Year 2, Day 325: 1 Timothy 5

Keeping the Context of Faith

Paul’s opening words here in chapter 5 need to be taken in full context.  Remember that Paul is writing to Timothy, who is still young and learning the faith.  Paul is careful to tell him to not rebuke older men.  Of course, some people take this as blanket advice and say that old people are above being rebuked in the church.

That isn’t at all what Paul is saying.  In a way, Paul is reminding Timothy of one of the 10 Commandments applied very broadly.  “Honor your father and mother.”  Paul is telling Timothy that while he is young, he needs to remember to respect the wisdom and the life experience that older people have.  Yes, we will all make mistakes.  But we should be careful to show respect when talking to people who have more experience than we do.  We can absolutely point out places where they make mistakes, but we should do so in a way that preserves their wisdom and encourages their continued participation in the community.

The Treatment of Widows

The bulk of the middle of this chapter has to deal with widows.  In fact, it has much to do with hospitality and caring for the “oppressed.”  Paul sets up some standards here that are really beneficial for us to hear in our modern culture.

• First, notice that Paul has no issue with talking about those who have earned the assistance and those who have done nothing to earn it.  A widow who is devoting her day to God in prayer and service should be happily cared for by the community around her.  The widow who fritters away her day doing nothing productive and not engaging the spirituality of those around her is less likely to be helped quite so cheerfully.  Paul’s point is really clear.  If a widow is going to ask to be helped, she really needs to make sure to engage the spirituality that God has placed within her.
• Second, notice that if a widow – even a godly widow who is engaging her spirituality greatly - has family, then the responsibility for caring for the widow should fall upon the family first.  It is an honor to care for one’s family.  It is an honor to care for one’s family so that one’s family does not become a burden on the community.  In fact, people who do not care for their families when they could do so actually bring shame upon themselves.
• Third, notice that Paul excludes young widows.  There are two really good points here – one physical and one spiritual.  The physical reason is all about resources in a community.  A young widow might well get married again.  A young widow might be able to find the resources that are needed to live without having to draw the resources away from the community in general.  Notice how preserving the welfare of the spiritual community seems to take a higher precedent than preserving the individual’s desire?  As for the spiritual reason, remember that Paul has already mentioned that supported widows need to be devoted to their spirituality and the spirituality of the community around them.  Young people – men and women alike – get interested in faith for a little while but then they turn their attention elsewhere.  The passions and desires of the young are fleeting.  If the community supports a young widow it may be that the support actually enables the young widow to turn away from God because she might not have the wisdom to remain focused on God’s hand at work in the provision of her needs.

The Community Around Timothy

As I come off of this section on widows, I am left with a generalization that I’ve already talked about but towards which I want to put more intentional and directed thought.  Notice how important the health of the spiritual community is for Paul.  Paul absolutely agrees that the community should be there to care for those who truly need it.  But more important to Paul is the communal understanding that no one person should be such drain on society that the society is killed.

I think I am drawn to this topic because of the closing of the Hostess factory this week.  Because of the greed of unions and union employees, thousands of people are out of jobs.  There was no concern for the community in that decision.  It was about power and flexing union might.  I’m also seriously troubled about the fact that in the brunt of Superstorm Sandy that trained volunteers – electricians, contractors, etc – going into those areas to help bolster the infrastructure were turned away because they were non-union.  I’m even more greatly distressed by how much little media coverage this story received.  In the cold of late fall, people in the northeast had to endure lack of power, heat, and electricity because the “powers that be” were more concerned about preserving “union work” than the greater good of the community.  I’ve never been a big fan of unions; I am an even smaller fan of them now as I see one more example of how the “big union” only serves to destroy the functioning of the greater community by forcing resources to be diverted in unhealthy means.

So I have to wonder about this perspective of “taking rather than giving” in our society.  Is anyone else out there concerned about the rising “entitlement” mentality of people who have become dependent upon social welfare?  Again, please understand that I think we as a community should help those who deserve the help.  Is anyone else concerned about how in our self-mongerish humanity we are only concerned with what I can get out of society rather than what I can contribute?  Is this not often one of the same dynamics that destroys churches?  How many times do we have arguments in churches because we are more concerned with what I can get out of church rather than being concerned about what I can add to the gathered community?

Responsibilities of Elders

Paul ends this chapter by looking at the roles and responsibilities of elders.  Again, notice that the focus from Paul is what the spiritual leaders can contribute to the community.  The spiritual leaders should be preaching and teaching.  The spiritual leaders should be confronting sin in a loving and forgiving sense.  They should be laying on hands and praying.  They should be consciously avoiding in sharing the sins of others.  They should be concerned about what they can add to the community – for that is what God has called them to do!

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