RBWords

     One of the standard features of a campus ministry nowadays is a "mission trip" in which students are offered the opportunity to go to an impoverished area, either in the USA or elsewhere, and participate in ministries that range from teaching catechism to building houses or digging wells or, in the case of health care students, doing actual treatment of medical needs.  Time and again these students come back with stories of visiting very humble homes where the family can barely afford to feed themselves much less anyone else and yet the families offer them whatever they have in the house, even if the family would go hungry that day because of their generosity.  The students come to realize that the cost of their transportation on the mission trip might be more than what that family earns in a year!

     Jesus points out the difference in generosity between the widow's two small coins and the surplus tithing of the wealthy.  Widows were considered to be among the most vulnerable people in Jewish life at the time.  Caring for widows and orphans was considered a fundamental duty.  The difference in the offerings was easily sensed because the receptacles for offerings were metal and the sound of the offering called attention to its size.  The widow's klink, klink contrasted with the wealthy KLANK, KLANK!  Since this scene takes place in Jesus' last days in Jerusalem before his passion, scripture scholars think his comment on the widow's generosity reflects his own intimations about what lay ahead for him, an ultimate generosity.  But, the widow stands on her own as a witness to us.  How do we give?  What is the extent of our generosity?  Traditional wisdom about this speaks of time, treasure and talent.  That can give us each a framework for thinking about this, but in the case of Jesus and the widow, it is an "ultimate" framework.  How many of us can say the same?  AMEN