...building a life with Christ...

41 Jesus sat down opposite the treasury and watched the crowd putting money into the treasury. Many rich people put in large sums. 42 A poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which are worth a penny. 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. 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” Mark 12:41-44.

This short story about the widow’s generosity represents Jesus’ brief warning against the pomp and pretension of some of the legal experts around the Temple. They give themselves airs, and have a great reputation for piety, but are only interested in lining their pockets. The world has not changed, it seems. Not only lawyers, but also politicians and other leaders in the civic world, are again and again discovered to be putting on a show to gain favor, while underneath they are just after money. What a contrast: when David’s Lord became David’s son, He did not use this as a means of gaining popularity or wealth, but gave up his life.

Giving up one’s life, indeed, is the theme of this final short scene in Chapter 12, where Jesus contrasts the rich people who can afford to give plenty to the Temple treasury, while making sure others see that they’re doing it, with the poor widow who has given, literally, ‘her whole life’, the two copper coins which were all she had to live on that day. Her sacrifice, though small, was total.

We might think she was ‘merely’ putting in two copper coins, but in fact she was putting in everything she had. But we might have also thought at that time in history that the Messiah was going to be ‘merely’ the son of David – a human king among other human kings. But in fact, in the Messiah, Israel’s God has given himself totally, given all that He had and was.

So at the end of this chapter, we are left on tiptoe with expectation. Jesus has declared God’s judgment on the Temple, and has claimed the highest possible authority for doing so. At the same time, He knows that what He has done is bound to lead, not just to interrogation and arguments in the Temple courtyards, but to arrest, trial and death. Jesus knows that it is not about “building up the Temple” but building up our relationship with Jesus Christ, the one and only true Messiah! But what will happen to the Temple? And what will happen to Jesus? And how are these two related? It is these themes which the following chapters Mark will explore.

You and I are clearly left with having to answer the question: What are we doing to build a relationship with the One and only true Messiah, Jesus Christ? Our generous support of building up our church, our Temple, is not the question.

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, have mercy on me a sinner.