23 Pentecost
The Reverend Frank Morales

Good morning. I’m so happy to be back with you all this morning, and looking forward to spending this and the next month of Sundays with you. And I wish to let you know that I am available to you in between times if the need arises … so please, feel free to contact me if necessary …

Earlier this morning I was reading the newspaper and I came across an ad about the new Scrooge film that’s out. Have you seen that? I think it stars a heavily made-up Jim Carrey in the title role. It’s of course the story of a rich man who learns how to give, and yet who first has to learn the cost of his greed. I suppose in some way it is a metaphor for this morning’s gospel.

Last night my finance and I were at an event sponsored by the Poverty Initiative at Union Seminary, where they where speaking about justice for the poor. Now, many of those in attendance were not poor, as in destitute of goods and so on … but like us all here, they weren’t hanging around with Bill Gates either. In our discussions, the terms rich and more were used generally. In any case, it was a wonderful gathering. Later, they offered an early thanksgiving dinner.

And yes, so it is … we are heading into the season of giving! Sure enough, and let us note that this is a season that touches both the rich and the poor, and yet, it does so differently. Each has their own way of giving, their own way of feeling about what they do, their own way of understanding the meaning of their gift.

For the poor, as this morning’s gospel points out, the gift, because it is the result of such sincere sacrifice – represents a highly valued and praiseworthy thing, for the poor have so little to give, or more precisely, so little from which to give from, that their gift gets special mention, is especially praiseworthy.

For the rich, on the other hand, particularly those who spend the rest of their time devouring the poor, the widows and those who remain defenseless under the sway and domination of their monetary might; their giving may in fact be done begrudgingly, with a tinge of guilt, maybe done out of obligation to their social standing and as a result of peer pressure, or simply because they want to look good, like the scribes that Jesus condemns. Surely, this type of giving brings them few favors from God.

And yet, what might we ask is it that Jesus is praising in the actions of the poor? Sure, as we noted, the poor who give sacrifice more. They have so little to give. And yet, is this what Jesus is pointing out? Maybe. But if we really think about it, what He is saying is that it’s not the idea of sacrifice here that’s important, but that the poor are so detached from things they own that maybe they are freer in a way to concentrate on the truth of the gospel: that we can’t derive riches from material things but only from God’s spirit, from the abundance which comes from on high.

So maybe because the poor are not so attached to these things, though of course everyone deserves all that’s necessary for a dignified and healthy life, but not being addicted to greed, power and things allows for a freedom that situates them in the realm of the spirit.

Meanwhile, the rich are wed to boasting about their beneficence, their altruism, their “I’m such a nice guy look at the crumbs I allow you to have … and I can even write this off on my taxes.” Now, maybe I’m being a bit hard, but look, in today’s gospel the good news is not so good for the wealthy, the haughty, the ones who steal the widow’s land and oppress the poor. They are to be condemned.

But, let us imagine what goes through the mind of the poor person who gives so willingly? Does he or she feel a stronger sense of self-worth? –  Saying to themselves: “Despite what the world says of me – I’m rich in love for God, rich in love for life, so rich in fact that I want to share this love with everyone, and what’s more, I’m free to do so … no one can prevent me from doing so, not even the rich and the powerful!”

Is this not the true joy in giving freely that is reflected here? I think so.

It’s the season of giving. And what do we give thanks for? For what we have? Not really, though that’s what we normally think, and that’s not bad, but isn’t there something deeper than that?

The sacrifice of giving, which is greater for the poor then for the rich, who sacrifice begrudgingly, and spend the rest of the time flaunting their wealth, reflects the true joy of giving, raising up all those who still possess that positive, pure joy of giving.

It’s fast approaching, the season of giving. Let us this season pause and reflect on it’s true meaning: That what Jesus would have us see is that rooted in His free gift of love to us is our ability to love freely, to give freely, and that this should point us to how we can as a people be with each other: giving to one another freely, a society built of sacrifice for the other … or in our more common usage, service to others, for when it all comes down to it, giving is about sharing God’s creation in equity and justice, thereby creating a world where there are no rich and poor, only His children giving freely to one another in the heaven on earth which this giving brings about.

In the name of God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit,

Amen.