Sermon Central
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How The Mighty One Can Do Great Things Series
Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on Nov 20, 2021 (message contributor)
Summary: From Mary's poverty came the greatest event in human history.
Monday of 34th week in course
This is the time of year churches and schools and other non-profit institutions have been waiting for: tax-reduction season. The rich will–and we thank God for it–be sending in their end-of-the-year donations. It’s been a particularly hard year for many charities, because of the pandemic, the economic dislocations, and the political uncertainties, giving to many has been reduced.
So it may surprise some readers unfamiliar with the life of Christ that the magnificent gifts of the rich did not attract his attention this day. But something very important was happening, we can be sure. What the English translates “he glanced up” is one of the code words used in Luke and Mark to tell us something wonderful is about to happen: the other times it’s used, bread and fish are multiplied, or the blind recover their sight, or the thieving publican Zacchaeus is transformed from a grumpy tax-collector into a philanthropist. Christ looks up, and marvelous things begin to happen.
And what is the wonder? The most pitiable person in Judea is giving everything she has to the Temple. Giving everything to God. Nobody in that time was worse off than a childless widow–she had no means of support in a society with no 501(c)(3) charities, no free Thanksgiving dinner for the poor. And she gave God even from her nothingness.
As we begin this novena before a special commemoration of Christ’s mother, it might be good to reflect on the widow Jesus knew best, His own mother, honored now as our own. From her poverty, her mean estate, as the old translation has it, she gave everything, she cooperated with God in every possible way. A little yes from a young teenage girl.
And the result was the conception of Jesus, God and man, salvation of the world. If we, from the little we have, give everything, and do so as a community, if we continue to say “yes” to all God asks, won’t He who is mighty do good things for us, and redeem this culture of death, this society in denial? Won’t He honor our obedience by using us to reclaim the world for Christ and His Church?
