The evangelist Luke, in Acts 6:1-6, recounts an incident involving a grievance presented by Hellenist members of the community towards Hebrew members. The issue was that the Hellenist widows were not getting sufficient “service” during the shared meals.

Thus, the Twelve Apostles gathered the community to determine how to tackle the situation. The agreement was to choose seven qualified individuals who would concentrate on assisting the Hellenist widows, thereby enabling the apostles to devote their attention to their ministry of the Word.

Luke’s decision to recount this event illustrates its significance in shaping the identity of a Christian community and mirrors a broader concept of community present in his Gospel and in Acts. Three critical themes linked to this vision are: the acceptance of others, support for those in need, and communal meals.

Including others

The widows and their advocates were part of the Hellenist community. These individuals were Greek-speaking Jewish Christians whose beliefs were influenced by their Greek heritage and customs. Within the Jerusalem Church, these Christians resided in a community largely governed by the Hebrews, who were Aramaic-speaking Jewish Christians focused on Hebrew culture.

Among the two groups, there existed variations in their religious practices, in the cultural interactions they encountered, and in the language they utilized. The advocates for the widows presented the issue to the community’s leadership, the Twelve Apostles, who reacted promptly, motivated both by a desire to assist the Hellenist widows and by a need to ensure that the ministry or “service” was assigned to important members of the community.

For Luke, this incident serves as an illustration of a broader motif centered around uniting outsiders and insiders into one diverse yet cohesive community. The initial example appears in Luke 4:16-30. In this passage, Luke recounts how Jesus was cast out from his hometown synagogue in Nazareth after declaring a scripture from the Old Testament prophet Isaiah, who proclaimed that the spirit of the Lord was upon him and that the Lord had commissioned him “to bring good news to the lowly and to heal the brokenhearted” (Is 61:1-2).

In reference to this, Jesus stated, “today this Scripture text is fulfilled in your listening” (Lk 4:21). He subsequently narrated two stories from the Old Testament concerning non-Jews — the widow from Zarephath (1 Kgs 17:7-16) and Naaman the Syrian (2 Kgs 5:1-14) — who received God’s attention and blessings. These narratives illustrate God’s concern for the “outsider.”

A further illustration of this motif is presented in Jesus’ parable of the Good Samaritan (Lk 10:29-37), intended to jolt the audience into reassessing their views on the Samaritans, who had long been in conflict with the Israelites. For many of Jesus’ audience, the concept of a “good Samaritan” was virtually nonexistent; however, it was the Samaritan, who acted upon the Old Testament directive to “love your neighbor” (Lev 19:18), that showed kindness to the injured man lying in the dirt along the route to Jericho.

At last, in Acts, we encounter a Roman centurion by the name of Cornelius, who was committed to the God of Israel and whose “prayers and acts of charity rose as a memorial offering before God” (Acts 10:1-4). Luke makes an effort to portray the non-Israelite Cornelius with vivid language that mirrors Temple offerings. Cornelius, being a Gentile and, more significantly, a Roman soldier, ultimately receives baptism, along with his entire household, through Peter (Acts 10:48). These narratives illustrate the early Church’s intention to welcome as “insiders” those who were historically viewed as “outsiders.”

Support for those in need

This is the reason Luke’s Gospel is traditionally referred to as the “Gospel of the poor,” inspiring the principle of embracing “the option for the poor.” We initially encounter this motif in Mary’s Magnificat, where she proclaims a God who “has cast down the mighty from their thrones but exalted the humble. The hungry he has filled with good things; the wealthy he has dismissed empty-handed” (Lk 1:52-53).

In his account of the birth, Luke portrays Jesus as being born into humble conditions, highlighting that he was initially laid in a manger (Lk 2:7). As the narrative progresses, we discover that when Joseph and Mary present Jesus at the Temple in Jerusalem, they choose to offer the less costly turtle doves rather than a lamb for the sacrifice (Lk 2:24, see Lev 12:8). During Jesus’ public ministry, Luke’s Sermon on the Plain begins with Jesus’ first beatitude stating, “blessed are you who are poor” (Lk 6:20).

In our account found in Acts 6, Luke is well aware that the oversight of widows aligns with the Old Testament custom of looking after the less fortunate in the community. The book of Deuteronomy frequently emphasizes a covenant command to support “the resident alien, the orphan and the widow,” who are three of the most at-risk and marginalized individuals within the ancient Israelite society (Dt 24:17-22).

The directive to assist the underprivileged being integral to the covenant indicates that it is not a choice but a necessity. It forms a vital aspect of the relationship with God. Therefore, the new covenant that Jesus established during the Last Supper (Lk 22:20) includes a social aspect that highlights the importance of caring for those in need. In summary, the instruction given to the Israelites to look after “the resident alien, the orphan and the widow” continues into Jesus’ realization of this covenant, evolving into the practice of the Christian community.

Table fellowship

Ultimately, the apprehension shown for the Hellenist widows occurs within the framework of communal dining. Throughout his Gospel and Acts, Luke consistently illustrates the congregation coming together for a meal. Researchers have long observed that in Luke’s Gospel, Jesus is often depicted at a table, and several of his most significant teaching instances take place during these meals.

It is important to note that Jesus emphasizes inclusion and compassion for the impoverished during meals. The “sinful woman” discovers forgiveness through Jesus as he dines with a group of Pharisees (Lk 7:36-50). Zacchaeus, the affluent yet despised outsider, a tax collector, decides to support the poor while Jesus stays at his home, which probably involved a meal (Lk 19:1-10). Acts 2:42-47 illustrates community life not only in sharing possessions, praying, and learning from the apostles, but also in sharing meals together.

Ultimately, Peter’s revelation, in which he observes “unclean” creatures and receives the command to “kill and eat” because “what God has made clean you must not regard as unclean” (Acts 10:9-16), further highlights Luke’s emphasis on harmony among Jewish and Hellenist Christians during communal meals. For Luke, the issue at hand extended beyond the welfare of a marginalized section of the community; it also pertained to the essential moment when the community articulates its sense of koinonia, or gathering as a family.

In community today

The Greek word diaconía employed in Acts 6:1 to refer to the disadvantaged being overlooked (literally, “the daily distribution”) has resulted in a link between this function and the position of the deacon in contemporary church groups. In Catholic and Eastern Orthodox practices, the ordination through the laying on of hands by the Twelve upon the seven qualified “deacons” connects this event with the apostolic lineage of bishops. Moreover, this should serve as a significant reminder to the entire congregation of a covenant duty towards the needs of the marginalized among us. The fact that the widows are Hellenist underscores that the obligation encompasses care for individuals who may not readily be seen as “insiders” or members of the community. This encompasses not only social considerations, but also racial, cultural, ideological, political, and even religious aspects.

Who are the Hellenists, widows, orphans, immigrants, Samaritans, and tax collectors in our midst today? Our political environment presents us with several contentious matters, such as immigration and comprehensive health care. Christians may hold legitimate differences of opinion regarding the details of these policies, yet we can all take lessons from the practices of the early Christian communities.