Dear Friends in Christ – This was our first Sunday after Tuesday’s elections. I was invited to preach at worship for Maidencreek Church in Blandon, PA, alongside Pastor Bruce Schoup. This was the birthday and festival day commemorating Martin Luther, who founded our Lutheran movement in 1517. I used the Lectionary reading for this Sunday and accepted the request to reflect on Lutheranism and what Luther would be thinking about, were he alive and preaching today. I also took the opportunity to consider Tuesday’s election. Here’s the Gospel text, followed by the text of my sermon.
The Holy Gospel according to Mark Chapter 12, verses 38-44.
As Jesus taught, he said, ‘Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes, and to be greeted with respect in the market-places, and to have the best seats in the synagogues and places of honor at banquets! They devour widows’ houses and for the sake of appearance say long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation.’
Jesus sat down opposite the treasury, and watched the crowd putting money into the treasury. Many rich people put in large sums. A poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which are worth a penny. Then he called his disciples and said to them, ‘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 Gospel of our Lord.
Praise to you O Christ.
Good morning, Maidencreek Church!
I am so glad to be invited here to worship God with you this morning. I bring you greetings from 238 congregations and worshiping communities here in the Northeastern Pennsylvania Synod. North from Sayre to the NE corner, West to just beyond Reading. South to just below Boyertown. East beyond Easton to the NJ Border. And right here in beautiful Blandon.
Pastor Bruce invited me out, to share worship, to offer my take on the Good News of Jesus Christ, and to give some perspective that is particularly Lutheran – as today, we celebrate the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther.
Martin Luther himself would likely say that this story from the Gospel of Mark is a great example of the kind of things that got Luther all worked up in the first place. At that time, around 1517, the church had folks like these scribes – who set themselves above everyone else. Particularly, down in Rome, in the headquarters of the Church Luther served in, they put together a program – a scheme – what Martin Luther thought, was more of a scam. They wanted to build a big new church building, in Rome. They didn’t have enough money. So they came up with this scheme to use people’s fear of Hell to get them to pay their way (and the way of their loved ones) out of hell and into heaven. Loved ones – living and even dead! So, they offered for sale these certificates, called “indulgences,” that were prayed over by the wise guys down in Rome, and guaranteed freedom from the fear of eternal damnation. And they took this idea and especially promoted it in Germany – up there in the far-off hinterlands, way out in the boondocks. Thinking, “those ignorant Germans, they’ll believe anything!”
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But Martin Luther, like lots of smart, common-sense Germans, saw through this scam. Not only did he declare how exploitational it was – he pointed out that the God of the Bible, is not an exploiter. And not a bean-counter, either – someone who keeps track, forever, of every slight and sin. No. God is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love. And this is how he, Luther, came up with and later worked out with the other reformers – the big idea we teach and preach to this very day: We are forgiven, we are made righteous, we are justified, not by works, not by indulgences, not by birthright, or how holy or successful we are, how wealthy or how healthy we are – we are justified by grace alone through faith alone in Jesus Christ alone – this is the good news of the living Word of God, Jesus Christ, God’s only son, our Lord.
And so, this Gospel Lesson we get this morning – would be thee perfect example for Martin Luther – who would be glad to show us, and proclaim to us, who God is, who Jesus is, and who we are called to be, as his Church – all of us, not just Lutheran, all of us who follow Christ and call ourselves Christian.
Martin Luther would say, that Jesus is NOT saying: “Be like the widow.” Give up your last two coins. Follow the example of this poor woman who felt compelled, to give, until she had nothing.
Martin Luther would say, that Jesus is not celebrating “sacrificial giving.” Or “cheerful givers”. He is not celebrating anything. In fact, this moment has much more in common with Jesus overturning those tables in the temple. Jesus is not happy here. He is (dare I say this in church?) Jesus is P.O.-ed!
He is over the top angry. In fact, let’s re-read what Jesus says, but imagine that he is FURIOUS: Then he called his disciples and said to them, ‘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!’
Shame! Shame on those high and mighty scribes, who devour such widows’ houses. Shame on those high and mighty rich people. Shame on any high and mighty society, that allows to exist women and children living in poverty like this. Forced to give their last tiny mite, their last two cents, to a system, full of indulgence.
We just had an election. You probably noticed. Lots of people voted, in similar anger. They – or someone they love, care about, feel concern for – are being forgotten. Forgotten by today’s smart, sophisticated, high and mighty scribes, in the media, in the market-place, in the colleges, even in the churches. Or forgotten by – the wealthy, privileged, pampered, high and mighty celebrities and authorities, the billionaire boys in the backroom who get away with everything.
People voted. And on both sides, a large number claimed to be on the side of Christ. And that’s fine. Who did Christ die for? Who did he come to save? John 3:16, right? What’s Jesus say there? “For God so loved…” who? Democrats? Republicans? Independents? Americans? “God so loved the world, that God gave God’s only son, that everyone who believes in him, may not perish but may have eternal life.”
Eternal life. Forever. Which I will spend, with these same folks. On all sides. Including the folks, like this widow, that maybe, I might be forgetting. Only God can keep people from perishing eternally. But IF I can do something to keep someone from perishing – tonight, tomorrow, next week, or in my lifetime – and I don’t do anything about it… I’m gonna see those folks again. Be with them again. And FOREVER.
I think I would rather see them that first time in heaven, in celebration, than in shame. With a Christ who is calling me out, not in anger, but in joy.
Martin Luther said a lot of things that we celebrate; he also said some things we should repudiate and never repeat, especially about Jews. But on his death bed, he said, “We are beggars, this is most certainly true.” That one thing, I think can be hard to hear. In this world we live in, none of us would want to be beggars. Or to be like this widow, alone, and down to our last two cents. We want to be more like the scribes. Successful. Respected. Getting the good seats. Being well-off enough not to worry, not to need to beg, from anyone.
But what Jesus says, what he wants us to see is that, when one of us has to beg, borrow or steal – then, we should never be content with that status quo. There’s still some work we gotta do, we GET to do, alongside Jesus. Even though Jesus has paid it all, on the cross. While we’re still here, and we can still offer love like Jesus, healing like Jesus, and side-by-side engagement like Jesus – with our friends and enemies, strangers and neighbors – well then, Jesus calls us out, the same as all his disciples – to get to work, while we can.
Bottom line: I may be saved for all eternity, just like all of you. But I want my first moments in eternity, to be surrounded more, by people I helped, than I hurt; by more celebration than condemnation; and by a Jesus, more glad at me than mad at me. Amen.
Serving Christ Together,
Bishop Christopher deForest (he/him)
Northeastern Pennsylvania Synod, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
