Last month, a letter appeared (10/ 96 pg. 426-27) inviting input on preparation for and utilization of retirement. We decided to seek out relevant verses and quickly realized we have never looked at scripture with the retirement question in mind. What we found were instructions regarding the duties of children and community that were thought-provoking.
Honor your parents
Citing the command to honor father and mother, Christ exposes the hypocrisy of a rabbinical teaching: “Ye say, Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, It is a gift, by whatsoever thou mightiest be profited by me; and honor not his father or his mother, he shall be free. Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition” (Matt. 15:3-6).
Christ’s words assume the children were old enough to be well established in their working lives — they had wherewith to give “a gift” to their parents. Further, he assumes the parents were themselves not wealthy and looked to benefit from the care and training supplied their children — they anticipated to “be profited by” their efforts. Within this framework, the Master’s teaching is clear — an aspect of children honoring parents is caring for the parents as need arises. Since this could be inconvenient and expensive, the Rabbis had contrived a “legal” way out of the duty.
The implication for children is they should care for their parents if need occurs. The implication for parents is that they can count on their children caring for them in their later years.
As the women celebrated Naomi’s grandson, they reinforced the expectation that elder parents are cared for by their progeny: “…And he shall be unto thee a restorer of thy life, and a nourisher of thine old age: for thy daughter in law, which loveth thee, which is better to thee than seven sons, hath born him” (Ruth 4:15). Naomi would nurse this child in anticipation that, when he was grown, he would in turn nourish her.
Also to be noted is another point: that Ruth was better than seven sons is high praise, but the phrase also suggests parents expected their sons to care for them in later years, further reinforcing our thought.
Paul instructs the brethren
In directing Timothy on appropriate behavior, the apostle comments on the care of widows. “Honor widows that are widows indeed. But if any widow have children or nephews, let them learn first to show piety at home, and to requite their parents: for that is good and acceptable before God” (I Tim. 5:3-4). “Requite” means “repay” (cf. NKJV) and carries forward the same idea seen in the earlier verses. Since parents put so much time, energy and money into their children, Paul’s comment intimates it is only right for children to “repay” their debt by caring for the parents as need requires. Note, too, that “nephews” are also involved, suggesting ties of benefit and obligation in the wider family circle.
The matter is put more emphatically in verse 8: “If any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.” “Infidel” refers to unbelievers (cf. NKJV) and indicates that in the contemporary society, even unbelieving families cared for their own.
Verse 16 comments in the same vein: “If any believing man or woman has widows, let them relieve them, and do not let the church be burdened, that it may relieve those who are really widows” (I Tim. 5:16 NKJV).
This passage also notes a community obligation. “Do not let the church be burdened” indicates the ecclesia was to help if the first option, family, could not meet the need.
When the community must help
If a widow was “left alone (I Tim. 5:5),” over 60 years old (v.9) and of good character (v.10), she was evidently to be cared for by her fellow believers. This was the early practice in the Jerusalem Ecclesia in the form of a “daily distribution” (Acts 6:1 NKJV) made to widows. With the total number of believers in Jerusalem already about 10,000, this would have been a significant activity and a major drain on resources. But it was seen as a necessary and important work.
Community help was a significant feature of the law and these New Testament provisions continued the practice. In Israel of old, widows, fatherless and strangers as well as Levites had access to the tithes. All such persons “shall eat and be satisfied” from stores provided by tithing (Deut. 14:29; 26:12). This provision was additional to laws requiring gleanings to be left of all crops at harvest time (Deut. 24:19-21). Taking advantage of the latter provision required a measure of health which some elderly would not have. In their case, access to the tithe offered them sustenance.
The scripture retirement plan is first family and then community for those elderly ones in need. Interestingly, the underlying resource allocation is somewhat similar to national social security and welfare plans today. As we are frequently reminded, current taxes taken from wage earners are covering current payments to retired and needy persons. Thus, producing persons are caring for those who are no longer productive. The biblical method is more personal, but there is a notable similarity.
God will provide
For the believer, there is an additional unique underlying safety net. God has promised that if we seek first His kingdom, He will provide our daily needs. Therefore the believer is told, “Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things, Sufficient for the day is its own trouble” (Matt. 6:33-34 NKJV). Within this framework, any worrying we do should be in the context of prayer to God: “Cast me not off in the time of old age; forsake me not when my strength faileth…Now also when I am old and greyheaded, 0 God, forsake me not” (Psa. 71:9,18). These prayers, we know, will be answered for the faithful.
There are a number of considerations which arise from these passages. Aren’t parents to store up for the children? How can we afford to care for our parents when we’re barely able to meet our own expenses? How is this practical when we often live many miles from our parents? We invite comments on these matters and, God willing, will consider the topic further next month.
The Origin of the Organic World – Part One