They devour the houses of widows and, as a pretext,
recite lengthy prayers.
No amount of religious facade or superficial generosity can take the place of the need for a genuine gift of self. But we tend to be more interested in looking the part than in acting it. We want to be seen as good people but actually being good is fairly far down our list of priorities. As long as others are greeting us and giving us due honor we convince ourselves that we must be doing enough. And when it doesn't feel enough we may pray more, but we don't often give more of ourselves. We tend to make the easy moves, ones that don't really touch the deeper levels of our being. We may have been the sort to wear a What Would Jesus Do Bracelet when those were popular, but without reflecting much on what he would in fact have done. We may sometimes wear a cross or even a crucifix without thinking much about the sacrifice it represents.
They will receive a very severe condemnation.
We may shy away from genuine effort because it often feels so impossible to have a meaningful impact. When we do try to give of ourselves for the sake of God and neighbor it seems so difficult to move the needle in any noticeable way. And we want to gauge whether or not we are actually doing what we ought based on whether or not it yields results. But we should not be so fixated on what we are able to accomplish. The hidden nature of the progress of the Kingdom and the long time horizon in which it takes shape imply that we do not always see the connection between our efforts and their ultimate fruits. We are creatures who can never be in control of outcomes. So instead we must be faithful to do what is our part, to give of ourselves, and trust God to handle the rest.
A poor widow also came and put in two small coins worth a few cents.
The idea we are supposed to take from this widow is not necessarily that we should divest ourselves of all of our possessions. But we are to entrust our efforts to God just as she did. What is asked of us often feels too difficult when especially at times when it will apparently be of little use to others. But this is precisely the call: to do little things with great love. The little things are not little because they are easy, but because they don't seem great in our eyes. But, as we see this morning, they are great in God's eyes. And he is able to far outmatch our generosity. As we give of ourselves he increases our capacity to do so. It may be that he increases it in a financial sense. But we will certainly grow in love.
Paul expected Timothy to understand this when he commanded, "be persistent whether it is convenient or inconvenient", whether the effort seems likely to bring useful results or not. It was a call to be faithful in sharing the gift he had received. And although we have different gifts, we have the same call. Let us be faithful to it, so much so that we can say, together with Paul:
I have competed well;
I have finished the race; I have kept the faith.
Nichole Nordeman - You Are My All In All
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