Wednesday after the Ninth Sunday after Trinity Sunday
Posted on July 31, 2024 by under
Scripture: St. Mark 12:38-44 (NKJV)
12:38 Then He said to them in His teaching, “Beware of the scribes, who desire to go around in long robes, love greetings in the marketplaces, 39 the best seats in the synagogues, and the best places at feasts, 40 who devour widows’ houses, and for a pretense make long prayers. These will receive greater condemnation.”
41 Now Jesus sat opposite the treasury and saw how the people put money into the treasury. And many who were rich put in much. 42 Then one poor widow came and threw in two mites, which make a quadrans. 43 So He called His disciples to Himself and said to them, “Assuredly, I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all those who have given to the treasury; 44 for they all put in out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all that she had, her whole livelihood.”
Devotion
Our Lord often warns us against being hypocrites—that is, doing or saying one thing that looks externally righteous, but in reality thinking and behaving unjustly. So it is with these scribes, who enjoy the pomp and circumstance their education and wealth give them. They were privileged to read, learn, and study God’s Word in a time when the number of written copies of Scripture available was quite limited. And yet, rather than being sincere in taking care of earthly possessions, they take advantage of widows. These scribes seize their houses, and try to curry favor among men using long prayers, which they clearly do not believe themselves.
By way of contrast, consider the poor widow in the second part of our reading. She is probably not educated; she certainly does not have the long robes or the exalted social status of the scribes. But what she does have is trust that God has taken care of her so far, and will continue to do so. It is out of this trust that she puts all she has into the treasury. She trusts that God will continue to provide her daily bread. May God bless us all with the faith and trust in Him that this widow showed!
Collect: Let Thy merciful ears, O Lord, be open to the prayers of Thy humble servants; and, that they may obtain their petitions, make them to ask such things as shall please Thee; through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, ever One God, world without end. Amen.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
