BIBLE STUDY #112

THIRTY SECOND SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

November 11, 2012

 

Reading 1

1 Kings 17:10-16

 

In those days, Elijah the prophet went to Zarephath.
As he arrived at the entrance of the city,
a widow was gathering sticks there; he called out to her,
"Please bring me a small cupful of water to drink."
She left to get it, and he called out after her,
"Please bring along a bit of bread."
She answered, "As the LORD, your God, lives,
I have nothing baked; there is only a handful of flour in my jar
and a little oil in my jug.
Just now I was collecting a couple of sticks,
to go in and prepare something for myself and my son;
when we have eaten it, we shall die."
Elijah said to her, "Do not be afraid.
Go and do as you propose.
But first make me a little cake and bring it to me.
Then you can prepare something for yourself and your son.
For the LORD, the God of Israel, says,
'The jar of flour shall not go empty,
nor the jug of oil run dry,
until the day when the LORD sends rain upon the earth.'"
She left and did as Elijah had said.
She was able to eat for a year, and he and her son as well;
the jar of flour did not go empty,
nor the jug of oil run dry,
as the LORD had foretold through Elijah.

 

The Word of the Lord

 

Reading 2

Hebrews 9:24-28

 

Christ did not enter into a sanctuary made by hands,
a copy of the true one, but heaven itself,
that he might now appear before God on our behalf.
Not that he might offer himself repeatedly,
as the high priest enters each year into the sanctuary
with blood that is not his own;
if that were so, he would have had to suffer repeatedly
from the foundation of the world.
But now once for all he has appeared at the end of the ages
to take away sin by his sacrifice.
Just as it is appointed that human beings die once,
and after this the judgment, so also Christ,
offered once to take away the sins of many,
will appear a second time, not to take away sin
but to bring salvation to those who eagerly await him.

 

The Word of the Lord

 

Gospel

 Mark 12:38-44

 

In the course of his teaching Jesus said to the crowds,
"Beware of the scribes, who like to go around in long robes
and accept greetings in the marketplaces,
seats of honor in synagogues,
and places of honor at banquets.
They devour the houses of widows and, as a pretext
recite lengthy prayers.
They will receive a very severe condemnation."

He sat down opposite the treasury
and observed how the crowd put money into the treasury.
Many rich people put in large sums.
A poor widow also came and put in two small coins worth a few cents.
Calling his disciples to himself, he said to them,
"Amen, I say to you, this poor widow put in more
than all the other contributors to the treasury.
For they have all contributed from their surplus wealth,
but she, from her poverty, has contributed all she had,
her whole livelihood."

 

The Gospel of the Lord

 

Reflection

 

Scribes were proficient in reading and writing contracts and other administrative documents. They were also experts in the Jewish Law. Therefore, they took the roles of both lawyer and theologian. Scribes are linked with the Pharisees and chief priests  and usually were the opponents of Jesus such as the plot to kill Jesus in 14:1 (An exception is 12:28-34).

 

The scribes are criticized here because of their ostentationess. They want to attract the attention of others to impress them and make a display of themselves. They greet others in the market place so they can be seen.

 

The synagogue  is the place where Jews gathered for Scripture readings and prayer as well as for cultural events. It is thought that the first seats in the synagogue would face the crowds and they could  be seen. These seats are closest to the Torah scrolls so they could feel important. At banquets, the bests seats were near the host. The closer to the host you sit, the more the host thought of you.

 

Widows at that time had no protection. When her husband died, she could return to her family if her dowry could be paid to her husband's heirs. She could also be sold into slavery to repay past debts. A priests daughter could be returned to father's home. The only other  protection was a levirate marriage (see Deuteronomy 25:5-10) and that wasn't always enforceable. Widows relied on their children or on charity. Scribes would have themselves appointed as trustees over the estates of widows to gain a share on the inheritance. The scribes are accused by Jesus of preying on the most vulnerable of society for a profit. Many Old Testament texts  present God as the ultimate defender of widows and orphans (Deuteronomy 14:29 and  Jeremiah 49:11, for example). Old Testament prophets frequently criticized the exploitation of widows (Isaiah 1:17, Jeremiah 7:6).

 

The scribes recite lengthy prayers in public to be seen as holy in front of the people. Their hypocrisy is obvious. In Matthew 6:5, Jesus says that, "they have received their reward," that is, the adulation of the people but not of God. Here, in Mark 12:40, Jesus says, " They will receive a very severe condemnation."

The Temple in Jesus day acted as a treasury or a bank and were targets for thieves and foreign kings in search of money. People would put money into the treasury for the upkeep of the temple and it seemed these donations were done publicly. The rich were putting in large sums (large to who? Maybe not them) as a form of self promotion, to be seen as generous benefactors of the Temple. They rich could afford to be generous because it wouldn't hurt them financially.

 

A widow comes along and puts in 2 coins that were the smallest monetary denomination in circulation. Jesus tells his disciples that she was more generous than anyone because she gave everything she had to the treasury, while the rich weren't hurt by their donations.

 

This widow stands in contrast to the scribes who spent their time promoting themselves and looking for opportunities for financial gain. Remember, though, not to categorize all the scribes in this way. It can lead to anti Semitism, and there were scribes who weren't like this.

 

The widow gave all she had to the support of the temple, an incredible act of generosity applauded by Jesus and held up as an example to his disciples. She is much more generous than the scribes who probably didn't miss the amount of their donation.

 

A few scholars, however, look on this poor woman as a victim of an institutional religion that manipulated this generous women into giving all she had. Usually looked upon as an example of generosity, she can also be pitied as a victim of religious exploitation.

 

In the first reading from 1 Kings, we have another example of a generous woman, the widow of Zarephath. Elijah served in the 9th century as a prophet in a struggle to preserve the knowledge and worship of God against the pagan worship of Baal introduced by Jezebel, the pagan wife of King Ahab. The Elijah cycle of narratives includes today's story, miracles, denunciation of kings, and Elijah's role as the forerunner of the Messiah.

 

There was a drought, and this widow was almost out of supplies. Elijah tells her to bake him a cake. She gives all he has for him, and God rewards her: " the jar of flour did not go empty, nor the jug of oil run dry" and they were able to eat for  year. She trusted in God through believing in God's prophet Elijah, as opposed to King Ahab, who refused to believe in Elijah and was later punished.

 

This story was meant to encourage faith and confidence in God's word.

 

In the second reading, the sacrifice of Jesus is compared to the sacrifice in the Temple on the Day of Atonement, where animals were sacrificed in the Temple to atone for sins. This sacrifice took place yearly. Jesus death and resurrection atoned for our sins once and for all, and no repeat is necessary. When he returns it will not be to forgive but to bring believers into eternal life.

 

 

Fr. Phil