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The real story of two copper coins
Hespeler, 25 November, 2018 © Scott McAndless
Mark 12:41-13:2, 2 Corinthians 9:6-9, Psalm 24:1-10
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s you have already heard, this coming Tuesday is Giving Tuesday – a day to celebrate generosity and a day to consider giving generously and in perhaps unusual ways. So I thought a lot about what I should preach on such a day. What does the Bible have to say about giving and giving in extraordinary and even generous ways ?
My thoughts were drawn, like so many other preachers before me, to the famous story in the Gospel of Mark. The people are in the temple making their contributions to the temple treasury and Jesus sits down to watch. All of the wealthy people put in enormous amounts of money, but Jesus doesn’t much notice that because they are merely putting in a relatively small portion of their total wealth. But then this widow comes along and she contributes such a small amount, just two copper coins, and at this Jesus sits up and notices. “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the treasury,” he says. “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.”
The message seems clear enough: Jesus notices when we give, especially when we give generously and sacrificially. So let’s all be like that widow when we support the church. Here endeth the sermon.
But what if I were to tell you that that is not what that story in the gospel is really about. Oh, Jesus was clearly speaking up in favour of that widow; there’s no mistake about that. And Jesus was also clearly in favour of the practice of extreme generosity. He said it often. But that is not quite what this particular story is about. You see, there is one key thing that people miss in the story and that is what Jesus’ mood was.
Jesus was from Galilee and we just happen to know a fair bit about what the mood towards the temple was in Galilee in his time. The Galileans, you see, were being bled dry in Jesus’ day. There were three main culprits. First, there were the rents and fees that the people had to pay to their landlords and masters. Second were the exorbitant taxes imposed by the Romans and by King Herod. But a close third was definitely the Jerusalem temple complex. Jewish Galileans were taxed mercilessly (and some have suggested even more heavily than the Judeans) to support the temple, the lavish lifestyle of the powerful high priests and the ongoing major building projects that continued throughout the lifetime of Jesus. And this taxing (or tithing) was anything but voluntary.
So what do you suppose that Jesus’ mood was as he watched the people place their money in the temple treasury – as he watched a poor old widow put in her very last two coins? I’ll tell you what his mood was, he was mad. So you need to understand that Jesus didn’t say (all sweetly), “Aw, look at that. Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the treasury.” No, he said, (angrily) “Would you look at that! Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the treasury!”
How mad was he? Well, there is another thing that we usually miss in this story. This story comes at the very end of a chapter so we tend to stop reading and put our Bibles down as soon as it is over. But here is a secret that I don’t know if anyone has ever told you before: the verse and chapter divisions were never part of the original text. They weren’t added until centuries later. So the Gospel writer never intended you to stop reading there. The story continues from there.
And what happens next in the story? If you continue into the next chapter, you find Jesus turning around and walking out of the temple. He leaves. This is significant. Jesus is so mad here that he has actually just turned his back on the whole thing. What’s more his disciples all know it because look at how they react. They run after him even as he is leaving and try to stop him. They are worried about his anger. “Look, Teacher,” they say, “what large stones and what large buildings!”
“Come back,” they’re saying, “don’t walk out on the temple, can’t you see how beautiful it is, how big the stones are? I mean, yeah, maybe the cost of running this temple is bleeding the people dry – it’s bleeding that poor widow dry – but isn’t it worth it because… stones?” and what does Jesus say in response to that? “Not one stone will be left here upon another; all will be thrown down.” Not one stone!
How devastating is that? Not only is Jesus saying that the temple institution has taken every last penny from this poor woman to prop up the institution of the temple, he is also announcing that it is a doomed institution. This woman’s contribution has actually been wasted. And, of course, Jesus was absolutely right. About forty years after Jesus said this, in the year 70 AD, and only a few years after all the work on the temple complex had finally been completed, the temple in Jerusalem was completely destroyed.
So, I would suggest to you, that the way we have traditionally read this story of the widow in the temple is actually wrong. And I realize that this might seem like an inconvenient time for me to explain this long-standing error in interpretation – on a day when we are about to launch Giving Tuesday and at a time of the year when, frankly, there is a great need to shore up the financing of this congregation through our giving. It would certainly be easier if today I were able to come out and just encourage us to be that poor widow giving our last two pennies and leave it at that. But, I’m sorry, I am someone who takes the Bible and what it says very seriously. I cannot ignore Jesus’ intended meaning and mood.
But, do you know what? I think we actually have a great need to pay attention to Jesus’ mood in this passage today, because it shows us why it is that we sometimes struggle with money in the church. I would suggest to you that the stewardship message in the church is often exactly the same message that Jesus is reacting to in this passage in the gospel.
How do we often encourage financial stewardship in the church? Well, honestly, our message is often this: the institution is in trouble. I mean look at this beautiful institution, look at these beautiful stones piled up one on top of the other. What about the stones!? And when I say stones, I’m not just talking about this beautiful building, though that is part of it. I’m talking about the entire structure of our church – physical, institutional, and organizational. And our pitch is this: friends, these stones are crumbling. They are in danger of coming down but, with your generous gift of two copper coins or whatever you got, we can shore these stones up for a little while at least. And, friends I don’t think that message is working like it once did.
I don’t say that because I’m trying to repeat Jesus’ dire prophecy, “Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone will be left here upon another; all will be thrown down.” I am not predicting the end of the institutional church; I don’t pretend to have that kind of prophetic insight. Yes, these are times of great change for the church as we have known it, but I do have faith that God will show us the way through and that the Christian gospel and the church that embodies it will continue to go out into the world.
But what I think we are realizing these days in the church is that that was what the mission of the church always was: to embody the gospel. And we have often gotten confused down through the centuries and thought that it was something else – that it was about building institutions (setting beautiful stones one on top of the other). This gospel story has been given to us today to remind us of that.
My prayer and my desire for you today is that you participate in Giving Tuesday. I think it is important that you do so, according to your ability and according to how God has blessed you, because we all need it. The annual orgy of materialism has now begun. The people flocked in their thousands to the malls and stores on Black Friday, often fighting with each other to get what they see as the best deals. Tomorrow, on Cyber Monday, that orgy will continue with online purchases. And that is all good for the retailers and the manufacturers. But how good is it for our society? I suggest that, come Tuesday, it is time for something different – something that is truly good for society: a practice of generosity.
Now, I may hope that you choose to exercise that generosity in the support of this church, but that is not the point of what I’m saying here. Honestly, if God has laid another need on your heart and is directing you to give your generosity in that direction, I rejoice in that and I hope that we can all respond to it by saying, praise the Lord. Of course, I also rejoice if you do give to the church but I also want to say that I don’t want you to give for the reasons we usually offer. I don’t want you to give because we’re behind on our budget. I don’t want you to give because if we don’t get the money to do this or to do that we won’t be able to continue on. I don’t want you to give in order to keep big beautiful stones one on top of the other. All that stuff may be true. We are behind and we always do have needs to fulfil if we are going to keep going, but that is not why I want you to engage in some extra, beyond your regular commitments, giving on this Tuesday or in the weeks to come.
I want you to do it because there is a wonderful opportunity here. You can be a part of something amazing. It may be one of our best kept secrets, but did you know that God is actually present and doing amazing things among all these people here? Here, on a regular basis, they happen. The hungry are fed and parents who have few resources are given food that they can take home to their children. Here, on a regular basis, people who have no decent or warm clothes, are given something to wear and to take to other members of their families. Here troubled people are counselled and encouraged, sometimes by me and sometimes by Sasha who comes in on Tuesdays and works with the Cambridge and North Dumfries counseling service (which charges according to what people can afford to pay). Here people who are lost or discouraged come to hear a word of hope or wisdom or direction and have their spirit lifted through music or through word. Here, on a regular basis, wonderful and even miraculous things do happen. I have people who can tell you stories.
And, yes, I understand that we wouldn’t be able to do all of that and more without maintaining a building and other organizational structures and programs. I understand that we can’t do that without money, I’m just saying that I hope your attitude in giving is that you want to be part of what God is doing and that we not be focussed just on maintaining those structures.
Because you have a remarkable opportunity: you can be part of all that. You can be part of it when you give of your time and talent and your treasure. That’s what Giving Tuesday’s about. It is about being part of something much bigger than yourself – something that God is doing. Don’t give for the sake of stones – whatever those stones may be – give because God is alive and at work. That is what can change the world.
Our latest Bake Sale
Thank you to everyone who helped in any way with our most recent Bake Sale. Special thanks to the Holy Sherlocks class for all of your hard work to make the Bake Sale so successful.
(thank you from your Christian Education Committee)
Senior’s Tea – a great time!
Many Thanks ...
... to everyone who came out this afternoon (Saturday, November 24th) to St. Luke's Place for our annual Senior's Christmas Tea. Thank you to everyone who baked, to our Sunday School and youth servers and everyone else who helped out in any way.
Thank you to Joyful Sound! for bringing your gift of music to us today.
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| Two good helpers! |
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| More wonderful helpers. |
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| Enjoying the music by Joyful Sound! |
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| Joyful Sound! |
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| Enjoying coffee, tea and Christmas goodies. |
Great Christmas Gifts!
Warm, brightly coloured or dragon mittens make great Christmas presents.
We have a nice selection of hand knit mittens, by Carol. The mittens are $15.00 per pair and all money goes towards Hope Clothing. There are adult and children sizes. Don't see something you like, you could ask and see if Carol could knit you something specific.
The mittens are hanging on Joni's office door, with envelopes there to pay.
Please help yourselves!
St Andrews Annual General Meeting details
The St Andrews' Annual General Meeting date is February 24th, 2019. You are cordially invited to join the celebration after worship on this day.
In acknowledgement of this date you should be aware that:
- The financial meeting will be held prior to the AGM - on Wednesday February 20th.
- The Annual Report will be released by January 20th.
- All Committee reports, group reports or inclusions to the Annual Report need to be in the Church Office by January 10th in order to be included
- The financial report will be available at the AGM. Depending on completion dates it may or may not be available in the Annual Report. Printed financial details of 2018 will be made available to everyone at the AGM.
The narrative budget format will be used again this year. We will have a potluck luncheon while discussing the opportunities and challenges of 2018. This celebration will also allow us to decide a few motions that are mandated by the Book of Forms.
This important day needs your help to support St. Andrews' missions into the future. Help us move confidently by sharing your point of view.
Why pray?
Hespeler, 18 November, 2018 © Scott McAndless
Matthew 6:5-8, James 2:14-17, Psalm 138
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Political leaders, celebrities and religious officials send out their Facebook messages and tweets: “Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims.” And people have caught on. They have recognized that “thoughts and prayers” has become a kind of a code – a code that seems to mean, “Let’s not do anything and, for God’s sake let’s not change anything just because some tragedy has occurred. Instead let us say something that makes it seem like we care.” It is amazing to see, but we are to be living in a time when praying for something, for many people, has become a synonym for doing nothing. And so, yes, people are asking, “Well then, why pray?”
Even good, practicing Christians, for whom prayer is an essential part of their spiritual life, can’t help but ask the question from time to time. I mean, look at what Jesus says this morning in our reading from the gospel: “When you are praying,” he says “do not heap up empty phrases… for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.” How can you read that and not ask the question, “Why should I bother praying if God already knows what I need, what I’m going to say and has probably already decided what he’s going to do about it anyway? Why pray?”
These are just a couple of the reasons why the practice of prayer seems to have fallen into some disfavour in our times. But the problem, I suspect, is not with the practice itself but with our misunderstanding of the true nature of prayer. We live in a capitalist and consumer society. For that reason, I think that we have a strong tendency to understand just about everything in those terms. That is why we tend to think of prayer as a transaction – as something that we give in order to get something in return. And so we come to God and try to butter God up with our praise and worship, we may even make some vows and promises, and then, in return, we think we can at least hope that we have made God happy enough that he will give us what we ask for. But is that what prayer is?
Prayer, in our thinking, is like a vending machine. You put in your money (or these days you tap your credit card), push a few buttons and you hope that you get what you asked for. Of course, some of us may experience prayer as a broken vending machine – one that doesn’t always seem to get what we want right – but it is a vending machine nonetheless.
But I don’t think that is right. I think that Jesus is telling us that that is not what prayer is because, even while he tells us that God already knows what we need before we ask it, Jesus doesn’t suggest, even for a moment, that there is no point in asking. He sees value in the activity itself and it is a value that goes beyond the transaction that we tend to think of.
But what is there beyond that transaction? There is, I think, conversation. When I pray and bring to my God the things that are on my heart or that are on the hearts of the people I pray for, I absolutely agree with what Jesus says – that I hardly need to tell God about those things in order for God to know them. God already knows them. But I also recognize a great value in speaking these things aloud – of saying them to God even if I do not dare to say them to anyone else. I need to vocalize them, I need to put those longings into words because I honestly sometimes don’t even realize what it is that I desire before I say it.
I mean, who among us hasn’t done that? You go to a trusted friend who you want to help you with a problem that has been bothering you and the first thing you have to do is put that problem into words and as soon as you do so, you can actually see for yourself what the solution is. For example, I once had someone come to me with an ethical problem at work. A co-worker was doing something that was actually endangering the lives of some people and he wanted to know whether he should report it – what he should do. But here is the thing, by the time he had finished describing the dilemma, it was pretty clear he knew what he needed to do. He didn’t really need to be told. He maybe needed some encouragement but the answer was clear and all he really needed to do was put it all in words for someone. I just happened to be that safe someone. Prayer sometimes works exactly like that and God is only too happy to play that role in the conversation.
But beyond conversation is something even more essential to the practice of prayer: there is participation. Prayer is not like the vending machine. It is not a transaction. When you ask God for something in prayer, God doesn’t just give it, God is more likely to say, “Wow, what an amazing and good thing to ask for, how can we make that happen together? That is the point that James is trying to get across when he says, “If a brother or sister is naked and lacks daily food, and one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace; keep warm and eat your fill,’ and yet you do not supply their bodily needs, what is the good of that? So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead.”
I know that he is talking specifically about faith there, but what is prayer if it not a spoken expression of faith? God doesn’t merely grant the requests of our prayers, God enters into the journey towards the answer to that prayer. That is why the politician who sends out “thoughts and prayers” after a tragedy without having any intention of doing anything to change anything is not actually praying at all and may, in fact, have done nothing at all. It is also why prayer is a dangerous act because, when you truly pray and ask God for something good, God is only too likely to ask you to be a part of the fulfillment of that prayer.
Why pray? There are many good reasons to pray. It is not fancy language or delivery that makes a prayer acceptable and effective. It is not length or frequency. But if we can make our prayers a conversation with God where we bring our whole selves to that conversation, if we can make our prayers a participation in what God is already doing and wants to do in the world, prayer actually can change the world. And that is why we pray.
Sermon Video:
Looking ahead to 2019 – Communion schedule available online
2019 draft version of the Communion schedule
Continue reading »
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Sunday, November 18th.
There's lots happening on Sunday and next week!
- the Christian Education Committee is holding a bake sale after worship with the proceeds helping to maintain current programs and grow/start more. The Holy Sherlocks Sunday School class have been busy preparing posters and they will be setting up and managing the bake sale. I know there will be quite a few Christmas goodies available!
- Bill & Margret Hunter and Yvonne Heaman will be speaking to us during worship to tell us about their most recent trip to Malawi.
- the sermon title is “Why Pray”
- Special music will be given in praise by the Women’s Ensemble and Annette Denis
Also, St. Andrew's is once again hosting the Music portion of "Music & Lights" this year, on Friday, November 23rd at 7:00 pm. Our Youth Band is excited to be sharing some of their music with the community.
And, the Annual Senior’s Christmas Tea will be on Saturday, November 24th from 2:00 - 3:00 pm. Don’t let the word “Senior” fool you, everyone is welcome to join us for the tea at St. Luke’s Place. We have our Sunday School children serving and Joyful Sound! providing us with some seasonal music.
The Bells of Peace
Thank you to Ray & Jack for ringing the bell at St. Andrew's at sundown today as part of The Bells of Peace.
