The Miracle So Nice He Did It Twice

Let’s Play Two!

“What a great day for baseball. Let’s play two!” That’s a legendary quote from a legendary Mr. Cub. Ernie Banks loved baseball so much, he was ALWAYS ready to play a pair of games in a single day.

But long before Banks ever appeared on his first baseball card, Jesus played His first doubleheader. Okay, it wasn’t really a baseball game. It Mark tells us about the day our Savior serves up a second massive meal on the heels of the first (Mk 8:1-10).

Call it the miracle so nice He did it twice.

The Opening Game

The first thing we need to do is rewind a bit in Mark’s biography of Jesus to that opening game of the doubleheader, the first phenomenal feeding. It all goes down near the shore of a big lake in Galilee. The Twelve has just returned from sharing the love of God without the Lord at their side (Mk 6:30).

Christ wants to get His crew a couple of days off to recharge (Mk 6:31-32). There’s just one problem. A huge crowd spots Him, His heart breaks for them, and He teaches them (Mk 6:33-34).

An Awkward Conversation

At the end of the very long day, the disciples suggest to Jesus that they He send them home so they could grab some grub (Mk 6:35-36). But the Lord tells the boys to pump their brakes and feed the massive audience themselves (Mk 6:37a).

Suddenly there’s an awkward conversation about the cost of catering the huge crowd and how they can only scrape together five loaves of bread and a couple of fish (Mk 6:37b-38).

The Hot New Thing

The next thing you know, our Savior thanks His Dad for what they do have and suddenly transforms the handful of ingredients into an all-you-can-eat seafood buffet for almost 20,000 people (Mk 6:39-44).

Jesus and His team continually try to grab some downtime but it’s just not happening. His combo of awesome teaching and mind-blowing miracles have made Him the hot new thing in Galilee. Crowds gather quickly wherever He goes (Mk 6:54-56). Could He be the Hero from heaven the Jewish people have been waiting for?

More Miracles on Demand

They try heading north across the border into non-Jewish territory but they can’t outrun Jesus’ rep (Mk 7:24-30). They circle back south to another Gentile area call the Ten Towns (Mk 7:31). That just leads to more miracles on demand (Mk 7:32-35; Mt 15:29-31).

That sets the stage for the second game of the doubleheader. While the Lord and the Dirty Dozen are still hanging out near the Ten Towns on the east side of the Sea of Galilee, it starts happening all over again.

Here We Go Again

“About this time another large crowd had gathered, and the people ran out of food again” (Mk 8:1). Feel like you’ve seen this movie before? That’s why some skeptics doubt it happened twice. But Mark makes it clear this may seem the same on the surface, but there are some very key differences.

Right out of the chute, the author and the NLT go out of their way to point out this is indeed the second time it happens. “About this time ANOTHER large crowd had gathered, and the people ran out of food AGAIN” (v1, emphasis added). Here we go again.

Goober from the Son of God

You can bet Jesus’ healing of the hearing impaired man had a lot to do with it (Mk 7:31-37). Folks are certainly buzzing about how the Son of God used supernatural goober to work His latest miracle.

A Punch in the Gut

Jesus and the Twelve huddle up. He lets them know what’s on His heart. “I feel sorry for these people. They have been here with Me for three days, and they have nothing to eat. If I send them home hungry, they will faint along the way. For some of them have come a long distance” (v1-3).

I’m not so sure that “feel sorry” has the same oomph as the word we see in the original language. Σπλαγχνιζομαι/splagchnizomai describes have deep compassion. It literally means moved in the spleen. It’s like a punch in the gut.

Christ’s Deep Compassion

It’s not the first time this has happened to our Savior. He has deep compassion for folks who are harassed and abused (Mt 9:36). His heart breaks for a desperate leper (Mk 1:41). For a mom who’s burying her son (Mk 9:22). And it’s that same gut feeling which leads to the first feeding of the 5,000 (Mt 14:14; Mk 6:34)

Whether we realize it or not, Christ cares. Whether we feel it or not, He cares deeply about each one of us. About you. About me. About them. Christ cares. About what we’re going through. About what’s happened to you. About what you’re facing. He cares more than anybody on the planet.

Image Bearers of the Creator

As His followers, we should have that same compassion for others. We may not know someone’s eternal destination. But we can be sure one of thing. God made every person we meet in His image (Gen 1:26-27). Every. Single. One.

Yeah, I know. You’ve heard this tune before. But let that sink in. Every person we encounter is an image bearer of our Creator. The lady in front of you in the express line at the grocery store with too many items. The guy who cut you off on the highway. The politician you can’t stand. The annoying neighbor who talks too much. The homeless person at the exit ramp.

Our Holistic Savior

Christ cares for them. As a matter of fact, He cares so deeply for them that He died to save each one of them. Every. Single. One.

And Jesus cares about the whole person. He cares about what we need. Not just spiritually, but emotionally and physically as well. He left heaven on a mission to bring us overflowing life (Jn 10:10). He’s not just a holy Savior but a holistic one as well.

Three Whole Days

It’s actually the emptiness of the people’s stomach that punches Jesus in the gut this time around. “They have been here with Me for three days, and they have nothing to eat. If I send them home hungry, they will faint along the way. For some of them have come a long distance” (v2-3).

Did you catch that? They’ve hung out with Jesus for THREE WHOLE DAYS! We only find that little nugget in Mark’s Gospel. The last time the Lord served a miracle meal it was at the end of one very long day. If you’re wondering what’s been going on for three days, Matthew sums it up (Mt 15:30-31).

Long Past Hangry

Three days without anything to eat?!? This is like some crazy music festival where the organizers drop the ball all when it comes to concession stands and food trucks. How hungry would you be? I can tell you, I would have been long past hangry a couple of days ago.

Christ knows that nothing less than an encore to that whole five-loaves-two-fish feast back in Galilee will do the trick. But just like last time, His great compassion for the great big crowd confounds His disciples. “How are we supposed to find enough food to feed them out here in the wilderness?” (v4).

Not the Brightest Bulbs in the Box

The Twelve kinda feel like folks don’t have to go home but they can’t stay here. Despite all they saw before, these knuckleheads still don’t get it. It’s another reminder that Jesus has exactly handpicked the brightest bulbs in the box.

According to the ESV Study Bible, it’s not that the disciples forgot. They simply can’t wrap their heads around what Jesus is capable of. Maybe they don’t think He’s capable of doing what He did before. One thing for sure, they still haven’t figured out who He is yet. That’s one of the mega-themes in Mark’s story of our Savior.

Are You Kidding?!?

Check out their question one more time. “How are we supposed to find enough food to feed them out here in the wilderness?” (v4). Let’s focus on three words. How. We. Wilderness.

They start with a Greek term (Gr. ποθεν/pothen) the NLT translates “how.” Each time this word appears, it raises the question of where, how, what, or why? It always carries the element of surprise. It’s the boys’ way of saying, “Are You kidding, Jesus?!?”

God-Sized Assignments

When they say “we,” they clearly believe the Lord is dumping the responsibility for lunch squarely in their lap. There’s no way they can do that on their own. Jesus is forcing them to place their faith in Him. God continually gives us God-sized assignments in order to rely on Him.

The disciples clearly understand they’re in the middle of the “wilderness” (v4). Despite being called the Ten Towns, this isn’t exactly a major metropolitan area. It’s probably better know as the Ten Tiny Towns out in the Middle of Nowhere. There’s not exactly a Kroger around the corner.

Blanking on the Who

The Twelve are focused on the how and the where of the situation. They’re totally blanking on the Who.  And, no, I don’t mean Daltrey, Townshend, Entwistle, and Moon.

The Who I’m talking about here is One who calls Himself the “Bread of Life” (Jn 6:35). You’re gonna love this. Jesus introduces Himself by that name just after His first feeding of the doubleheader (Jn 6:1-14).

All We Ever Need

By claiming this title, the Son of God isn’t challenging those of us who’ve chosen to go gluten-free. It’s His way of saying He’s totally essential for life. Not physical life. But eternal life. He’s all we’ll ever need.

Most big time Bible experts believe there’s another reason for this supernatural second helping. Since this about to go down in mostly Gentile territory, Jesus will prove that He is the Living Bread for non-Jews too.

What They DO Have

Back in Mark’s story, Jesus gets back to the problem at hand. He asks His disciples if they’ve actually checked on their available resources. “How much bread do you have?” (v5). In other words, boys, go do what you did the last time we were in the same situation (Mk 6:38).

He doesn’t want them looking at what they DON’T have. He wants to understand what they DO have. And no matter what that number is, Jesus makes it more than enough. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves.

The Perfect Number

We’re not sure how long this inventory takes but they come back to Christ with the answer. “Seven loaves” (v5). Numbers are important in the ancient world. For instance, folks see seven as the perfect or complete number. This may just be God’s way of saying He has perfect and complete love for both Jews and Gentiles.

Then the Lord rings the dinner bell. “So Jesus told all the people to sit down on the ground. Then He took the seven loaves, thanked God for them, broke them into pieces. He gave them to His disciples, who distributed the bread to the crowd” (v6).

Thanking God for the Good Stuff

After getting everyone seated, our Savior thanks His Father for what they do have. It’s something we’ve seen Him do before (Mt 14:19; Mk 6:41). Jesus’ kid brother wants us to remember that all the good stuff comes from our Heavenly Dad (James 1:17).

Thanking God, breaking bread, and handing it out are all regular parts of every Jewish meal back in the day. Don’t you think we should take a few moments before breakfast, lunch, and dinner to express our gratitude for what we’re about to eat?

Blessing TO Us and THROUGH Us

Notice how Christ multiplies the meal but He involves the disciples in the miracle. He breaks the bread while the boys deliver the goods. God wants to use us to be part of His blessing to others. When we ignore that invitation, we’re the ones who miss out.

Here’s the deal. As the Sovereign God of the universe, He doesn’t need us. But He invites us to be part of His work. He wants us to be part of His work. There’s blessing when we serve others (Jn 13:17). That’s because His blessing TO us is a blessing THROUGH us.

It Just Keeps Coming!

“He gave them to His disciples, who distributed the bread to the crowd” (v 6). The grammar in the original Greek here describes the continuous process of the Twelve passing out food. In other words, Jesus keeps breaking the bread and the disciples keep dishing it out. The food just keeps coming!

Serving More than Carbs

Christ is serving more than just carbs to the big crowd. “A few small fish were found, too, so Jesus also blessed these and told the disciples to distribute them” (v7). While we don’t have a specific number, Mark lets us know they don’t have many and they aren’t very big.

The word the NLT translates as “small fish” (Gr. ιχθυδιον/ichthudion) certainly doesn’t describe what you’d call keepers. Think bluegill, bream, or tiny tilapia. Remember, the second Gospel is almost certainly Peter’s version of events. This commercial fisherman is anything but impressed with this meager catch.

Passing on Dessert

The size and quantity of the fish might be lacking but the miracle meal certainly isn’t. “They ate as much as they wanted. Afterward, the disciples picked up seven large baskets of leftover food” (v8).

Folks are stuffed. Can’t you just picture folks in the big crowd leaning back after this amazing all-you-can-eat seafood buffet? No need to see the dessert menu. They couldn’t eat another bite.

Luggage full of Leftovers

Just like after the last supernatural spread, the Twelve clean up the leftovers. But this time, they use “large baskets” (Gr. σπυρις/spuris). These are bigger than the ones they used back after the first banquet (Mk 6:43).

The term here means a big whicker hamper often used for carrying stuff on long journeys. It’s more like a trunk or a very large suitcase. This is no carryon. They have seven pieces of luggage full of leftovers.

Man-Sized Baskets

In fact, these baskets are actually big enough to hold a man! When the Jews put a hit on the newly converted Saul in Damascus, his friends smuggle him out of the city one night using one of them (Acts 9:25). WAY bigger than your mom’s most monstrous Tupperware.

We’re not just talking about a few scraps and crumbs. This is an absolute overabundance of food. And you think you’re grandma can prepare too much for dinner. It’s nothing compared to what Jesus can do. He’s capable of so much more than we could ever dream of (Eph 3:20).

Seafood for 16,000

Did you notice the number seven again? I didn’t think that would get past you. The perfect and complete meal results in perfect and complete leftovers. This is the meal that keeps on giving!

So just how many folks did Jesus feed with seven little loaves and a handful of small fish? “There were about 4,000 men in the crowd that day, and Jesus sent them home after they had eaten” (v9). Just counting 4,000 dudes, that puts the probable crowd at somewhere around 16,000!!

Back in the Boat

Just after Christ’s crew cleans up, they’re on the move again. “Immediately after this, He got into a boat with His disciples and crossed over to the region of Dalmanutha” (v10). Did you know that Mark is the only writer of Scripture to mention this place?

When you compare Matt’s version of this same story, we find out it’s near Magadan (AKA Magdala) on the northwest shore of the freshwater lake known as the Sea of Galilee (Mt 15:39). It happens to be the hometown of one of Jesus’ most famous female followers, Mary of Magdala. You probably know her as Mary Magdalene.

Setting the Table

As the boat pulls away from the beach, this second seafood buffet really sets the table for what’s to come. Jesus will have another run-in with the religious power brokers once they land (Mk 8:11-13).

When that’s over, the Lord warns His posse about the Pharisees’ leaven (Mk 8:14-21). They think He’s busting their chops about failing to pack a lunch. They don’t realize He’s actually giving them a heads up about falling under their sinful influence.

Back-to-Back Buffets

Despite having front row seats for both of these miraculous meals, Jesus’ closest followers still don’t understand who He really is. They’ve never seen anyone like Him. His deep compassion for others. His ability to provide exactly what they need most when they need it most.

In 1954, Stan Musial of the St. Louis Cardinals played what many baseball fans believe is the greatest doubleheader in history when he it five homers. That’s how you earn the nickname of Stan the Man.

But that’s little league compared to what Christ did with His back-to-back bread-and-fish buffets. The Lord totally knock both of them out of the park. It's

the miracle so nice He did it twice.

©2018

Jay Jennings

The Widow Protection Program

“Let a widow be enrolled if she is not less than sixty years of age, having been the wife of one husband, and having a reputation of good works: if she has brought up children, has shown hospitality, has washed the feet of the saints, has cared for the afflicted, and has devoted herself to every good work. But refuse to enroll younger widows, for when their passions draw them away from Christ, they desire to marry and so incur condemnation for having abandoned their former faith. Besides that, they learn to be idlers, going about from house to house, and not only idlers, but also gossips and busybodies, saying what they should not. So I would have younger widows marry, bear children, manage households, and give the adversary no occasion for slander. For some have already strayed after Satan. If any believing woman has relatives who are widows, let her care for them. Let the church not be burdened, so that it may care for those who are truly widows” (1Tim 5:9-16).

Eligibility is a big deal. So many activities or programs require specific conditions before you can participate. An high school or college athlete must maintain a certain GPA. You have to be 16 before you can ruin your parents’ car insurance. If you’ve been paying attention during the past few elections, you know that a presidential candidate must be a natural born citizen. Someone determines ahead of time who’s in and who’s out. You must be eligible to participate. 

Here in a letter to the pastor of the megachurch in Ephesus, Paul specifically spells out the eligibility to be a candidate for care as a widow (1Tim 5:9-16). A lot of VERY smart folks have argued until they’re blue in the face over what the apostle is talking about in this passage. Some say he’s setting the bar for some sort of women’s auxiliary. I guess that’s possible. But looking at both the text and the context, it sure seems more like he’s simply describing who the church is will help and who’s on the outside looking in. In other words, he’s providing eligibility guidelines for the widow protection program. 

Pastor Tim has his hands full in Ephesus. His mentor Paul is on assignment up in Macedonia (1Tim 1:3), probably helping out the churches he started a few years back in Philippi, Thessalonica, and Berea (Acts 16:9-17:13). False teachers have left a massive dumpster fire in Ephesus (1Tim 1:4-7; 4:1-3). Tim’s job is to get people praying again (1Tim 2:1-8), assemble a new team of godly servant/leaders (1Tim 3:1-13), and focus everyone’s eyes back on the Gospel (1Tim 3:14-16; 4:3-4). 

The apostle has just described how relationships within the church are like those in a family. We’re to love on the older women in our church like our own moms (1Tim 5:1-2). He uses that idea to kick off how to care for ladies who have lost their husbands (1Tim 5:3-7). We’re to show honor to those women who are legitimately widows. In other words, we provide practical support for any woman who has no husband or family to help them. If she has a family, they need to step in and step up for her. Your failure to provide doesn’t just diss your fam but disses your faith too (1Tim 5:8). You gotta figure that those spiritual con artists cooked up some scheme to divert cash that should been used to care for the widows into their own pockets. I told you these jerks were bad news.

At this point, Paul specifically describes a candidate for care in the church’s widow protection program. She needs to be at least sixty years old. Remember, the apostle is writing in the first century. Sixty isn’t the new forty as it is for us in 2016. Back in 64 A.D., sixty is more like the new eighty. Life was hard in the Greco-Roman world. Especially hard for women. Incredibly hard for older women. Impossibly hard for older widows. Is Paul dropping a sixty-year-old minimum age that’s still on the books in the 21st century? I don’t necessarily think so. But this is certainly a good place to start. 

As we read on, we see eligible candidates should have “been the wife of one husband, and having a reputation of good works: if she has brought up children, has shown hospitality, has washed the feet of the saints, has cared for the afflicted, and has devoted herself to every good work” (v9-10). “The wife of one husband” (v9) is literally “one woman man.” This has really nothing to do with divorce and remarriage and EVERYTHING to do with faithfulness. Just as he did for elders and deacons (1Tim 3:2, 12), Paul is NOT talking about checking a box for marital status on an application. Was she devoted to her husband? In the words of Tammy Wynette, did she stand by her man?

The rest of these qualities point to a woman who poured her entire life into others. Her kids and grandkids. Opening her home to people she didn’t know so she could show them Jesus’ unconditional hospitality. Serving the followers of Christ when they were tired and burned out. Caring for the sick, disabled, and disenfranchised. These ladies give all of us a model to follow. It’s a reminder to each of us to stop staring at the person in the bathroom mirror and get our eyes on someone else for a change. Stop being selfish and start being selfless. I love how the Message says these ladies have a rep “for helping out with children, strangers, tired Christians, the hurt and troubled” (v10 The Message). Shouldn’t we all?

If these are the widows who are eligible, we then see those who don’t make the cut for support from the church. “But refuse to enroll younger widows, for when their passions draw them away from Christ, they desire to marry and so incur condemnation for having abandoned their former faith” (v11-12). These younger widows are still active and have, shall we say, a healthy libido. The phrase used by the ESV, “their passions draw them away” (v11), is actually one Greek word (Gr. katastreniao). It means to feel the impulses of sexual desire or experience strong lust. You can literally translate it to mean “according to desire.” Is Paul describing a first century cougar? Here’s the deal. It’s certainly okay for a widow to remarry. The danger is being so desperate to be married that you hook up with someone who doesn’t follow Jesus. That goes for anybody, male or female, young or old (2Cor 6:14).

Instead of devoting themselves to loving God by loving people, Paul says younger widows have a much higher probability of learning “to be idlers, going from house to house, and not only idlers, but also gossips and busybodies, saying what they should not” (v13). Do we really need to go into an in-depth word study of the original Greek here? In case you’re wondering, I did and it’s not pretty. It doesn’t take long before you get a picture of lazy ladies who spend all their time with their noses in everybody else’s business. Before you accuse the apostle of some sort of gender profiling, you do realize that men are just as capable of checking all these boxes, right? Come on, you know the difference between gossip and letting your friends know how they can “pray intelligently” about your neighbor down the street. Does your Facebook feed build folks up or tear them down? 

Tim’s mentor has a better idea. “So I would have younger widows marry, bear children, manage their households, and give the adversary no occasion for slander. For some have already strayed after Satan” (v14-15). Instead of falling for the lie that God has closed the book on their lives, he encourages these ladies to realize He may simply be writing a brand new chapter with a new husband and family. Be open to a relationship with a believer and the possibility of kids. This will serve the purpose of shutting up many of our critics. Clearly some Ephesian widows had already made the mistake of turning their backs on Jesus in order to date the devil. You do realize Satan doesn’t have your best interests in mind, don’t you?

Paul reminds us one more time of the big idea when it comes to caring for the women in our lives who’ve lost their husbands. “If any believing woman has relatives who are widows, let her care for them. Let the church not be burdened, so that it may care for those who are truly widows” (v16). Here’s the bottom line. Don’t dump widows on the church. Mom and memaw are your family’s responsibility. There’s a pretty good chance she’s spent a few years wiping your nose and powdering your backside. Now is your chance to care for her. Don’t waste your congregation’s limited resources. “The church has its hands full already with widows who need help” (v16 The Message). Just call this the widow protection program.

Assisted Living, Gospel Style

“Honor widows who are truly widows. But if a widow has children or grandchildren, let them first learn to show godliness to their own household and to make some return to their parents, for this is pleasing in the sight of God. She who is truly a widow, left all alone, has set her hope on God and continues in supplications and prayers night and day, but she who is self-indulgent is dead even while she lives” (1Tim 5:3-7).

Long before anyone came up with the idea of nursing homes and assisted living facilities, God told His people to care for their aging relatives. Here in Paul’s first letter to Timothy, the apostle gives the young Ephesian pastor specific and detailed instructions on focusing the church’s resources on those older women who are without husbands and without help (1Tim 5:3-16). We’ll look at the first part of this section here (1Tim 5:3-7). If she has family, they should step up. If all she has left is her hope in Jesus, that’s when her church family gets busy. It’s a critical way to show love to mom and memaw. This is assisted living, Gospel style.

Let’s face it. Caring for the elderly is not exactly a sexy topic. But it’s absolutely one of the most issues any church or family will ever face. It was clearly a bone of contention in the church of first century Ephesus. Think I’m making this up? Why else would Paul spend more time and ink on caring for widows than any other matter? Could it be that one of the worst impacts of the false teachers was the neglect and abuse of their senior saints (1Tim 1:3-7; 4:1-3)? Certainly strong extended family relationships are vitally important when looking for godly leaders of integrity (1Tim 3:2, 4-5, 12).

Can we talk about the elephant in the room for just a minute? Actually, this one is more like a massive woolly mammoth. Why isn’t this a front burner issue in the 21st Century American church? There is a massive proportion of our population that’s in need of care in the winter of their lives. It’s a percentage that’s growing every single day. According to the 2010 U.S. Census,13% of our Americans are at least 65 years old. And while men are living longer today than ever before, women are still outliving their husbands. 

When is the last time the topic of providing care for our widowed moms and grandmas came up at church? Getting uncomfortable, yet? Yeah, me too. My intent isn’t to be the travel agent for a guilt trip. But there’s little doubt that God calls His people to provide practical means of support for these women. If I’m a follower of Jesus, I’m to care for those ladies in my family who’ve lost their husbands. If an elderly widow has no one else, it’s time for the church to roll up its sleeves. 

“Honor widows who are truly widows” (v3). Here’s the bottom line when it comes to the subject. According to the folks behind the ESV Study Bible, Paul’s primary purpose is to identify widows who need the church’s help. He gives two key indicators. First, they have no other family (1Tim 5:4-8, 16). Second, they are examples of godliness (1Tim 5:5, 9-15). 

What does it mean to show someone “honor” (v3)? This is the Greek verb timao, which means to show someone respect, care, support, or simply treat them graciously. It comes from a root word describing something incredibly valuable, precious, and priceless. NT authors use it when referring to God’s Top Ten commandment about respecting our parents (Mt 19:19; Mk 7:10; 10:19; Lk 18:20; Eph 6:2). We show our widowed mothers and grandmothers just how precious they are to us by practically meeting all kinds of needs, primarily through our financial support. But don’t think you’re off the hook if you have the cheddar to simply write a check for assisted living. Nursing homes are full of lonely people. Show them their value to you with regular visits.

Paul uses a word for “widow” (Gr. chera) that comes from a term describing a huge emptiness. There’s a gaping void left by the death of her husband. It can also draw a painful picture of the chasm left wide open without any support from family. Unless we’ve lost a spouse, I don’t think we can wrap our brains or hearts around the Grand Canyon of grief it leaves behind. Jesus is the only one who truly fills that relational abyss. But one of the key ways He does that is through you and me.

God blesses His church with resources to manage and use effectively for His kingdom. A church shouldn’t support a widow who has family with the ability to love and support her. “But if a widow has children or grandchildren, let them first learn to show godliness to their own household and to make some return to their parents” (v4). Let that sink in. Caring for your mom or grandma who’s lost their husband is first and foremost the family’s responsibility. Expect it. Plan for it. Don’t use the excuse that your money is tied up in charity work or supporting overseas missionaries. Jesus says that won’t fly (Mt 15:4-7; Mk 7:10-13). 

And don’t miss this point. Financially supporting our aging loved ones is a very practical means of worshiping God. It’s one way you and I can be sure to put a smile on His face. “For this is pleasing in the sight of God” (v4). You may not think of moving mom into your bonus room or visiting grammy at the assisted living facility as an act of worship to Jesus, but it is. I’m pretty sure this is the kind of thing Christ was talking about when told folks about feeding the hungry, welcoming the stranger, visiting the prisoner, and clothing the naked. “Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these, My brothers, you did it to Me” (Mt 25:40). When you do this for mom or grandma, you’re actually doing it for Jesus.

Paul turns from the widow who has a family to support her to the lady “who is truly a widow, left all alone” (v5). The original Greek text uses a word (Gr. mono’o) which means to be desolate, destitute, forsaken, and helpless. In the days before social security, life insurance, and 401ks, a woman would be left swinging in the societal breeze if she had no husband or son in her life to provide for her. Without them, these widows were helpless. While it’s not expressly part of this passage, one of the greatest ways that a husband can love his wife is by providing for her after his death. Don’t just make a point of piling up a nest egg but make sure you have a will that makes everything clear. Otherwise she may be destitute as the result of probate.

Did you realize Jesus did some first century estate planning in order to care for His mom? While He hung on the cross, Christ asked His best friend John to care for Mary as if she was the apostle’s own mother (Jn 19:25-27). Jesus knew the future His mom faced without Him. At this point, His kid brothers James and Jude hadn’t placed their trust in their God and Savior. That wouldn’t happen until their big Brother walked alive out of the tomb a few days later. Jesus gives us a great example of what it looks like for believers to care for our aging parents.

The apostle writes that a woman who’s left without family should first “set her hope on God” (v5). She knows the Father is ultimately the One who will provide her with what she needs. When Jesus teaches His posse the basics of prayer, He points out the importance of dependance on our Heavenly Dad. “Give us each day our daily bread” (Lk 11:4). This has nothing really with whether you’re gluten-free or not, but rather trusting in our generous God to give you what you need each day. While we should all set our “hope on God” (v5), a widow probably has no other choice.

So just what does a godly lady do when she’s lost her husband and has no family? She prays. She “continues in supplications and prayers night and day” (v5). Dr. Luke gives us a perfect picture of what this looks like. When Joe and Mary headed to the temple just after the birth of their first Son, they ran into Anna. After losing her husband, this 84-year-old prophetess not only lived at the temple in Jerusalem but devoted herself to “worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day” (Lk 2:36-38). Instead of sitting around feeling sorry for herself, a godly widow leverages her available time for others, specifically in prayer. 

And if there’s any doubt about how a widow should NOT roll, Paul writes, “But she who is self-indulgent is dead even while she lives” (v6). He drops a Greek word here (Gr. spatalao) that means to live luxuriously or seek to gratify your own appetites and desires. It comes from another term used to describe a riot that’s completely out of control. The only other time we see this word used in the Bible is when James warns the wealthy, “You have lived on the earth in luxury and in self-indulgence (Gr. spatalao)” (James 5:5). Just ask the prodigal son how that works out (Lk 15:13-16). 

This woman makes the tragic mistake of making herself the priority and blowing everything she has on herself. We’re talking about so much more than money. She is black hole of attention, dragging everyone into her drama. It’s completely the opposite of the godly widow in the previous verse who fasts and prays (v5). God calls us to live selflessly not selfishly. Follow Jesus’ example of sacrifice and flip org chart. “In humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others” (Phil 2:3-4). The Message nails this idea. “But a widow who exploits people’s emotions and pocketbooks—well, there’s nothing to her” (v6 The Message).

What this wild widow doesn’t realize is that she’s “dead while she lives” (v6). She’s a dead woman walking. This lady is actually no more alive than her already dead husband. SPOILER ALERT! She’s like Bruce Willis’ character in “The Sixth Sense.” This widow is dead and doesn’t realize it. (If I spoiled the big reveal of that movie, this one is completely on you. That flick came out in 1999.) 

Paul gives Pastor Tim specific instructions about what he’s to do with this info about widows, families, and the church family. “Command these things as well, so that they may be without reproach” (v7). Let’s review “these things.” Take proper care of these women who truly can’t take care of themselves. Family’s need to step up and provide for the ladies in their lives. If she has no family, the church steps in. Gently encourage these widows to allow Christ to fill the void in their lives and devote themselves to prayer. Warn those who’ve lost their husbands not to be a dead woman walking. This is assisted living, Gospel style.

Family Guy

“He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God’s church?” (1Tim 3:4-5).

You’ve seen it yourself. A carpenter whose own home desperately needs a visit from Ty Pennington. The mechanic who drives a beater that urgently needs a tuneup. A plumber with leaky faucets and clogged toilets at home. Some folks may think that’s okay when finding a tradesman, but Paul makes it clear that won’t fly in church leadership. “He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God’s church” (v4-5). God is looking for great leaders in His family who are great leaders in their own families.

Paul is writing to his protege Timothy in Ephesus. The apostle has asked him to step and pastor the church he originally planted a few years back. New leadership is needed after a team of spiritual con artists have driven the congregation into a ditch (1Tim 1:3-7). At this point, it appears Tim’s flying solo in church leadership. His mentor gives him a punch list of qualities to look for in the position of overseer. 

That list begins with a leader who is “above reproach” (1Tim 3:2). Paul then fleshes that out with specific descriptions of an elder’s marriage, his clear mind and clear eyes, his avoidance of addictive substances and activities, his cool head in crazy times, and his inability to be distracted by dollars. Here in verses 4-5, the apostle describes in detail what a man of integrity looks like on the home front. If things aren’t running smoothly back at his house, you can’t expect him to lead well in God’s house.

Paul pulls no punches right out of the chute. “He must manage his own household well” (v4). The word “manage” is the Greek verb proistemi, which literally means to place before or to set over something. It conveys putting yourself in a responsibility of leadership, guidance, and care. An elder devotes himself to guard and provide protective accountability to life back home. To paraphrase the folks at UnderArmour, an elder must protect this house.

The term shows up a handful of times in the New Testament and gives us a better idea of what Paul’s talking about. And just about every time it’s all about passion, commitment, loyalty, and devotion. Every person who follows Jesus must “devote (Gr. proistemi) themselves to good works” (Titus 3:8, 14). When running down a list of the recipients of spiritual gifts, the apostle says “the one who leads (Gr. proistemi), with zeal” (Rom 12:8). 

Even for the best pastor, elder, and overseer, the church NEVER takes priority over the family. Ever. At no point in the Bible does God ever ask a leader to sacrifice his family on the altar of the church. Your wife and kids are ALWAYS your number one ministry. Keep the home fires burning but make sure it never becomes a dumpster fire. If and when your marriage and family are spinning wildly out of control, it’s time for counseling not elder meetings.  

But don’t think this is only limited to his wife and kids. John MacArthur believes these verses are talking about everything connected with things at home. An overseer must good husband and dad, but SO much more. Is he fully involved in the family finances. Does he expect his wife to bear the full brunt of running the household by herself while he plays golf or watches SportsCenter? Does he have a clue of what’s going on with the kids at school? An elder must not be a sitcom dad who’s the clueless punchline of every joke. Peter Griffin from “Family Guy” is NOT elder material. 

While it’s certainly not limited to his kids, it certainly includes them. An overseer be a good dad “with all dignity keeping his children submissive” (v4). Let’s be clear what this is NOT. Paul is not describing a dictator who’s kids cower every time they hear the garage door opening when he comes home from work. A leader in the church leads his own children with “dignity (Gr. semnotes)” (v4). This describes the characteristic of a thing or person which entitles to reverence and respect. In other words, has he earned the admiration and respect of his children? 

An elder’s kids should be “submissive” (v4) but only because they want to be. This is a willing obedience to a loving and attentive father. He’s not a doormat. He knows when to say “no” firmly and fairly. A great dad understands that there are many times when denying something from his children is really what’s best for them. Good practice for leading a local church, don’t you think? Are you starting to get the connection between leading at home and leading at church?

Paul follows up the first statement with a question. “For if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God’s church?” (v5). The Greek grammar here expects a negative answer. In other words, the response is obvious. Just as a husband and father is accountable for his marriage and family, an overseer is accountable for the church. No leadership at home equals no leadership at church.

An elder is to provide “care for God’s church” (v5). The language here gives us a bit more insight into the job description. “Care” is the Greek verb epimeleomai, which literally means to provide attentive care over someone or something. It’s to look after, be greatly concerned about, be in charge of, and provide whatever is needed. It carries the idea of diligent concern and responsibility. 

The only other time we see this term used in the entire Bible is when Jesus is telling the story of the Good Samaritan. When hero of the parable drops off the injured man for care at the local bed and breakfast, he tells the innkeeper, “Take care (Gr. epimeleomai) of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back” (Lk 10:34). Give him what he needs. Watch over him closely. Money is no object. His recovery is priority one.

Paul says the best audition for a potential leader in the church is to make a surprise home visit. How are things running back at the house? Does he support and love his wife as a servant leader? Do his own kids respect him? Is he detached as a husband and dad? Is he a cruel dictator? This will give you an important glimpse into his leadership style in the church. God is looking for great leaders in His family who are great leaders in their own families.