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Mark 12:38-44
With thanks to page sponsor:
Rev LeAnn Blackert
Mount Paul United Church
Kamloops, BC

• Reading the Text:
  • NRSV (with link to Anglicized NRSV) at Oremus Bible Browser.
  • Greek Interlinear Bible, ScrTR, ScrTR t, Strong, Parsing, CGTS, CGES id, AV.
  • The Bible Gateway: NRSV, RSV, NIV, NASB, CEV, The Message, KJV, etc.
  • The Blue Letter Bible. KJV, alternate versions, Greek text with concordance, commentaries.
  • The World Wide Study Bible includes commentary & sermons.

• Historical References, Commentary and Comparative Texts:
  • The Five Gospels Parallels, John W. Marshall, University of Toronto.
  • "Of David's Lineage," The Jesus Database, an online annotated inventory of the traditions concerning the life and teachings of Jesus. Dr. Gregory C. Jenks, FaithFutures Foundation.
  • Vision III.9, Shepherd of Hermas. (c.145)
  • XXXII.12-13, 15; XL.32-33, 35; Tatian's Diatessaron (c. 150-160).
  • VI.13, Stromata, Clement of Alexandria (c 200)
  • From the Catena Aurea, Patristic Commentary by St Thomas Aquinas.
  • From the Geneva Notes.
    • "The doing of our duties which God allows is not considered worthy according to the outward value, but instead according to the inward affections of the heart."
  • From Matthew Henry's Commentary.
    • "If the common people hear these things gladly, while the learned and distinguished oppose, the former are happy, and the latter to be pitied. And as sin, disguised with a show of piety, is double iniquity, so its doom will be doubly heavy."
  • From Wesley's Notes.
    • "See what judgement is cast on the most specious, outward actions by the Judge of all! And how acceptable to him is the smallest, which springs from self - denying love!"
  • From the Commentary on the Whole Bible (Jamieson, Fausset and Brown, 1871).
    • "They took advantage of their helpless condition and confiding character to obtain possession of their property, while by their "long prayers" they made them believe they were raised far above "filthy lucre." So much the "greater damnation" awaited them."
  • From The People's New Testament, B.W. Johnson, 1891.
    • "The worth of a gift is to be determined, not by intrinsic value, but by what it costs the giver. The measure of that cost is what is left, not what is given. For the widow to give her mites was noble; for one well off to give "his mite" is contemptible."
• Contemporary Commentary, Studies, and Exegesis
  • Commentary, Mark 12:38-44, Samuel Cruz, Preaching This Week, WorkingPreacher.org, 2018.
    • "Over the ages, Jesus has been persistently inconvenient for the elite classes of his and our societies."
  • "The Widow's Might," Karoline Lewis, Dear Working Preacher, 2018.
    • "This story is eerily spot-on when it comes to that which attracts our attention -- and what doesn’t."
  • "The Caravan as Spiritual Moment," Melissa Bane Sevier, Contemplative Viewfinder, 2018.
    • "Like most Americans, I’ve been following the caravan of Central Americans that is inching toward the US southern border to request asylum...."
  • "All My Mites," commentary and discussion, RevGalBlogPals, 2018. 11th Hour Preacher Party.
  • Living by the Word, Brad Roth, The Christian Century, 2018.
    • "By middle-class American standards, the widow's decision is questionable."
  • "The Widow's All: Revisited and Revised," Janet H Hunt, Dancing with the Word, 2018.
    • "Do you think this is a fitting example for a ‘stewardship sermon?’  Why or why not?"
  • Lectionary Greek, Rob Myallis, 2018.
  • Provoking the Gospel, Richard Swanson, 2018.
    • "Jesus and the scribe agree on a basic point of Jewish faithfulness. Why do so many interpreters imagine that disagreements are more important?"
  • "To Love and to Disagree," Amy Lindeman Allen, Political Theology, 2018.
    • "As Jesus and the scribes agree, and as today every major religion agrees, the right answer to the greatest commandment is to love your neighbor as yourself."
  • Commentary, Mark 12:38-44, Emerson Powery, Preaching This Week, WorkingPreacher.org, 2015.
    • "But this was more than a story about faithful giving."
  • "Whole Life Living," Karoline Lewis, Dear Working Preacher, 2015.
    • "God calls us to whole life living. That's what discipleship is all about."
  • "Surprisingly Good News," David Lose, ...in the Meantime, 2015.
    • "God cares, and God invites us to care, too. God believes, in other words, that we have something to contribute, that we can make a difference, that our words and actions can help bring more fully to fruition the kingdom God's own Son proclaimed and embodied."
  • Pulpit Fiction, plus podcast. Reflections of lectionary text, pop culture, current events, etc. Robb Mc Coy and Eric Fistler, 2015.
  • "Priceless or Worthless," Glenn Monson, Law and Gospel Everywhere, 2015.
    • "In a sense, this entire text is a call to obedience."
  • "The Widow's Mite," Bosco Peters, Liturgy, 2015.
    • "We so easily confuse holiness with vainglory, donating ostentatiously with self-sacrifice, how the temple looked with our inner temple…"
  • "The Widowed Prophet," Debie Thomas, Journey with Jesus, 2015.
    • "I wonder if the widow is still on Jesus's mind as he predicts the destruction of the Temple. He has just watched a trusting woman give her all to an indefensible institution, one that refuses to protect the poor. No edifice steeped in such injustice will stand."
  • "Seeing the Widow," Janet H. Hunt, Dancing with the Word, 2015.
    • "How do you hear the story of the widow in today's Gospel? Is this a story about financial giving? Why or why not?"
  • The Center for Excellence in Preaching commentary and sermon illustrations, Scott Hoezee, 2015.
    • "Whatever the specifics, it appears that the religious leaders were doing something that was making the already-vulnerable widow population feel obligated to give to the temple more than they frankly could afford."
  • "The Widows Might, or Magic in the Offing," Anna Shirey, The Labyrinth Way, 2015.
    • "The longer we read the scriptures the clearer it becomes: we must expect the unexpected."
  • "The Politics of the Widows' Gifts," Political Theology Today, 2015.
  • "On Being All-In!" Thomas Beam, 2015.
  • "Dystopia, Tragedy of Glory," Andrew Prior, One Man's Web, 2015. Podcast.
  • Commentary, Travis Meier, The Bartimaeus Effect, 2015.
  • "The Scribes and the Widows You Don't See," Bruce Maples, 2015.
  • "Pour Us Out Like Unending Love," Andrew King, A Poetic Kind of Place, 2015.
  • Evangelio Comentario del San Marcos 12:38-44, Theolodore W. Jennings, Jr., Working Preacher, 2015.
  • Commentary, Mark 12:38-44, Pentecost 24B, Micah D. Kiel, Preaching This Week, WorkingPreacher.org, 2012.
    • "Money. Every pastor's favorite topic."
  • "The Power of Chump Change," Greg Carey, ON Scripture, Odyssey Networks, 2012.
    • "Is poverty what it used to be? Or has poverty grown so shameful that we dare not speak its name?"
  • Jesus Teaches His Disciples about True Giving, audio telling, story in episodes, graphic, audio and written commentaries. Go Tell Communications, Biblical Storytelling for the Global Village, 2012.
  • "Pretentious Pretenders Pressuring Penurious Pensioners," D Mark Davis, raw translation and exegesis/questions, Left Behind and Loving It, 2012.
    • "'Consuming' or 'devouring' seems to be a play on words – this is what the Scribes are devouring at their feasts – Casa de la Widow, medium rare."
  • "Rethinking Stewardship," David Lose, Working Preacher, 2012.
    • "...if we remember that we are called to be stewards of each other – each member committed to the welfare and wellbeing of the rest of the community – maybe we can experience again and anew God’s blessing of us in and through the family of faith."
  • Lectionary Greek, Mark 12:38-44, Rob Myallis, 2012.
  • Lectionary Blogging, John Petty, Progressive Involvement, 2012.
    • "In the first century, the warning of Jeremiah was more on point than ever. Not only did the Temple 'devour widows' houses,' they also took at least one beggar-widow's 'whole life.'"
  • "All In!" Alyce M. McKenzie, Edgy Exegesis, 2012.
    • "Over the past several weeks, the texts from Mark have featured varying levels of commitment or lack thereof. In response to Jesus' ministry, some people were all in, some were all out, and others were almost all in..."
  • "The Widow's All," the Rev. Dr. Janet H. Hunt, Dancing with the Word, 2012.
    • "Do you think this is a fitting example for a 'stewardship sermon?' Why or why not?"
  • "Devouring Widows Houses," Peter Lockhart, A Different Heresy, 2012.
  • "'My Way' or a 'Widow's Way'?" Peter Woods, I Am Listening, 2012.
  • Holy Textures, Understanding the Bible in its own time and in ours, Mark 12:38-44, David Ewart, 2012.
    • "The widow who has given 'all she had to live on' foreshadows the coming contribution of Jesus to his mission of proclaiming God's Good News of non-violent justice in the face of Rome's violent injustice. Like the widow, Jesus holds nothing back."
  • "Two Choices, One Way," Rick Morley, 2012.
    • "To me, this section of Mark isn’t rocket science. It’s about the kind of faith that we are supposed to have, and the kind of faith that we aren’t."
  • "The Widow's Mite," Nancy Rockwell, Bite in the Apple, 2012.
    • "When times get tough many stop giving, so they can buy a little more. Arguments about buying power have filled Mark 12, arguments about taxes and social issues, where your investments go. And then this woman comes, and puts her coins into the church."
  • Radical Gratitude, lectionary-based stewardship, Northwest United Methodist Foundation. (.pdf)
  • "The Trickle Down Theory of Church," Andrew Prior, 2012.
  • Comentario del Evangelio por Pablo Manuel Ferrer, Marcos 12:38-44, Working Preacher, 2012.
  • Commentary, Mark 12:38-44, Pentecost 23B, Henry Langknecht, Preaching This Week, WorkingPreacher.org, 2009.
    • "Most sermons I've heard have her hiding humbly in the shadows until she builds up the nerve to approach the coffers. But the tragedy of the scene is highlighted differently if the widow approaches with faithful dignity because the ambiguity and tension come when we consider that the widow gives her all in spite of the fact that the institution (broadly speaking) to which she remains faithful devours poor widows' houses!"
  • Comments (commentary) and Clippings (technical notes for in-depth study), Chris Haslam, Anglican Diocese of Montreal.
  • A Brief Commentary on the Gospel of Mark, Chapter 11 - 12, Carl W. Conrad. (Click superscript numbers for commentary.)
  • Exegetical Notes by Brian Stoffregen at CrossMarks Christian Resources.
    • "The word for rich (plousios) is used elsewhere in Mark only in reference to the rich man who can't part with his property in order to follow Jesus (10:25). A related word is used in 4:19 as one of the things that can choke the word so that it produces nothing."
  • "A Poor Widow Gives Everything to Temple," Michael A. Turton's Historical Commentary on the Gospel of Mark, "a complete verse-by-verse commentary on the Gospel of Mark, focusing on the historicity of people, places, events, and sayings in the world of the Gospel of Mark."
  • Progressive Involvement Lectionary Blogging, John Petty, 2009.
    • "She is not a positive example, but rather the (barely) living representative of a crying shame.  She represents the on-going exploitation of the poor by the Temple elite."
  • "First Thoughts on Year B Gospel Passages in the Lectionary," Pentecost 24, William Loader, Murdoch University, Uniting Church in Australia.
    • "God?s way is the way of self giving love and God?s community needs to be a place where love has freed people to be like that and that includes its leadership, which can often become an instrument of violence."
  • "The Churchmen and the Widow," Rev. Bryan Findlayson, Lectionary Bible Studies and Sermons, Pumpkin Cottage Ministry Resources. Includes detailed textual notes.
  • "Hannah and 2%," Gospel Analysis, Sermons from Seattle, Pastor Edward F. Markquart, Grace Lutheran Church, Seattle, Washington. Detailed background and exegesis.
  • "We Boast of Christ Crucified," Timothy J. Hoyer, Sabbatheology, The Crossings Community, 2009.
    • "We cannot say that the widow's deed is admired by Jesus, as if by some other standard her deed was great to God. That changes nothing. The widow, one of those who was prey to the scribes, still, in the midst of hardship, trusted God's promise to be her God."
  • Marginally Mark, by Brian McGowan, Anglican priest in Western Australia.
  • "With All Our 'Mite'," Candace Chellew-Hodge, Whosoever: An Online Magazine for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Christians, 2009.
    • "I suspect I am not alone in enjoying the self-righteous pleasures of cheap grace. In my glass house, I am loathe to toss too many stones at those in the fundamentalist camp. I admit, the widow outpaces me - my ability to be self-sacrificing pales in comparison to hers, and probably always will."
  • Wellspring of the Gospel, Ordinary 32B, Catherine McElhinney and Kathryn Turner, Weekly Wellsprings.
  • "The Widow's Mite," Darcy D. Jensen, Word & World, 1997.
    • "Now in the midst of worship, her family and friends surrounding her, she has given the last from Henry?s hand into the offering plate. A surrender. And a benediction. The final offering of a life so beloved."
  • "Mark 12: Teaching the Crowd," "The Widow's Mite," wikipedia.
• Recommended articles from ATLAS, an online collection of religion and theology journals, are linked below. ATLAS Access options are available for academic institutions, alumni of selected theological schools, and clergy/church offices. Annotated list of "starting place" articles at ATLAS for this week's texts (includes direct links).
  • Anderson, Mary W., "Widow's Walk," The Christian Century, 2003.
      EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
      EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
  • Burrus, Virginia, "Blurring the Boundaries: A Response to Howard C. Kee," Theology Today, 1992.
      EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
      EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
  • Carl, William J, Jr., "The Single Mother's Mite," The Living Pulpit, 1997.
      EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
      EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
  • Dampier, Joseph H., "The Scrolls and the Scribes of the New Testament," Bulletin of the Evangelical Theological Society, 1958.
      EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
      EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
  • Dewey, Joanna, "Women in the Gospel of Mark," Word & World, 2006. (Section on this text begins on page 26.)
      EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
      EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
  • DiCicco, Mario, OFM, "What Can One Give in Exchange for One's Life? A Narrative-Critical Study of the Widow and Her Offering, Mark 12:41-44," Currents in Theology and Mission, 1998.
      EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
      EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
  • Dyrness, William, "Two Widows as Role Models," The Christian Century, 1994.
      EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
      EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
  • Fleddermann, Harry, "A Warning about the Scribes (Mark 12:37b-40)," The Catholic Biblical Quarterly, 1982.
      EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
      EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
  • Gomes, Peter J., "Veterans and Stewards," The Christian Century, 1997.
      EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
      EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
  • "Homiletical Helps," Concordia Journal, 2009. (Section on this text begins on page 397)
      EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
      EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
  • Jensen, Darcy D., "The Widow's Mite," Word & World, 1997.
      EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
      EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
  • Joy, David, "Markan Subalterns/the Crowd and their Strategies of Resistance: A Postcolonial Critique," Black Theology, 2005.
      EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
      EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
  • Kee, Howard Clark, "The Changing Role of Women in the Early Christian World," Theology Today, 1992.
      EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
      EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
  • Malbon, Elizabeth Struthers, "Fallible Followers: Women and Men in the Gospel of Mark," Semeia, 1983. (See epsecially the section on this text beginning on page 37.)
      EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
      EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
  • Malbon, Elizabeth Struthers, "The Poor Widow in Mark and Her Poor Rich Readers,"  The Catholic Biblical Quarterly, 1991.
      EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
      EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
  • Meyers, Robin R., "Virtual Virtuosity," The Christian Century, 2000.
      EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
      EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
  • Moss, Otis, III, "Living by the Word: Mark 12:38-44," The Christian Century, 2009.
      EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
      EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
  • Palmer, Maria Teresa, "Small Change," The Christian Century, 2006.
      EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
      EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
  • Resner, André, "Reading the Text for Economic Justice: Mark 12:38-44 for Stewardship Season," The Living Pulpit, 2003.
      EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
      EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
  • Rice, Richard J., "Breaking Down Barriers," The Living Pulpit, 1997.
      EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
      EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
  • Smith, Geoffrey, "A Closer Look at the Widow's Offering: Mark 12:41-44," Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society, 1997.
      EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
      EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
  • Smith, Stephen H., "The Literary Structure of Mark 11:1-12:40," Novum Testamentum, 1989.
      EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
      EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
  • Wenell, Karen J., "Contested Space and Visionary Kingdom Space in Mark 11-12," Biblical Interpretation, 2007.
      EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
      EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
  • Wright, Addison, S.S., "The Widow's Mites: Praise or Lament? -- A Matter of Context," The Catholic Biblical Quarterly, 1982.
      EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
      EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
• Sermons:
  • "What God Values in Stewardship," the Rev. Dr. D. Scott Weimer, Day 1, 2009.
  • "Hannah and 2%," Sermons from Seattle, Pastor Edward F. Markquart, Grace Lutheran Church, Seattle, Washington.
  • "Against Giving," the Rev. Dr. Francis H. Wade, Day 1, 2003.
  • Father Andrew M. Greeley, "Priest, Author, Sociologist," Commentary and Homily:
    • Ordinary 32, 2000
    • Ordinary 32, 2006
    • Ordinary 32, 2009
    • Ordinary 32, 2012
• With Children:
  • Worshiping with Children, Proper 27B, 2015. Including children in the congregation's worship, using the Revised Common Lectionary, Carolyn C. Brown,
  • "Storypath Lectionary Links: Connecting Children's Literature with our Faith Story," 2015, Union Presbyterian Seminary.
  • "The Spirit of Giving," Dianne Deming, Children's Sermons Today, 2012.
  • "The Widow's Mite," Charles Kirkpatrick, Sermons4kids.com.
  • "A Widow Gives Everything that She Has," Sunday School Lessons: Family Bible Study, art projects, music, stories, etc.
  • "God's ATM," Jim Kerlin, childrensermons.com.
  • Mark 11 & 12 Crossword, Don Crownover's Bible Puzzles.
• Drama:
  • "With a Whip in His Hand," "Two Copper Coins," from A Certain Jesus by Jose Ignacio and Maria Lopez Vigil. Ideal for catechetical and liturgical dramatization of today's gospel. Claretian Publications.
• Graphics & Bulletin Materials:
  • Clip Art Images: Mark 12:38-44, Misioneros Del Sagrado Corazón en el Perú.
  • Mark 12:38-44 at Cerezo Barredo's weekly gospel illustration. Liberation emphasis.
  • Images for this week's readings, Pitts Theology Library Digital Image Archive.
  • The Widow's Mite PowerPoint Slide Masters. Henry Martin, sermons4kids.com.
  • Commercial Site: "Two Copper Coins," Visual Liturgy/Film, The Work of the People.
• Hymns and Music:
  • “Jesus Sat and Watched the Crowd,” Carolyn Winfrey Gillette, is a hymn inspired by Jesus teaching about the widow in the Temple, Tune: HENDON 7.7.7.7.7 (“Take My Life and Let It Be”).
  • Hymnary.org, hymns, scores, media, information.
  • Contemporary/Praise Song suggestions, Together to Celebrate, David MacGregor.
• Fine Arts Images Linked at The Text This Week's Art Index:
  • Widow's Mite
• Movies scenes with the following themes, listed at The Text This Week's Movie Concordance:
  • Sacrifice/Sacrificial Death
  • Generosity
  • Greed
  • Clean/Unclean
• Study Links and Resources for the Book of Mark

• INDEX BY SCRIPTURE
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• NARRATIVE LECTIONARY RESOURCES
• DAILY LECTIONARY RESOURCES
• FESTIVALS/SPECIAL DAYS (includes Creation)
• FOR USE IN TIMES OF VIOLENCE
• PEACE RESOURCES
• FOR USE IN TIMES OF NATURAL DISASTER

• Year C
• Maundy Thurs Apr 14
• Good Friday Apr 15
• Easter Day Apr 17
• Easter 2 Apr 24
• Easter 3 May 1
• Easter 4 May 8
• Easter 5 May 15
• Easter 6 May 22
• Ascension May 26
• Easter 7 May 29
• Pentecost June 5
  

• Calendars
• YEAR A
• YEAR B
• YEAR C

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