Twenty-fourth Sunday after Pentecost (Lectionary 32) - November 7, 2021

Prayer
Robed in glory before all time, O God, your Son was stripped and mocked.  Enthroned in glory at your side, Christ was lifted up on the cross. Equal to you in the splendor of divinity, Jesus emptied himself for our salvation.  Fix our eyes on this self-surrender, stir up our hearts to give freely and generously all that we are and all that we have for the coming of your kingdom.  We ask this through Christ, with whom you have raised us up in baptism, the Lord who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God for ever and ever. Amen.

From Prayers for Sunday and Seasons, Year B, Peter J. Scagnelli, LTP, 1992.

Some Thoughts on Mark 12:38-44

"...if we remember that we are called to be stewards of each other – each member committed to the welfare and wellbeing of the rest of the community – maybe we can experience again and anew God’s blessing of us in and through the family of faith."
"Rethinking Stewardship," David Lose, Working Preacher, 2012.

"God?s way is the way of self giving love and God?s community needs to be a place where love has freed people to be like that and that includes its leadership, which can often become an instrument of violence."
"First Thoughts on Year B Gospel Passages in the Lectionary," Pentecost 24, William Loader, Murdoch University, Uniting Church in Australia.

Oremus Online NRSV Text

This Sunday we have two pericopes or passages linked together.  Perhaps we typically look at this story as a question of piety - the religious leaders of the day vs. the widow.  We also may be tempted to make this about pledging as it falls in the cycle of stewardship season.  As I approach it this year I am thinking a little differently. 

We are given an image of religious leaders who enjoy walking about in long robes, they prefer titles for address, sit in the best seats and always have the first place at dinner.  It is an image of endowed special privilege.

We add to the gospel painting a knowledge that the first century widow herself was not allowed to own property or to self-direct and manager her own wealth makes this an even more interested vision.  Moreover, that the religious leaders of the day were the caretakers of the wealth of such widows makes an even more convoluted picture of the relationship between these leaders and the widow.  She brings her last coin; in part because the offering being made by the religious leaders is also her own offering.  She is giving twice, once from the managed resources held out of her control, and once for the little bit she has in her care.

The picture we get is one of oppression and also one of an intertwined life.

Jesus is very clear that this is not the way of the follower of God and it is not the way of the new kingdom recreating the world.  This is quite simply not how God's home is ordered.

This is clear if we take into consideration Jesus' teaching previously of how we are to be kind to one another and to offer one another help and aid and consolation.  The small acts of human love require great courage in a world and system that typically takes advantage of the weak and those on the boundary of life. Therefore, in some sense what is before us is a commentary by Jesus on how those who follow him are to give their all to God.

The thing is that we cannot also take this as purely as a teaching on human righteousness.  First of all, as one dear friend says: righteousness is not a very good motivating factor for humans.  When I read the passage I am also mindful, as the scholars, that the widow is an image of God and of Jesus in particular. 

So, we might once again approach the passage with this question: what does it tell us about God? 

I think when we do this we see that humanity has received from God all that we are and all that we have.  It is from God's generosity and God's bounty that we make our offering.  Who doesn't love the best food, best clothes, and best seats?  All of us - of course.  But what we are reminded of is that these things (the things we normally think of sacrificial offerings) are all God's.  We have taken them and we use them.  God, like the widow though, continues to give and to give out of his love.

Jesus, like the widow, will give of his all; even his life.  This is the nature of God's love.  That though we take and misuse and use God continues to give and pour out his love upon us.  This was true in the crucifixion and it is true in the resurrection; as it is true in the outpouring of God's perfect love - the Holy Spirit.

So, as I go to my desk to prepare words for this day I am mindful not only in the manner in which we might misuse our power and make subject those who enable our lifestyle...I am rather mindful that of God's love and God's faith, like a widow, who gives us his all.

It makes me think that rather than offering a "try harder" to give of everything sermon I might simply remind myself and the congregation of God's faithfulness and love; and wonder with them about how we are to respond as or God makes his way down the aisle carrying the cross, as if he were a widow who give all.

Some Thoughts on Hebrews 9:24-28

"The cycle of sin and atonement ends in Christ."

Commentary, Hebrews 9:24-28, Pentecost 24B, Amy L.B. Peeler, Preaching This Week, WorkingPreacher.org, 2012.

"We also encounter the contrast between imitation and reality in relationship to matters of faith."

Commentary, Hebrews 9:24-28, Pentecost 23B, Susan Eastman, Preaching This Week, WorkingPreacher.org, 2009.

Oremus Online NRSV Text

We draw closer to the end to our reading of Hebrews. The author too wishes now to put a very fine point on his argument. Let there be no misunderstanding, regardless of your tradition, Christ has passed through the gap and entered into heaven on our behalf. This has happened and it need not happen again. Our sin has been taken away by the one who has gone before us to prepare a place for us.

There is no rebreaking of the bread, or Christ's body, there is no sacrifice necessary, no work to be done on our behalf, no matter how early or late you come to the party, the blood has been shed and the sins of many are forgiven. And, just as he came into the world to do this work, to save the sinner, so when he returns he will be about his father's business again. Not to judge, for that judgement has been made, and the price has been settled, and so we - in that time - shall be gathered in.

Some Thoughts on Ruth 3:1 - 4:17

"Through her friendship with Ruth, Naomi again experiences a joy untold. In a world, ancient or contemporary, where people are unwilling to extend themselves on behalf of others and be changed for the better by the encounter, this story stands as an indictment of closed hearts, minds, and spirits of any age." 
Commentary, Ruth 3:1-5; 4:13-17, Alphonetta Wines, Preaching This Week, WorkingPreacher.org, 2015.


"Ruth followed her mother-in-law's advice to the letter, and it worked like a charm. Boaz was so overwhelmed that she'd pay attention to an old crock like him when there were so many young bucks running around in tight-fitting jeans that he fell for her hook, line, and sinker and, after a few legal matters were taken care of, made her his lawful wedded wife." 
"Ruth," sermon discussion from Frederick Buechner, Frederick Buechner Blog.

"This week's reading concludes the book of Ruth, which was begun last week. The prescribed passages appear to be representative of the book overall, and especially this week preachers must fill in the gaps."  
Commentary, Ruth 3:1-5; 4:13-17, Pentecost 24B, Patricia Tull, Preaching This Week, WorkingPreacher.org, 2012. 

"What does the Lord require of you? Is it to be a present-day redeemer for another? It will not be necessary for you to give your life, or even to relocate to another country. Much simpler acts of reaching out to help others in need is what the world needs now." 
Risking Relationships that Redeem, Pentecost 24, Mary Lautensleger, 2012. 

Oremus Online NRSV Text

We continue our reading in Ruth this week. In this weeks passage Naomi explains to Ruth how she is to go about involving herself in the life of Boaz. Ruth follows the instructions. Boaz sees her as loyal and promises to further help her become part of the family.

Boaz goes to his kinsmen and explains Naomi's situation as well as how Ruth has faithfully served and that as one takes on the fields and wealth of Naomi so too comes with her the faithful Ruth. Boaz ends us himself taking them into his house. 

Ruth bears a son, who is to be the father of Jesse and the grandfather of David. Of Ruth and the child the women say:

“Blessed be the Lord, who has not left you this day without next-of-kin; and may his name be renowned in Israel! 15He shall be to you a restorer of life and a nourisher of your old age; for your daughter-in-law who loves you, who is more to you than seven sons, has borne him.”

We wrote a great deal about this passage in our last week's post. Here we see the culmination of Ruth's faithfulness. She is faithful to Naomi and so is received into the house of Israel. However, to think this is merely about Ruth's faithfulness is to miss the deep theology here.

Israel, through this story, is wrestling with the intermarriage of foreigners within their tribes. So, here is a story that explains not only how such intermarriage has come to be - in other words it is a kind of creation story; it is also a story about how the faithfulness of the people in welcoming the stranger into their midst brings about blessings too. 

The story is about the community's faithfulness to welcome the stranger. It is a story not only of welcoming and hospitality, it is a story about how the community makes a foreigner one of its own. 

The story of Ruth lives out the invitation of God to create a community of diverse people who live in peace.

It is a story that reveals that the community needs foreigners and strangers in order for itself to thrive. You see...without Ruth...there is not Davidic reign. Without the Davidic reign there is not precursor of the great messianic reign of David. 

And, we must remember that Jesus himself is born into the lineage of David. 

What this means is that the messiahship of Christ, the unique person of God in Jesus, is itself rooted in the reality that the community welcomed a foreigner into their midst and made her one of their own. 

Let us be clear. Without the acceptance of Ruth the Moabite (an enemy of Israel) into the familial lineage of Jesse, then David, and onto Jesus...there is no messiahship. The community's salvation comes, quite literally, from welcoming the stranger and enemy as one of Israel's own.
 

Some Thoughts on 1 Kings 17:8-24

This passage also appears in 5c

"The literary shifts that bring us to chapter 17 in the book of Kings make Elijah the central character of this narrative."
Commentary, 1 Kings 17:8-16, Steed Davidson, Preaching This Week, WorkingPreacher.org, 2015.

"The widow's doubt, as well as her profession of faith, may also be our own. It is easy to believe in death-dealing powers, for that is what we witness in the world every day. It is much harder to imagine the power of love that conquers death."
Commentary, 1 Kings 17:17-24 (Pentecost 3C), Cameron Howard, Preaching This Week, WorkingPreacher.org, 2013.

"The proclamation of biblical texts in the context of a community of faith feeds the religious imagination of that community, and provides an opportunity to challenge naïve ethical conclusions that do not fully appreciate the impact of religious and political decisions on people at risk of starvation and death. They challenge the assumption that God is best seen in glorious victory and suggest that God is more present among those whose lives are most affected by the decisions of those in power."
Commentary, 1 Kings 17:8-16 (Pentecost 3C), Corrine Carvalho, Preaching This Week, WorkingPreacher.org, 2013.

"The encounter between Elijah and widow is an inspiration and a challenge for today?s moderate and progressive churches and institutions: an inspiration to explore today?s perceived 'impossibilities' in light of divine wisdom and to trust God enough to generously share with others, knowing that generosity connects us with the energy of the universe and the wisdom of God, which will provide for our deepest needs."
Surprising Abundance, Bruce Epperly, Faith Forward, Patheos, 2010.

Oremus Online Text

This is the story of Elijah and the Widow of Zarephath. Elijah comes to the widow to stay there. He is commanded to go by God. While staying in her home there is not enough food. But Elijah tells her to have faith and the food they have is multiplied. While there the widow's son dies. Elijah prays over the son and he lives. 

In both cases the woman is upset because she has not enough. She is upset because having such a great prophet in her house has arisen her understanding of her own low station. This again comes out as the boy dies. She tells him that her sins have brought this upon her. Furthermore, she is a widow. This means she has no station and more than likely she is completely dependent upon the people of the area, the tribal leaders. 

To make this more interesting, the land of Zarephath was north of where the tribe of Asher settled and east of where the tribe of Dan. It was a land predominately made up of Phoenicians and Canaanites. So like Jesus who flees to Egypt, or spends 40 days in the desert, or the mission to the Gentiles our story has a particular flair for taking place in an uncharted territory where the people of Israel are not present. In other words God and God's deliverance and power comes to rest on people who are foreigners to Israel. And, in doing so one of God's own, Elijah, is cared for as well. He must depend upon the kindness of God and of this widow.

This is a gospel story. She, like so many widows in the scripture, is one of the least of God's people. She is considered of no value. Not only because she is widow, but most likely not of Israel. So she is an extreme outsider. Yet it is exactly to them that God comes, in this story in the presence of one of the greatest prophets of Israel. God comes and provides. God comes and raises the dead.

The God of Israel is a God of the widow and the child, of those who have none, and those who are not worthy. It is exactly to the lost and the least (Robert Farrar Capon's term from Kingdom, Grace, and Judgement) that this God comes. 

And, though the least of God's people have nothing, and are lost in suffering and death, this God is present and acts. This is the God who freed the people of Israel out of bondage. In the book of Kings this God continues to act in the affairs of mortals - acting exactly for the those who are imprisoned by loss, hunger, scarcity, brokenness, and are of no value to society.

Sermons Preached 

"You Are Almost There"
Sermon on Mark 12.38, the Widows Mite, proper 27b, preached at St. Stephen's in Beaumont and St. Paul's Kilgore, November 8 2015

"The Widow's Iphone Ap"
Meditating on the Widow's mite in Mark's Gospel chapter 12:38-44, Proper 27B. November 25, 2009.