“All these have put in their offerings to God out of their abundance but she out of poverty put in all the livelihood that she had.”
This is a difficult and misunderstood gospel reading. The general consensus is that Christ is commending the widow and commenting that the true measure of a gift is not how much is given but how much remains and that it is not the amount that is given but the spirit in which the gift is given that is important. That is simplistic and erroneous.
The problem with that understanding is that it ignores what this gospel reading is about. This gospel reading is about the danger posed by the scribes who go around in long robes, love greetings in the market places, and have the best seats in the synagogues and feasts. These same people are accused by Christ of devouring widows’ houses, and they will receive great condemnation from him.
Christ is not approving of the behaviour of the woman who took her last two coins to give to the Temple. After all, what would 2 mites, that were the smallest denomination in Palestine at the time, do for the Treasury finances? Rather, he is disapproving of the behaviour of the woman to give her last two coins of her living to the Treasury. Why is that so?
What Christ is really declaring is a further illustration of the problems of the official religion of the time. Clearly the Jewish religion of the old Testament had lost its way. This poor widow who had been taught and encouraged to give to the Temple gave everything that she had. She was left with nothing. It is this value system and the people who promoted this value system and conditioned her to give to the Temple her very last living which is condemned by Christ. Why else would Christ say immediately following not one stone shall be left upon another of the Temple?
This gospel is used by a lot of charismatic churches to encourage giving. Every true gift they say is to give everything and that alms and pious gifts should correspond to one’s means. The reality however is that it is an elaboration and condemnation of the way scribes devoured houses of widows and took advantage of the poor.
Let us reflect upon this. Our religion is not about taking advantage of the disadvantaged in life but about sharing with one another in Christ. Christ said to protect the widow. How on earth would the church be protecting the widow if it expected to receive the last of her living?