Preaching at Camp 06/29/2023

This is sacred ground

A Story about Sacred Ground

Mark 12:38–44 NRSV

38 As he taught, he said, “Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes, and to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces, 39 and to have the best seats in the synagogues and places of honor at banquets! 40 They devour widows’ houses and for the sake of appearance say long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation.” 41 He sat down opposite the treasury, and watched the crowd putting money into the treasury. Many rich people put in large sums. 42 A poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which are worth a penny. 43 Then he called his disciples and said to them, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the treasury. 44 For all of them have contributed out of their abundance; but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.”

The people with the long robes

They ran the temple

The temple was a special sacred place

They were using money in a really unfair way to get new fancy clothes

A know that a robe doesn’t seem fancy nowadays, but this was all the rave in biblical days they were like the Nike of the day

So the Pharisees were using this money unfairly to help themselves and specifically one of the people groups that they really hurt were the widows

The pharisees were destroying sacred space

They were taking a location that was special that was set aside that was unique and they were ruining it

So Jesus says shame on you shame on you for ruining this sacred space for other people

The thing abou sacred space is that it needs protecting

Jesus walks accross the room - the widow

Introduce the trumpet idea

Guess how many coins

end with one coin

The woman was one of the people that was perhaps most hurt by the pharisee

This is a story of fakeness verses fruitfullness

Jesus condemns the scribes for being appearance focused and focused on themselves.....yet celebrates a woman who is committed to creating a sacred space for others.....

It is not the size of life that matters to God it is the fact that they give to create sacredness in the world

It’s not the size of contribution to the world that matters it is about being fruitful and about being faithful

Faith-fullness is about doing what is right when no one is watching just like that widow that put their gift in the treasury

I want to show you how small a mite actually is

This is a real mite

Everyone wants to do some thing big for God but God doesn’t ask us to be big or flashy.

God wants us to be fruitful with what we have

I don’t know about you but often I feel like that widdow

What could I possible have to offer to create sacred space in the world

And yet when no one was around and when no one was watching the widdow does something the is not flashy or fake

It is faithful it is fruitful

she give her all her life to something that is greater than herself

She gives her life to God

In a moment we will transition in Worship

You will get the opportunity to come up to put a penny in the trumpet here as a reminder of this moment of this sacred space

And as a reminder that God doesn’t need you to be big or bold or flashy

That God doesn’t need you to be smart or strong or fast

But that all God asks is that we would be faithful.

And whenever you see a mite out in the world may you be reminded of this.