Once upon a time – back in the days before we had big shopping malls and long before the time when we ordered just about anything and everything over the internet – most cities and towns had something known as a “department store.” Remember them? They all had large windows facing the street, and each window usually had an elaborate display of the latest merchandise. By Thanksgiving those windows were turned into incredible displays for Christmas. One window might be a magical toyland, while another might show an idealized version of a home decorated for Christmas. Often these windows would be hidden from view until they were officially unveiled – and large crowds would gather to “ooh” and “ahh” over a display that was better and more spectacular than anything they had ever seen before. They were beautiful to look at – but they weren’t real. Everything – the snow, the glow in the fireplace, the Christmas tree, the Christmas cookies, even the people and the animals – was fake. We always wanted to believe that somehow our homes could look just like those idealized homes we saw in the windows, but that never really happened. What we saw in those windows was just too perfect. What we saw in those windows was just too perfect to be true.
Today’s Gospel lesson begins with Jesus talking about the scribes, who were some of the most powerful and most influential people of ancient Jewish society. When we hear the word “scribe” we tend to think of someone who copied documents in ancient times – and Jewish scribes certainly did that. In fact, the word scribe literally means “a writer” – one who prepares or copies scrolls. But they did a lot more, too. They sometimes functioned as lawyers, government ministers or judges. But most importantly, they were the recognized and greatly honored teachers of the law. They knew Scripture inside and out. They were the experts. The first scribe mentioned in the Old Testament is Ezra – as in the Book of Ezra, right after 2nd Chronicles and right before the Book of Nehemiah.
The problem with the scribes is that by Jesus’ time, they were taking themselves far too seriously. Their self-importance went to their heads. Not only were they important – but they expected people to treat them as if they were important. They wore long white linen robes decorated with fringe and tassels that would trail behind them on the ground. They liked to walk about so that they could be seen by people who would be impressed by their fine, expensive clothes. The common people were taught to address them with titles of honor – Rabbi, teacher, even “master.” When they entered the synagogues they went straight to the most honored seats where they would be sure to be noticed. When they were invited to dinner they didn’t wait to be seated by the host – but went straight to the seat reserved for the most highly honored guest. The scribes were very important people – and they made sure that everyone knew it.
But there was one little problem with being a scribe. Scribes weren’t allowed to be paid for their services as teachers of the Law. Instead, they had to depend on the generosity of devout Jewish students and worshippers. So they quickly found ways to work the system, and one of their favorite targets was wealthy widows. They would exploit wealthy widows. Scribes were engaged to create wills and conveyances of property, and often they would convince a widow to donate her house to the Temple. This house would be sold, and much of the money would end up in the pockets of the scribe who set the deal up. The scribes would offer incredibly long and elaborate prayers that would convince the widow that she was really doing the right thing, even if meant that the widow was ultimately left with nothing while the scribe got his money-grubbing hands on everything.
The end result was that these widows were being fleeced out of everything they had, while the scribes got richer and richer. It was 100% legal. It was the way the system worked. But it was wrong. When those scribes walked around town with their fine robes and everyone greeting and treating them with honor and respect, deep down inside they were as corrupt as they could possibly be. They were fakes – through and through. They were every bit as fake as those window displays that used to dazzle us from the department store windows.
As you might expect, the scribes didn’t like Jesus. Jesus saw them for what they were, and they knew it. Jesus represented a threat to what they were and how they operated. The events of today’s Gospel lesson actually took place on Tuesday of Holy Week. Just two days later, the Scribes and the Pharisees and the Sadducees and the High Priests would spring a trap designed to get rid of that threat – get rid of Jesus once and for all. Two days after the events of our Gospel lesson – two days after Jesus declared that the scribes would receive “the greater condemnation” – the enemies of Jesus arrested him, put him on trial and set in motion the events that led to His crucifixion.
But first, Jesus turns His attention from the scribes who love to be noticed – to a poor widow who probably would have been noticed by absolutely no one if Jesus hadn’t mentioned her. Remember that it was Passover week, and the Temple would have been jam-packed with people. No one knew this widow, and no one cared. She was just another face in the crowd. But Jesus knew. Jesus cared. Jesus watched as she put everything she had – two tiny copper coins – in one of the Temple offering boxes. Our English translation says that her coins were equal to a penny, but the original Greek text suggests that they weren’t worth even that much. Her contribution was insignificant, especially when you compared it to the rich people who were dropping – and the Greek verb used here says that they were actually “throwing” – large amounts of money into the boxes.
In human terms her contribution was insignificant. But Jesus didn’t see it that way. Instead, Jesus singled her out for praise. Jesus singled her out as an example for all of us to follow. A literal translation of Jesus’ words say: “from her poverty, as much as she had, she threw her whole life.”
When Jesus looked at the scribes and the others who made a big show of throwing large amounts of money into the Temple treasury boxes, he saw nothing but liars and hypocrites who gave money they had left over – money they would never miss after they took care of their worldly wants and desires – money that in no way represented any sacrifice in any way, shape or form. But when the widow dropped her two small coins into the box, Jesus saw a woman who loved God with her heart, her mind and her soul. He saw a woman who gave God everything she had – knowing that her very life was in God’s hands. She may have been poor and destitute on the outside, but inside she had a richness of faith and trust in God that no amount of money could buy.
If you think about it, it really doesn’t take a lot of hard work to be a hypocrite. Sometimes we don’t even realize what we’re doing. Do we sometimes mouth the words of the Lord’s Prayer while thinking about lunch after church or perhaps this afternoon’s football game or NASCAR race? Do we perhaps get a little antsy when it takes a long time for everyone to receive the Lord’s Supper? Do we start to shuffle our feet when the Prayers of the Church go on for just a little too long – or when the final hymn has more than four verses and seems to go on forever and ever? People who don’t like religion and don’t like churches often accuse people who do go to church of being a bunch of hypocrites – and sometimes they may be right. But not always.
Just as the poor widow of our Gospel lesson gave her whole life – gave everything she had – to the Church, we are gathered together this morning at this church because Jesus gave His whole life – everything He had – for us, His holy Christian church of believers. The same Jesus who condemned the scribes and commended the poor widow is the one – the only one – who was never a hypocrite and who never deserved the condemnation he received.
Jesus died to forgive our sins of hypocrisy as well as all of our sins – each and every one of them. He died so that God the Father could look at us and see us as His beloved, forgiven children. He died so that God the Holy Spirit could bring us to faith – the same faith that the poor widow of our Gospel lesson had, that she displayed, that she lived. He gave us everything. He gives us everything. He gives us His holy Word, the inspired words of Scripture that lay out in magnificent detail God’s plan of salvation for us and for all sinners. He gives us the Sacraments where we receive forgiveness of sins. Ultimately He gives us eternal life.
As beautiful as those old department store windows used to be, there was nothing real about them – everything was fake. As impressive and important as the scribes of Jesus’ day looked and acted, there was nothing real about them, either – everything about them and everything they did was fake. But when Jesus describes the faith of the widow, He’s talking about the real thing. By the grace of God, we share that same – that real – faith.
Sooner or later, death will come for all of us. Those who have no faith in Jesus will suffer the eternal condemnation and suffering that their hypocrisy – and all of their sins – have earned. But those who have faith – those who have that same blessed faith in Jesus as the poor woman who put her last two coins into the Temple offering box – will leave their sin and their condemnation behind. They will join all the saints who are already reveling in the eternal bliss of heaven. And that’s as good – that’s as real – as it gets!
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