SPIRITUAL POVERTY November 7, 2021
The world we live in can be very distracting. Everything in it gets broken down or torn apart. Important concepts are shredded into little bits and pieces. There is disharmony or broken bits, pieces, and individual parts. To be at peace we have to see the whole picture and is achieved in prayer and contemplation which will then allow us to enter into the heart of God.
Today’s gospel lesson is still asking us to continue concentration on the question of truth. This time though it is about being true to who we are rather than presenting an image of ourselves that we think makes us look good to everyone – including ourselves.
Would this action influence my behavior? Would I be ashamed? Perhaps a sit-down chat with Jesus would help me honestly look at my own life. In this scenario I would ask Jesus for light and help to keep me in the truth. How would you handle this same scenario.
What is today’s lesson really about? What is Jesus trying to teach us?
I have always taken the story of the widow in today's gospel at face value. Namely that the poor widow is an example of generosity. I for one have been solely focused on the familiarity of the story and have not had the urge to dig deeper in to the lessons involved. The why of it or how it applies to us was never at the top of my to do list. I was content settling with the usual interpretation of the various translators and left it at that. I was inclined to perhaps criticize how the rich around me would not give more. Looking at the outside and not seeing inside their lives – are they rich in appearance, or material wealth. Does their persona reveal the true picture? We probably are just assuming they are rich.
God, as we are told numerous times in the Bible, looks at our heart and its readiness to give generously. Do we measure our worth by external successes, by dollars and cents earned and saved? Are we free to look in our hearts to be generous even in poverty? I admit that in this instance I would have to ask God to help me look at myself and others as he looks at me.
The story of the widow lady embodies poverty. She has no need for the money of the rich, the long robes of the scribes or marketplace respect. She has no need for the best seat in the house or even the appearance of holiness. The absence of the widow’s need to have becomes her need not to have. The absence of the widow’s need to have becomes her need not to have. I repeat this as it struck a chord with me. Do I need it or just think I need it? At first look, what she does makes no sense. She gives her last two coins into the plate. “She out of poverty has put everything she had - all she had to live on.” What else does a poor widow have to give? She only has the riches of poverty.
The riches of poverty come not from acquiring but from letting go. All authentic spirituality is about letting go – of letting go of comparison, competition, expectation, judgment; letting go of status, reputation, and appearances; letting go of the need for power, to control, to succeed, to win, to be right; for the need for approval and perfectionism, all the illusions we create or buy in order to make ourselves better. Ultimately it means letting go of ourselves and the ones we love most.
Spiritual poverty begins with letting go and it always reveals the fragility of life. It takes us to the border between life and death where there are no guarantees - only hope, where there are no answers – only faith, and where there is no security only love. This is where the poor widow lives. This is where God lives. They live in union as one. In the face of the poor widow – the face of spiritual poverty – the Christ sees and recognizes Himself.
The gospel story is not simply about the treasury of money but rather about the treasury of poverty.
In Jesus’ times scribes were a type of lawyer. The long robes are synonymous with Armani business suits in today’s time. They were interpreters of the Old Testament. The scribes Jesus refers to, are not being honest about who they are but the widow is not ashamed to let people see her for who she is – a poor woman with little financial wealth. She shows this by putting two, small, essentially worthless coins forward.
The scribes, as are lawyers, were in a good position to defraud the widows who likely confided in them. This is still a happenstance of sorts 2000 plus years later.
In our age, even more so than in Jesus’ time we are so obsessed with image that it becomes the most important feature for our leaders such as the political leaders. Although, I would much rather listen to Jesus’ words but can also be a challenge to our culture.
Now Jesus never fails to remind of the most important commandments he has taught. In the ten commandments Jesus speak of two that are the most important one. ‘ the love of God and the love of neighbour. We think of love as being spontaneous so the commandment to love one another seems strange at first. Being created in the image of God, who is love, with hearts of love, we have the desire and capacity to develop this gift. However, we do fail and have selfish tendencies to go our own way. True love is a decision to respond generously. If we can manage to keep these two commandments, we will most likely keep the other eight!
Jesus helps us to be alert to our selfishness and our judgmental tendencies towards others. We are far from loving our neighbour as ourselves and yet that is what we are asked to do.
Honors and titles are hard hit in the Gospels. Seeking after them is at variance with the way of Jesus. Seeking attention for oneself is not the way in which Jesus walks. Our work for the Lord may be simple and unknown to all but a few. But it is known to God and in God’s sight. In the story today it is reflected in the account of the widow’s generosity. Jesus did not seem to believe in appearances. Shows of piety and religiousness did not necessarily impress him. He saw behind the tiny amount of money given by her to the huge generosity of her heart.
God measures giving not by what we give but by what we hold back for ourselves. He measures the gift by the sacrifice involved. This is why Jesus put a huge value to widow’s gift. In other words, the worth of a gift is determined by what it costs the giver.
Amen.