Give a Portion to Three
by Ralph Levy

How to serve at the Feast? And whom to serve? These are questions on the minds of many of God's people, as the Feast of Tabernacles comes into focus. We hear exhortations to serve at the Feast, but at times we may find it hard to know where to channel our "service energies."

The Book of Ecclesiastes tells us to "give a portion to seven, and also to eight" (Ecclesiastes 11:2, KJV). Elsewhere, we read of three groups of brethren who need special attention and consideration: the widows, the fatherless and the "stranger," or foreigner. As we plan out our service projects, let's consider these three groups.

First, the widows: in God's Church we have many elderly ladies whose husbands are now deceased, and a number of elderly men whose wives are no longer living. We're reminded not to forget such sisters and brothers in the faith, and to serve them (Isaiah 9:17, James 1:27). Offering a ride to the Feast, or back and forth to services , inviting widows to lunch, or simply spending time talking with them and hearing the story of their lives and spiritual journeys, can be a rich and rewarding experience. The apostle James reminds us to visit the widows "in their affliction" (1:27, KJV); this suggests that the loneliness of those latter years of life without a mate can be hard, and the pain of that time may be lifted by visits from brethren.

I'm reminded of an occasion when I lived in Dallas, Texas, and had invited one of our widows to lunch. We arranged a time for me to come to her home and pick her up. Unfortunately, I got lost and arrived some 20 minutes late, to find the lady crying! You see, she was so looking forward to lunch, when the appointed hour came and passed, she believed I wasn't going to show at all, and became overwhelmed with emotion.

The moral of the story: either use your GPS, or at least consult Google maps, before going to pick up a widow! It means a lot to them.

The second group is the fatherless, or "orphans." Let's invest a little time in the children who are being brought up in a home without a father figure, or perhaps the reverse, without a mother. In these cases, it's wise to get together with one or more other members, and invite the child or children to a fun activity: the amusement park, the water park, miniature golf, or just some Frisbee in the park. It doesn't have to be expensive. Just take the initiative and invite them. It's great fun, and you don't even have to pretend you're not having a great time, too!

In talking with single Moms in the Church, I've found it sad to hear some say that no-one has ever invited their son or daughter even to a day in the park with other kids or young adults. Kids from incomplete family backgrounds need outings like that. It's a void that urgently needs filling. So how about it -- at this year's Feast?

The third group highlighted in the Bible is the "stranger" or foreigner (Jeremiah 7:6, 22:3). Back in Ancient Israel, this term referred to people of other races and nationalities who had come to make their home among the native-born Israelites. Such people had less influence and legal protection, so were easy prey to the unscrupulous.

Today, of course, the New Testament Church is composed of people of all races and nationalities, not just physical Israelites, so the application isn't a direct one. But there may well be people from other countries at our Feast sites in the US and Canada, who need an introduction to meet new friends, or an invitation to join us for a meal.

And the reverse may also be true: at times the well-heeled of one country visit another nation, taking with them a pocket full of credit cards and traveler's checks, worth much more than most brethren in the host nation have ever dreamed of. Feasts like that provide a good opportunity for the more blessed to share some of their festival tithe with less wealthy brethren of another nationality. This should be done discreetly, of course, and without flaunting the difference in standard of living. We can invite brethren to a meal in a restaurant (not too fancy, lest they feel out of place), or to share a nice bottle of wine.

So let's make plans to give a portion to three (or more) at this year's Feast of Tabernacles. It will enrich their Feast, and ours too.