She put in everything she possessed
Mark 12:38-44
Two months ago, in the company of 12 others, I did a pilgrimage of 224 kms in Kenya, from the national shrine of Mary Mother of God in Subukia to the Shrine of Mary Help of Christians in Nairobi. In the 8-day journey, we were using Catholic churches as our stop-overs for the night. When we reach our destination after walking an average of 30 kms, we would have mass with the people at 5pm, then have our dinner at 6pm and retire to rest after some reflections of the day. Out of the journey, one of the powerful memories that I carry is the generosity of rural women. On the 2nd day, after our mass with the parish people, one elderly woman came to one member of our group, she gave her about 7 eggs in a small bag, and said to her, “This is for your group. These are from my hens. Please eat and get strength, as you continue the journey.” On the 6th day, we were passing through a market area. Of course, people were curious to know what we were about. When we had explained that we are on this pilgrimage as an act of prayer, one simple woman picked out Ksh.100 (about $1) and gave to one person in our group and said, “Please drink some water on the way…” Even today, we have people who give their all!
When the books of Old Testament refer to the poor they often list three categories of people: the stranger, the orphan and the widow (Deut 14:29). The Hebrew Scriptures constantly invite people to be sensitive to the needs of these three types of vulnerable people: the stranger, the orphan and the widow (Ps 94:6; Jer 7:11). When it talks about the justice of God, the Old Testament speaks of the God who defends the stranger, the orphan and the widow (Ps 146:9). It is in this context that the first reading of today becomes even more meaningful. At a time of scarcity, Prophet Elijah, instead of helping the widow, requests help from her. The poor widow generously offers the prophet the last bit of food that she had. The Lord God blesses her generosity, abundantly: “The jar of meal was not spent nor the jug of oil emptied” (1Kings 1:16).
In the New Testament, Jesus invites those who want to follow him to be kind to the poor: “Go and sell what you own and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me” (Mk 10:21). But Jesus is not glorifying material poverty. He invites us to be “poor in spirit” (Mt 5:3). Therefore, the virtue of detachment or ‘poverty in spirit’ is not just a challenge for those who are rich in the material sense but for the poor, as well.
Against this backdrop, the gospel text of today becomes very telling. In the last few Sundays, we have been reflecting on the events taking place as Jesus was on his journey towards Jerusalem. The powerful theme that was emerging in the teachings of Jesus during that journey was ‘discipleship’. Now Jesus has entered Jerusalem (Mk 11). Jesus is inside the temple in Jerusalem, and he is touched by the generosity of this poor widow towards her religion, as she contributes to the maintenance of the temple and the upkeep of the priests. Jesus uses this occasion to once again impart a message on discipleship. The widow in today’s gospel was not only materially poor – because she was a widow, but also poor in spirit – because “she from the little she had has put in everything she possessed, all she had to live on” (Mk 12:44). A true disciple is poor in spirit – being able to totally depend on God. A true disciple is able to make themselves vulnerable in front of God. A true disciple is able to give to God the best part of oneself.
Often we water down the meaning of this text, or rob the text of its depth of meaning by quoting it as an example of generosity. (Oh yes, generosity is a good human virtue!) Or, some avaricious church ministers may even use this text to exhort their people to contribute generously to church collection. I think, the meaning of the text here goes beyond money, wealth, and possessions: Am I able to make myself vulnerable in the presence of God? Am I able to stand before God, with my arms open and empty, with my mind still searching for answers, and my heart ready to respond to the Grace of God? Or am I seeking false security in my past achievements, in my name and fame, in my knowledge and education, in my material wealth, and in my attachment to people?
The story of the widow is only the culmination in a series of people in the Gospels who abandon their false securities in the presence of God:
- The Magi open their treasures and humbly prostrate before the baby in whom they have seen the presence of God (Mt 2:1-11);
- The disciples when called by Jesus leave their boats, hired men and even their father and follow Jesus (Mk 1:20, also Mt 4:22);
- When Mathew the tax collector encounters Jesus he is ready to leave his table and follow Jesus (Lk 5:27-28);
- Zacchaeus is willing to give half of his property to the poor (Lk 19:9);
- Bartimaeus, the blind beggar, leaves his upper garment and comes to Jesus in a symbolic nakedness (Mk 10:50); and,
- The Samaritan woman after her encounter with Jesus leaves her empty water jar at the feet of Jesus in a symbolic abandonment of her past (Jn 4:28).
A question that we can all ask ourselves then is: what is it that I am still holding on to – that prevents me from totally surrendering myself to God?