32nd Sunday in OT (B)

All in the offering, MARK 12:38–44

By Dr René Jerome Wihby

Today’s gospel begins with a warning from Jesus about the scribes. However, He is not criticising all scribes because last weekend we met a scribe who was described by Jesus as “not far from the kingdom of God” (Mk 12:34).

So why the change of heart? To answer this question, we need to examine the scribes’ role in the Jewish society.

The word ‘scribe’ is derived from the Greek word ‘grammateus’ which means ‘writer’. They were knowledgeable of the Mosaic Law and drafted legal documents like contracts for marriage, divorce and the sale of land to name a few. Therefore, being legal experts, it was easy for them to “swallow the property of widows” (Mk 12:40).

As such, they used their position to pounce on the poor widows’ loyalty and swindled their property under the cloak of religious piety. Hence, they (scribes) lost sight of their duty as they sought the praises of men instead of God.

Jesus described the scribes as those who strut in long robes and occupied front seats in synagogues and places of honour. This description of the scribes is contrary to Jesus’ teachings when He said, “Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of all” (Mk 9:35).

The scribes longed for prestige and popularity. With the advent of social media, popularity is measured by the number of ‘likes’ one gets on Facebook, YouTube or Twitter. Consequently, some people post pictures and videos of themselves daily.

Do you think people who distribute alms to the needy should post pictures of themselves on social media for doing this good deed? Are they posting pictures to raise awareness or to be praised by men for doing something good?

Read Matthew 6:1–4 to assist you with your reflection.

Later in the gospel, Jesus draws our attention to a widow who contributed money to the treasury. He compared the widow’s offering with those of the rich. This widow offered everything to God because she believed that God would cater to her needs. “The Lord will provide” (Gen 22:14).

Her action fulfilled two commandments that we met in last week’s gospel. The widow’s action demonstrated both love for God and for neighbour. While the rich contributed from their abundance, the widow contributed her whole livelihood.

St Teresa of Calcutta (Mother Teresa) said, “Give, but give until it hurts.” The widow’s contribution, therefore, was sacrificial.

How can we emulate the widow’s generosity in our present day? Do we just pray for those in need, or do we do more?

Since the pandemic started, many families have become homeless, jobless, and hungry. Do we access agencies like catholictt.org or Living Water Community to assist? Or do we relate more with the rich man who was unable to separate himself from his worldly possessions? (Mt 19:22).

Remember that whenever a member of the Body of Christ hurts, we need to stop, listen, and act.

Prayer

Lord, forgive us for the times when we seek the praises of men instead of Your praises. Help us to listen to the voice within so that we could hear the cries of those who need our assistance. Give us the grace to give until it hurts. Amen

The Gospel Meditations for November are by Dr René Jerome Wihby, a Dean at Presentation College, Chaguanas. He is a parishioner of St Paul’s Parish, Couva.