A World of Entertainment

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Originally uploaded by zaido.

Another place we visited on our city walk last week was Crown Casino. Unfortunately they wouldn't let us in, because they reckoned Erin wasn't old enough, and she didn't have ID on her. So we stood in the foyer and read this piece of scripture:

Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a fraction of a penny.
Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, 'I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.'
(Mark 12:41-44)

So it looks like Jesus reckons it's awesome that this woman is putting all her money in. But when we look at this scripture, we don't often look at the bit that comes before:

As he taught, Jesus said, 'Watch out for the teachers of the law. They like to walk around in flowing robes and be greeted in the marketplaces, and have the most important seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets. They devour widows' houses and for a show make lengthy prayers. Such men will be punished most severely.'
Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a fraction of a penny.
Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, 'I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.'
(Mark 12:38-44)

Jesus definitely doesn't undervalue the poor widow's offering. He says that she put in more than anyone else.
But it seems like he's also saying that the religious leaders are getting rich off the offerings of people like this poor widow. It should really be the other way around. The rich religious leaders' money should've been used to help the poor people.

It seemed like there was something similar going on at Crown. The Victorian state government is dependent on gambling, and most of the people being 'entertained' at crown are spending a lot more than they can easily afford. So, like the rich religious leaders, they're taking money from people who can't afford it, people they should be helping.

I also thought about the last time I'd been to Crown. It'd been for a dinner/meeting at Santé, with other leaders of a Christian organisation, which is part of one of Australia's larger church denomonations. I remember I hadn't eaten in quite a while, but still, did the money that paid for my rather expensive dinner come from the people it should have been going to help? Had they been promised that if they gave the church more than they could afford (perhaps based on the story of the poor widow) God would bless them by making them rich?

More about Crown:
'The four Myths of Crown Casino' - Tim Costello, John Mark Ministries
'High stakes down under' - Mark Brolly, The Tablet