Supporting Widows And All In Need

For Widows.

She that is a widow indeed, and desolate, trusteth in God, and continueth in supplications and prayers night and day. But she that liveth in pleasure is dead while she liveth. 1 Tim. 5:5-6.

For All in Common.

Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. Herein are comprehended all the commandments. Rom. 13:8ff And persevere in prayer for all men. 1 Tim. 2:1-2

http://bookofconcord.org/smallcatechism.php

 

1 Timothy 5 actually outlines who the church might consider a widow for purposes of assisting her. They are women over the age of sixty who have been faithful to their husbands and have devoted their lives to helping others. These were women would probably not be marrying again and have no one else to support them.

 

The reality is that the church then and now cannot physically support every person who thinks that they have a need. We cannot support every person that doesn't feel like working, either. Nor, can the government. Our funds are limited and we have to be good stewards of God's gifts so that we have the ability to help those widows who are in legitimate need. 

 

Serving at a previous congregation, I lived in a parsonage next to the church. It seemed that for a couple of years I was receiving homeless travelers looking for assistance just about every week. A very large majority of them seemed to have been traveling from Canada. After procuring a motel room for one very nice man who was traveling by foot, I asked him how it was that he had to come to me for help when there were so many other churches in the area. I jokingly wondered if there was a sign at the Canadian border to stop at Pr. Judy's in Baraga for help.  He said no. He had stopped by the sheriff's office for assistance and they had directed him to me. 

 

It can difficult o discern who is in legitimate need because they cannot work or cannot find a job and who is just not willing to work to support themselves. As a church, we are concerned that all people are cared for even as we would want to be cared for if we or our children are in dire need. We do the best we can; but, at times we fall short. Sometimes we fall short because resources are definitely limited and we have not always been the best stewards of God's gifts.  

 

Lord, give us this day our daily bread... so that through us your children; the widows, the widowers, the homeless, the forsaken, might be fed.

 

God's Peace - Pr. J

1 Timothy 5 - Christian Charity

1 Timothy 5 NIV

Zion's Youth Choirt
at Toys for Tots Benefit Concert

In a time when the state was not expected to support the elderly or anyone else, St. Paul exhorts families to care for their elderly relatives, especially their parents, before they are put on the list for the church to care for them. His list of who gets assistance is pretty narrow. He focuses mainly on widows. They are not to be put on the list for assistance unless they are over sixty years old, has been faithful to their husbands, and have been known for their good deeds.

It is, of course, the Christians duty and privilege to care for those in need. Today, we help all in need. Yes, there are definitely those who would take advantage of the church's assistance. There are those who go from one congregation to the next asking for assistance. There are those few who make a career of exploiting Christian charity rather than working themselves. It depletes the funds that could be used for those who are truly in need. In order to help those in genuine need sometimes we have to say no to those who would steal the support we have to offer from the one in real need.

There is an old saying that "charity begins at home." This is not to say that we should indulge ourselves and care only for ourselves; rather, we should look to our own relatives, the aunts and uncles, parents, and grandparents who are in genuine need and care for them so that they do not suffer. If we cannot, then churches or other charitable non-profits such as St. Vincent DePaul should be called on for assistance. Lastly, I believe, the state is there. It seems like we've turned this around a bit today.

Paul gives a list for discerning who is in real need in his letter to Timothy. Then he adds: "Anyone who does not provide for their relatives, and especially for their own household, has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever." (vs 8)

We are not saved by our good works; rather, the joy of our salvation inspires us to be merciful and caring to those in need. The joy over what Jesus was willing to do for us, inspires us to reach out to others in need. "The sins of some are obvious, reaching the place of judgment ahead of them; the sins of others trail behind them. In the same way, good deeds are obvious, and even those that are not obvious cannot remain hidden forever." (vs 24-25)

God's Peace - Pr. J