Mark 12:38–44 ³⁸ And in his teaching he said, “Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes and like greetings in the marketplaces ³⁹ and have the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at feasts, ⁴⁰ who devour widows’ houses and for a pretense make long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation.”

⁴¹ And he sat down opposite the treasury and watched the people putting money into the offering box. Many rich people put in large sums. ⁴² And a poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which make a penny. ⁴³ And he called his disciples to him and said to them, “Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the offering box. ⁴⁴ For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.”

Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God the Father through our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  Amen.

Nobody wants to lose.  Nobody enters a competition planning on losing.  Maybe, you recognize your opponent is faster, smarter, more skilled, and better equipped.  Maybe you recognize that your opponent will probably win, but you always compete with the hope to overcome and be victorious.

We like the movies that portray the underdog, the down-and-outers, coming back against all odds and winning the State Championship or getting the girl/guy or landing the ultimate job.  We cheer for the Titans, we hope for Cinderella, and we are a just a little bit jealous of Forest Gump.

In our Gospel text today, Jesus contrasts winning and losing.  And everything leading up to our text certainly makes it look like Jesus is winning.

Jesus is in Jerusalem awaiting His death.  Huge crowds welcomed Him waving palm branches and shouting “Hosanna.”  He is challenging the authorities with His every word and action.  He clears the money-changers out of the temple.  He has made the scribes and Pharisees look foolish by asking them if John the Baptizer was from heaven or from man (Mk. 11:30); a question they do not answer.  He speaks in a parable which shows that the religious leaders have rejected the God of their fathers (Mk. 12:1-11).

Finally, we are told that the scribes and Pharisees want to arrest Jesus, but they are afraid of the people (Mk. 12:12).  Jesus appears to be winning and the scribes and Pharisees appear to be losing.

So the scribes and Pharisees start asking Jesus questions that appear to have no safe answer.  They try to make Jesus walk a tightrope without a balancing pole.  They ask questions designed to get Him in trouble either with the religious leaders or with the Roman government.  They ask questions about paying taxes (12:13-17), about the resurrection (12:18-27), and about which is the greatest commandment (12:28-34).  But Jesus skillfully gives them nothing to bring against Him.  After these encounters, no one even dared to ask Him any more questions (Mk. 12:34).

But Jesus isn’t done; He goes on the offensive and asks the scribes and Pharisees a difficult question, “Whose son is the Christ?  How can the Messiah be David’s son and David’s Lord?”  The scribes and Pharisees answer not one word.  But we are told, “a great throng heard Him gladly” (Mk. 12:37).

Jesus certainly appears to be winning and the scribes and Pharisees appear to be losing.  And Jesus even keeps hitting them while they were down.

But Jesus’ words in the beginning of our text (Mk. 12:38-40) speak against winning.

Beware.  Beware of winning.  Beware the desire to have the ‘latest and greatest’ in clothes and gadgets.  Beware of what those things do to your head.  Beware the things that make you in.  Beware the things that make you someone.

Beware of winning.  Beware the winning ways that you publish through your Christmas letters, through your conversations, and on your Facebook wall.  You are so smart and so witty.  You and your family have it all together.  You are so popular that you have dozens of friends talking about you and liking and commenting on your status.  Beware of winning popularity.

Beware of winning.  Beware of having the best places in your job (with tasks beneath you).  Beware in your circle of friends (where you keep certain people close and shun everyone else) even here at church.  Beware of the notoriety and fame that you crave so badly.

Is the cost of constantly winning worth it?  Does it bother you when someone else is winning more than you are?  Aren’t you still miserable even when you win?

Misery loves company.  One author wrote,“Misery loves company, particularly when she is herself the hostess, and can give generously of her stores to others” (John K. Bangs).

Jesus warns against your winning ways.  Jesus says, “You winners will receive the greater condemnation.”

After all of the controversy with the scribes and Pharisees, Jesus—maybe tired of arguing—sits down opposite the treasury to watch the spectacle of people putting their offerings into the boxes.  In the Temple, there were thirteen different horns which received offerings; those horns were literally shaped like trumpets.

Jesus watches people put in their large sums of money and “sound the trumpet” (Mt. 6:2) tooting their own horn.  You can almost hear the clamor of the wheel-barrow full of valuable coins clinking and clanking as they fall through the trumpet and land in the box.  You can almost hear the wonder in people’s voices and the encouragement they give to each other.  “Good job, Larry.  Boy, you sure gave a lot!”  “Wow Hank. That’ll be hard to top.”  “My goodness Phil.  You are generous.”

But there is a sight and a sound that almost goes unnoticed and would have gone unnoticed if Jesus had not been there.  A poor pauper widow accidently makes a tiny sound of two small copper coins tinkling into the box.  Together, her two coins totaled 1/64^th of a days’ wage.

Her offering was so small that it was unlawful to give a less amount.  She could not have given more and was not allowed to give less.  This offering was everything to her; she has nothing left.  And as that miniscule offering drops into the box, she loses.  The scribes have devoured another house.  They have won this match; game over.  Score: pompous scribes and Pharisees-1, penurious widow-0.

Yet, the looser widow gets singled out by Jesus.  He doesn’t publicly recognize her; it would mar the beauty of her gift.  Jesus does not encourage her; she already has God’s promised faithfulness.

The pompous scribes “devour widow’s houses.”  This penurious widow gives away not only her house but everything she had to live on.  She loses.  She loses not bitterly but of her own free will knowing God’s promise.

This impoverished widow has the world because she has nothing.  She is the last; she is made first.  She is servant of all—servant even of the greedy scribes and Pharisees; she is made the greatest.  She is a loser; God gives her the victory.

While Jesus appears to be winning in this text, He is the Ultimate Loser.  He, even though He had lived a perfect life, died an unjust death.  Jesus had the most to give and the greatest reason to “trumpet” His offering, but He laid it down.  He was oppressed and afflicted, but He didn’t open His mouth.  He was led like a lamb to the slaughter, but He didn’t speak a word (Is. 53:7).

In His death, Jesus didn’t notice the pious, the moral, the great, or the winners.  In His death, Jesus noticed the nobodies, the losers; He noticed you.  He noticed you who had nothing to offer, and He rejoiced in that.

Jesus saw that there was no way for you to win.  So Jesus took the loss for you.  He gave you His victory.  He gave you Himself.  Amen.

May the peace of God which surpasses all understanding guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.  Amen.