The widow's mites

I just finished Mitzi Minor's The Power of Mark's Story (thanks to Scott Jones). Now this is a cool read. I've always been interested at examining things from either a new angle or from the opposite view. Her discussion of Mark using minor characters to further the story of the coming of God's Kingdom was fascinating. Upon reading NewPsalm and following one of the links to a sermon on "the widow with two mites" and contrasting that with her view (with others) that this story exposes a "widow robbed of her last two cents by a corrupt temple system". Now how do you like that, it is not the congregation's lack of generosity to God (although that was not the point of the previous sermon), but the bastardization by the church that entraps those who will blindly follow. Faith creates a vulnerability that can be exploited. The leaders of the church were the problem. Their fear of loss of status and of power was accentuated by Christ. Their ability to not only lord over widows, but steal their last two cents was in jeopardy. Lord, help me to do more than sit in my heated home and contemplate, but to be fully aware of those that have faith (or not), that I may not exploit, but further your Kingdom.