Caring For the Widows 1 Timothy 5:1-15

-The Lord intends for us to honor the widows in our church by caring for them

Clovis Chappell, a minister from a century back, used to tell the story of two paddleboats. They left Memphis about the same time, traveling down the Mississippi River to New Orleans. As they traveled side by side, sailors from one vessel made a few remarks about the snail's pace of the other. Words were exchanged. Challenges were made. And the race began. Competition became vicious as the two boats roared through the Deep South.

One boat began falling behind. Not enough fuel. There had been plenty of coal for the trip, but not enough for a race. As the boat dropped back, an enterprising young sailor took some of the ship's cargo and tossed it into the ovens. When the sailors saw that the supplies burned as well as the coal, they fueled their boat with the material they had been assigned to transport. They ended up winning the race, but burned their cargo.

God has entrusted cargo to us, too: children, spouses, friends. Our job is to do our part in seeing that this cargo reaches its destination. Yet when the program takes priority over people, people often suffer. How much cargo do we sacrifice in order to achieve the number one slot? How many people never reach the destination because of the aggressiveness of a competitive captain?

I. Pastors Must Honor the Church vv. 1-2

In our passage this morning, Paul transitions and gives Timothy wisdom about how Christians ought to care for each other and he begins with Timothy’s posture towards other believers in the church

Timothy is in a tricky spot: as a young man, it will not come naturally to people to honor him or his position. How should he respond?

Timothy must treat the other members of the church like they are a part of his family:

Encourage and not rebuke the older men as fathers

Treat the younger men as brothers

Respect the older women as mothers

Love the younger women as sisters, with all purity

I think that this is critical for two reasons:

Pastors must not let their responsibilities over the church excuse them from loving the church as his family; the stresses of ministry are not a license for bad behavior

Second, pastors set the pace for the church family as a whole. Show me a gracious, patient, and kind pastors, and I will show you a church that is marked by the same character

Sadly, when the pastor acts in abusive, ungracious, or unkind ways towards the Body of Christ, the church will follow his lead!

The minister's shortcoming simply cannot be concealed. Even the most trivial soon get known...However trifling their offenses, these little things seem great to others, since everyone measures sin, not by the size of the offense, but by the standing of the sinner. 

John Chrysostom (347-407).

II. The Church Must Honor Widows vv. 3-8

At this point, Paul focuses on one particular group of church members, the widows

He begins by reminding us of what our attitude towards our widows must be: honor

These ladies are worthy of our respect, of course, but more than that, of our care

How do we honor and care for the widows in our midst?

First, we begin in our own households

If you have a widow in your family, she is your responsibility before she is anyone else’s responsibility

This may sound self-evident, but sometimes people forget that widows need the care of their families before they receive the aid of others

This is pleasing to God!

Next, we need to recognize “true widows”

It’s interesting to me that Paul makes this kind of distinction, but I think it’s noteworthy.

What are the characteristics of a true widow?

She has a genuine need

She has set her hope in the Lord

She lives a life of discipline in the Lord

She is not marked by self-indulgence

We must understand the stakes of getting this right:

If we will not care for the widows in our midst, especially within our own families, we are acting in a shameful way

Our care for our widows speaks loudly about our faith in the Lord; in important ways, this reveals an unbelieving heart!

Psalm 68:5

[5] Father of the fatherless and protector of widows

is God in his holy habitation. (ESV)

James 1:27

[27] Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world. (ESV)

III. The Widows Must Honor the Lord vv. 9-15

Paul closes with some really practical application

First, he marks a distinction between older widows and younger widows

There is an assumption that the older widows will have very little ability to care for themselves and will need the greatest amount of care from the church

These older widows need to have demonstrated faithfulness to receive the care of the church

Faithfulness in marriage

Faithfulness in good works

Faithfulness in motherhood

Faithfulness in hospitality and care

Next, he gives guidance to the younger widows: How should they respond to their grief?

Flee any passions that draw you away from Christ; the desire for a mate can be a trap that leads you away from the faith

Do not waste your widowhood with gossip, idleness, or minding the business of others

Pursue the life that God may give you:

Marry

Have children

Live and love in righteousness

Use your freedom to care for others; your grief can carry a gift

In 1884 a young man died, and after the funeral his grieving parents decided to establish a memorial to him. With that in mind they met with Charles Eliot, president of Harvard University. Eliot received the unpretentious couple into his office and asked what he could do. After they expressed their desire to fund a memorial, Eliot impatiently said, "Perhaps you have in mind a scholarship." "We were thinking of something more substantial than that... perhaps a building," the woman replied. In a patronizing tone, Eliot brushed aside the idea as being too expensive and the couple departed. The next year, Eliot learned that this plain pair had gone elsewhere and established a $26 million memorial named Leland Stanford Junior University, better known today as Stanford! 

What do you need to do with what you’ve been given by God?

-Leaders, are you setting the tone with your attitude towards the church?

-Church, are you caring for those in need in the Church?

-Widows, are you using your widowhood for God’s glory?