MUCH Shall Be Required…

 

Mark 12:38-44
12:38 As he taught, he said, "Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes, and to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces,

12:39 and to have the best seats in the synagogues and places of honor at banquets!

12:40 They devour widows' houses and for the sake of appearance say long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation."

12:41 He sat down opposite the treasury, and watched the crowd putting money into the treasury. Many rich people put in large sums.

12:42 A poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which are worth a penny.

12:43 Then he called his disciples and said to them, "Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the treasury.

12:44 For all of them have contributed out of their abundance; but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on."

 

As a religious leader for most of my career, let me say that this text really shakes my spine. The first thing Jesus says about the religious leaders of his day was “Beware.” Religious leaders have made a habit out of either turning our “connection” to the Almighty into coin, or at the very least into privilege. There was a time in America when clergy were honored in the public arena, given the same acclaim as elected officials and those masters of the financial community. Unfortunately, this is often the case in modern times, too, but you know what the general public things now of elected officials and investment bankers. The stain of profit and privilege has certainly rubbed off on the clergy, and in a few very prominent cases, has been exploited by “TV evangelists” and the occasional priest. 

 

As a “main line” denominational pastor, and one who served a sect that held out against all others to maintain its exclusion of some of God’s people based on narrow, dogmatic interpretations of hand-picked scripture verses, I felt the smear of stain, as well. In my United Methodist Church, the battle wages over “scriptural purity” regarding sexual identity and orientation, led by some who might be found wanting if this same scrutiny were applied to other areas of sin such as racism, gluttony, or care of the sojourner, a schism is afoot that will result in a weakening of all of the “splits.” “Homosexuality” (the word used by the UMC Book of Discipline) became the thing some folks—clergy and laity—decided to go to the mat for. Interestingly, systemic racism, poverty, sexism, ageism, income inequity, substandard public education, or even theological issues such as Christology, weren’t enough to trigger a schismatic revolt, but “homosexuality” is. Go figure.

 

Just this week, as part of my own personal meditations, I pondered what it means to be an ordained pastor, even in retirement. I used to be sensitive to declaring myself to be a “minister” when meeting people for the first time, and being asked “what do you do.” My reticence was about not wanting to prematurely end meaningful conversation because of the reserve most felt around “persons of the cloth.” Now, my fear is that they will paint me with the same brush the enlightened public does “TV evangelists” and other “P.T. Barnum” types, or even worse, the ones who shut the gates of the Kingdom of God to those who don’t meet their “scriptural” litmus tests. Worse yet, I fear being painted in the brush Jesus used in this text today!

 

Let’s go a little deeper on this. It is a fact that the public has begun to denigrate even those who would proclaim themselves to be “Christian.” There are very public Christians who use racist language, make fun of “homosexuals,” and who during this global pandemic that has killed over 5 million people, have preached “personal freedom” from wearing masks, being vaccinated, or observing other measures aimed at saving lives. It’s no wonder that the label “Christian” is falling into the kind of disfavor that no Christ follower should want to wear. 

 

So, what should we Christ followers call ourselves? That term—Christ follower—may be OK, but to the uninitiated to whom we wish to be a witness, it is pretty obscure. Personally, I think I will go back to calling myself just a Protestant. There are many who still understand what it means, and for those who don’t, they may well ask, “What are you protesting?”, which certainly opens an interesting opportunity for dialogue! Even if the other says something like, “Oh, then you are not Catholic?”, it is an opportunity to converse about ecumenical or interfaith experiences, both of which have enriched my ministerial career for over 36 years. Being “Protestant” doesn’t mean I am not protesting the Roman Catholic Church. No, it just means I have a different starting point in the continued ecumenical conversation. But if the other is among the uninitiated, regarding religious categories, I can share the many things I DO protest, namely doctrines that exclude ANY of God’s people and eschew the “grace upon grace” preached by the Apostle Paul and the “love of neighbor and stranger” taught by Jesus, Judaism, and Islam.

 

In the midst of his criticism of the Scribes, Jesus notices the “poor widow” who puts her sacrificial offering into the community chest. Beyond noting that her gift is “more” than the “great gifts” offered by the well-off, Jesus is signaling his attention to those who measure their faith by sacrifice and acceptance, over those who seek attention by dollars, cents, and “right doctrine.” Some have observed that Jesus has a “bias” toward the poor, but I would say, further, that Jesus shows a decided bias toward anyone others denigrate or exclude, especially if they are doing so on religious grounds. 

 

One may ask, is Jesus really saying that to be “faithful,” we should literally give everything we have to “live on” to the community chest to help the poor? Wouldn’t this just lower us to the level of the poor? On one hand he may indeed be suggesting that if our giving is not sacrificial--meaning we are “giving UP” something to GIVE—it is not adequate. On the other hand, he may be signaling that those who fully trust in God rather than our balance sheet have a freedom in stewardship and benevolence than those who don’t. One of the challenges my wife and I have in retirement is maintaining our “Protestant” generosity. We have always given much more than the 10% tithe to church and charity, but now that we are among those proverbial “fixed income” folk, how do we measure this. One of the things we have done is build in a monthly automatic gift to our church, and then “don’t let the left hand know what the right hand is doing” when it comes to other offerings. If a cause grabs our heart, and is a responsible one, we just make a gift, and worry later if we can “afford” it. Honestly, we feel blessed in so many ways, I would not want to let up on being cheerful givers.

 

Note that Jesus calls the disciples over to see what he saw when the “poor widow” put in her two mites. This, too, is something we have tried to do throughout our ministry—let others know how we strived to be generous, cheerful givers, not to boast about it, but to encourage others to find the same blessedness and purpose in giving that we have. As Jesus was teaching his disciples with this human object lesson, so we tried to be one, ourselves. I know that some church members didn’t always “see” the lesson, but we did our best.

I know that this following verse is not directly connected with today’s lectionary passage in Mark, but it, too, has always haunted me. I hope it pokes at you, as well:

 

Luke 12:48: …From everyone to whom much has been given, much will be required; and from the one to whom much has been entrusted, even more will be demanded.

 

As American Protestants (Christians?) we have all been given much, and I sincerely believe that God will require much of us. God has given us our relationship with Jesus, and the gift of redemption, freeing us to live as Christ followers, according to the teachings of Jesus from the Sermon on the Mount, and the parables. Or from the human “object lessons” such as the sacrificing widow in today’s passage. 

 

What is the “much” God will require? I believe this “much” is really loaded, for those who would seek to be true Christ followers. This would include generous living and generous giving. This would include not turning the other way when we see populations in need, and “turning away” would mean excluding these people, voting at the voting booth in such a way that our own personal desires are served, eschewing the great needs of others in our community. Turning away would mean defining our religion by “scriptural” doctrines and dogmas, instead of with grace, acts of mercy, and acceptance. Turning away would mean kicking out the sojourner and building a wall behind them as they are forced out. Turning away would mean writing ourselves on the heavens and calling it God, which is, incidentally, one of the most toxic criticisms against Christianity leveled a couple of centuries ago by philosopher Ludwig Feuerbach. 

 

Christ followers are sacrificially generous. Christ followers are inclusive. Christ followers are neighbor-lovers, and stranger-welcomers. Christ followers are beggars helping other beggars find bread. And Christ followers, even if they aren’t willing to “hang out” with the “least of these,” as did Jesus, darned sure organize to make “haves” out of the “have nots.” And we Protestants are willing to receive all of these mantles!

 

So, the challenge is before us, Dear Ones. Much shall be required. MUCH shall be required, for if you are reading this, already you are part of the ones to whom MUCH has been given! Grace and peace to you, in the name of the Creator, the Redeemer, and the Sustainer of us all, and as my good friend Chad Bogdewic says, “Mother of us all,” as well. Amen.