The widows in deed are discussed in 1 Timothy 5:3-16, they should over 60, no family to care for them, been faithful to their husbands/wives?, we as the Body of Christ have a responsibility to see to their needs. In today's world many of these individuals have families that can barely take care of themselves and the opposite is seen, the widow struggling to help her children.... it's a sad situation, should the church being knowledgeable of this scenario help that widow?
I agree with
@amigo de christo, can't believe someone actually brought this up, because this was what I was looking for in a church a way to serve the elder women who were widows in the same.
As James says
Pure religion and undefiled before God
and the Father
is this, To
visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world
In Isaiah it says,
Isaiah 1:17
Learn to do well; seek
judgment, relieve
the oppressed, judge
the fatherless, plead for
the widow.
Whereas here it says,
Isaiah 1:23
Thy princes are rebellious, and companions of thieves: every one loveth gifts, and
followeth after rewards: they
judge not the fatherless,
neither doth the cause of the widow come unto them.
Jesus concerning the widow's with the Pharisees said,
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows' houses, and
for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation.
Psalm 46:9
The LORD preserveth the strangers; he relieveth the fatherless and widow: but
the way of the wicked he turneth upside down.
You werent even supposed to pervert judgment as it pertains to the widow in Deu 24:17 by taking a widow's raiment to pledge, and here they were devouring the widows homes.
The LORD
Psalm 68:5
A father of the fatherless, and a judge of the widows, is God in his holy habitation.
Psalm 72:4 He
shall judge the poor of the people, he shall save the children of the needy, and shall break in pieces the oppressor.
In Acts 6:1 could be an example (to the contrary) where it says, they judge not the fatherless, neither doth the cause of the widow come unto them.
Which shows
Grecians murmuring against the Hebrews,
because their widows were neglected in the daily ministration.
Acts 6:1 And
in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplied, there arose a murmuring of the Grecians against the Hebrews,
because their widows were neglected in the daily ministration.
This was a daily ministration among them
Then we see in Acts 6:3 this is taken up
Acts 6:3
Wherefore, brethren, look ye out among you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business.
Same examples can be found of judging the cause of the poor and needy
Jerm 22:16 He
judged the cause of the poor and needy;
then it was well with him:
was not this to know me?
saith the LORD.
And so in one case he says,
They judge not the fatherless, neither doth the cause of the widow come unto them.
In Acts 6:1 the cause of the widow comes up there when Grecians murmured against the Hebrews, because their widows were neglected in this daily ministration.
Same examples can be found of judging the cause of the poor and needy, like all the weaker he has in his heart
He judged the cause of the poor and needy; then it was well with him: was not this to know me? saith the LORD.
Widows indeed, especially those without children and other family to care for them
There is the desolate widow
1 Ti 5:5
Now she that is a widow indeed, and desolate, trusteth in God, and continueth in supplications and prayers night and day.
And the widow that lives in pleasure, being dead while she ives
1 Ti 5:6
But she that liveth in pleasure is dead
while she liveth.