But the widow who lives for pleasure is dead even while she lives.
Summary: Paul’s words in this passage bring to mind the parable of the Prodigal Son.
This verse is profoundly blunt and deadly serious.
Over the centuries since Paul wrote his epistles, people have wrestled with his words, trying to understand what he meant. The challenge Paul presents us with in this verse is at or near the heart of many theological discussions and theories.
This author takes the view that the Bible is God’s message to humanity, crafted over centuries, primarily by the descendants of Abraham, a people chosen by God specifically to shepherd his Word for the peoples of the world.
How did God manage to do this?
When asked this question, I defer to Isaiah 55:9 —
“As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways [i.e., God’s ways] higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”
In short, some things are beyond our understanding.
At any rate, I am content to take God’s Word for it: God’s Word is God’s Word (2 Timothy 3:15-17). When Paul writes, “But the widow who lives for pleasure is dead even while she lives,” I hear God speaking.
So what does he mean? Why does God’s Word have this ominous message in it?
As I think about this, my mind is drawn back to Jesus’ explanation of the tares (a.k.a. “weeds”) and the wheat (Matthew 13:36-43). In his explanation, Jesus says that he is the one who “sowed the good seed” and the devil is the one who sowed the “weeds.”
He doesn’t say when this sowing happens, but from God’s point of view, the “when” doesn’t really matter (Psalm 90:4). Our lifetimes are a matter of minutes or seconds in God’s sight, so it is not a question of God having to wait to see what happens; he knows.
When God’s Word says, “But the widow who lives for pleasure is dead even while she lives,” it echoes the parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32). When the son leaves home to live for pleasure, his father says he was “dead” (v 24). When the son returns repentant, the father says he is now “alive” (v 32).
Paul’s words are a stark warning to anyone who puts pleasure before God. We do well if we acknowledge God’s wisdom and warning.
Application: Live for God, not self-pleasure.
Food for Thought: What does it mean to be “dead” while we are still alive?
What does it mean to be “dead” while we are still alive?
Being “dead” while still alive means being spiritually dead in trespasses and sin while physically alive. The person is either unaware of God’s presence, or is aware and chooses to reject Him. In that state, that person believes that they are the master of their own existence, and chooses to spend their physical life gratifying their own flesh. The fruit of that is destruction of themselves and others around them. Being “alive” while alive is being aware of God’s presence and choosing to submit to His Will. Being aware of sin, and repenting of it. Christ paid the debt already incurred and to be incurred for those that place their faith in Him, call Him Lord, and seek to abide in Him. This is the gift of grace from our Father in Heaven, to offer us life when we were already dead.
Ephesians 2:1-5
1 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— 3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the flesh and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. 4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved
Romans 6:20-23
20 For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. 21 But what fruit were you getting at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. 22 But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life. 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Good stuff CH
Thank you, Chris!
I especially liked the Ephesians quote!
Thank You CH!
What does it mean to be “dead” while we are still alive?
Even while we are physically living, we can be spiritually dead, unable to live in obedience to God until Christ calls us to repentance and salvation.
Ephesians 2:1–3, And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience, among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the flesh and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.
Thank you, Ron!
To be spiritually alive is what is really important. 🙂