God Loves a Cheerful Giver: 32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time
Sermon by Emmanuel Suntheni OSB – Thirty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time – Year B
Sermon and Christian Act in The Word
Theme: The Heart of the Widow! God loves a cheerful giver! Righteousness in Giving!
Point of Reflection: When was the last time I reflected on, and gave any attention to those who are struggling to sustain themselves materially in this world, particularly widows and single mothers in my surroundings? Have I ever been involved in any actions that oppress and harm widows or orphans?
Two of today’s readings contain stories of widows in desperate life circumstances. These stories teach essential lessons in recognising and reaching for what ensures and sustains abundant and lasting life. In life we need to share what we have in life with others, for God loves a cheerful giver and it is the heart that gives. We need to give to the Church.
However, sometimes we need to ask ourselves as the Church, what kind of money do we receive in the Church as offerings? Some money or offertory may be blood-money or drug-dealing money. As a church, we need to constantly remind ourselves and the people to give clean money because some people with blood money are more generous and sometimes as a Church we cling to such people because they give a lot. We need to have an honest heart with the way we deal with offertory in the Church.
Like the two widows in the two readings of today show wisdom, we can confidently pray the Psalmist’s words, “The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down; the Lord loves the righteous.”
First Reading: 1 Kings 17:10–16
Psalm: Psalm 146:7–10
Second Reading: Hebrews 9:24–28
Gospel: Mark 12:38–44
Sermon (Reflection): The widow of Zarephath in the first Scriptural reading lived her life following false gods and unproven beliefs. She might have been comfortable with these beliefs and customs of her people, but there must have been something that made her open to new ideas and possibilities. Welcoming Elijah under her roof she showed the kind of openness that is required of every believing person in order to understand and see how God comes to us in our daily life. In our life as Christians, are we able to welcome the windows and the underprivileged?
This widow of Zarephath was able to see God acting through Elijah and to welcome something new into her life. She was wise because she did not cling desperately to her past and familiar beliefs. Unlike her, many of us fall into the trap of sticking with the familiar at all costs and no matter what. We cling to and rely on what we have learned, stubbornly refusing to admit new possibilities. Our childhood memories and habits, what we have learned from our friends and teachers, and our uncritical acceptance of cultural values and practices often blind us to new possibilities. Worse, our laziness and distaste for effort keep our minds closed and our eyes shut to God who comes to us in ever-new and often unexpected ways. We need the wisdom of the widow of Zarephath not to miss out on God’s grace.
The poor widow from Mark’s Gospel of today knew that God required wholehearted and unrestrained devotion, not a specific amount of money. This widow, despite her inability to fulfil the monetary demands of the Temple tax, fulfilled her religious duty in an even greater measure, by her utter devotion and trust.
What we give to the Church must be from the heart and must be an act of devotion and trust, not showing off.
The Gospel passage of today provides the pinnacle of today’s messages: to give from the heart not from the mind. The Gospel contrasts three different characters: the scribes, a rich widow, and a poor widow. The scribes were a group of learned professionals, able to read and write. They were schooled in matters of civil administration but, above all, experts in the Law of Moses. They were held in high respect and dressed accordingly, wearing “long robes”. They were given first seats in the synagogues and at social gatherings. However, they were not supposed to receive formal payment for their religious teaching and services. Thus, when not working for the civil administration they relied on the generosity and gifts of their fellow Jews for their upkeep.
Jesus accused them of “devouring widows’ houses”. He was most likely referring to those scribes who attached themselves to wealthy widows, looking for material support and benefits. Wealthy widows would have been their targets because these women were no longer under their husbands’ authority, and could use their property freely. The scribes sometimes manipulated these widows with clever words and appearances of piety, “long prayers”, for material gain. Alternatively, as knowledgeable lawyers, these scribes could seek legal technicalities to grab these widows’ properties.
In any case, Jesus condemns the exploitation of wealthy widows in the name of religion, or through manipulation of religious laws.
The scribes used their authority to sustain themselves but did so in a dishonest and manipulative way.
The poor widow faced a very different problem. Every Jewish person was required to pay the yearly half-shekel temple tax for the upkeep of the Temple and priests. But the widow offered only “two small copper coins”, which amounted to about 1/60 of the required tax. She was too poor to pay the full temple tax. Still, she offered all that she had available. In Jesus’ view, this poor widow fulfilled her religious duties through her unreserved and sincere devotion. She held back nothing for herself but gave all to God. By giving all she had, the woman also demonstrated her trust that God would provide for her. Unlike the rich scribes who resorted to dishonest means to sustain themselves, this widow showed wisdom and understanding in discerning what is required of a true believer. This is a calling for Christians to give from the heart, not by force.
Today’s second reading contains two sharp contrasts. The Jerusalem Temple is contrasted with the heavenly sanctuary, while Christ’s sacrifice is set in contrast to the sacrifices offered by the Israelite priests. Temples were viewed as sacred places where heaven and earth met. Entering such a space meant entering the heavenly world present on earth, and coming into the divine presence. The sacrifice mentioned was the yearly Yom Kippur rite. On that special day, the high priest entered the most sacred space in the Temple, the “Holy Place”, and sprinkled the blood of the sacrificed animal on the top of the Ark of the Covenant. This was the atonement sacrifice offered for the forgiveness of the sins of the entire nation.
The author of Hebrews contrasts these practices with the sacrifice of Jesus. His death on the cross marked his entry into the heavenly world. That world is God’s own dwelling place, and, therefore, the true temple. The earthly temple in Jerusalem was just a mere “copy” or shadow of God’s dwelling place in heaven. Jesus’ death was also the sacrifice which brought forgiveness of sins and reconciliation. However, unlike the Yom Kippur sacrifice, repeated yearly by the Jewish high priests,
Jesus offered his sacrifice once for all, permanently reconciling humanity to God.
The author concludes this passage with a vision of the future, when Christ will return to earth as the glorified Lord, and will bring salvation to those who await him. This passage teaches Christians that the Jerusalem Temple, and continued offering of sin sacrifices, were no longer necessary. Christ is their high priest in the heavenly temple, and he offered the necessary sacrifice that reconciled them to God. Trust and faith in Christ are sufficient for the forgiveness of sins and final salvation. If we have given blood money to the Church or misused offertory let us repent and ask for forgiveness.
Christian Act in Word of God “Love for the Widows & underprivileged”
In the societies we are living in today there is a bad habit of hiding under culture known as “property grabbing”. Widows and orphans are often dispossessed by the family of the husband and father who has died. They may be evicted from their houses, have their property seized, and even their everyday belongings confiscated by the family of the deceased one. All this is done in the name of cultural customs and family ties. These customs are evoked and used to justify the greed and callousness of some members of the extended family. This is the situation that perfectly illustrates what Jesus meant by “devouring widows’ houses”. Justifying such injustices by reference to cultural values and customs is completely wrong because all traditional societies always had means and ways to protect the dispossessed and vulnerable. Property grabbing is also utterly unacceptable from the Christian point of view. It goes against every single principle on which Jesus rested his teaching about the care his followers should have for the underprivileged.
The poor widow from the Gospel also teaches us an important lesson, on not finding excuses for religious inaction. All too often we hear Christians justifying themselves on account of poverty, or lack of talents and abilities, and excusing themselves from meaningful participation in the community. The widow from the Gospel had almost nothing, and yet she stands out as a powerful example of trust and faith in God. Jesus used her as a role model for his disciples.
To be a role model we need nothing apart from ourselves and our own integrity, faith and commitment.
Like the wise widows of today’s readings, we need to show our own wisdom by living with eyes wide open to see God’s interventions in our lives.
Action: I will offer a daily prayer for the poor and underprivileged, particularly widows and orphans. I will also offer them something from the little I have.
Prayer: Lord God whose eyes rest constantly on the widows and underprivileged of this world. We ask for your continued care of them. May you provide them with what they need, through people who, with open and generous hearts, help them face their challenges and overcome obstacles. Make our hearts open and sensitive to recognise the needs of the disadvantaged and to be courageous and generous enough to assist them in their plight. We ask this through Christ our Lord, Amen.
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