Seventh Day Baptist
Christian Education Council
PO BOX 1678
Janesville, WI 53547
—Luke 20:45-47
by: Jasmine Lynch.
People may respect you because of your profession or your attire, but God evaluates your heart. Jesus’ criticism of the religious leaders was because they had acquired rich gains by defrauding the widows—the most vulnerable people of their society. Tradition dictated that the sons or next of kin inherited a man’s wealth when he died, and the widows were at their mercy. This text implies that the scribes profited from the system instead of correcting it—all the while making long prayers on the widow’s behalf (v.47). How are you treating the widows in your church or community?