Why care for Ophans Widows the Poor and the Oppressed?
MINISTRIES
TOUCH THE UNTOUCHED
ORPHANS
“You consider their grief and take it in hand. The victims commit themselves to you; you are the helper of the fatherless.”
Widows
Learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow's cause.
poor
"If any of your neighbors become poor and are unable to support themselves among you, help them
oppressed
Woe to those who enact evil statutes, so as to deprive the needy of justice., and rob the poor of their rights,
love like father loves
Touch the untouched
Take up the cause of the fatherless
There is no fixed limit of age for an orphan; as long as the child cannot manage his/her own affairs, they are to be treated as an orphan. He who brings up an orphan in his house is regarded as the orphan’s father. One must deal with orphans gently and kindly, and must not speak harshly to them, and their guardian must take greater care of their money than of his own. Even while teaching them a trade, which may be done against their will, they must be treated differently from other trainees. In this respect the fatherless and the motherless are alike.
plead the case of the widow
A married woman whose husband has passed away and who remains unmarried. Her crisis is aggravated if she has no able-bodied children to help her work, or has little or no means to provide for her children, maintain the estate, or make payments on debts accrued by her husband. She is in an extremely vulnerable economic position because of being a prime target for exploitation.
Protection of the poor
Although poverty is neither virtuous nor desirable, Christ commands that the poor are to be respected and protected. The overarching Christian attitude toward the poor can be best summed up in a single word: (your brother). You are urged by the Bible to resist any temptation to view the poor as somehow different from themselves. The Bible sets forth numerous protections of the poor. You are to prevent the excessive accumulation of wealth in a few hands and from exploiting the poor in cheap labor. In essence, the poor man is “protected by God.”
"oppress" to use one's power against another.
All oppression is a desecration of the divine image in every person. Each person is created and formed by God. This is threatening to us, and rightfully so. Not because of the enormity of the obligation it imposes; but because we have plenty of commitments that we rarely meet. It’s threatening for the simple reason that oppression is wrong for the oppressed. It warps their souls, filling them with bitterness and violence and hate that is not always directed at the oppressors. The duty to free the oppressed is threatening because it means living with them, and at best, that can be a dangerous prospect. The oppressed will eventually act out in anger. We see this today with mass shootings and suicides.
Putting words into action
These are four ministries that God the Father cares for the most. He has continuously talked about them throughout the old and new testaments. In America, the most neglected ministry is for the widows. We would encourage you to gather as much info about ministering to widows and sit down with your Pastor if no such ministry exists within your church or others. There are many different ways to minister to the orphans, widows, poor, and the oppressed. Ask God the Father for the wisdom to encounter these people within your church and community.
Carry 20 dollars in your wallet and ask the Father for opportunities to help people in need, whether it’s a meal, gas for their car, or help pay for groceries when they come up short. Be sure to glorify the Father for every act of love. DO NOT take the credit, tell them that God, the Father who created them, reached out to them through you. Don’t brag about the opportunity that the Father gave you to others. Keep it a secret, and thank Him privately in your prayer closet. We have listed several ideas on the link below, to help you can start putting into words into actions.
Carry 20 dollars in your wallet and ask the Father for opportunities to help people in need, whether it’s a meal, gas for their car, or help pay for groceries when they come up short. Be sure to glorify the Father for every act of love. DO NOT take the credit, tell them that God, the Father who created them, reached out to them through you. Don’t brag about the opportunity that the Father gave you to others. Keep it a secret, and thank Him privately in your prayer closet. We have listed several ideas on the link below, to help you can start putting into words into actions.
Featured In:
Didache fellowship
