It was just a couple of coins… << toss coins in metal bucket >> It was just a couple of coins, but you could say a number of things about them:
You could say, for example, that those coins don’t amount to much and they don’t.
You could say they are a sign of great generosity, of selfless goodness… and they are.
Or you could say those coins symbolized religious oppression. And you would be right.
The widow is a symbol, a symbol of someone in the direst of needs. In a society that did not have such things as life insurance, annuities, and social security, to lose one’s husband was to lose one’s livelihood, to become quite marginalized, and to be at the mercy of sexual and economic predators. Thus those who devour a widow’s savings – who prey on the helpless – as Jesus put it, deserve the harshest of judgments our scriptures say.
It was just a couple of coins, but it was all she had to live on. Even though she was being taken advantage of, that did nothing to diminish the goodness of her action. She was doing what she thought God asked of her for love.
The beauty of this Gospel? JESUS NOTICES HER. In the midst of all the craziness in the temple that day, Jesus notices HER. His seasoned eye does not take in the high and the mighty who have captivated everyone else. His seasoned eye picks out someone whom everyone else has overlooked. He observes this little invisible, nondescript human being from the bottom of the social ladder. He notices her quiet act of fidelity, kindness, and generosity, those acts that make a difference in this world. He notices that and comments about it.
And that, ultimately, is the point for us, two thousand years later. Jesus notices. Jesus notices the “un-celebrities” of this world. Our small deeds when done for love are seen by God, cherished by God, and remembered by God. No one else may know them or comment on them, but God does.
• You have a parent with Alzheimer’s and you feed them and wipe their chins countless times … and you think that no one notices… BUT GOD NOTICES
• It’s 3:00 in the morning. Through bleary eyes you put the sheets – soiled by a sick child – in the washing machine … knowing how tired you’ll be for work… Your spouse didn’t even wake up. You are so tired and you feel so alone… BUT GOD NOTICES
• It’s Thursday night and there a number of parties on campus. It’s your one chance to sit with your friend who is struggling in algebra, so you do it. It seems like the rest of the world goes on without you… BUT GOD NOTICES
• You’ve been lied about and others fall for it. You could lash out, but you choose a humbler path…
• Some of the boys invite you to go to the east-side for a “few beers – wink-wink” after work, but you say “no.” You stay true to your commitment. Your wife might never know that you were even invited, but God notices.
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Among other things, today’s gospel tells us that God’s focus is on the goodness in the human heart and how it shows up in our lives …
I know it can feel so lonely. It can be so hard … but those seemingly unseen acts of love and kindness are our greatest chance to change this world. They are ultimately true goodness. They are what matter most of all. And God notices …
It was just a couple of coins… << toss coins in metal bucket >>
It might be just a couple of coins: it might be any act of loving service, humble goodness or generous care. I hope that is what we learn to see in others – and in ourselves – more than anything else. May we see that goodness! – because that, indeed, is what God always sees in us…