Today’s thought has been focussing my attention on Jesus and how he used the power that he obviously had. We suspect we can all think of examples of people abusing their power both within and outside church circles.

Whether we like it or not, it is white middle class people that posses power in this world. We look at the gospel stories and admire Jesus for speaking out against the authorities. Jesus chastises the power holders and confronts them with the abuses ‘they are allowing to happen. Because we are people with the power we miss much of this in the gospels.

An example I have looked at recently is the story of the widow and her coin in Mark chapter 12. Jesus says she has given more than anyone else and this has been traditionally taken to mean what a great sacrificial character she has. That is a reading of the story from the position of power.

An alternative (and I would suggest more accurate) reading from the viewpoint of the powerless’ could be that Jesus is drawing attention to the abuse of power displayed here by the scribes and Pharisees in demanding payment to th temple. Rather than the point being praise for this woman’s sacrifice, Jesus could be chastising the authorities over their ability to take even this poor womans last few coins to maintain their structures. From their position of power they are willing to see a poor widow become poor and hungry to serve their own needs.

They have lost the plot despite clear commands in scripture to look after the widow. They deny clear commands to care for the destitute in order to maintain the ‘holyness’ of a certain place with certain structures.

If Jesus were here today … what would he say to us as the people who hold power in our circles of influence?