Proper 27b 2024; 10 Nov.
I Kings 17:8-16; Mark 12:38-44
Jack Hardaway
IN WALK THESE TWO WIDOWS
Will there be enough?
Isn’t that the question and the fear most of the time?
Will there be enough? It is a long list of things being not enough, money, time, freedom, love, life, safety, food, room, beauty, the list goes on.
Do not be afraid.
That is the Prophet Elijah’s response to the not enough-ness of the widow of Zarephath and her son’s plight.
They gave hospitality, they sheltered the word of the Lord that dwelled in Elijah, they harbored the fugitive presence of the holy. Elijah was on the run. He was hiding out. He was slowly starving.
They shared their last meal.
But it turned into something magical.
A jar of meal and a jug of oil that would never ran out until the drought came to an end.
The abundance of God erupted into their small forgotten place in the world, a small home where the Holy found shelter.
Now that magical, sacramental jar and jug, I have always coveted those objects of miracle and wonder.
Will there be enough?
Do not be afraid.
It is unusual for a prophet to say “be not afraid”, usually they say something more like “be afraid, be very afraid” as they confront the abuses of wealth and power.
God has this thing about widows, about everyone who is vulnerable and being preyed upon by the rich and the powerful.
The protector of widows and orphans, the poor and the hungry.
It is the way of God’s Word speaking in the world, it is where the holiness abides, where fugitive holiness finds shelter.
Will there be enough?
Wonder pours out of a jar and a jug.
The greatest danger of being in faith with the Holy One, is not that we will be persecuted or ignored by a world that has other concerns with how to address there not being enough.
The greatest danger is being coopted by the world, and the holiness of God becoming a new way of exploiting the vulnerable, just another tool of the wealthy and the powerful to take what they want.
Enters another story about widows from Mark’s gospel.
Today we hear about widows.
It is almost like the beginning of a clever and cutting joke, so in walk these two widows…
Jesus calls out the religious authorities who use their power and influence to take advantage of the poor, especially widows. Those who devour widow’s houses…beware, they like to say long prayers. That is why I like to keep my prayers short and simple: my salvation is something I care about.
Jesus then points to a widow who gives everything she has, the widow’s mite, two small copper coins. She gave everything while everyone else gave out of their abundance and convenience, the left overs.
Is the widow an example of sacrificial giving or an example of religious exploitation, of the Holy being coopted? Of using God to hurt people.
These are ominous and powerful stories of the Holy that we hear today.
No easy answers.
Just as the widow gives all, perhaps out of spiritual abuse, so Jesus will give all when his life is taken out of abuse of civil and religious authority.
They are both bled dry by a world consumed by the fear of there not being enough, justifying horrible things.
The way of Jesus’ followers is the way of being drained dry by a devouring world, the way that is the cross.
This is where the regular season of the Church year leaves us this year, the teachings and ministry of Jesus end today with this lesson about widows.
Things take an apocalyptic turn after today as the Christian year ends over these next three weeks and then begins again with the first two weeks of Advent, five weeks about the world coming to completion, turning the page to the next thing.
We end our observance of Jesus teaching and life today with a contrary and belligerent lesson on God’s fugitive holiness.
Will we believe the lie that there is not enough?
Will we be coopted by that lie?
Or will we trust?
That the tomb is emptied of its dead.
That the regular things of life, jars and jugs that are running on empty, can become the vessels of God’s fugitive holiness finding refuge in the smallness of our lives?
Will there be enough?
My cup runneth over.