In the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

There is a popular misconception that the Bible is similar to a Tom Clancy or John Grisham novel. It has then a beginning and an end and a continuous story in the middle.  Maybe this misconception arises because the Bible at least from the outside looks like a novel. But if you crack the cover and even briefly flip through the pages you will see that the Bible is not one book but rather a collection of books. It is like a small library.

In our version of the Bible there is a total of 66 books-39 in the old testament and 27 in the new testament.  IN these 66 books there is a variety of literature. There is poetry, history, and correspondence. The psalms are a very different type of literature than say the gospel stories or the epistles of the Paul.

Now no one can believe, understand or take in all of the Bible. Out of necessity, we must be selective. There is a canon within the canon. Some of the writings carry more weight than others. And as we know the Bible can be used to support contradictory positions on a variety of issues. Martin Luther once said, “The Bible has a wax nose. You can twist it any way you want.”

Here at Elmwood, we read and I usually preach from the revised common lectionary-the three cycle of scripture readings. Even in that three year period, although we cover a great deal of scripture, we are still covering only about half the Bible. Some passages we note. Others receive little recognition whatsoever.
 I tend to be partial to the gospel of Mark-I like the simple style without all the high falutin’ mystical theology of the Gospel of John. I know one man who never gets past the ten commandments. In his opinion these are the rules for living life.
And yet it is interesting what we notice and what we fail to notice.

Hearing the churches argue over matters dealing with homosexuality and same sex marriage you would think that this all the Bible talked about. Some churches think about homosexuality more than gay people do. But if we look at the Bible in  reference to these issues they hardly appear at all. What is there all of five verses out of 66 books and thousands of verses? And Jesus never mentioned these issues at all.

But if we look at the Bible, especially Matthew, Mark and Luke, Jesus does spend a great of time talking about money. So if spent as much time preaching about money as Jesus did you would be hearing about it more than one Sunday in the middle of November. And yet it is interesting what we notice and what we fail to notice.

Looking at our reading from Mark, it is interesting to see what the disciples notice. Jesus and his disciples have come to Jerusalem. And these guys from the country are impressed. At the beginning of chapter 13 we seem them “ooing” and “awing” over the big buildings.
This reminds of my grade eight trip to Toronto. A bunch of farm kids on our first trip to the big city. I still remember the first words out of my friends mouth when he stepped of the bus. “Wow, look at those buildings there are even bigger than the silos back home.”

But Jesus doesn’t seem too impressed nor is he impressed with the scribes. “beware of these teachers of the law in their flowing robes who receive acclaim in the marketplace.” Then Jesus seats the disciples opposite the treasury where people are giving their gifts of money for the temple.

The disciples probably noticed the rich people putting the big heavy bags into the temple treasury. But Jesus notices a poor widow who “came and put in two very small copper coins-worth only a fraction of a penny. And it isn’t just that she gave but rather that she gave everything she had. All she had to live on. Jesus is impressed by one poor widow whom we might have missed, had he not pointed her out to us.

There is good reason why Jesus noticed her and needed to point her out to us. She is a threat to us. This poor widow probably doesn’t mean to be a threat. In noticing her, we perhaps finally come to notice how odd our system of values has become. We tie ourselves in knots over the issue of homosexuality but rarely speak of or consider critically what’s mine, my money-the taboo subject, my time, my needs.
We now live with the conviction that other people ought to be prepared to satisfy our desires our needs. Friendships and marriages reflect this consumer orientation. One has a right to opt out and move on if your needs are not being met by the other person. University faculties find themselves torn between teaching what they think students should know and what students want to be taught since they are paying the bill. Churches are competing brands seeking to lure religious consumers. Doesn’t this strike you as being terribly wrong.

And yet this poor widow is a threat to the whole shebang because she calls into question the dominant values of our lives-my money, my stuff, my time, my needs. She gives all to the God who has given all. Now why she gave all she had? Maybe she got carried away in her religious devotion. I know people who have. Maybe there was no reason at all. But what Jesus noticed was that she gave all she had.

The one who calls us to love God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength is most impressed that this poor widow gave all. And this is what he wants for us. He wants it all-100%. I know that is a big number. Few if any of us are there yet. We still hold back, keeping some aside for a rainy day. But Jesus points out to us the poor widow, someone we would have overlooked, overshadowed by the big buildings and the big givers. She is a model for living because all Christ wants is all.
THANKS BE TO GOD, AMEN.