Jesus’ teaching in Mark 12:38-40 emphasizes three significant things. First, the scribes, though already a socially ranked group of people, attempt their best to increase their position and honour within the society by all means. They like to walk around in long robes as esteemed people. The ‘robes’ (Gk. ‘stolais’) they wear are long garments worn by priests, kings, and persons of distinction. They love to be ‘greeted with respect’ (Gk. ‘aspasmous’) in the ‘marketplaces’ (Gk. ‘agorais’). Marketplaces are the spots where both the rich and the poor often meet. The poor people are expected to greet the scribes in front of all other buyers and sellers. As a custom the scribes visit the marketplaces in order to be greeted by the poor. They prefer to have the ‘best seats’ in the synagogues. The Greek word ‘prōtokathedrias’ means ‘chief seats’. That means the scribes were aspiring to get first class seats on the basis of their social status. This tendency of the scribes often resulted into intra-synagogue classisms. The scribes also wished to have places of honor at banquets. Thus both in religious functions and in social gatherings the scribes attempted to maintain their hierarchy and hegemony. Second, they ‘devour’ (Gk. ‘katesthontes’) widows’ houses and for the sake of ‘appearance’ (Gk. ‘prophasei’) say ‘long’ (Gk. ‘makra’) prayers. The Greek word ‘katesthontes’ means ‘eat up’, ‘consume’, ‘make a prey’, and ‘plunder’. The expression here state that the scribes exploited a considerable number of widows in Israel.
The woman of Mark 12:41-44 can be considered as a victim to the evil practices of the scribes. In this context, their prayers are considered as ‘pretence’.
Third, the scribes will receive the greater ‘condemnation’ (Gk. ‘krima’) from God. From the overall passage, we understand that the scribes were a group of people who exploited the poor and the marginalized of the society, and for that the widow of Mark 12:41-44 is a living example.
Prayer: God, help me to come out of my tendencies that oppress others. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me. Amen.
