A Poor Widow?

Now in Joppa there was a disciple whose name was Tabitha, which in Greek is Dorcas. She was devoted to good works and acts of charity. Acts 9:36

The month of May marked the beginning of summer break for the EPW circles. We finished the last lesson in our study book. It was about Dorcas. Her Hebrew name was Tabitha but she has become better known as Dorcas through the years. In fact, as recently as the 1800’s women of the Catholic, Episcopal, and Lutheran churches were forming Dorcas societies for the purpose of providing clothing for the poor and needy. 

I’ve been a circle member for most of my 50+ years of membership here at Eastridge, and the circle studies have been a real source of learning about the Bible for me as an adult.  Through all these years, I have made it a practice to do a bit of extra reading about the study topics especially when we were doing biographical-type studies of both little and well-known women.  Dorcas was not a very well-known name to me so reading about her was a blessing. 

As stated in the book of (Acts 9:36 above) she was a resident of Joppa which on today’s map has been swallowed up by Tel Aviv.  She is thought to have had a seamstress business through which she supported herself.  However, there is no proof that she was ever married and widowed except that in the Eastern Orthodox Church she is celebrated as St. Dorcas the widow who sews clothes for the poor and poor widows. 

As Tabitha she is known to have sewn clothing for Hebrew widows, but when she became aware that the Greek society pretty much ignored their poor widows, she began sewing tirelessly for them as well.  These ladies called her Dorcas. 

As Dorcas, she showed us the difference in being a Christian and being a disciple. She brought many nonbelievers to our Christian faith.  Many of those nonbelievers who saw how hard and how tirelessly Dorcas worked for her charities believed that she had “the fountain of living water” Jesus spoke of within her. 

Wouldn’t we all love to have that as our epitaph?

Prayer: Father, we praise You for finding a way for us to learn about the amazing disciples of Your Son, Jesus.  As Christians, we strive to do as well as these special people knowing we often fall short. We ask that You grant us Your grace knowing that we are doing the best that we can with the gifts that You have given us to use for Your purposes. In Jesus’ name we ask it. Amen. 

Judy Welch