25th Sunday after Pentecost (32nd in Ordinary) and 24th Sunday in Trinity

The Gospel reading this week involves two stories.  The first is Jesus’ warning about the teachers of religious law who take pride in their religious robes and the fact that people bow to them as they walk by. The second story is the account of the widow’s mite. For us, there is a challenge in both stories.  Are we obsessed with our religious status?  Christians are most vulnerable when people tell them that they have done something great for the Kingdom, such as preach a powerful sermon.  It is here that our ‘puffed up’ pride can cause us to fall.  Next, the story of the widow’s mite reminds us about real giving.  Our giving to the work of God should be, above all else, sacrificial.  If we simply give what we have left each month then that is not really giving at all.  Rather, our giving should cause us to give up something fundamental to our lives each week or month.  Our giving should cause us to go without.  In a sense both these stories are linked.  Here, Jesus is painting a picture of the Kingdom of Heaven.  Being a Christian is not about obtaining status, reputation and resources, rather it is about emptying ourselves of all these things.  Being a Christian is quintessentially not about receiving but about giving.