Given by Rev. Madison Shockley November 7, 2021
This passage is a familiar one. A rich man and a poor widow donate to the temple. The widow gave all she had to the temple. The text emphasized that God was concerned about the widows, orphans, and strangers in society. These three groups were the most vulnerable. Jesus was condemning the temple for making the widow give everything she had to the temple instead of helping her. There was a huge gap between the rich and the poor. The rich man was still rich but the widow was now destitute. The temple had become the central banking center for Jewish society. Today, we are debating the tax structure for our society. The super rich are not paying their share of the taxes. They claim higher taxes represent class warfare. God calls people to care about those less fortunate. It is explained best through Abuelita Theology. The oppressed become active in their liberation allowing all to be free and have a voice. Everyone must be involved. Everyone must be able to live with the dignity given them by God.
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