(Mark 12:41-44 cf. Luke 21:1-4)
THE MISUNDERSTOOD VERSES SERIES
This story is one of those that have been used to teach about giving more. We have heard that this widow should be our model in giving. However, this passage has its own interpretive restrictions and complexities that make it hard to preach giving from this portion of the Scripture. Some of the common intricate observations that we face when reading this passage are:
- The widow did not give most of what she had, but, she gave everything she had.
- She was a widow living 2000 years ago when Israel was under subjection to the Roman Empire. Romans imposed heavy taxations that were made worse by the Tax Collectors. She would not have had any support to live.
- Jesus did not say anything affirming about the way she gave but only made a simple observation that she gave the money.
- If we interpret that Jesus was happy about it, can we say, then, that this is what Jesus expects of widows to do today? Does Jesus want widows to give every single rupee to the church?
One of the most important things we need to remember here is that the widow did not give money to the church because the church did not exist until the Day of Pentecost in Acts 2. Neither it was going to be used to support Jesus’ mission or His disciples. She was giving to the synagogue and a corrupt religious system governed by Pharisees and Sadducees. I feel the need to explain briefly who these two groups were.
Sadducees used to run the Temple and were wealthy, aristocratic and often Hellenistic group of people. They believed solely in Torah as the Law while they denied the Oral Law unlike the Pharisees, had a strong faith in Temple and did not believe in the resurrection, life after death, and the existence of angels etc. They dominated the Sanhedrin, the religious ruling council, and were supported by the Romans.
Pharisees descended probably from Hasidim freedom fighters from the time of the Maccabean revolt in the Intertestamental Period (the time between the Old and the New Testament). As recorded by Josephus, they were middle-class merchants who numbered around 6000 in total at the time of Jesus Christ. They believed the entire Old Testament to be the Law and even created an Oral Law and accepted the oral interpretations of the Old Testament binding believing that the study of Torah was the highest act of worship. They also believed in bodily resurrection, life after death, personal angels etc. The Bible tells us some basic things about them. They were quite influential among the people (John 7:48); did not eat without ceremonially washing of their hands (Mark 7:3-4) and had a conflict with Jesus and His disciples over these matters; and extremely strict in obedience to Torah and the Oral Law in every detail (Matthew 9:14; 23:15; Luke 11:39; 18:12). However strict they were, they were neglectful about the real and the weighty matters of the Law including morality (Matthew 5:20; 15:4, 8; 23:3). They were called the brood of vipers along with the Sadducees (Matthew 3:7) and were always condemned by Jesus Christ for their pride and self-righteousness (Matthew 9:11; Luke 7:39; 18:11-12). In their interactions with Jesus, He often rebuked them (Matthew 12:39; 16:1-4). Finally, Matthew 23 records Jesus calling them hypocrites, the brood of vipers, sons of the murderers of the prophets and so on. Most importantly for us to know, they were the ones who supported and ruled the synagogues.
Jesus called these groups hypocrites, the brood of vipers, sons of the murderers of the prophets, whitewashed tombs and many other things (read Matthew 23). So we know that the widow’s money was not going into good hands which leaves no room for Jesus to be happy about it.
Moreover, it was Wednesday before the Friday Jesus was going to be crucified at the hands of this same religious system. The context makes it quite clear. Luke 20:46-47 says, “Beware of the teachers of the law. They like to walk around in flowing robes and love to be greeted in the market-places and have the most important seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets. They DEVOUR WIDOW’S HOUSES and for a show make lengthy prayers. Such men will be punished most severely.” This same episode is continued in chapter 21 as well, because, it is the content of the Scripture that is inspired not the chapter divisions. These divisions were added by Stephen Langton in the 12th century into the Latin Vulgate. In 1551, Robert Estienne added verse divisions to his fourth edition of the Greek New Testament. And the first translation to employ this versification was the Geneva translation of 1557. Hence, this particularly concerned portion of Scripture should be read along with its preceding verses in chapter 20.
At this point it is best to see that Jesus is saddened by the act of this widow and probably angry because He witnesses the exact reality of the exploitation of a widow, just the thing He was talking about before sitting down (see, Luke 20:46-47).
Let’s be responsible for those in need. Because “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted from the world” (James 1:27).
Dose of Doctrine 