Three widows in today's readings, one a widow who gives the last of her
(and her son's) food to Elijah ("then we will die") and is rewarded by
meal and oil for a year, one in a story where the scribes are criticized
for their seeking approval--and their destructive self aggrandizement
("They devour the houses of widows") and finally the poor but devout
woman who gives the last of her money to the treasury (versus the rich
who give only their surplus.)
One could say the scribes are just looking for affirmation in the wrong place, they should be looking to God, but "devouring the houses of widows " seems a bit more than misdirected love-seeking. At the core of all this is Christ's relentless insistence upon the spiritual over the temporal. Rich or poor, renowned or anonymous, the spiritual must be followed and the material ignored, regardless of the consequences. One must seek the spiritual even if it leads to something as awful as crucifixion.
After all, no provisions are made for Elijah's widow after the miraculous year is up.
One could say the scribes are just looking for affirmation in the wrong place, they should be looking to God, but "devouring the houses of widows " seems a bit more than misdirected love-seeking. At the core of all this is Christ's relentless insistence upon the spiritual over the temporal. Rich or poor, renowned or anonymous, the spiritual must be followed and the material ignored, regardless of the consequences. One must seek the spiritual even if it leads to something as awful as crucifixion.
After all, no provisions are made for Elijah's widow after the miraculous year is up.
No comments:
Post a Comment