‘Generosity … and trusting in the Lord’s provision.’
It is a constant challenge for the rich to be generous, but for the poor it seems to come naturally. We see in this week’s Gospel where Jesus praised the poor widow for the minute amount that she put into the treasury, as it came from a place of true generosity. It was all of what she had to live on. In contrast, the scribes were chastised for trying to make their giving look generous, even though it was only for their own gain and to look good in the eyes of others, and was simply a little of what they had to spare.
Likewise, the widow in our first reading shared the little she had with the prophet Elijah. She was destitute, but still she found a place in her heart to be generous. Her generosity was more than repaid, and she did not go hungry, but had provision made for her needs.
What can we learn from this story? Well, I think there are a couple of things worth considering. Firstly, and Matthew 6:3 can give us insight into this: “But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing.” What we give, how we give and when we give is not something to be paraded. Each of us should decide in our own hearts what is appropriate in our circumstances and be generous in sharing with others the gifts that God bestows upon us. We need to remember that we are custodians of God’s gifts – gifts given to be shared and used for the benefit of all.
The second thing I think, and this can be even harder to learn, is that God will always provide for us. Sometimes we might be like the widow in the book of Kings, who had ‘reached the bottom of the jar,’ but her trust was rewarded. She trusted in God’s providence and was rewarded for this.
Where do we place our trust?