INTRO.- One of life’s difficulties is losing loved ones. And it seems like men generally die before women, which makes the wife a widow.
ILL.- I read this note about Vicki Kennedy, widow of the late Teddy Kennedy who passed away Aug. 25, 2009. (NEWSER) – All agree that Vicki Kennedy turned around husband Ted’s life, but there is little consensus on where the 55-year-old widow will go from here, Politico reports. “All this stuff about her going to the Senate is completely wrong,” says longtime family adviser (and speechwriter) Bob Shrum. Indeed, Mrs. Kennedy has told friends she has no interest in her late husband’s seat, but that's done little to dampen speculation. "She’s the logical choice,” says another insider.
“She knows the issues well, and she could carry the torch for Teddy on the health care issue,” says the former aide. “She would complete his mission.” That Mrs. Kennedy is prepared for the job is in no doubt, as she was as integral to the senator’s political life as she was to his personal one, something of a rarity for a Kennedy spouse. Senate or no, a friend says, “my guess is that she is happy to carry on Teddy’s legacy in other ways.”
Vicki and Ted Kennedy were married 17 years beginning in 1992. And what is she going to do now? Well, obviously, she probably won’t want for money, but she may be very lonely like most widows. And she obviously loved Ted so there will be a certain void in her life. She’s young enough that she might want to marry again and she could certainly go to work if she wanted. And work is always good. It’s good for the mind and the body.
ILL.-Arlene L., Kankakee, IL - “I’ve been widowed twice: the first time when I was 27 and had a one-year-old son. Three years later I remarried, and after 27 years, he died. I’ve now been widowed 11 years. The death of my second husband was harder because we spent so many years together. Working has helped.”
Our text deals with widows. I call it the “Widows’ List” for lack of a better title.
ILL.- Someone wrote these great words about widows in an article I found on the internet: Today is Sunday and it's now time to think about you widows. YOU are very special people. YOU have suffered in unique, troubling ways. But all of history reserves a special place for the widow. In the Old Testament account of Elijah the prophet he happened upon a widow and asked for a small cake that he might have something to eat. This nameless widow was poor and had little in her jar and jug-little floor and less oil. But she did what Elijah asked and she was rewarded.
Secondly, we have the story of Jesus who observed wealthy people contributing a lot of money to the synagogue. But then he sees a poor widow put in what she had. The verdict is severe: it's not how much you have to give, but how much you give from what you have. We can all appreciate this. Those who have much are often too afraid to give tell they have little. But this small widow gave most if not all she had. Being generous, he praised her acts while condemning the self-important. Widows are wonderful examples.
Bible Commentator Matthew Henry wrote: Directions are here given concerning the taking of widows into the number of those who were employed by the church and had maintenance from the church.
Apparently, in the early church some widows were taken in by the church and cared for. They were also given work to do. Paul gives us some clarification about these widows.
PROP.- I break down these widows into two different categories:
1- The over sixty servers
2- The younger idlers
I. THE OVER SIXTY SERVERS
9No widow may be put on the list of widows unless she is over sixty, has been faithful to her husband, 10and is well known for her good deeds, such as bringing up children, showing hospitality, washing the feet of the saints, helping those in trouble and devoting herself to all kinds of good deeds.
Wow! This almost sounds like qualifications similar to what we have for elders and deacons recorded in I Timothy 3. Are there widows that fit these qualifications? Why, of course.
- Over sixty
- faithful to her husband
- well known for her good deeds
- bringing up children (properly training and discipline)
And of course, that in those days the raising of children was primarily the responsibility of the mothers because they never worked outside the house, not in the sense that we think of today. (Man works from sun to sun but woman’s work is never done.)
I am personally still in favor of this practice. This is just my opinion, of course, but I believe that if families would learn to live on less money so that the mother could stay home and raise the kids then we’d have less kids getting into trouble and more of them coming to Christ at an early age!
ILL.- Francis Xavier of the 1500's said, “Give me the children until they are seven years old and anyone may have them afterwards."
What did he mean? He meant that most of what they will become is formed by the time they are seven years old!
ILL.- A woman one time asked Francis Wayland Parker, the educator of the 1800‘s, “How early can I start the education of my child?” Parker said, “When will your child be born?” She said, “Why, he is already five years old.”
“My goodness,” said Parker, “Don’t stand here talking to me. Hurry home, you’ve already lost the best five years of life.”
A part of the problem today is that kids want so much that mom has to work today in order to provide and/or take care of the kids’ wants! And I think it’s more “wants” than “needs.” Kids think they have to have everything that everybody has. What a shame!
ILL.- It’s like what someone said: We have given our children much to live on but little to live for. The idea is, of course, that we give our children plenty of material things but we have taught them how to really live? Have we taken the time and effort to teach about living the Christian life? Have we taught them to pray and care for others? etc.
These widows were also to:
- be hospitable
- washed the feet of the saints (people did that back then. Do you remember someone else who washed feet?) It’s a great act of humility.
- helped those in trouble (how could a widow help someone in trouble? I guess it would depend on the kind of trouble they had.)
- devoted herself to all kinds of good deeds.
Do you know of any widows like this?
ILL.- Matthew Henry wrote: There was in those times in the church in which widows were employed, and that was to tend the sick and the aged, to look to them by the direction of the deacons. We read of the care taken of widows immediately upon the first forming of the Christian church (Acts 6:1).
I guess this could be done if there was a need. However, with welfare, Medicare, Medicaid and all kinds of help available the church today isn’t put in the position of caring for people like they did in Biblical times.
I have seen people (mostly women), however, in our churches going to people’s home, taking food, doing laundry, running errands, and sometimes even caring for sick folks. TO GOD BE THE GLORY regardless of who does it, but most of the time, it’s women and sometimes widows.
II. THE YOUNGER IDLERS
11As 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. 12Thus they bring judgment on themselves, because they have broken their first pledge. 13Besides, they get into the habit of being idle and going about from house to house. And not only do they become idlers, but also gossips and busybodies, saying things they ought not to. 14So I counsel younger widows to marry, to have children, to manage their homes and to give the enemy no opportunity for slander. 15Some have in fact already turned away to follow Satan.16If any woman who is a believer has widows in her family, she should help them and not let the church be burdened with them, so that the church can help those widows who are really in need.
11As for younger widows, do not put them on such a list.
Sometimes it’s not a smart thing to put certain people in the place of service and/or leadership. Have you ever seen this done and perhaps it didn’t work out?
ILL.- When I worked as the Assistant Manager for the Trees ‘n Trend store in Cape Girardeau, MO, the company sent us some young men to train as future assistant managers and hopefully, some day as managers.
They sent two or three young men to our store. A part of the assistant manager’s duty was to be able to do certain paper work, which was something you just had to learn. My manager asked me to show one of the new trainees how to fill insurance papers, I believe it was. After only a few minutes, that young male trainee said, “I don’t want to do this.” He insisted it was a waste of time. I said something like, “Ok. If you don’t want to learn it, fine.”
He got up and walked out of the room. Sometime later my manager came to me and wanted to know why I didn’t teach him how to fill out those papers and I told him exactly why I wasn’t able to teach him. Nothing more was said to me.
That young male trainee came into our store with a “know-it-all” attitude because he already worked for both Wal-mart and Hobby Lobby and he made nasty remarks about those companies like they were below him. Well, I don’t know what happened to him but he sure didn’t make the grade in our store!
Some people just aren’t suited for service in certain areas. That young man sort of disqualified himself because of his poor attitude. Sometimes, however, someone may not be qualified because of other reasons, like lack of ability.
Some people are good laborers, workers, servers, but they won’t work well in the place of leadership.
In our text, Paul said it was better not to put the younger widows into the service of the church and he tells them why.
- Some would have sensual desires that would overcome their dedication to Christ.
Wow! Is this true? It’s certainly true for young men but Paul it can happen to younger widows as well.
Sensual desires is always a temptation for people and especially, younger people, both male and female. You know that if it was a problem in Paul’s day that it would be as bad or worse in our day. Why? Because look at the temptations to the flesh in our day. Look at the emphasis on sex in the world, at the movies, on TV, the Internet, etc. It’s everywhere!
Sensual desires can overcome a person to a person to the point where they lose their faith in Christ. Whoa!
ILL.- A Hispanic preacher friend of mine who preaches and ministers in California wrote me an email one time which read: "At this time, I ask you to pray for my home church in Mexico. Two tragedies have struck them. First, the Pastor who is about 35 years old committed adultery and got a minor girl pregnant. The girl belongs to one of missions and not to the mother church.”
That’s big trouble! And it shows the strong sensual desires of youthfulness. And almost anyone can get off course if they allow their sensual desires to control them instead of allowing Christ to be Lord of their lives.
What happened to that Pastor could also happen to almost anyone if they were put in a bad situation, etc.
11As 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.
Paul is simply saying that a younger widow should not be enrolled in this particular type of service in the church or for the church because more than likely her desire may be to get married again. And, of course, there is nothing wrong with marriage or expressing those desires in marriage.
Now Paul changes gears and speaks of younger widows as being idlers. Idle as in idle while in neutral gear.
13Besides, they get into the habit of being idle and going about from house to house. And not only do they become idlers, but also gossips and busybodies, saying things they ought not to.
ILL.- When Thomas Edison was asked how he resisted temptations, he said, “Never have any. I don’t have time.”
What happens when someone is idle? They are tempted to do wrong or get into trouble! What is that old saying, “Idle minds or idle hands are a devil’s workshop.” There is a lot truth in that.
When a person is busy and especially, busy in serving the Lord they won’t have time for lesser matters or evil matters! This is true for all people, not just younger widows.
14So I counsel younger widows to marry, to have children, to manage their homes and to give the enemy no opportunity for slander.
This is probably the best advice there is for younger widows.
CONCLUSION ----------
15Some have in fact already turned away to follow Satan.
Widows: young or older. They should keep the faith, serve their families as best they can, and serve the Lord.
We all must avoid turning aside by any distraction and thus end up following Satan. WE MUST KEEP THE FAITH MOST OF ALL!
Steve Shepherd, Jonesboro Christian Church, AR
jonesborochristianchurch@suddenlink.net
