Gospel: Giving

Today is the Thirty Second Time in Ordinary Time and the Gospel reading (shorter form) will be read from the Gospel of St Mark (12:41-44).

Jesus sad down opposite the treasury and observed how the crowd put money in the treasury. Many rich people put in large sums. A poor widow also came and put in two small coins worth a few cents.

Calling his disciples to himself, he said to them, "Amen I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all the other contributors to the treasury. For they have all contributed from surplus wealth, but she, from poverty, has contributed all she had, her whole livelihood.

The context for today's Gospel continues to be mounting tension between Jesus and the Jewish authorities. St Mark reports some of Jesus' teaching in the temple area in today's reading and in the preceding verses not included in our Lectionaty sequence. In the first part of today's Gospel (longer form, 12:38-44), we hear Jesus warn the crowds not to follow the example of the scribes in seeking honor and attention from others. It is important to recall that St Mark indicates that Jesus taught these things while in the vicinity of the Temple in Jerusalem. St Mark is setting the stage for Jesus' passion.

Jesus then observes how Jewish pilgrims are making their contributions to the temple treasury. The Temple in Jerusalem was the center of Jewish worship in the time of Jesus. It was expected that observant Jews would make pilgrimages to the Temple to offer prayer and sacrifices. Pilgrims were also expected to offer financial conrribution to the temple treasury.

As we would expect to be the case, Jesus observes that those who were rich contributed large sums of money to the temple treasury. Those with less means made smaller contributions. A similar situation exists in most of our parishes as well. Jesus calls attention, however, to a poor widow who makes the smallest contribution --teo coins of little value. Jesus upholds the poor widow's offering for his disciples' contribution, commending her because her small offering was an act of profound generosity, giving from her livelihood rather than surplus wealth.

To give from our livelihood is not only an act of generosity, it is also an act of trust in God. We can only give from our need if we trust that God will provide for us. Jesus himself demonstrates the ultimate act of generosity and trust in God as he gives his life for us on the cross.

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