Make a Widow's Heart Sing (Part One)

 Make a Widow's Heart Sing (Part One) In the first chapter of his epistle, the apostle James provides a balanced approach to Christian life. His letter focuses on the practical aspects of faith, emphasizing that faith is not just a matter of intellectual acceptance but something that a Christian's life should reflect. He emphasizes the importance of faith in action, addressing various aspects of daily living: handling trials, speaking righteously,demonstrating impartiality, showing humility, and the relationship between faith and works, demonstrated by expressing compassion and kindness to all. James1:26-27 sums up this epistle, making it simple for us to understand: If anyone among you thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this one's religion is useless. Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world. James takes a vital principle and simplifies it. While correct as it is, the phrase "pure and undefiled religion" could just as well be translated "clean and unblemished living in worship or service of God." If we want our worship of God tobe pure, clean, sincere, and genuine, we will display it in our treatment of others, especially the weak. How we live our lives, serving others, is how we honor God. In verse 27, James reaches back into the Old Testament and pulls an essential section of Scripture forward. The Old Testament emphasizes caring for widows, who were among the most vulnerable members of society. Notice the similarities between James 1:27 and Isaiah 1:16-17: Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; put away the evil of your doings from before My eyes. Cease to do evil, learn to do good; seek justice, rebuke the oppressor; defend the fatherless, plead for the widow. "Plead" is not strong enough to render the underlying Hebrew word, rîb (Strong's #7378), which means "to grapple; mostly figuratively, to wrangle . . .; (by implication) to defend." It is a much more physical word than merely "to plead"; we are to wrestle, contend, and strive for the betterment of the oppressed. James and Isaiah agree on how to worship God purely and genuinely: We are to put our all into ensuring that the most vulnerable members of society—they point out orphans and widows—are cared for. The principle comes from far earlier in Scripture, within the Old Covenant, particularly in Exodus 22:22-24: You shall not afflict any widow or fatherless child. If you afflict them in any way, and they cry at all to Me, I will surely hear their cry; and My wrath will become hot, and I will kill you with the sword; your wives shall be widows, and yourchildren fatherless. God's words here are powerful. He promises to take the side of the widow(s) and orphan(s) the Israelites abuse and punish the abusers by putting their loved ones in the same vulnerable position. He is almost saying, "We'll see how you like beingin this position!" Our actions, or lack thereof, often come back on us in kind to teach us lessons we failed to learn. Psalm68:5-6 reflects the words God spoke in the Old Covenant: Father of the fatherless and protector of widows is God in His holy habitation. God settles the solitary in a home; He leads out the prisoners to prosperity, but the rebellious dwell in a parched land. (English Standard Version) In both passages, Israel's God—who later came to live among us as Jesus Christ—makes it clear He is the Defender of widows and the weak. He showed these same characteristics in His earthly life, healing the sick, raising the dead, and helpingthe oppressed, giving them the gospel of the Kingdom of God. If we want to honor God and walk in the footsteps of our Savior, we will do the same by showing kindness, warmth, and generosity to those most vulnerable, specifically, widows and orphans. We can thank God that we do not have many orphans among us. However, such is not the case with widows and widowers, who may be among the most oppressed and wronged by society. In this group, we can include all the elderly, our senior citizens,whether or not they have lost a spouse, because they are increasingly vulnerable, too. As I age, I am more aware of the complexities of their lives and the difficulties they face. Daily, the media report how scammers and frauds take advantage of old people, preying on their fears. Sometimes, these crooks take everything these seniors own, draining their savings and leaving them utterly destitute. This is truly Satan'sworld. Even in our supposedly caring society with its scores of government programs for the poor, our old people are extremely vulnerable. Through ignorance or poverty, they are often incapable of defending or vindicating their rights. Sadly, theyare easily deceived and often betrayed by greedy and uncaring family members, neighbors, and predators. In addition, they struggle to maintain their rights to their property, and if their mental capacity begins to diminish, their rights may be entrusted toothers who do not have their best interests at heart. This societal problem is no small matter. We should be careful to remember that these verses on caring for the vulnerable apply to us today just as much as they did to the Israelites and early Christians. In Part Two, we will discuss how we can serve and encourage the widows and the elderly among us. - Ted E. Bowling