Giving from one's poverty ~ A reflection on the Thirty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time (B)

Thirty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time (B)

1 Kgs 17:10-16

Ps 146:7, 8-9, 9-10, (1b)

Heb 9:24-28

Mk 12:38-44

In today's readings, we hear of two instances about the generosity of the poor.  Despite their poverty, two widows were willing to give away what little they had, knowing that by doing so, they would have no way of buying food for themselves or their families.

In the first reading from the 1st Book of Kings, the prophet Elijah comes upon a widow and her son who are ready to prepare their last meal before they starve, for they will have no flour or oil left.  There is drought and famine in the land, so you can imagine how the widow must have felt when Elijah asked her for water and food to eat.  But Elijah reassured her that there would be enough for all of them to eat and placing her trust in his words, the widow prepared his food.  Indeed, God blessed her generosity and trust.  Her jar of flour and her jug of oil did not go empty until the rains finally came the following year, just as Elijah had told them.

In the Gospel reading, we hear Jesus condemning the hypocritical behavior of the scribes who were using their temple positions to dress elaborately and to appear more important than everyone else by taking the seats of honor at banquets.  But even more wickedly, they took over the homes of widows.  Throughout Scripture, we find that one of the important duties of the Jewish community was to take care of their widows and orphans.  Some scribes apparently cared nothing about that duty.

Continuing in the reading, we see Jesus watching people giving to the temple treasury and noted that the rich were donating large sums of money.  Again, we have a poor widow placing her small coin there also. Jesus seeing this as another teaching moment, called his disciples to himself and told them that the widow's mite was more valuable a gift to God than all the riches of the wealthy, because the widow had given from her poverty, not knowing whether she would have enough money for her future needs.

In both of these instances, we see that the widows and orphans were the ones with the greater generosity...  We also see that they weren't necessarily being taken care of properly by the community, who had a duty to do so.  The widows' reward would be greater in heaven.

The psalmist's trust and love of God is evident in how he portrays the Lord's blessing of the widows and orphans:

"The fatherless and the widow he sustains, but the way of the wicked he thwarts." (vs 9) 


 ~ Image Source:  Seattle First Church of the Nazarene