The Widow's Mite? Jesus and Social Justice

 

There is a curious account in the New Testament about a widow that threw two mites into the treasury in the Temple while Jesus Christ was watching. Jesus turns to His disciples and provides a commentary on her action.

Somehow, over time, that commentary from Christ on the action of the widow with two mites has been interpreted as a commendation of her actions. Churches lean on this act in calls for donations, asking people to give their 'widow's mite'. 

But was Jesus even praising the actions of this widow? Why has His commentary been interpreted as a commendation? Let's take a closer look at the passage:

Luke 21:1-4 And He looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the treasury, and He saw also a certain poor widow putting in two mites. So He said, “Truly I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all; for all these out of their abundance have put in offerings [b]for God, but she out of her poverty put in all the livelihood that she had.”

Moving slightly above this passage, in the closing verses of Luke 20, we see this:

Luke 20:45-47 Then, in the hearing of all the people, He said to His disciples, “Beware of the scribes, who desire to go around in long robes, love greetings in the marketplaces, the best seats in the synagogues, and the best places at feasts, who devour widows’ houses, and for a pretense make long prayers. These will receive greater condemnation.”

Like many accounts in the gospels, this story is not only in the book of Luke but in Mark as well - Mark 12:41-44. And just like in Luke, the passage right above it reads thus:

38-40 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, the best seats in the synagogues, and the best places at feasts, who devour widows’ houses, and for a pretense make long prayers. These will receive greater condemnation.”

In both instances, we see Jesus berating those who "devour widow's houses" just before He comments on the widow's gift.

Could Jesus have simply been making a commentary on the treatment of the lesser privileged in society? Are we sure He was not calling out, or even condemning, the systems that ask those that have little to keep giving and giving till they have nothing left? 

The gifting in the Temple treasury mandated everyone provide gifts, even though some were neck-deep in poverty. This is disturbingly reminiscent of a common practice of pastors employing shame and guilt to get the poor members of their congregation to make donations. 

The lesson here for us is rather than exalting the virtues of the poor giving in the midst of their poverty, let Jesus' condemnation of exploitative systems make us sober, and reflectively examine and correct our approach to soliciting church givings and donations.