Out of Nothing
Lectionary readings:
1 Kings 17:8–16
Psalm 146
Hebrews 9:24–28
Mark 12:38–44
She loved faithfulness more than money.
She loved integrity more than money.
She loved righteousness more than money.
This widow gave nothing more than a penny to the temple treasury, the treasury that paid for the upkeep of the temple and the livelihood of the priests. A penny. That’s not going to go very far in any economy. Yet, Jesus tells his disciples, “This poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the treasury.”
She didn’t give out of excess, out of wealth, out of a budget. She didn’t give to show off. She didn’t give as a tax write-off. She gave because she loved faithfulness. See, this widow was probably one of the ones that the scribes that Jesus warns about just a few verses earlier had taken advantage of. These scribes “devour widow’s houses” yet will turn around and say a long prayer in public to show how pious they are. There is no love of neighbor there, only self-justification and cruelty.
To devour a widow’s home was to manipulate the widow through debt they owed, making them give up all they have to pay the debt, but leaving them destitute, with not even a home of their own. It was truly sinister because everything was done on the up and up, legally. Calling due a debt the widow could not pay and foreclosing on their home was a great way to accumulate land and wealth for the scribe, the teacher of the law.
And out of that wealth, they could afford to give massive sums of money to the temple treasury. Truly they earned – legally, mind you – every red cent. Their wealth made them important, so they took seats of honor at banquets. They were greeted with great respect as they wore their long robes in the public square. Everyone knew what seat was theirs in the synagogue. Because of their wealth, they were respected, while the widows they devoured were overlooked, passed over, given nothing but a thought and a prayer.
And out of absolutely nothing to her name, this widow gives not just what she can spare – indeed she can spare absolutely nothing at all precisely because she has next to nothing – but everything she has. She effectively places herself into the hands of God, giving in a righteous way, giving to be faithful, and to act with integrity, probably hoping for a miracle to take care of her because no one else would.
There was a precedence to believe God would care for her. The widow of Zarepath was faithful when the exiled prophet Elijah came and asked her to take care of him, to provide him food. She did, and God did something amazing. She had flour and oil until the supernatural drought in the land was over. God took care of her.
Would God take care of this widow who gave her penny to the treasury in faithful hope?
The truth is, we don’t know what happened to her. My cynical nature assumes that she was continued to be abused by a legal system that favored predatory Torah teachers who were in love with money, power, and fame. But who knows, maybe a miracle happened.
I don’t know how to make this passage of scripture mean something to us other than the truth of faithful giving. I don’t want to sit here and tell us to give until we have nothing because I don’t think that’s what Jesus is saying.
I think if there is any way this passage can touch us here and now, it is about giving out of nothing, not out of the abundance that we have gotten at others’ expense. We have to ask ourselves at what points of our lives are we complacent to the oppression of other people? It may not be intentional, but none of us have our hands clean. We all are part of these world systems that abuse people, crush the weak, and devour what others have.
So maybe, when we give to the places and causes and people we choose to support, we have to ask ourselves where this wealth came from. Maybe we shouldn’t use our wealth as a status symbol, because – even though it’s legal – it has come to us through alleyways and streets lined with the harm of others.
Perhaps, this should lead us to give generously, to invest in the places and people and ways that undo these oppressive, crushing, devouring systems of production and wealth.
Maybe we give to those we know who are in need. Maybe we invest directly in their lives, fighting alongside them against the modern scribes who love to be greeted with respect while working deals in the light of day that will do nothing but take away everything from other people.
Maybe we give to the church, demanding accountability for the investment we place, knowing that when we give out of nothing, we are asking the church to reach deep and not gather wealth, but rather work miracles of flour and oil in the lives of the widows and orphans around us.
Whatever we do, do something. Don’t hoard your wealth, don’t wait until you have enough until you give because there is never enough. There is abundance for all if we will give up our obsessions with wealth, respect, power, and fame.
Giving out of nothing is our faithful way to beg God for a miracle, break the systems of poverty and oppression, and faithfully live into the reality of enough.