Posted on 09/27/2011 5:45:14 AM PDT by marshmallow
A 92-year-old unmarried woman has donated 1.1 billion won (US$935,000) to the Church.
Columba Lee Jeom-hong told Cardinal Nicholas Cheong Jin-suk at his office on September 23 the money was earned cleanly with her own hands and feet, in order to offer it to God.
“I lived without greed, and without waste of a penny,” she said of her simple life.
Cardinal Cheong thanked her and said “God will pay you back for the good deeds.”
In 1995 she donated an expensive piece of land in Seoul on which now the Labor Pastoral Center of Seoul archdiocese is located. In 2005 she donated her own house to the archdiocese.
The Rich and the Kingdom of God
17 As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. “Good teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
18 “Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone. 19 You know the commandments: ‘You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, you shall not defraud, honor your father and mother.’[d]”
20 “Teacher,” he declared, “all these I have kept since I was a boy.”
21 Jesus looked at him and loved him. “One thing you lack,” he said. “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
22 At this the man’s face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth.
23 Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!”
24 The disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said again, “Children, how hard it is[e] to enter the kingdom of God! 25 It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”
26 The disciples were even more amazed, and said to each other, “Who then can be saved?”
27 Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.”
28 Then Peter spoke up, “We have left everything to follow you!”
29 “Truly I tell you,” Jesus replied, “no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel 30 will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age: homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields—along with persecutions—and in the age to come eternal life. 31 But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”
I hope that comment is out of context. God desires offerings from the heart. God also sees this offering as no more valuable than a widow who gives her last penny.
Yes. Still a nice gesture on her part though.
I had no problem with her, I take issue with the Cardinal who felt obligated to give her a reward on behalf of God. If in context, he belittled her life offering and he makes God seem like a gumball machine.
I totally agree with that but since she is already dead its not like he was trying to get her to give it with those kinds of promises. At least I hope he didn’t do that while she was alive.
Born in 1919 when Korea was a Japanese slave colony. 34 years old when the Korean War ended. No details of how she earned the money.
South Korea is about 30% Christian, evenly divided between Catholic and Protestants.
“Blessed are the poor.” In giving her money away, this rich lady recognized the danger of richness and decided to be poor.
That is what she will be rewarded for — that internal decision.
I think the full verse is:
Matt 5:3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Her life’s testimony was she produced this offering from her life work. I interpret her act as a life long gift of her time and talents, much like the stewards who increased what the master had given them (Matt 25). By waiting to give at or near her death, she did not want an earthly reward.
However, I believe she received an immediate spiritual reward because her spirit so desired to honor God in how she handled her work and her spending. Her acts of working and saving became a daily act of love toward Christ. A parent who cares for a child out of love needs no reward but is motivated by love.
She may be rewarded in heaven but the Cardinal cheapens her action to infer she was motivated by a reward. Likewise, the Cardinal who must be careful about what he teaches to those who do not know scripture, perverts the gospel of Christ’s saving grace when a Church leader talks about getting a reward for giving. In this world, giving is always about rewards. Christ is about grace, an act that has no basis in a reward system.
In the spiritual world for us really spiritually poor folks, Who can match the gift of God’s only son? What other reward is worth mentioning?
I think we run the risk here of taking a quote of context, and I couldn’t quarrel with saying to anyone: “God will pay you back for the good deeds.”
Then we could argue about what “good deeds” means..
:)
The article seems to indicate that she is still alive. That is even more of a gift from her! And no - God is not a gumball machine, but He does bless those who worship Him. And the offering (or donation) is just one more way that folks worship.
Matt 5:3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
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Thanks for the proper and whole quote. I have relied on this one often when I feel that I don’t quite “measure up” in terms of my faith.
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