Thirty Second Sunday

Thirty Second Sunday Ordinary
November 12, 2006

"...the jar of flour did not go empty, nor the jug of oil run dry, " ( I Kings 17: 10-16) For they have all contributed from their surplus wealth, but she, from her poverty, has contributed all she had, her whole livelihood." (Mark 12: 38-44)

The prophet Elijah, traveling about during a time of famine, meets a poor nameless widow and asks for water and some bread. In spite of her extreme hunger -- to the point of death by starvation -- she honors his request and is repaid with food enough to survive the drought.

Jesus is instructing his apostles while they are at the temple, pointing out how the religious professionals who should know better abuse their authority and status. This is quite a contrast to the scribe whom he had just previously declared to be not far from the kingdom of heaven. Not all church professionals deserve condemnation, then or now. Jesus then points out a poor nameless widow contributing a pittance from her meager survival income to support the temple professionals who despise her.

Although these are great stories sometimes exploited for church, synagogue and mosque stewardship drives, they are much more. Value in this life unfortunately is most often measured by money, and generosity by how much of it we sacrifice. They are also stories about self-sacrifice, which is not limited by any means to financial resources. Both of these destitute women gave all they had and became wealthy. God's abundance is endless, especially for those with nothing obvious to share except their very lives. Beyond even the material sustenance there is enough of God's life for everyone -- and forever.

There is more than one way to identify with these widows. Several recent experiences have reminded me that generosity is not limited to the piety of the poor. There are also countless acts of anonymous self-sacrificing spiritual and material generosity, by people of substantial resources, which happen daily without us ever seeing or knowing about them. I personally am aware of this when I review nightly all the wonderful people who contribute in one way or another to my survival and that of others, God's little people. There is probably as much quiet goodness and benevolence going on behind the scenes unnoticed as there is public greed and shameless grasping for power. I wonder if there is some cosmic balance by which these millions of anonymous acts of love by wealthy and poor alike save our race from annihilation.