Book of the Hebrews 1 Timothy [1 Timothy 5:3-8] Support widows who are genuinely widows. But if any widow has children or grandchildren, they must learn to practice godliness toward their own family first and to repay their parents, for this pleases God. The real widow, left all alone, has put her hope in God and continues night and day in her petitions and prayers; however, she who is self-indulgent is dead even while she lives. Command this also, so they won’t be blamed. But if anyone does not provide for his own, that is his own household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.
W
ell, this does go a couple of different directions:
One direction is quite obvious: to be accountable for one’s family to the extent that it is possible, based upon resources. It would appear that the issue of taking care of one’s family resonates over time and in most cultures. Of course, with larger intact families the support would be easier because of a greater number of employable sons. Those left without sons, and without resources, were it seems, outcasts. Today the extended family is much looser and less intact with many members likely to be on assistance rather than working. The issue with widows and widowers without family remains the same … The other direction this goes is to personal, familial and community responsibility. And this is where Jesus helped us transform the law (which was supportive of the poor even then) and placed the burden more squarely on communities rather than individuals or families. Of course, the other looming issue is the squandering of resources and the misrepresentation of one’s needs which seems to be epidemic in these latter days. It is probably unrealistic, in our culture, for an older widowed individual to mourn for the remainder of their lives; so, the focus must be on living a life that glorifies God and is not obsessive or largely self-indulgent. The focus of someone who has suffered a loss must be on Jesus, a faithful life, and not on death.
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