Seeing Widows in the New Testament

Nehemiah: A Leader Confronts Injustice

In this episode, we look at a story from Nehemiah 5 that shows how a godly leader responded to injustice within his own community. Vulnerable families were falling into debt and even selling their children into slavery, while the wealthy profited by charging interest in violation of God’s law. We follow Nehemiah’s response as he refuses to ignore the problem, confronts the powerful, and restores justice, even in the middle of rebuilding the wall.

Scales Versus Rivers

In this episode, we explore the difference between modern ideas of justice and biblical ideas of justice by comparing two images: scales and a river. While Western justice is often symbolized by balanced scales representing fairness and neutrality, the Bible describes justice as a powerful, ever-flowing river (Amos 5:24). We look at how legal systems can punish wrongdoing but cannot fully heal or restore what has been broken, while God’s justice brings restoration, healing, and transformation. This episode invites us to expand our understanding of justice and to pray for God’s justice to flow into situations of injustice and brokenness. Show notes can be found at: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Godlovesjustice.com/shownotes⁠⁠ [https://Godlovesjustice.com/shownotes]

When a Widow Beat a Corrupt Judge

In this final episode of our five-part series on widows in the Bible, we turn to Jesus’s own words and the powerful parable of the persistent widow in Luke 18. We look at Jesus’s parable in its historical context, remembering how vulnerable widows were, how often leaders failed them, and how deeply God cares about their justice. In the parable, a poor widow goes toe-to-toe against a corrupt, indifferent judge- and wins through her persistence. We look closely at the details of the parable because there are parts to it that make it interesting- and kind of funny. Show notes can be found at: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Godlovesjustice.com/shownotes⁠⁠ [https://Godlovesjustice.com/shownotes]

The Church Included Widows From the Start

Episode 15 This is episode 4 of a 5 part series on widows in the Bible. In this episode, we explore how the first generation church cared for widows in Acts 6. From appointing leaders to oversee daily food distribution to navigating practical challenges, we see that justice requires more than good intentions, it takes leadership and accountability. This story shows how including the vulnerable in society was happening at the same time as evangelism and rapid church growth. Show notes can be found at: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Godlovesjustice.com/shownotes⁠⁠ [https://Godlovesjustice.com/shownotes]

Seeing Widows in the New Testament

Episode 14 In part three of this five-part series on widows in Scripture, we turn to the New Testament to see how widows are woven into the story of Jesus and the early church. From Jesus’s genealogy, where three widows appear in the Messiah’s own family line, to Anna the prophet who recognizes the infant Jesus, this episode highlights how widows are named, seen, and honored. Jesus consistently lifts widows up as moral and spiritual examples, condemns their exploitation, and reflects God’s long-standing concern for their protection and dignity. The early church organizes support for them. Together, these stories reveal a God who sees the vulnerable and declares, “Your widows can depend on me.”