in the head, and
treated him shamefully. 5 “And he sent another, and that one they
killed; and so with many others, beating some and killing others. 6 “He
had one more to send, a beloved son; he sent him last of all to them,
saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ 7 “But those vine-growers said to
one another, ‘This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and the
inheritance will be ours!’ 8 “They took him, and killed him and threw
him out of the vineyard.
“This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours!”
The amount collected by a landowner was generally a quarter to half the
operation’s revenue. Given the amazing amount of resources the
landowner had invested to develop the land, this was not an unjust
return. However, the wicked lessors humiliated and killed each
representative of the owner until finally the owner sent his beloved
son. It wasn’t that the lessors were starving; it was that they were
greedy. “Why have a portion when we could have it all?”
The fact that the son comes to collect the rent must have led the vinegrowers to assume that the owner himself had died. Jewish law provided
that if there were no heirs and the owner was deceased, those
maintaining the property could keep it. Thus they killed the son too.
They couldn’t have been more incorrect. The landlord returned with a
vengeance.
We know that the Landlord’s representatives symbolized the prophets and
the heir was Jesus. As the Father sent his son — in the story — his
thoughts were, “Surely they will respect him!”
Yet, does that mean God expected Jesus to be enthroned in Jerusalem?
Did God think the Religious leaders might see Jesus and step aside?
No, here is where we must be cautious. There is a difference between
providing someone an opportunity to redeem themselves and knowing a
person so well that you realize he/she will reject it. God was (and is)
not naive to our sinfulness. He knows we will reject his son and yet he
offers his life for ours anyway. God doesn’t offer us an opportunity —
he offers us a sacrifice. It is not a contract — it is a covenant.
3
He knows we will reject his son and yet he offers his life for ours
anyway.
Are we a contract or a covenant people? Do we fulfill our bargain only
if others do? Do we dole out our love based upon our approval of others
performance? This is not the way of God who sends rain on the righteous
and unrighteous:
MATTHEW 5:44-48
44 “But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who
persecute you, 45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in
heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and
sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46 “For if you love
those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax
collectors do the same? 47 “If you greet only your brothers, what
more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the
same? 48 “Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father
is perfect.
Integrity is when we seek the dignity of all people — regardless of how
others respond.
MARK 12:9-12
9 “What will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the
vine-growers, and will give the vineyard to others. 10 “Have you not
even read this Scripture:
‘The stone which the builders rejected,
This became the chief corner stone;
11 This came about from the Lord,
And it is marvelous in our eyes’?”
“He will come and destroy the vine-growers, and will give the vineyard to others.”
The parable ends at this point. Now it becomes a prophecy. Many of
those listening — disciples, worshippers, observers and the Sanhedrin —
would live to see the temple’s utter destruction in A.D. 70.
Jesus then quotes from Psalm 118 (vesus 22-23), “The stone which the
builders rejected, this became the chief corner stone.”
Our Lord often speaks of three types of stones:
1. Cornerstone
This is a stone that anchors an entire building. Its measurements
must be perfect because the placement of all the other stones
will rest their weight and draw their plum line from this stone.
4
2. Capstone
Often the terms cornerstone and capstone were used
interchangeably but they were completely opposite (something
Jesus, the craftsman, would know very well). The walls were
measured by the cornerstone but the weight of the ceiling rested
on the capstone. The capstone took an enormous amount of pressure
and kept the roof from caving in on its occupants.
3. Testing Stone
Finally, the word for temptation and testing were derived from an
Oriental stone that was used to measure the strength of metal.
Jesus was “The Stone.” The stone against which all other stones would
be judged, the stone that keeps our lives from caving in and the stone
against which our metal will be tested. We must always remember that
Jesus is “The Stone,” not us. We are called to measure ourselves
against his cornerstone and not measure others against ours. We are
called to be models, not judges.
MARK 12:12
They were seeking to seize Him, and yet they feared the people, for
they understood that He spoke the parable against them. And so they
left Him and went away.
“They understood that He spoke the parable against them”
What is our response to truth? Does it make our blood boil? Do we seek
to silence the purveyor? Or, does it lead us to examination and even
change?
We see two types of anger in the last chapters of Mark. The just anger
of Jesus over the systemic abuse of the poor and the self-righteous
anger of the religious leaders when their authority is challenged. The
viability of anger is often revealed in its source but the source of
anger is never outside of ourselves. Far more often, we are the sources
of anger rather than the victims of it.
The just anger of Jesus over the systemic abuse of the poor and the
self-righteous anger of the religious leaders when their authority is
challenged.
If we truly examined the anger in our life would it reveal a false
sense of pride or righteousness? A, “What about me?” or, “That’s not
fair,” attitude? Jesus’ anger was not about who occupied the temple, he
could care less about priestly garb and sanctimonious titles. His anger
was about who was left outside the temple.
5
What does my anger reveal about me? Upon which side of the wall will
the Owner’s Son find me? Have I barred myself in the vineyard through
indignation, a judgmental attitude or self-righteousness? Or am I
constantly seeking to confer unconditional dignity to the just and
unjust in the name of God?
6
RENDER TO CAESAR
MARK 12:13-17
13 Then they sent some of the Pharisees and Herodians to Him in order
to trap Him in a statement. 14 They came and said to Him, “Teacher, we
know that You are truthful and defer to no one; for You are not partial
to any, but teach the way of God in truth. Is it lawful to pay a polltax to Caesar, or not? 15 “Shall we pay or shall we not pay?” But He,
knowing their hypocrisy, said to them, “Why are you testing Me? Bring
Me a denarius to look at.” 16 They brought one. And He said to them,
“Whose likeness and inscription is this?” And they said to Him,
“Caesar’s.” 17 And Jesus said to them, “Render to Caesar the things
that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” And they were
amazed at Him.
MARK 12:13-15A
13 Then they sent some of the Pharisees and Herodians to Him in order
to trap Him in a statement. 14 They came and said to Him, “Teacher, we
know that You are truthful and defer to no one; for You are not partial
to any, but teach the way of God in truth. Is it lawful to pay a polltax to Caesar, or not? 15 “Shall we pay or shall we not pay?”
“Why are you testing Me?”
Remember the context of events. Jesus clears the temple. He withers the
fig tree. He returns to the temple where he is confronted by the
Religious Leaders who challenge his authority. The “Authorities” are
proven anemic to the crowd while Jesus tells the parable of the perfect
vineyard and the dishonest tenants. They slink away to plot a way to
trap Jesus.
Well, here it is.... their best trap.
It begins with fawning and flattery; “Teacher, we know that You are
truthful and defer to no one; for You are not partial to any, but teach
the way of God in truth.”
It is ironic they would lay their trap with such a flimsy foundation
when Christ just undermined their last attempt with Psalm 118. Found in
the same Psalm are the following verses:
PSALM 118:8-9
8 It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in man. 9 It
is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in princes.
A false compliment can rarely deceive a sincere person. Jesus often saw
compliments — whether from Satan, Nicodemus or the Sanhedrin — as more
a revelation of the Complimentor than as a reason to grow smug. A wise
person will always consider the source of both compliments and
criticism alike.
7
Jesus saw the compliments of the religious scholars as a reason to be
more wary — not less.
“Why are you testing Me?”
The authorities weren’t seeking wisdom, they were laying a trap. The
question they ask is a populous issue couched in religious overtones.
If Jesus supported the poll-tax he would lose popularity among the
crowd. If he refused to pay it, he could be turned over to the
political authorities for insurrection.
Their hypocrisy lay in the fact that they had already resolved this
question for themselves. Obviously they paid the tax or they would be
hanging on crosses outside Jerusalem.
The word testing [GSN 3984 Peirazo] is nearly interchangeable with the
word for temptation. It is used multiple times in the Gospels but
always regarding two specific parties: Satan and the religious
authorities. This should be a huge neon warning sign to us. When do we
act like “the authority?” That is when we test Jesus.
When do we act like “the authority?” That is when we test Jesus.
When we are closed to the insights of those around us. When we form
prejudices based upon opinions untried by relationships. When we
presume ourselves to be in any way, shape or form above, over or more
privileged than another. That is when we test Jesus.
MARK 12:15B-17
15b But He, knowing their hypocrisy, said to them, “Why are you testing
Me? Bring Me a denarius to look at.” 16 They brought one. And He said
to them, “Whose likeness and inscription is this?” And they said to
Him, “Caesar’s.” 17 And Jesus said to them, “Render to Caesar the
things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” And
they were amazed at Him.
“Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s and to God the things that are God’s”
“Bring Me a denarius to look at.” Jesus didn’t keep the coin purse,
Judas did. Jesus had little physical concern relative to this world for
anything beyond his “daily bread.”
How often do we pray that prayer and miss its point? “Give us THIS day
our DAILY bread.” The flip side of this prayer is that we are asking,
“Lord, let me be satisfied with simple needs. Let me live out of
simplicity not out of greed.”
Jesus was as comfortable gleaning fields as he was partying with taxcollectors. So when he needed a coin all he had to do was ask for one.
8
Now, did he really not know whose face was on that coin? Had he really
never looked at it? Of course he knew, every Jew knew the face of their
Country’s occupying force.
What Jesus is using is a tool of all great prophets and leaders. The
power of image, of symbolism. “Whose likeness and inscription is this?”
he asks.
He doesn’t recoil from touching the coin. He doesn’t act too holy to be
soiled by human currency. The coin is a “thing,” that’s all. A mere
piece of metal symbolizing something of worth to humans.
So our Lord states, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and
to God the things that are God’s.”
Period. End of sentence, point and lesson.
Yet, it leaves us with two critical question for every generation.
“What bears the image of our modern day Caesar’s?”
“Who bears the image of God?”
In every generation there are those who would use beings to get things
and there are those who stand idly by while this occurs. When we don’t
actively work for justice we passively acquiesce to injustice. There’s
no sideline here.
Can I say that I am actively rendering to God those who are his? We go
back again to the mission statement of Jesus [Luke 4:18-19] and ask the
question, “Do the poor call us Good News?”
The vast majority of the poor in the world are working people. They
“render unto Caesar” everyday. They work for conglomerates,
corporations, in sweatshops, mines, fast food restaurants and retail
stores. They don’t make enough to provide, they receive no health care
and they work in abysmal situations. Do they call me good news?
Take a moment and put yourself in their shoes. Imagine a single-mom
working two jobs without health care and still unable to put a full
meal on the table at the end of the pay period. What could your church
(or you) offer her that would be “Good News?”
Would it be better worship? More prayers? A new data projector?
Would it be friendship? Childcare? Tutoring and mentoring for her
children? Educational assistance?
There are things each person and every church can do to immediately
relieve the plight of the poor and the advocate for them in our
government’s spending and taxing priorities.
9
Your answers to the question, “Does she call me Good News?” would be an
example of rendering to God who — not what — is his.
10
“HE IS NOT THE GOD OF THE DEAD”
MARK 12:18-27
18 Some Sadducees (who say that there is no resurrection) came to
Jesus, and began questioning Him, saying, 19 “Teacher, Moses wrote for
us that if a man’s brother dies and leaves behind a wife and leaves no
child, his brother should marry the wife and raise up children to his
brother. 20 “There were seven brothers; and the first took a wife, and
died leaving no children. 21 “The second one married her, and died
leaving behind no children; and the third likewise; 22 and so all seven
left no children. Last of all the woman died also. 23 “In the
resurrection, when they rise again, which one’s wife will she be? For
all seven had married her.” 24 Jesus said to them, “Is this not the
reason you are mistaken, that you do not understand the Scriptures or
the power of God? 25 “For when they rise from the dead, they neither
marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven. 26 “But
regarding the fact that the dead rise again, have you not read in the
book of Moses, in the passage about the burning bush, how God spoke to
him, saying, ‘I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the
God of Jacob’? 27 “He is not the God of the dead, but of the living;
you are greatly mistaken.”
MARK 12:18
Some Sadducees (who say that there is no resurrection) came to Jesus,
and began questioning Him, saying,
Some Sadducees
The irony of this situation is that religious groups who would normally
disdain each other were now bypassing their theological differences to
undermine a common enemy: Jesus Christ. Again, it is important to
recall why Jesus was the “enemy.”
He claimed to be the Messiah
His works supported his claims
His effectiveness undermined the positional authority of the religious
leaders
Now, let me consider my life. How do I respond if someone makes a claim
about their abilities? Am I automatically cynical or do I look for
proof of the claim?
If the results of someone’s action back up their claims do I support
them in their endeavors if their cause is just? Is it possible that I
would not support them unless their credentials matched their claims as
well? What authoritarian barriers do I put on others? How many times
have I held a cultural bias that gave an advantage to someone who fit
my stereotype of success? How many times have I refused to give a fair
opportunity to someone because they did not fit my stereotype?
11
What authoritarian barriers do I put on others?
Is there any difference between my behavior and that of the religious
authorities who rejected Jesus because he did not fit their
prejudgments of power? In what ways are authority more important to me
than effectiveness?
Effectiveness without authority is still effectiveness. Authority
without effectiveness is the basis of religious and political deceit.
However, when authority is combined with effectiveness there is wisdom
in leadership. It builds trust and honor across all barriers and people
can see the true connection between effort and reward.
Examples of such leadership are rare but rich. Even rarer are perfect
examples. The temple on the days Jesus established himself there is one
example. The example of Abraham Lincoln. Many of the changes instituted
by the early Nelson Mandela post-apartheid government. The example of
King of Sweden while the Nazi’s occupied his country. The Grameen Bank
model of microenterprise development is an economic model.
When effectiveness is combined with authority it brings the best of a
people’s resources to its side. When authority fears effectiveness the
resources are spent on protection, defense and the illusion of power.
The worst of bureaucrats unite for their own defense which is exactly
why the Sadducees and the Scribes joined with the Pharisees then
supported Herod and Pontius Pilate until they they all joined against
Jesus.
Ultimately, Jesus was not killed for his claims but for his
effectiveness. It was “expedient” to dispose of him.
John 11:49-50
49 But one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to
them, “You know nothing at all, 50 nor do you take into account that it
is expedient for you that one man die for the people, and that the
whole nation not perish.”
Expedience is the rationalization of ideologues who always defend their
actions with “the ways justifies the means.”
MARK 12:19-24
19 “Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies and leaves
behind a wife and leaves no child, his brother should marry the wife
and raise up children to his brother. 20 “There were seven brothers;
and the first took a wife, and died leaving no children. 21 “The second
one married her, and died leaving behind no children; and the third
likewise; 22 and so all seven left no children. Last of all the woman
died also. 23 “In the resurrection, when they rise again, which one’s
wife will she be? For all seven had married her.”
12
24 Jesus said to them, “Is this not the reason you are mistaken, that
you do not understand the Scriptures or the power of God?
You do not understand the Scriptures or the power of God
Have you ever been to a social event and run into the “party comedian.”
The guy with only one joke in his retinue but he’s going to make sure
that everyone hears it at least once.
In Jerusalem that “guy” was the group called the Sadducees. They were
one-trick ponies whose complete theology could be summarized in this
story about the widow of seven brothers.
Jewish law would have stipulated that the wife of the oldest brother
(along with his other “possessions”) would be passed to the next
younger brother in the event of the elder’s untimely death. Obviously,
if one married for eternity, this would have complications upon the
widow’s death. Whose “possession” would she be when she died?
Whose “possession” would she be when she died?
The Sadducees would then take this point and drag it out ad naseum. Not
two brothers. Not three brothers. But no less than the holy number
seven brothers. Then these self-righteous theologians would sit back on
their haunches and watch their victim’s religious convictions
disassemble before their eyes.
Jesus would pierce the balloon of their catechetical assumptions but
that was totally secondary to the sin of these religious authorities.
Remember sin means “missing the mark [G266 Hamartia]” to the Greek and
“to miss or “go wrong [H2398 Chata]” to the Hebrew. Theological
incorrectness was a tertiary “wrongness” for the Sadducees. Their
greatest error was 1) to treat people as possessions and 2) to revel in
a dogma whose soul purpose was to confuse the unsuspecting. Honestly,
did they seek to argue with Jesus to improve the status of the poor or
to make themselves look smarter?
Jesus condemns the Sadducees because they neither “understand the
scriptures or the power of God.”
True faith had nothing to do with elevating his own status as a
philosopher. Christ’s faith was centered in bringing justice to the
downtrodden. Whenever religion has lost its preference for the poor and
exchanged it for the privileges of the intellectually elite it ceased
to be a viable pathway to our Creator-God. It lost its power because it
has lost its purpose.
Do I study religion to liberate the poor or to dominate a debate? Where
does the power of my faith lie?
MARK 12:25-27
13
25 “For when they rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given
in marriage, but are like angels in heaven. 26 “But regarding the fact
that the dead rise again, have you not read in the book of Moses, in
the passage about the burning bush, how God spoke to him, saying, ‘I am
the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? 27 “He
is not the God of the dead, but of the living; you are greatly
mistaken.”
He is not the God of the dead, but of the living
“I Am,” said God, when Moses queried him about the Majestic One’s name.
Exodus 3:13-14
13 Then Moses said to God, “Behold, I am going to the sons of Israel,
and I will say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you.’
Now they may say to me, ‘What is His name?’ What shall I say to them?”
14 God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM”; and He said, “Thus you shall say
to the sons of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’ “
The words I AM meant “became, become, becoming [H1961 Hayah].” We might
think of it like this, “I Am WHO I need to be WHEN I need to be it.”
This was the scripture from which all the “denominations” (sects) of
Judaism pulled their theology. Sadduccees and Pharisees alike drew
their conclusions of eternity from the Pentateuch. Jesus confronts
them,”Is this not the reason you are mistaken, that you do not
understand the Scriptures or the power of God?”
Can you imagine confronting the denominational leaders of your church
with such a statement? “You argue details and miss the point.” “You
build elaborate apologetics on a completely false premise.”
God is omnipotent, omniscient and omnipresent. He is able to be the “I
Am” simultaneously in our was, is and will be. God is not only eternal
but the master of eternity. Creator Eternal of creation eternal. He is
the “God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob,” in
succession and in the moment. As our Lord points out, God is “not the
God of the dead, but of the living,” because to be in God is to be
beyond time.
Does my theology ever miss the point because I build elaborate theology
on false premises? Do I think of people as possessions or neglect those
who “are” while arguing about what “will be?”
Am I dwelling on the “left behind” of someday while ignoring the “left
out” today?
The Eternal One who is capable of touching our lives “upstream,
midstream and downstream,” wants us to focus on the living. As Dorothy
Day stated perfectly, “Pray for the dead but fight like hell for the
living.”
14
15
“ G O D I S LO V E ”
MARK 12:28-34
[Mk 12:28] One of the scribes came and heard them arguing, and
recognizing that He had answered them well, asked Him, “What
commandment is the foremost of all?” [29] Jesus answered, “The foremost
is, ‘HEAR, O ISRAEL! THE LORD OUR GOD IS ONE LORD; [30] AND YOU SHALL
LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND
WITH ALL YOUR MIND, AND WITH ALL YOUR STRENGTH.’[31] “The second is
this, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.’ There is no other
commandment greater than these.”[32] The scribe said to Him, “Right,
Teacher; You have truly stated that HE IS ONE, AND THERE IS NO ONE ELSE
BESIDES HIM; [33] AND TO LOVE HIM WITH ALL THE HEART AND WITH ALL THE
UNDERSTANDING AND WITH ALL THE STRENGTH, AND TO LOVE ONE’S NEIGHBOR AS
HIMSELF, is much more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.” [34]
When Jesus saw that he had answered intelligently, He said to him, “You
are not far from the kingdom of God.” After that, no one would venture
to ask Him any more questions.
MARK 12:28-31
[Mk 12:28] One of the scribes came and heard them arguing, and
recognizing that He had answered them well, asked Him, “What
commandment is the foremost of all?” [29] Jesus answered, “The foremost
is, ‘HEAR, O ISRAEL! THE LORD OUR GOD IS ONE LORD; [30] AND YOU SHALL
LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND
WITH ALL YOUR MIND, AND WITH ALL YOUR STRENGTH.’[31] “The second is
this, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.’ There is no other
commandment greater than these.”
“What commandment is the foremost of all?”
Jesus was now in the jackal’s den and they were doing their best to
corner him. He was in the outer court of the temple (which is where
the Gentiles could go and where Jesus cleared out the “temple carnies”
only the previous day). In response, the religious leaders were now
attacking Jesus like a pack of dogs whereas Pre-Jesus the Pharisees and
Sadducees attacked each other and the High Priests worried only about
pleasing the Romans and keeping the temple profitable (and prophetless).
They must have had mixed feelings for they all wanted to see Jesus
humiliated and yet they each wanted to do it themselves. The High
Priests tried to silence the crowds surrounding Jesus as he was
welcomed into Jerusalem like King David returning from the dead. The
Pharisees had been questioning Jesus unceasingly since the Lord had
come south from Galilee and into Perea. The Sadducees tried to
confound Jesus with the one, big question they always used to silence
their rivals, the Pharisees:
MARK 12:19-23
16
[19] “Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies, and
leaves behind a wife, and leaves no child, his brother should take the
wife, and raise up offspring to his brother. [20] “There were seven
brothers; and the first took a wife, and died, leaving no offspring.
[21] “And the second one took her, and died, leaving behind no
offspring; and the third likewise; [22] and {so} all seven left no
offspring. Last of all the woman died also. [23] “In the resurrection,
when they rise again, which one’s wife will she be? For all seven had
her as wife.”
Jesus silences the Sadducees with as much difficulty as a wrecking ball
dismantling a decrepit outhouse.
Mark 12:27
“He is not the God of the dead, but of the living; you are greatly
mistaken.”
Then, in the midst of these attacks and arguments a small, but welcome,
voice speaks out with a question of utmost sincerity. What stood out
about the question was not its theological content, but the attitude of
the questioner. He was not asking to confound Jesus or to humiliate
him. This man was asking his question because he was so impressed with
the way that Jesus had responded to his assailants. He was won over by
the unscripted ease and undeniable truth with which Jesus confounded
his attackers. This man was truly searching for an answer to the most
troubling of all Jewish questions (especially for a Scribe); “What
commandment is the foremost of all?”
The Lord our God is one Lord
The role of the Scribe was far more than secretarial in Christ’s day.
It was a very elite position for men who were not only trained to read
and write but trained in the law as well. Jewish Scribes were trained
specifically in Mosaic Law and one of their primary functions was to
codify the hundreds of Jewish laws and thousands of Pharisaical
traditions and place them into categories while ranking them in order
of importance. The primary categories they used for codification were;
ceremonial, ethical, moral, and ritual laws and also the positive
versus negative laws.
Yet, knowledge of the law does not guarantee understanding or
application of it, just as reading about flying doesn’t make one a
pilot. This man knew the law — he had an equivalent to a Juris
Doctorate degree — but he was unsatisfied with the results of his
scholarly, but sterile examination of God’s word. He wanted to move
beyond interpreting the law and into relationship with God. Yet, the
more he codified the law, the more confused he was about it. His cry
was truly; “What will help me find joy?”
17
This wasn’t an attorney cross-examining Jesus; this was the equivalent
of a leading Federal Judge swallowing his pride and saying to the Lord,
“I just don’t get life, I am all dried up inside.”
Upon hearing this man’s heart-felt cry, Jesus helps the pleading man to
set aside the endless traditions and some 631 codified Mosaic Laws and
instead offers three guiding principles that don’t even need to be
written down to remember;
The Lord our God is One (Deuteronomy 6:4);
You shall love the Lord God with every fiber of your being (Deuteronomy
6:5);
You shall love your neighbor extravagantly (Leviticus 19:18).
The Jews knew this prayer as the Shema. It was the heart of the Jews
relationship with God and now passed on to us by Christ through this
passage. The Old Testament roots of the Shema (which is the first
Hebrew word from Deuteronomy 6:4) can be found in Deuteronomy 6:4-9;
11:13-21; and Numbers 15:37-41. Twice a day, devout Jews still recite
the Shema (morning and evening) in remembrance of Yahweh’s preeminence
in their lives.
Yet, Jesus goes on to say that God’s Oneness (unity) is expressed in
action through love (harmony). It is expressed inwardly, by our
passionate love of God (we are not the center of the universe; God is)
and it is expressed outwardly by a resolute love of God’s people.
The Hebrew version of this command for outward love actually does not
say anything about loving self (as in the common phrase “love your
neighbor as yourself”). The Hebrew verse uses the term Aheb [H157]
meaning: “Love your neighbor as if they were your own beloved; your
dearly loved.” The Synoptic Gospels all use Mark’s terminology, we are
to “love extravagantly [G25 agapao]” anyone who is “near us [G4139
plesion]” as if they were our “dearest friend [G1438 heautou].”
However, John’s Gospel brings Christ’s statement closer to the original
Hebrew and says; “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one
another, even as I have loved you, that you also love [G25 agapao] one
another [GSA240 allelon] [Jn 13:34].” (NASB)
We are not to love as humans love; we are to love as Christ loved.
Human love is fickle, dependent upon capricious moods and even upon
whom we want to define as our “neighbor [Lk 10:29].” Christ’s love is
not dependent on moods or attitudes.
Here is what Jesus tells the Scribe: “God is one (unity) and expressed
in a singular determination to love others [harmony].” Or, even
simpler; “Love others like God loves you!”
18
What matters the most to God is not codified laws or having them ranked
in order of their importance; what matters to God is our relationship
with him which must (by it’s very nature) result in an outpouring of
compassion to his people.
That is the joy that this “Federal Judge” could not find in codifying
the law. That is the joy we cannot find by just following the rules.
This is a love that breaks beyond the rule of “do unto others as you
want them to do to you,” and into the self-abandoning joy of “love like
Christ loved you.”
That is the joy we cannot find by just following the rules.
There is no comparison between these two standards. One is “if I want
to you to be nice to me, I need to be nice to you.” The other is “I
want to bring you joy regardless of how you treat me.”
The love of
abandonment
experienced
prosecuting
Christ is not based on an exchange rate, it is complete
for the joy of giving oneself. The confused scribe had not
that type of radical love while codifying the law and
its trespassers. This was completely new to him.
What does it look like for us? How would even our closest relationships
change is we loved in this manner? It is not a love based upon
performance, but a love completely based upon self-abandonment for the
joy of liberation. Just imagine the freedom of living life like that!
Living life like Jesus was teaching this scribe to live.
MARK 12:32-33
[32] The scribe said to Him, “Right, Teacher; You have truly stated
that HE IS ONE, AND THERE IS NO ONE ELSE BESIDES HIM; [33] AND TO LOVE
HIM WITH ALL THE HEART AND WITH ALL THE UNDERSTANDING AND WITH ALL THE
STRENGTH, AND TO LOVE ONE’S NEIGHBOR AS HIMSELF, is much more than all
burnt offerings and sacrifices.”
Much more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices
Often, the greatest revelations turn out to be the simplest truths.
They are truths that we may have even discarded at one time in our
lives because they seemed too simple or “naïve” for a grown-up playing
field. This man has a life-changing epiphany as a result of one fiveminute encounter with Jesus. It is his “Gestalt Moment,” an experience
where everything he has learned throughout his entire life comes
together in one great big; “Now, I get it!”
Often, the greatest revelations turn out to be the simplest truths.
19
“He got it!” He’d been studying the law all his life, codifying and
dissecting it but then he suddenly “gets it!” And the answer had been
in front of him all the time in the simple writings of the Shema. The
answer was there in front of his face, written on his forelocks, on his
forearm, written on his doorpost. The Shema was the first prayer a
Jewish child would learn, it was something this Scribe would have
recited every morning and every night: “HE IS ONE, AND THERE IS NO ONE
ELSE BESIDES HIM.”
The answer to his question was right there all of his life but it
seemed too simple for him to grasp. We are the one’s who complicate
religion, not God. God’s love is so uncomplicated that only children
seem to get it. We want things complicated because we are too
complicated and can’t believe the universe can be so simple. We are
like poor, confused Nicodemus who was told “Truly, truly, I say to you,
unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God [John 3:9].”
We have all had these Gestalt moments, moments where the only
reasonable response is, “duh,” in light of God’s simplicity. I
remember one such moment when the complexities of my life seemed like
they demanded a complex and judicious response. Then as I say pondering
the situation one night, my five-year-old daughter snuggled into my lap
and started singing: “Jesus loves me this I know. For the bible tells
me so.”
Suddenly, I remembered thinking, “Well, duh!”
the song.
Then, I joined her in
Through Jesus, the Scribe realizes that more important than ceremony
and more important than ritual is the simple truth that; “God loved you
so go love others.”
“Duh!”
MARK 12:34
[34] When Jesus saw that he had answered intelligently, He said to him,
“You are not far from the kingdom of God.” After that, no one would
venture to ask Him any more questions. (NASB)
“You are not far from the kingdom of God.”
Here are some vital truths that Christ reveals to the scribe about the
Kingdom of God;
1.
He is not far from the Kingdom;
2.
But, he is not there yet.
20
I can be “not far” from the top of a mountain but whether or not I make
the climb is a huge factor in attaining the view. Moses was “not far”
from the Promised Land but he never crossed the Jordan (until he met
Jesus at the transfiguration). The Messiah stood inches from this
scribe but did this man put aside his title and his complexity to
simply declare Jesus as his Lord? We can be “not far” from the goal
but still separated by the singular obstacle or actually pursuing it.
Yet Christ also reveals how to make the leap, cross the river, or break
through the wall. First, let us look at some critical words in Christ’s
statement:
The kingdom of God [G3932 basileia]
This is one of the most misinterpreted terms in the New Testament for
while kingdom can imply a place; it was more likely to imply the extent
of one’s rule. The term does mean kingdom, but it more accurately
applies to power or sovereignty. In other words, Christ’s words to
this man were far more likely to be heard as, “The sovereignty, the
power, of God is not far from you.”
Let’s look at an example of this from the prayer our Lord taught us:
Matthew 6:9-10
[9] “Pray, then, in this way: ‘Our Father who is in heaven, Hallowed be
Your name. [10] ‘Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it
is in heaven.’”
The implication here is that heaven is a place separate from earth;
some place the Father is and to which we will go. Alternatively, the
kingdom [G3932 basileia] or better yet, the reign or rule of God in our
life, is a condition or state of being that begins when we do his will
on earth as it is already being done in heaven.
The reign [G3932 basileia] of God is as close as doing the will of God.
It is not attached to a place or time it is how we choose to live.
And, what is the will of God? It is right here in this reading [verse
29-30]:
MARK 12:29-30
[29] Jesus answered, “The foremost is, ‘HEAR, O ISRAEL! THE LORD OUR
GOD IS ONE LORD; [30] AND YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL
YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND, AND WITH
ALL YOUR STRENGTH.’ [31] “The second is this, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR
NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.’
So, the scribe is “not far” from the reign of God being established in
his life. We defined the reign of God, now let’s look at the term “not
far.”
21
Over the last two chapters (as Jesus heads towards his destined death
in Jerusalem), he has repeatedly used a particular word to describe
four things:
Who will enter the kingdom of God
Who we must become like if are to enter that kingdom
Who is the greatest in the kingdom of God
Who we must protect and never drive away from the kingdom of God
That word is “mikros” [G 3398].
means child, but it means:
We have studied how that word not only
The smallest
The most vulnerable
The most remote (having the least access to rights or dignity)
The “most neglected” and the “most rejected.”
Jesus goes so far as to say that the kingdom belongs to such as these.
The scribe, on the other hand is not “far” from the kingdom. In
defining the man’s distance from the kingdom, Jesus uses a word that is
counterpoint to mikros [G 3398]; that word is “makros” [G3117].
Whereas mikros means the smallest, most vulnerable, least accessible;
makros is all things that are opposite, or even in opposition, to
mikros.
Makros means the most elite, the most powerful, the highest ranking,
but they all are the most distant from God! So, makros would describe
to us as the four opposites of who will inherit the kingdom, it
describes:
Who will not enter the kingdom of God
Who we must not become like if are to enter that kingdom
Who may be the greatest on earth but is definitely not the greatest in
the kingdom of God
Who will not be protected but instead, who will be driven away from the
kingdom of God
What did Jesus teach the Scribe on that day? It was not a complicated
lesson, in fact, it is too simple for the knowledgeable, too humbling
for the powerful, and too mikros for the makros.
“God is love, so love!”
22
The Scribe was not far, not makros, from heaven.
than an embrace away.
23
In fact, he was less
“ A L L S H E H A D T O LI V E O N . ”
MARK 12:38-44
[Mk 12:38] In His teaching He was saying: “Beware of the scribes who
like to walk around in long robes, and like respectful greetings in the
market places, [39] and chief seats in the synagogues and places of
honor at banquets, [40] who devour widows’ houses, and for appearance’s
sake offer long prayers; these will receive greater condemnation.”
[41] And He sat down opposite the treasury, and began observing how the
people were putting money into the treasury; and many rich people were
putting in large sums. [42] A poor widow came and put in two small
copper coins, which amount to a cent. [43] Calling His disciples to
Him, He said to them, “Truly I say to you, this poor widow put in more
than all the contributors to the treasury; [44] for they all put in out
of their surplus, but she, out of her poverty, put in all she owned,
all she had to live on.”
MARK 12:38-40
[Mk 12:38] In His teaching He was saying: “Beware of the scribes who
like to walk around in long robes, and like respectful greetings in the
market places, [39] and chief seats in the synagogues and places of
honor at banquets, [40] who devour widows’ houses, and for appearance’s
sake offer long prayers; these will receive greater condemnation.”
“Beware of the scribes”
Just who were these scribes and why was Jesus publicly cautioning
others about them? Basically, a scribe was be an attorney of Mosaic
Law and an Old Testament scholar. We read about scribes in David’s
court [II Sam 20:25] and see that Ezra was Nehemiah’s scribe [Neh 8:4].
In these situations, they were like court attorneys held on retainer.
Yet, almost six hundred years before Christ, the scribes are condemned
by Jeremiah:
Jeremiah 8:8
“How can you say, ‘We are wise, and the law of the LORD is with us’?
But behold, the lying pen of the scribes has made it into a lie.”
The scribes were technically unpaid, but received substantial gifts for
their services. They had assisted in making Jewish law and temple
worship so complicated that anyone who had to deal with the temple
would need an “attorney” to help them negotiate the system. Scribes
“greased the palms” of the temple courts helping the wealthy to gain
favorable interpretations of the law in everything from the sale of
land to the business dealings of anyone within Jerusalem’s reach.
Jesus was on their playground now. Turning over tables in the Court of
the Gentiles impacted their take home pay. Jesus was getting personal!
24
What Jesus was demanding (free access to worship for the poor)
threatened the very status and livelihood of the Scribes and the Chief
Priests. Obviously, if the Messiah had truly come, these folks would
have to step aside from positions of power and opulence. Only from
this standpoint can we begin to see how Jesus’ discourse with the
sincere scribe seeking truth [in Mk 12:28-34] was nothing less than
miraculous. Jesus sliced through the Scribes codified Gordian knot of
the law to reveal the heart of God.
In our study of those verses, we translated our Lord’s straightforward
reply to the scribe as; “God is Love, so love.”
How big is the Gordian knot in my faith? How thick are those cords
around my heart? Do I still hear the rustle of the big bills louder
than the clink of the poorest widow’s coins? Look at James’ reprimand
of the early church for exhibiting this type of behavior:
James 2:1-7
1 My brethren, do not hold your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ
with an attitude of personal favoritism. 2 For if a man comes into your
assembly with a gold ring and dressed in fine clothes, and there also
comes in a poor man in dirty clothes, 3 and you pay special attention
to the one who is wearing the fine clothes, and say, “You sit here in a
good place,” and you say to the poor man, “You stand over there, or sit
down by my footstool,” 4 have you not made distinctions among
yourselves, and become judges with evil motives? 5 Listen, my beloved
brethren: did not God choose the poor of this world to be rich in faith
and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him? 6 But
you have dishonored the poor man. Is it not the rich who oppress you
and personally drag you into court? 7 Do they not blaspheme the fair
name by which you have been called?
The Scribes were supposed to be Teachers of the Law. Instead, they
used their knowledge to complicate the legal system making it
inaccessible to the “least of these.” The poorest of the poor were
doubly condemned for they could not afford to worship and therefore
they were also sinners for not worshipping. Who else suffers because
they cannot afford access to a system that has the power to judge them?
How would this particular message of Christ be applicable today?
Every week I sit and watch juvenile court in our community (many of the
kids I know from detention ministry ask me to be there as a supporter).
Repeatedly, I see kids who are unable to afford an attorney and have
one appointed to them take a guilty plea at the advice of their
attorney. Usually, the State-appointed attorney does not even see them
until right outside the hallway prior to the sentencing.
Rarely do I see young people whose family can afford an attorney plead
guilty or go to detention.
25
Much like the Jewish legal system in Christ’s day, our legal system
buys you as many rights as you can afford. It was precisely that
reason, 2,000 years ago, that Jesus turned over the tables in the
temple and condemned the scribes.
Jesus brought salvation, but he also advocated vociferously for the
poor. Does my Christian walk also include advocacy?
Places of honor at banquets
What is our proper place at the banquet? Jesus gives us an insight
into this question in his story of the great banquet:
MATTHEW 22:8-9
[Mt 22:8] “Then he *said to his slaves, ‘The wedding is ready, but
those who were invited were not worthy. [9] ‘Go therefore to the
main highways, and as many as you find there, invite to the wedding
feast.’”
Are we the King? Not even close. Are we the rich? We better hope
not. Are we the uninvited poor on the highway? Not if we call
ourselves Christians. So that leaves one group in the story that
applies to us; the slaves [G1401 doulos] sent out to gather the
“uninvited.”
Remember this quote from Mark 10?
MARK 10:42-44
[Mk 10:42] Calling them to Himself, Jesus *said to them, “You know
that those who are recognized as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over
them; and their great men exercise authority over them. [43] “But it
is not this way among you, but whoever wishes to become great among
you shall be your servant; [44] and whoever wishes to be first among
you shall be slave [G1401 doulos] of all.”
Who are we and what is our place at the banquet? We are the slaves,
the duolos [G1401]. There is no high (or low) seat of honor for us,
the banquet is coming and we need to be gathering every lost soul that
we can find. Our sole joy is the Master’s joy and the Master’s joy is
that every seat at his banquet is taken! To be among the greatest we
must be among those who give up their seat for the least.
Who devour widows’ houses
26
Herein was one of the greatest sins of the scribes. There were many
widows in Israel during the Lord’s time. Marriages were approved by
the father and more for economic security than love. Therefore, it was
quite common for a young woman to marry a much older man and outlive
him. The legal system was quite inaccessible to the women of Christ’s
day so when the older man died the widow would need some advocate to
settle her estate (or, were she divorced, she needed help to at least
secure her dowry). Jewish people of Christ’s time would not turn to
the Romans to settle their legal issues, so who better to secure your
estate than a religious leader?
Yet, this is where the scribes were notoriously unscrupulous. They
would settle these estates while committing a substantial amount of the
widow’s fund to the temple for their own personal administration.
Legally, they were not being paid for their services but they were
robbing these women blind. Jesus was exposing their sins, yet he was
only naming what everyone already knew; the system worked to the
advantage of the rich while preying upon the vulnerable. Is it any
wonder that the men who profited from this system hated Christ so much?
Is it any wonder that the men who profited from this system hated
Christ so much?
It is critical that we also ask ourselves if we are unpopular among
those who profit from an abuse of power or even a neglect of their
responsibilities in making sure that justice or political power is not
steeped in capitalism. The most clear aspect of these readings at the
temple is that Jesus was not just a “preacher” he advocated for the
least of these. He could have easily stayed behind a pulpit in Galilee
and cursed “the system” in Jerusalem to anyone who would listen. He
would have been safe there and his disciple’s tried to keep him from
leaving the region [Mk 8:27-38]. Still, Jesus would have “none of
that,” his place was among the poor, to give them good news and that
good news included advocacy.
Does our faith in Jesus Christ express itself in works of advocacy?
“These will receive greater condemnation.”
Jesus lived in obvious contradiction to this world’s values. In the
eyes of the Old and New Testament “getting ahead” was condemned when it
leaves others behind. The “Greatest,” according to Christ, was the one
who made sure that no widow our orphan would be misused or abandoned.
The role of a religious leader, scripturally, was to go to the sick,
the dead, the lepers, and the possessed:
Matthew 10:7-10
27
[Mt 10:7] “And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at
hand.’ [8] “Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out
demons. Freely you received, freely give. [9] “Do not acquire gold, or
silver, or copper for your money belts,[10] or a bag for your journey,
or even two coats, or sandals, or a staff; for the worker is worthy of
his support.”
The Scribes were going to the widows all right, but they were taking
everything those widows had and stealing it for themselves. This
wasn’t exactly what God had in mind when he compelled the prophets to
preach:
Isaiah 1:17
Learn to do good; seek justice, reprove the ruthless, defend the
orphan, plead for the widow.
Jeremiah 7:5-7
[5] “For if you truly amend your ways and your deeds, if you truly
practice justice between a man and his neighbor, [6] if you do not
oppress the alien, the orphan, or the widow, and do not shed innocent
blood in this place, nor walk after other gods to your own ruin, [7]
then I will let you dwell in this place, in the land that I gave to
your fathers forever and ever.”
Zechariah 7:9-10
[9] “Thus has the LORD of hosts said, ‘Dispense true justice and
practice kindness and compassion each to his brother; [10] and do not
oppress the widow or the orphan, the stranger or the poor; and do not
devise evil in your hearts against one another.’”
Literally, the shepherds were fleecing the King’s sheep in the middle
of winter to line their own coats. Jesus, in his prophetic/advocate
role stepped into the heart of their hall of justice to say to these
leaders; “You have misused your riches, titles and indeed, God’s very
name. Prepare for the consequences.”
Within four years of the completion of that temple, the Romans would
tear it to pieces and take captive or kill of Jerusalem’s elite. Yet,
that would be nothing compared to the eternal judgment faced by those
who used God’s name to exploit the poor. As in the story of the Rich
Man and Lazarus, once the judgment came, they would never find reprieve
from their injustice [Luke 16:19-31].
28
Despite all this, isn’t amazing that one scribe shows the behavior
needed to receive eternal freedom? Jesus doesn’t reject the rich or the
powerful, look at Nicodemus, Joseph of Arimathea, the Rich Young Man,
and the sincere scribe. He gives each of these persons the “option for
salvation.” They can reject pride and injustice and embrace the way of
Christ. It is not Jesus who closes and locks the door to salvation. He
reveals the “truth that will set us free.” We alone can turn and walk
away.
MARK 12:41-44
[41] And He sat down opposite the treasury, and began observing how the
people were putting money into the treasury; and many rich people were
putting in large sums. [42] A poor widow came and put in two small
copper coins, which amount to a cent. [43] Calling His disciples to
Him, He said to them, “Truly I say to you, this poor widow put in more
than all the contributors to the treasury; [44] for they all put in out
of their surplus, but she, out of her poverty, put in all she owned,
all she had to live on.”
He sat down opposite the treasury
I have just one question for us here; if we knew that Jesus was
watching the offering plate would it change what we put in?
What if we knew that Jesus was watching our appointment book? What if
Jesus were staying at our house? What if he went to work with us?
What if Jesus traveled with us on business trips? Would we change the
way that we live if we knew that Jesus was physically observing us in
all these places?
Of course, the answer to all of those questions is that it shouldn’t
change the way we act in any situation because we already know that he
is present. Through the Holy Spirit, Jesus is in every situation, he
knows everything and is willing to be present as our Helper, our
Encourager, and our Comforter.
Jesus can help me live like the widow in this story, with the full
abandon of one who is completely enamored by God.
Jesus can help me live like the widow in this story, with the full
abandon of one who is completely enamored by God.
The comparison of these two stories, the fact that Jesus would stride
from confronting the Scribes to sitting opposite the treasury and
whispering praise for the widow is not coincidental. Jesus is
presenting two ways of living to his disciples (and through them to
us), the abusive way of the scribes or the liberated life of the widow.
We have to make the choice.
A poor widow came
29
There were seven offering boxes at the temple, five for temple taxes
and two for general donations. The big bucks (the ostentatious gifts)
were flamboyantly deposited in the grand temple tax bowls. All other
givers (the poor folk) sort of tiptoed in the side hoping not to draw
too much attention. Yet, it is the epitome of God to look past the
show of the bejeweled purse and onto the wrinkled palms of the simple
giver.
Amidst the oohs and ahs and cluck-clucking of the wealthy making a
showy donation to the temple priests; Jesus hears the slightest “clinkclink” of two half-pennies as a widow scurries away. She is but a
shadow in the shadows to men, but she is light in the darkness to
Jesus.
More than likely this widow had been taken advantage of by the very
Scribes that Jesus reprimands in this story, but undoubtedly she is
among the forgotten of God’s people. It is poignant that no one else
heard her gift except our Savior. It is so tender that the Prince of
Peace still is touched by those who give of their heart.
Do I live in such a way that our Savior would remark: “Jerry, out of
his poverty, put in all he owned, all he had to live on.”
“All she owned, all she had to live on.”
Once again, the Greek words spread more meaning on Christ’s statement
than English translations. That is often the case because translators
are frequently forced to pick one preferable word out of many potential
options presented by the Greek language. Ancient Greek had fewer words
than today’s English, so each word carried more significance (and Jesus
spoke Aramaic which had about one-third the words of Greek).
So, we shouldn’t be surprised when statements like Christ made about
this woman are deeper and wider than our language may accommodate.
Let’s look at this verse; “She, out of her poverty [G5304 husteresis],
put in all [G2192 echo] she owned [G3650 holos], all she had to live on
[G979 bios].
Let’s examine these words for fuller significance in Greek:
She, out of her poverty [G5304 husteresis]
Husteresis [G5304] comes from the word hustereo [G5302]. It not only
means to be impoverished but it also means, “too little, too late, and
too lacking.” That is how this world saw this woman: She had too
little, she came too late, and she was too lacking to be of
significance to the temple priests. Yet Jesus says she gave more
[GSA4183 polus] than anyone. Polus [GSA4183] means more and better and
greater; to Jesus, she gave more and better and greater than anyone who
had given from their abundant wealth and position.
She put in all [G2192 echo] she owned [G3650 holos]
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It means that she gave all the money she had but it also means all her
abilities, her thorough and entire being. Holos [G3650] refers not
only to one’s possessions but also to one’s entire being. Like a
hologram, it is not just a one-dimensional representation but it
represented every dimension of this woman’s life: height, depth, and
width. Everything else had been taken from her (and probably by the
rapacious scribes in this story), yet there is no sense of being
righteous or miserly. She was so far beyond the legal parameters of
giving, that she had become the gift herself.
All she had to live on [G979 bios]
She “became the gift and God in turn “became her wealth.” No one is
wealthier than the person who has freed themselves of earthly desires
and can focus on serving God and his people. This woman had given her
way into absolute simplicity and dependency on God. She was as free as
we can become; to give joyfully out of God’s abundance was a freedom
even the scribes could not steal from her.
She gave all she had to live on. The most perfect gift, to God, is not
what we have but who we are. It is making ourselves utterly and
completely available for his purposes. That is what it means when
Jesus says: “She gave all she had to live on.”
Will we?
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