Brokenness

Audio Version

Sunday November 8, 2015
After Pentecost
Proper 27
Year B

Old Testament 1 Kings 17:8–16
New Testament Hebrews 9:24–28
Gospel Mark 12:38–44

The scriptures we have today are ones that can be easily misused against people.  It would be very easy to take both the 1 Kings text and the Mark text and just give a blanket covering of, “Trust in God”.  Trust, have faith that God will provide.

The poor, the widows the orphans and strangers might disagree and might even take offense at the idea that they should just trust that God will provide everything.  Those words themselves do not put food in the stomach, pay the rent, or a myriad of other things needed each and every day.

We have people all around the world that live on less than we do each day.  Just because they can and do, does not make it pleasant, nor right.  We have people around us that live on much more that we do.  How much is enough.  That can be a matter of perspective.  A matter of your particular context.

What the scriptures do speak to is the brokenness of our humanity.  Why are there so many people that have so little? Why are there so many people that have so much?  Why is it that those who have so little suffer so much? I am not advocating for a socialist, communist or even a democratic point of view on how take care of the widows, orphans and poor.  I am suggesting we look to the Bible.  I am suggesting that God has given us a charge to take care of those who need.

Our God first put a charge to the Jews to take care of those who need.  In turn, through Jesus, we too have been given that same charge.  Who is it that Jesus came to?  Yes, he came to the Jews first but in the end, he shared bread with the least, last, lost, and the sinners.  In other words, he was with the poor, the widows, orphans and strangers.  Ultimately, He shared himself as the bread of life for all of humanity.

In the 1 Kings text, the poor, note not just a widow, but a poor widow with a child, has nothing left in her life but a handful of meal and a little oil.  Her situation is so desperate that she tells Elijah that she is going to prepare a meal for herself and her son, eat it and die.  All hope is gone for this woman.  She has been left in such a predicament, that she has nothing and expects to die.

 

Yes, she was able to eat for many days from what little she had.  Not because the Jews helped her, not because of neighbor but because God took pity and provided when others would not.

We move to the gospel of Mark.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The poor widow who gives from her poverty, all that she had.  Yes, there were people who were rich and give large sums.   Just prior to this Jesus had denounced the Scribes.  Not because they were scribes but for what was in their hearts.  Jesus is asking what the Scribes’ end game is.  Why do they do what they are do, for what end?

There is a couple of things at play here, that Jesus is pointing out to the disciples.  It is not about the amount that is given, it is about how and why.  Why do we do what we do and how do we do what we do.  In other words, what is in our hearts and how do we respond to God.

Jesus gave everything for all of us, once and for all.  He put Himself as a mediator between God and us, so that when we die, He has done what we cannot.  Jesus provides in the end, for us.  When we die, we too are the least, last and lost, the sinners of the past, present and future.  Jesus provides in His death and resurrection, what we need.  Jesus could have said, no, let the Father do it.  Worse yet for us would be that He could have said, let them fend for themselves.

Let them fend for themselves.  Isn’t that what happened to the widows?  They have nothing and are left, at least until God intervenes in 1 Kings, to their own.   We don’t know what happens to the widow who gives her last two small copper coins.  If it goes like we have seen, if it goes like it seems to still go today, here on earth, let them fend for themselves.

We live in this imperfect world and hopefully we attempt to respond to God, to care for the least, the last and the lost.  What that looks like for each of us can be very different.  Do not let outwards appearances of others fool you.

First look into your own heart and pray to the Father in the name of the Son, Jesus Christ.  Seek guidance in your response to God.  How you respond, is up to you.  Jesus died for you.  Your sins are forgiven, but how do you respond to the One who gave His all for you?

Shall we respond in abundance or out of scarcity?  Will we walk the walk and talk the talk or be as the Scribes that Jesus denounces?  There are many opportunities to respond to God.

Here at Calvary, we have the nursing home ministry.  We also can be the place for those who need a funeral.  An opportunity to walk with others and share a meal with them. We have opportunities in doing the readings on Sunday or being part of the alter guild or a host of other things here on Sunday.

There is an afterschool program that has a significant impact on the youth in this area.  My wife is looking to start a Scarf Ministry, so those that need scarfs this winter, are provided with them.  We have the prayer shawl ministry.  We have all sorts of opportunities through our synod, the ELCA and inside and outside of the community.

Seek out a way to respond to God’s Son, Christ Jesus.  Whatever it may look like, find it in your heart to respond.  Seek out a way to help out in our broken world, so that those who are in need can receive help.  The least, last and lost, the widows, orphans and poor will always be with us but that does not mean we let them fend for themselves.  It means we have opportunities to respond to God and be with God’s children all of the time.

 

2 Comments

  1. 3k

    It is one of the great paradoxes of Christianity that all we really hang on to is that which we give away. We must lose ourselves to find ourselves. We gain eternal life by giving our life away. We find ourselves fulfilled only insofar as we seek to help another be fulfilled. It’s not the way of the world, but it is the Way.

  2. Douglas Dill

    As usual Ken, beautifully put. It is our calling which when we follow we begin to feel fulfilled. We ignore the ways of the world in order to be follow Christ and it is when we do that, we both fulfill our calling and receive all that Christ has in mind for us, until we reunite in heaven.

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