First Reading: 1 Kings 17:10-16
Psalm: Psalm 146:7, 8-9, 9-10 (1b)
Second Reading: Hebrews 9:24-28
Alleluia: Matthew 5:3
Gospel: Mark 12:38-44
I will be addressing the readings randomly.
Life in this world is unpredictable as much as we try to control it, even for those who have fame, power and fortune. We are seeing that play out in California as out of control fires are devouring whole cities, forcing thousands to flee for their lives. We’ve seen it in increasingly destructive hurricanes and storms ravaging the eastern United States. We are experiencing it in our own lives and those of our loved ones as we experience disease, lost jobs, rising prices for housing and health care, death, violence and catastrophe. My own daughter-in-law and her son, our grandson, lost their husband and father, respectively last month. And we lost a beloved son. Not much has really changed since Biblical times. Who can we trust in during such perilous times? Even people who love us are often prevented by their limitations as human beings from coming through for us. It is easy to conclude we are on our own and let terror, despair and the enemy of our souls overwhelm us.
Well, there is a God, our Father, up in the heavens who keeps faith forever, who makes promises and keeps them and who reigns forever. And He is not distant but is always aware of what is happening in our lives whether we are trusting Him and confiding in Him or not. He sent His own son into our world to become one of us, die for us, conquer death for us to take away our sins, ascend back into heaven for us to appear before Him on our behalf as both our eternal high priest and sacrifice. Not only that but His Son Is coming back to take us home to Father’s house, if we believe and entrust ourselves to Him in this world while looking forward to the eternal life with Him promised to us. I gleaned these reflections from the Psalm and the second reading.
But what about life in this world, what hope does He offer us in this world while we are traveling through it? Well, there are the lives of Elijah and the two widows and the Psalm in today’s readings to take to heart.
In the first, Elijah confronts Ahab, the wicked king of Israel, in a showdown on God’s behalf. God had given Elijah the power through prayer to control the rainfall in the region. And Elijah was sent by God to pronounce upon the king and the region a multi-year drought that would not end until Elijah prayed for it to. Now droughts always meant famines in those days. And King Ahab responds by wanting to kill the messenger so God directs Elijah to a series of refuges for his safety. One of the places He provides is the home of a poor widow and her son in neighboring kingdom in Zarephath of Sidon. The widow isn’t even Jewish but God had already contacted her, giving her a heads up that Elijah would be coming and commanding her to provide for him. See 1 Kings 17:9.
Now the widow and her son have been suffering both from the loss of their husband and his father and also from the famine. They only have enough food for a meager last meal before they die of hunger. But she is willing to share it with Elijah on the basis of God’s promise through him that He will provide for her and her son until He sends the rains again. So trust in God’s promise to her and her obedience prior to any fulfillment of that promise was requested and given.
That impressed me! Wow!
In the Gospel reading, Jesus took the religious leaders, the scribes who were teachers of the law to task for using their position for the self-gratification of getting their egos stroked and for greed. They were even taking widows houses while they were reciting lengthy prayers. Jesus called them out and said they will receive a very severe condemnation, presumably from His Father when they are called to give an account. Sound familiar?
Then Jesus sat down opposite the temple treasury to observe the crowd bringing their contributions to the temple. He saw the rich dropping in big bags of money. Then He noticed the widow, one of those being taken advantage of by the unrighteous scribes, putting her two last small coins, all she has. So he called his disciples and brought her generosity to their attention. She gave more than all the rich because she gave it all while the rich gave their leftovers.
Now most of us would probably have been looking at the big bags of money the rich were giving. But not Jesus. His eyes zeroed in on the poor widow, one of the least of these. He marveled at her faith.
Which brings us back the Psalm which I have included below.
The LORD keeps faith forever,
secures justice for the oppressed,
gives food to the hungry.
The LORD sets captives free.
The LORD gives sight to the blind;
the LORD raises up those who were bowed down.
The LORD loves the just;
the LORD protects strangers.
The fatherless and the widow he sustains,
but the way of the wicked he thwarts.
The LORD shall reign forever;
your God, O Zion, through all generations. Alleluia.
Praise the Lord, my soul!
Kind of reminds me of 1 Corinthians 1:26-29.
26 Consider your own calling, brothers. Not many of you were wise by human standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth.
27 Rather, God chose the foolish of the world to shame the wise, and God chose the weak of the world to shame the strong,
28 and God chose the lowly and despised of the world, those who count for nothing, to reduce to nothing those who are something,
29 so that no human being might boast before God.
We can rejoice. God cares for us and will assist us. Often through His people, His Church. My family and I have experienced His care and His miraculous provision many times. Often in the nick of time. So this reflection was not just an academic exercise for me. We just need to trust Jesus as our rock in this crazy world, growing and walking in obedience to His will. He’ll come and get us when it’s time to come live with Him forever.
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