Mark 12:38-44: 

"She out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on."

 

The poor widow in the temple obviously shows up both the rich people who contribute large sums and the smug, hypocritical scribes. But just what is the lesson that Jesus wants his followers to take away from this story?

I've always assumed that we are supposed to be inspired by the widow's example of sacrificial giving and ashamed because we ourselves are more like the rich folks who just give some of their abundance. But the notes in my Study Bible argue persuasively that Jesus's main point here is the injustice of religious authorities who exploit the poor, inducing people like this widow to donate all their meager resources to the temple. In other words, he is not pointing her out as a positive example of generosity, but as a victim of the scribes who "devour widows' houses" (verse 40).

Am I like those scribes? I don't consciously prey on anybody, but can I in good conscience accept all the systems in today's society that benefit me at the expense of my poorer neighbors? Should I try to do something about a tax code that places a much heavier burden on poor wage earners than on my retirement accounts? Lotteries that reduce my taxes further by exploiting the vulnerable poor? Stores and brands that give me the cheapest possible prices by paying their workers practically nothing? Don't I need to draw the line somewhere?