This sermon, based on Mark 12:38-44, was preached by Rev. Marissa Galván-Valle on November 10, 2024 (Proper 27). It is the second sermon of a series called: “Gratitude And the Gift Of....”
CHATGPT DEFINITIONS
In preparing this sermon, I turned to ChatGPT for a definition of generosity. It describes generosity as "the act of giving freely and willingly to others without expecting anything in return." This definition invites us to think of generosity not just as a simple act of giving, but as an expression of grace. It’s about recognizing our shared humanity and our interconnectedness and choosing to act in ways that reflect genuine care for the community around us. Generosity, then, becomes a powerful response to the needs we see, motivated by love and a deep sense of compassion.
The widow in this story is often held up as a shining example of generosity. Many interpreters go so far as to describe her giving as "sacrificial." In fact, Dr. Sung Soo Hong, whom many in this congregation know well, explored this topic using ChatGPT and discovered that “sacrificial giving” is the most common focus of sermons on Mark 12:41–44. The second-most popular interpretation is closely related: it emphasizes that God’s value system differs from human assessment, holding up the widow as a model of faithfulness in contrast to the rich people and scribes in the passage.
This is, I believe, the message that many churchgoers will hear today. But Dr. Hong takes this familiar interpretation a step further, raising a series of provocative questions:
Is telling a rich man to sell his possessions for the poor the same as asking a widow to give her last coins to the temple?
Can we really imagine Jesus urging those who are destitute to give away their last means of survival?
Have you ever found a passage in the Hebrew Bible that demands everything from those in need?
Dr. Hong’s questions challenge us to reconsider our understanding of generosity and sacrificial giving. Today, I want us to explore this text with fresh eyes and rethink what it truly means to give.
JESUS WATCHES A WOMAN
In the first part of this passage, we see Jesus teaching about some of the scribes—men who walk around in long robes, sit in places of honor, and maintain an appearance of piety. Yet Jesus accuses them of “devouring widows’ houses.” This is a strong indictment against the scribes, who were exploiting some of the most vulnerable members of society: widows. Their exploitation could take several forms:
Financial Exploitation: These scribes, often acting as legal advisors or estate managers, might have mismanaged the property or wealth of widows, charged excessive fees, or taken control of their assets.
Religious Manipulation: The phrase could also imply that these scribes pressured widows to make donations or offerings to the temple, exploiting their faith or sense of religious duty.
Neglect of Social Responsibility: The Torah explicitly calls for the care and protection of widows, orphans, and the poor. By failing to uphold this mandate, the scribes were violating God’s commandments.
Jesus’ accusation exposes the hypocrisy of these scribes: they appear outwardly righteous but are inwardly corrupt, taking advantage of the powerless.
Then the scene shifts. Jesus moves opposite the temple treasury and sits in the outer court, a space accessible to women. He watches as people put money into the treasury—not for purchasing goods, but as offerings. The receptacles were shaped like trumpets, where people would place their contributions. Jesus notices the stark differences: some contributors are very wealthy, while others, like the widow with only two small coins, are desperately poor. Yet she, instead of keeping even one of her coins, gives both to the temple offering.
Rev. Dr. Rodger Nishioka1 points out that Jesus does not actually commend the widow for her sacrifice. Instead, he simply calls his disciples and says:
“Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the treasury. 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 usual interpretation of these words is something like, “Look at how much the widow gave! She gave everything she had. If you are a good disciple, you should do the same!” But perhaps Jesus is pointing us in a different direction. Consider this question again: Can you imagine Jesus urging the destitute to give whatever little they have to God?
We need to read this story as two parts of the same lesson. First, we see these scribes devouring widows; then we see the widow giving everything she has. In reality, her two small coins would not make the kind of impact that the offerings of the wealthy would make. Yet even today, we tend to give more attention to those who give more: to people who give large donations, to churches that donate generously, or to wealthy donors.
But ask yourself: Would the temple have collapsed if the widow had kept her coins? Would any of the scribes have missed her small offering? Her sacrifice might have gone entirely unnoticed—if not for Jesus’ remark. He redefines her act of giving, not as an example of sacrificial generosity to emulate, but as a symbol of the exploitation and injustice of the systems around her. Jesus shifts our focus away from the large sums and toward the widow herself, challenging us to look beyond the appearance of generosity and to recognize the deeper realities of inequity and oppression.
Today, Jesus invites us to see what he sees: to stop looking at the big money and instead to look at the widow—to look at those who are often overlooked, whose sacrifices may be small in the eyes of the world, but whose stories reveal the truth about the systems of power and the call for genuine justice.
LOOK AT THE WIDOW
Theodore J. Wardlaw, in his interpretation of this passage, reminds us that it follows the story of the barren fig tree and Jesus' cleansing of the temple. When Jesus looks at the widow, he sees a corrupt system, one where goods and resources are unjustly redistributed. Wardlaw writes:
“Those most penalized by it are the poorest peasants, such as the widow. Her gift of her last two copper coins is not finally an illustration of her piety, but of the horrific consequences of the economics of the temple.”2
Wardlaw then asks whether the people making their offerings can see what Jesus sees. Do they recognize the corruption within the temple? Do they understand how such corruption will ultimately lead to its downfall?
I’ve been eager to share this illustration in a sermon ever since I first saw it on social media. It goes like this: “Careful! That foreigner wants your cookie!”
It’s a stark reminder of how easily we can fall into fear and selfishness rather than empathy and justice. In my own reflections, I’ve often wondered whether people or the Church can truly see those who are vulnerable, desperate, and in need—like this widow. But I also wonder whether we, as individuals and churches, recognize the systemic forces that oppress them and blind us to their suffering.
As the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once said:
“One day we must come to see that the whole Jericho Road must be transformed so that men and women will not be constantly beaten and robbed as they make their journey on life’s highway. True compassion is more than flinging a coin to a beggar. It comes to see that an edifice which produces beggars needs restructuring.”
This is the challenge before us: to continue doing small acts of charity and to also address the deeper, systemic issues that perpetuate inequality and suffering. Jesus invites us to see what he sees— a generous widow and a broken system that exploits her—and to respond not just with generosity, but with a commitment to justice and transformation.
REIMAGINING GENEROSITY AND GRATITUDE
On the morning after the election, I sat in bed at 7:00 a.m., trying to prepare myself—spiritually and mentally—to get on a plane for a meeting with other Hispanic/Latino and Latina leaders. We were tasked with implementing a resolution approved by our General Assembly, titled: “A Resolution Addressing Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and the Realities of Hispanic Latino-a-é Ministry.” This group, led by the Hispanic/Latino Caucus and the Office of Hispanic/Latino Congregational Support, is working to reimagine Hispanic/Latino ministry in our denomination. In an article, former General Assembly moderator Vilmarie Cintrón Olivieri describes the effort:
“The reimagining strategy is holistic, with a discernment process to explore the development of new programs and initiatives, bringing together all constituencies to the table for consultation and education, including theological institutions, mid councils, and the Center for Repair of Historical Harms. It considers the diversity of the Hispanic/Latino communities and makes a commitment to gender equity and the full inclusion of members of the LGBTQIA+ community.”
I must confess that on that day, I did not feel like reimagining anything. I just wanted to stay in bed.
But, like some of you, I sometimes process my feelings through writing. So I wrote:
“There is time to breathe. There is time to cry. There is time for peace. There is time for anger. There is time for joy. Find those moments. Be mindful of them. Hold onto God’s hand and the hands of those who love unconditionally, who speak truth, who seek a better present and future for all, who are prophetic, and who are unafraid of darkness because they live to bring light into the world.”
And maybe it is the time for reimagination. Maybe this is the time to reimagine what we think about generosity. Returning to Dr. Hong’s article, I believe he suggests that true generosity diverges from a simple celebration of sacrificial giving, especially when it involves those who are already vulnerable or exploited:
Generosity is not only about the amount we give but about the systemic impact.
True generosity, in Jesus’ view, should not involve extracting the last bit of resources from those who are struggling.
Generosity must be rooted in justice and a deep care for the vulnerable.
Generosity should come from a willing heart, not out of compulsion.
Perhaps then, Jesus’ vision of true generosity differs from the simple definition found on ChatGPT. Instead, it might look like this:
Generosity is an act of justice: It involves a genuine concern for the welfare of others, especially the most vulnerable, and should never exploit or take advantage of them.
Generosity reflects God’s abundance: It’s not about the size of the gift, but the spirit and intent behind it—emphasizing love and care rather than obligation or self-promotion.
Generosity challenges systems of exploitation: Jesus would call out practices that appear pious but ultimately harm those who are suffering, redefining generosity as a means of uplifting and supporting, not burdening.
It can be difficult to reimagine generosity in systems that are invested in creating fear and scapegoating others, making it hard for people to recognize the true sources of oppression. But, my church family, sometimes we have to get out of bed, get on the plane, and remember that it flies because it goes against the wind, holding steady as it seeks the sun beyond the clouds—a sun that is there, that is always there.
Take your time. Breathe. Allow yourself the space to heal a broken heart or to celebrate without gloating. And then… reimagine what God’s generosity looks like. Live into a gratitude that challenges, that dreams, that loves, and that works to dismantle oppression.
Keep marching. Keep hoping. And trust that the light will shine, even when it feels hidden and we cannot see it.
Notes:
Rodger Y. Nishioka, “Pastoral Perspective on Mark 12:38–44,” in Feasting on the Word: Preaching the Revised Common Lectionary: Year B, ed. David L. Bartlett and Barbara Brown Taylor, vol. 4 (Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2009), 286.
Theodore J. Wardlaw, Connections: A Lectionary Commentary for Preaching and Worship, Year B, Volume 3, ed. Joel B. Green (Westminster John Knox Press, 2021), 471.
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