Day 205

Counsel concerning the widows 

Key Verses: 1, 4, 8, 11, 13, 17, 23, 25

Remember, Paul is giving advice to Timothy, his young protégé. This advice includes how to show respect to both your elders and your peers. The problem with the advice is that so many don’t know what proper treatment of an elder or a peer looks like. They have never seen it, or recognized it when it happened. So to treat them like a family member often comes out as disrespect! We need to treat our family at least as well as we are told to treat strangers.

The charity coming from a church needs to be focused on those that are really in need, not just those whose family is unwilling to help. Family has the primary responsibility for caring for poor, elderly or infirmed family members. When someone has this kind of need, the churches first response needs to be family education. The family needs to learn to take care of their own. When someone does not have family, or the family truly can’t meet the need, then the church can step in with care.

Taking care of your family might mean sacrifices. There might some “tightening of the belt” that takes place. Eating out might come to an end. Big vacations might need to be given up. Other members of the family might need to work a paying job to make up the difference. But family needs to take care of family.

There should also be some requirements for those who do not have family. Not just anyone gets help from the church. Paul starts with some age restriction, over 60. That is because younger women in those days could earn some money through productive work. It might not be a career, but it would be income.

There are also some character requirements. They themselves need to have demonstrated with actions the kind of charity they are about to receive. They need to have put their money where their mouth is. The two presidential candidates have given. One has given a substantial amount of their income, one has given a token amount. One has given millions and a high percentage of his income away and the other has give tens of thousands, and a very small percentage away. Paul would commend one and scold the other.

Paul’s point is that we need to be productive if we can. We need to add value to those around us by the work we do. We are not to become idle. We are to do the caring and supporting personally rather than passing that care off to others.

We should pay pastors. Taking medicine is OK. Let our life speak for our faith. Preach the good news of Jesus; use words if we have to.