Viúvas
A Bíblia revela um cuidado especial de Deus pelas viúvas. Ao longo das Escrituras, encontramos mandamentos claros de proteção, justiça e compaixão, refletindo o caráter amoroso do Senhor.
A proteção divina
Deus se apresenta como defensor das viúvas, garantindo que não fiquem desamparadas. Ele acolhe os que sofrem e sustenta os que perderam seu amparo terreno.
Sing ye to God, say ye psalm to his name; make ye [a] way to him, that ascendeth [or goeth up] on the going down, the Lord is name of him. Make ye fully joy [or Full out joyeth] in his sight, his enemies shall be troubled from the face of him,
which is the father of fatherless and motherless children; and the judge of widows. God is in his holy place;
The Lord keepeth comelings; he shall take up a motherless child, and a widow; and he shall destroy the ways of sinners.
for I delivered the poor man crying [out], and the fatherless child, that had no helper.
The blessing of a man ready to perish came on me, and I comforted the heart of the widow.
Justiça e compaixão
A Palavra ordena que seu povo pratique a justiça, protegendo os mais frágeis e defendendo a causa dos necessitados.
Deem thou that that is just, and deem thou a needy man and a poor man.
The Lord of hosts saith these things, and speaketh, Deem ye true doom, and do ye mercy, and doings of mercy, each man with his brother.
And do not ye falsely challenge a widow, and fatherless, either mother-less, and comeling, and poor man; and a man think not in his heart evil to his brother.
Ye shall not harm a widow, and a fatherless or a motherless child.
If ye hurt them, they shall cry to me, and I shall hear the cry of them,
and my great vengeance shall have indignation on you, and I shall smite you with sword, and your wives shall be widows, and your sons shall be fatherless.
learn ye to do well. Seek ye doom, help ye him that is oppressed, deem ye to the fatherless and motherless child, defend ye a widow.
O chamado da Igreja
No Novo Testamento, o cuidado com as viúvas é expressão genuína da fé cristã. Tiago declara que a religião pura inclui visitar os necessitados.
A clean religion, and unwemmed with God and the Father, is this, to visit fatherless and motherless children, and widows in their tribulation, and to keep himself undefouled from this world.
Honour thou [the] widows, that be very widows.