Mark 12:28-44 - March 10, 2024

*We had an internet issue on this date, so no streaming of the service was available.*

In today’s lesson, we get several moments of Jesus teaching in the Temple. These teachings range from traditional insights up to warnings about being like the scribes. There is a lot packed into these verses.

First, we have the greatest commandment - something we are probably already familiar with. This, by the way, is the least controversial of the conversations we hear today. A scribe asks Jesus, “Which is the most important of all the commandments?” Jesus replies with two commandments - maybe a 1a and 1b, you could say. Quoting the Hebrew scriptures, Jesus recites the Shema: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.” And the second is, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 

As I said, this is the least controversial piece of what we hear today. Jesus’ answer is nothing radical; it’s hardly even new. This is something any good Jew would applaud. The greatest commandment - the thing to do above all things - is love. And it isn’t just between you and God or God and you; it’s also about how you love those around you, too. 

If we ended our lesson there, we’d be in pretty good shape. But we don’t end there. Jesus starts to stir the pot. 

The second conversation starts that spoon a turnin’. Jesus questions some long-held beliefs about how the Messiah, as David’s heir, was to act. Was the Messiah really going to be a war-king who wipes out all the bad guys? Is the Messiah going to be greater than David? Jesus pushes a deeper truth that transcends lineage or human expectations. Maybe this isn’t a big deal for us, but it was probably a little unsettling for those who were convinced about the Messiah’s role. 

The third conversation is where everything really starts to get interesting. I want to remind you that Jesus is still in the Temple - the place where the Scribes, Pharisees, and Religious Elite hang out - and he says, “Beware of the Scribes!” Uh oh.
“They like to walk around in fancy robes!” Oh boy.
“They like to be brown-nosed!” Oh boy again.
“They destroy the widow’s livelihood.” He sure has a lot to critique.

I think we get his point. Beware of false piety. The Scribes were seeking to be great in the eyes of others (and probably trying to be great in the eyes of God, too). Everything they did was for the sake of appearances. 

This takes us to the last scene for today: the widow and her two copper coins. No arguments here! Only a shining example of stewardship! That is true commitment. She can part with her possessions. 

One way to look at this piece is in terms of percentages - while the wealthy gave a lot, it was only an inferred tiny percentage of what they have. Whereas this woman, who gives next to nothing, really gives everything. And Jesus notices - not because of the amount, but because of the trust she has in God. 

The theme that runs through all four of these episodes is the contrast between outward appearances and inner realities. Jesus wants people's hearts in the right place; that the motives behind actions are important; that one’s relationship with God should be authentic, humble, and sincere. 

Which is so hard in our world. Everything is about appearances. Everything is about “what have you done for me lately.” Everything is winning, and “more,” and having the best. When those things are the focus and the goal, nothing else matters. Win at all costs - dishonesty, exploitation, lack of concern for others. The focus shifts to competition, comparison, and prioritizing things that Jesus would consider are the wrong way to be. 

And while maybe we aren’t that cutthroat in the way we live, we often love other things more than 1a or 1b. We like to be liked - maybe even honored if we’re so lucky. We trust in what we have rather than trust in God. Spectacle (and disaster) draws our attention more than the slow and steady, genuine walk with God. 

But Jesus challenges our world, challenges the leaders, and challenges us to see our relationship with God and with each other in new ways. It’s not about showing off for God, trying to gain attention or respect by doing big, flashy things like the scribes. Jesus challenges the laundry list of rules and laws by saying it’s about love. God is about love. Being neighborly is about love. Jesus challenges the expectations - so much so that he gets killed for it. 

But then God challenges that result by raising Jesus from the tomb. No, death doesn’t win. No, the powers of this world don’t have the final say. Love wins, after all. That’s the essence of God’s Kingdom - a kingdom where love reigns supreme, and that love transforms our lives and the world around us. God’s love challenges the ways of the world. 

Which is why we need worship. Why we need to gather. We get bombarded all the time with news that pits us against our neighbor; much of what we see and hear are the wrong things. And yet worship is a place and a time when we can be reminded that much of that noise only takes us away from God’s love seen in Jesus Christ our Lord. 

Here, we are reminded of God’s love in all the amazing and beautiful ways we can experience it: through music, words, and songs; in colors, light, and decoration; in movement of body and mind and soul; in the touch, taste, and smell of bread and wine; in the presence and closeness of God and neighbor. All of this is meant to do one thing: show us the brilliance and beauty of God’s love - for you and for me.

Worship on Sunday mornings isn’t an achievement in and of itself. There may be some fancy things and a bit of spectacle, but the goal is to be a reminder of God’s glory and our response to that. Worship is a springboard out of this place into our week so that we may love. The love and grace we experience and proclaim and receive here in this place are meant to translate into something more in our lives.

We gather together and God reminds us of love, fills us up with love, all so when we see someone who is down and out - someone who is broken, lonely, afraid, grieving, hungry, someone giving all they have… we can step in with love and point again to the promises of God. And then, when we are that someone… when we are broken, lonely, afraid, grieving, hungry, giving all we have, others can step in with love and point us again to the promises of God. 

Jesus challenges the world, and Jesus’ ways win. And Jesus challenges us to more than outward piety and a token faith. Jesus challenges us to love. To be reminded of that love as often as we can. To foster the relationships in our lives. To love God. To love neighbor. Because that’s what God does. God loves your neighbor. And God loves you.