USING DISCERNMENT IN CHARITY

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In Christ, Mark

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

Give proper recognition to those widows who are really in need.

The widow who is really in need and left all alone puts her hope in God and continues night and day to pray and to ask God for help. But the widow who lives for pleasure is dead even while she lives. Give the people these instructions, so that no one may be open to blame.

No widow may be put on the list of widows unless she is over sixty, has been faithful to her husband, and is well known for her good deeds, such as bringing up children, showing hospitality, washing the feet of the Lord’s people, helping those in trouble and devoting herself to all kinds of good deeds.

As for younger widows, do not put them on such a list. For when their sensual desires overcome their dedication to Christ, they want to marry. Thus they bring judgment on themselves, because they have broken their first pledge. Besides, they get into the habit of being idle and going about from house to house. And not only do they become idlers, but also busybodies who talk nonsense, saying things they ought not to. So I counsel younger widows to marry, to have children, to manage their homes and to give the enemy no opportunity for slander. Some have in fact already turned away to follow Satan.

1 Timothy 5:3, 5-7, 9-15

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

I like to think of myself as being a very giving person. After all, the Bible calls us to be so (Matthew 6:1-4, Hebrews 13:6, Proverbs 19:17, and Luke 12:33, for example) and Jesus certainly serves as the perfect example of charitable giving. In fact, He was willing to give up His life so to save us, sinners who were lost and on their way to damnation and God’s eternal wrath.

Now, in saying all this, the scriptures also temper the matter of charity with a call to discernment. In other words, there are instances when giving would not be appropriate. We see such guidance in 1 Timothy, chapter 5 as Paul continues to write to his missionary partner Timothy regarding the matter of female widows.

In yesterday’s message, we saw where family members such as children and grandchildren were to take care of any widowed women so that the church could focus their assistance on those widows who had no family support. This call extended to any person who was providing care for a widow as they were expected to continue that care vice passing the responsibility on the church.

In today’s passage, we find further guidance to Timothy and the Christians in Ephesus in regard to exercising discretion in giving to widows there.

First, they were to make sure the widows they helped were really in need.

If a widow was already receiving help from their family or others, there wouldn’t be a need for the church to also give. But we also see Paul provide a checklist of other qualifications that needed to be satisfied before the church provided any assistance. For the widow who was truly in need was to be doing the following:

1. Put her hope in God.

2. Pray night and day while asking God for help.

3. Not living for pleasure which essentially meant not living to satisfy their lust.

And then there were more requirements added. The widow needed to be:

1. Over sixty years of age.

2. Faithful to her husband while he was alive.

3. Well known for her good deeds, such as bringing up children, showing hospitality, washing the feet of the Lord’s people, helping those in trouble and devoting herself to all kinds of good deeds.

As long as a widow met this set criteria, then the church should render whatever help they could.

Why the age standard?

The scriptures tell us why younger widows were to not be placed on the church list.

First, human nature would lead them to give into “their sensual desires” and “want to marry”, once again placing their dependency on a husband over their dedication to Christ. Paul proclaims that this turning away from Jesus would “bring judgment” on the widow because they would have broken their pledge to Christ.

The other reason younger widows were to be left off of the church’s list was because overall they would become “busybodies” who would talk “nonsense” while getting “into the habit of being idle” and “going about from house to house”. In order to prevent this turning away “to follow Satan”, younger widows were to “to marry, to have children, to manage their homes” so to not “give the enemy” any “opportunity for slander”.

In today’s message, we see where there are times when discernment should be exercised when giving to others. Ultimately, in any instance we face, we should be seeking the direction of the Holy Spirit who will always guide us to be charitable to whom the Lord wants us to at just the right time.

In other words, we all can be instruments of giving but we should always do so in accordance with the will of our Lord, the Lord who will always provide us with perfect discernment.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

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