Watching and Waiting with Jesus

Portions adapted from the sermon for 11/10/2024

Advent is the season of watching and waiting. During these weeks, we watch and wait for what is to come. We anticipate Jesus’ arrival both at Christmas and in the fullness of time.

A couple of weeks ago, however, the Lectionary Readings included Mark12:38-44. There’s a moment in there of Jesus watching and waiting, and it got me thinking about this in a different way. The watching and waiting for Jesus might also include watching and waiting with Jesus, taking time to notice what Jesus would notice and pointing it out so that we can act together for a better world.

What does Jesus notice in this passage? What does he point out?

Jesus sits down across from the treasury, where people are placing their donations or offerings. You can almost see that bustling line, hear the noise of little conversations, and maybe even catch people noticing who is in attendance.

Jesus has been talking about a broken system. He mentions the scribes in their long robes, who take their profits from the poorest of the poor—they “devour widows’ houses” (Mark 12:40)—to keep their extravagance going. It is a broken system. It’s a system that could be better—that should be better.

But things seem…fine. People are going about their days, and the sun comes up and goes down as it should and it all is what it is. They might ask if it is really that bad, or even happening at all.

Jesus sits down across from the treasury. He watches and waits like he knows what he’s going to see. Before he even needs to stand up to stretch his legs, she arrives. It’s the widow with two copper coins. Jesus notices and points it out. That system he was talking about literally just took the last penny she had.

I have heard this passage talked about another way, where this person is described only as virtuous and generous. All she had, she gave. This moment serves as an example for us, and that’s it.

That can’t be all there is to it, though. Do we remember what Jesus just said?

In this moment, as we watch and wait with Jesus, we may realize how there’s still so much work to be done. Because ideas aren’t just ideas, and systems aren’t just systems. They’re people. They’re her.

And we can follow Jesus’ example and sit down, focus, and pay attention. Notice what’s not working, who’s hurting, and then address it. We can find ways to make things better.

Everything Jesus says about the widow is correct. She gave all she had. She gave more than the people with the most. That is absolutely true—but so is what he said about the system. It’s taken everything she had, and those with the most still have the most.

How do we fix that? How do we begin?

Here’s the amazing good news: we don’t have to start this work. The work of making the world better is ongoing. It’s already started. We only have to continue—and we can remember that we’re not alone in the work that still needs to be done.

Happy Advent