When Jesus looked up he saw some wealthy people
putting their offerings into the treasury
and he noticed a poor widow putting in two small coins.
Celebrating the contributions of the wealthy more than those of the poor is still a challenge for the Church today. Those who give more seemingly do more thereby to enable the mission of the local church, whether upkeep, expansion, paying staff, or for programs. Churches cannot sustain themselves without adequate tithing, so it is small wonder that those who make big contributions get plaques with theirs names on them or rooms named after them. These gifts of the wealthy are indeed useful and valuable. But the temptation for us as for those at the time of Jesus was to see the merit of the gift only in these world terms of utility.
He said, “I tell you truly,
this poor widow put in more than all the rest;
Saint John Chrysostom wrote that "God regarded not the scantiness of the offering, but the overflowing of the affection". God did not regard the value of the widow's offering in terms measured by utility or practical concerns. He judged it entirely on the basis of the heart that gave it. Jesus recognized in such a heart one who, had she the resources, would have given more than all of the others combined. The others were practical in that they would not bankrupt themselves by their gift. This made some sense in that they would then be able to continue giving in the future. But this widow gave more, from her poverty, offering her whole livelihood. Put this way the world might view her gift as greater than that of the wealthy people only in terms of foolishness. "Go and buy bread," they might tell her, "that you may live and hope to one day have more to give."
for those others have all made offerings from their surplus wealth,
but she, from her poverty, has offered her whole livelihood.
We recoil at the thought of this gift because we have not given everything away in order to follow Christ. Yet the point is not that this is always the right move in a literal sense. The point- and this is still very challenging- is that we should be free enough to hold nothing back from God when he asks it of us. To give away the last two of our coins is imprudent exactly up until the moment when God asks for them. At that point we must trust, just like the widow at Zarephath who was asked to use the last of our resources to make a cake for Elijah (see First Kings 17:7-16). When God asks for these coins of us we don't give them as those resigned to starvation but as those who plan from that point to rely entirely on God's providential care. He doesn't often ask everything of us, save of those vowed to poverty. But he does often ask us to give more than we think we can, more than we believe to be prudent. He may often call for those things to which we are specially attached. Do we have the faith to respond, knowing that, as long as we possess God, we can live without them?
But the Church is a widow, because her Husband endured death for her. She cast two mites into the treasury, because in God’s sight, in whose keeping are all the offerings of our works, she presents her gifts, whether of love to God and her neighbour, or of faith and prayer. And these excel all the works of the proud Jews, for they of their abundance cast into the offerings of God, in that they presume on their righteousness, but the Church casts in all her living, for everything that hath life she believes to be the gift of God.- Saint Bede the Venerable
It was by faith in God that Daniel and his companions were able to forego the riches of the king's table in order to remain undefiled. They trusted that even without the fatty foods and choice wines they would nevertheless not only not whither away but actually continue to grow as strong as any in the service of the king. But surely this was not a natural thing to suspect. It was a choice that expressed trust in God to sustain them miraculously in spite of a diet that was probably bland and monotonous and seemingly insufficient for the needs of health and growth. But their trust was vindicated and their fidelity was rewarded.
He acceded to this request, and tested them for ten days;
after ten days they looked healthier and better fed
than any of the young men who ate from the royal table.
...
To these four young men God gave knowledge and proficiency
in all literature and science,
and to Daniel the understanding of all visions and dreams.
The Lord wants to be able to use us to speak the secular society that surrounds us as well. But many of us do not believe we can live without the defilement of the table of the world. May we learn from these young men and from that widow that as long as we have God we have enough, indeed more than enough.
When the king had spoken with all of them,
none was found equal to Daniel, Hananiah,
Mishael, and Azariah;
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