First Reading: 1 Kgs 17:10-16; Psalm: 146. R. v. 1b; Second Reading: Heb 9:24-28; Gospel: Mk 12:38-44

THE EXTRAODINARY OFFERING

BY FR VALENTINE NNAMDI EGBUONU, MSP 

The gospel reading of today is a very tricky one. This is because there are apparently a couple of sentiments and ideas that are undisclosed which if clearly revealed might be relevant for a broader understanding of this parable of the widow’s offering.

The first comes in the form of a paradox. Today’s gospel portrayed Jesus as praising the widow’s unalloyed generosity. For all others contributed to the treasury out of their abundance; but the widow out of her poverty gave everything she had, her whole living. Now, here is the paradox. Beneath the surface, was Jesus completely delighted by the emptying of this poor widow? Was Jesus not also lamenting her penniless condition having made that extraordinary contribution? Is it possible that Jesus had mixed feelings of praise and displeasure at the same time about this offering? The gospel only told us that Jesus praised the widow’s contribution. But some scholars believed that Jesus also lamented the action of the poor widow. Widows are one among the most vulnerable in the Jewish society, and God protects them jealously (Ps 68:5).

Another undisclosed idea in this parable is the cause of the widow’s action. Ordinarily, it is unreasonable for anyone to empty his/her coffer and have nothing to live on. To do this may involve some persuasion or pressure. So, was this widow pressured to do what she did? Was she desperate? Jesus criticised the scribes in the first part of today’s gospel for seeking their own honour and devouring the homes of widows (vv 38-40). In addition, the treasury was controlled by the same scribes Jesus criticised. The treasury fund was to be used for the poor, but some have accused the scribes of splurging on expensive lifestyle with the said contribution. Nevertheless, if really this poor widow was pressured, her free will to make this extraordinary contribution remains voluntary and to be praised.

The trickiest of all is what Jesus could be saying to us through the emptying of this poor widow. Since Jesus praised the extraordinary generosity of this widow; does this imply that Jesus is asking us to financially give all we have, our whole living to the Church? This will be unreasonable; and Jesus is not unreasonable. Jesus is not asking us to empty our savings. The emphasis here is generosity. And generosity is not measured by how much we give but how we give.

On a surface level, we will consider someone who donates one thousand rand to the Church as more generous than someone who donates five rand. In fact, oftentimes, the donors of humongous amounts are those praised and recognised by the Church. But that person who gave just five rand may be giving 50 or 90% of his/her savings, and by that is more generous than the wealthy individual who gave a thousand rand but it’s only a tiny percentage of his/her earnings. This is a wake-up call for us to pay attention and acknowledge the generosity of the poor ones among us whom we often overlook due to the “smallness” of what they offer. But beyond the monetary aspect of this gospel narrative, the lesson also focuses on attitude and motivation. Do we give to draw attention, or do we give selflessly from a genuine heart?

God is not impressed or moved by pomp and show but by a selfless and pure heart. Such a heart expresses true generosity. A business owner may be flourishing financially and expanding the business into more branches. But unknown to anyone, the same business owner may be fraudulent and his/her products harmful to consumers. Conventionally, people like this are those our world classifies as successful. But another business owner who struggles financially to sustain his business and went into bankruptcy due his conviction in Christian values and good morals is often seen as a failure by the society. When either of them gives, we can tell who will give more. But whose generosity among them is pure in the sight of God? The answer is obvious. God sees the heart.

The emptying of the widow of Zarephath in our first reading and the widow in our gospel reading of today also capture what Jesus hopes to do in the coming week. The sacrifice of Jesus on the cross to save humanity was such that he offered himself completely to put away our sins. So, beyond the cash and kind generosity of these widows, the lesson goes deeper to challenge us to be like them who just like Christ made unreserved sacrifices for the good of others. True Disciples of Christ will give themselves unconditionally in service to God and to one another. Ultimately, we are called to love and to be charitable just as Christ did. 

PRAYER FOR THE DAY

Lord Jesus, rid us of every pomp and show, and help us by your grace to practice true generosity that comes from a pure and sincere heart. Amen.