Homeless woman, Washington DC
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38 And in his teaching he said, “Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes and like greetings in the marketplaces 39 and have the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at feasts, 40 who devour widows’ houses and for a pretense make long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation.”
You know, I came this close, ||, to putting up the embedded cartoon episode of Bugs Bunny and Yosemite Sam in “Hare Trimmed”. It was the episode where a widow inherits 8 million dollars, and Yosemite Sam sets out to marry her so he can then kick her and the orphans out onto the street. Bugs Bunny catches wind of it and sets out, in Looney Tunes fashion of course, to foil his evil plans.
While the world may seem like Looney Tunes, it’s actually worse in many respects. At least in Bugs Bunny cartoons, there is some sort of resolution at the end. The bad guy rarely gets away scot-free.
What surprises me, though, isn’t so much the Yosemite Sams of the world, but rather how many will support and defend them. Yes, even though some church leaders devour widows’ houses and threaten to put them out onto the street, people still follow them.
When are we going to get it? One is not “Philadelphian” just because they beat their chest and say that they are. In fact, that very act proves they are liars and frauds. A Philadelphian Christian is shown by their fruits.
You know, these abusive “leaders” cannot have power unless people give it to them. They would have no power if no one followed them into damnation. Some day, perhaps the world and even the Church will wake up and smell the coffee! If everyone departed the synagogue of Satan, those leaders’ power would drop to zero!
Does God care for those who cannot help themselves? Does He specifically care for the widows and fatherless?
5 Father of the fatherless and protector of widows
is God in his holy habitation.
27 Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.
19 “‘Cursed be anyone who perverts the justice due to the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’
9 The Lord watches over the sojourners;
he upholds the widow and the fatherless,
but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin.~ Ps 146:9
5 “Then I will draw near to you for judgment. I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, against the adulterers, against those who swear falsely, against those who oppress the hired worker in his wages, the widow and the fatherless, against those who thrust aside the sojourner, and do not fear me, says the Lord of hosts.
This is just a small portion of over 35 verses listed at OpenBible.info about “God Caring For Widows“, and even it is not all-comprehensive. I don’t know. At times, I think it must take a bolt of lightning to fall out of the sky to make the point for some people. Mistreating widows and orphans is wrong. Mistreating those who cannot defend themselves is wrong.
One of the longest parables in the Bible really should wrap up the attitude which The King of Kings praises and the attitude He despises:
31 When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:
32 And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:
33 And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.
34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
35 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:
36 Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.
37 Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?
38 When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?
39 Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?
40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.
41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:
42 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink:
43 I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.
44 Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?
45 Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.
46 And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.