"Giving. Which Commandment Is That?”

In Jesus Holy Name November 10, 2024

Text: Mark 12: 43-44 Pentecost XXV Redeemer

“Giving. Which Commandment is That?”

A Note: This message today is not about how your broken commandments can be erased. It is not about God’s offer of grace and the gift of eternal life by faith in Jesus. It is not about “the way” but about our walk. Let me begin with a story.

When Moses descended from the heights of Mount Sinai, the story goes that he juggled in his arms not two but three Tablets of the Covenant, with another set of five commandments inscribed on each. At least that’s how Mel Brooks tells it in his classic comedy “History of the World, Part I.”

Mel Brooks is playing the part of Moses, walking on Mt. Sinai and he hears the voice of the Lord proclaim. ‘Hear me, o hear me! All pay heed!’ ‘The Lord, the Lord Jehovah, has given unto you these fifteen tablets. . .’ [One stone tablet drops and shatters. A perplexed Moses looks down and mutters ‘Oy!’] . . . ten, TEN commandments for all to obey!’

Of course, it never really happened that way. But what if it had? What if God had originally meant to give us fifteen commandments, and five got lost?”

Could “giving” be one of the “Lost Five commandments?”

The Gospel of Mark chapter 12 tells us that Jesus makes a comment about the behavior of the Pharisees during Holy Week in Jerusalem. Jesus is being challenged by the religious leaders regarding his authority to work miracles. Tension is high.

(Maybe have the bible open at this point and they can also) Our text is part of a larger verbal exchange that is happening in the temple. In Mark 11 Jesus has entered Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. In Mark 12 begins with Jesus telling the parable of the “tenants in the vineyard”. Mark adds the comment: “the Pharisees then looked for a way to arrest Jesus because they knew he was speaking about them.”

Mark continues the challenge of the religious leaders who challenge Jesus on giving money to the temple treasury in regards to the paying of taxes to Caesar. This challenge is followed by a question by the Sadducees regarding marriage after the resurrection. It was a trick question because the Sadducees did not believe in a resurrection.

Then one of teachers of the law asked “what is the greatest commandment?” Jesus gives the answer: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind and all your strength. The second is like the first… love your neighbor as yourself.” This question had been asked earlier by a rich young man who could not part with his wealth.

Then we come to the real life story of the widow’s mite. Maybe it deals with one of those lost commandments. The commandment of giving.

It has been called the story of the widow's mite. We are all familiar with this event in the life of our Lord in which a widow gave all the money that she had as an offering in the Temple and thereby received the praise of the Master of Life himself. The story is generally perceived to be one about giving and clearly that element is there. But it is not. Less than one penny in today's money. There are several answers.

Another element to this story that perhaps we fail to see is that Jesus had just been watching the Pharisees in their giving practices. Everyone knew their giving record; indeed, they made a point that everyone knew it. There is no paper money so it all makes a terrible noise as it rolls down this long horn shaped object and falls into the pool of coins.

So here comes this little old lady and she has two small coins worth nothing and drops them in. They barely make a noise. You can almost see the Temple leaders as they roll their eyes and hope for better results with the next person who walks in the door. Jesus then calls his Disciples over and says, "This poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others." Why did Jesus say “poor widow”? Had she been defrauded? And this is all she had left?

This story is no doubt tied to the story in Mark 10 when a rich young man approached Jesus and asked, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus gave a list of commandments: Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, then Jesus added, “do not defraud,” and finished with honor your father and mother.

Maybe Jesus knew that this young man had not earned his money honestly. Had he “defrauded widows?” We don’t know but it was a question of “where your heart is, there your treasure will be”. Maybe that is why Mark places this story of the “widow’s mite” after Jesus had just accused the Pharisees of hypocrisy for “they devour widow’s houses” and for show wear long tassels on their flowing robes, only to make a show with their lengthy prayers.”