“They devour widows’ houses and for the sake of appearance say long prayers” (Mark 12:40 NRSV). Or more starkly: “They shamelessly cheat widows out of their property and then pretend to be pious by making long prayers” (New Living Translation). Recently, while reading through the last days of Jesus’ life, I was struck by this verse. It reports his indictment of the Scribes.

The word “devour” in Greek means to eat up or totally consume in a greedy fashion. It’s a strong word. Instead of protecting the weak and guarding their property, the powerful steal it. Instead of promoting their well-being, they undermine it.

The victims Jesus identifies are widows. In the Bible, widows among the most vulnerable people, and are therefore special objects of God’s concern. Among other things, Torah prohibits taking a widow’s property — her Social Security — as collateral for a loan (Deuteronomy 24:17). In Jesus’ day, widows weren’t always poor. But many were left disadvantaged — or worse, made destitute by unscrupulous officials.

The perpetrators Jesus denounces are the Scribes — scholars who studied Mosaic law and managed legal matters for the wealthy. Corrupt ones would organize loans and foreclose on widows’ property when what was borrowed couldn’t be repaid. Then they would cover up their bad actions by saying pious public prayers. This, from experts in religious law — people who knew better.

I read this Gospel story on the day in April when Republicans in the House of Representatives voted to adopt a budget framework that called for cutting $880 billion from Medicaid, the joint federal-state program that helps cover medical costs and support services for some people with limited resources. The plan voted out of the Energy and Commerce Committee in mid-May doesn’t contain the most controversial proposals (like eliminating extra federal funding that helped states expand their Medicaid programs). But it does cut $715 billion and according to the Congressional Budget Office will cause at least 10.3 million Americans to lose their health insurance.

Medicaid cuts will be particularly devastating for some of our most vulnerable citizens — people with intellectual disabilities. Because of a pre-birth brain injury, my adult son David requires 24/7 support. He’s not literate or verbal, can’t understand significant choices and needs supervision with every aspect of daily life. David lives in a Medicaid-funded group home and attends a Medicaid-funded day activity center. The federal government pays half of his service costs, and the state of Illinois (where he lives), the other half.

Disability supports are already underfunded — before any budget cuts. Poverty-level wages for direct care staff, for example, create high vacancy and turnover rates. In David’s home, there’s a constant churn of inexperienced workers who don’t know his unique needs, strangers he isn’t comfortable with. His typical day is spent in a segregated facility that lacks staff to take him into the community for work, volunteering or recreation. David is one of 225,000 Americans with intellectual disabilities who live in group homes and attend day programs.

David isn’t a number—he’s a real person with real vulnerabilities. He’s the human face of Medicaid. Any reduction in Medicaid spending will compromise vital services he needs to live a full life in the community.

Why are Republicans determined to hurt people like David who don’t deserve it? So the richest Americans can own even more. Forbes reports that there are 900 billionaires in the US, with a combined wealth of $5.5 trillion. Their holdings have almost doubled in the last four years. Nonetheless, the Republican Congress is intent on dismantling the safety net programs that David relies on in order to give massive tax cuts to Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, and profitable corporations like Verizon and Google.

Here’s the most disturbing part — and the part that loops back to Jesus’ indictment of the Scribes. The Pew Research Center reports that nearly all Republicans in the current Congress (265 out of 270, or 98 percent) identify as Christian. Some do it loudly.

The Speaker of the House doesn’t shy away from publicly announcing his faith. He explains his political philosophy by pointing to Scripture. “What does Mike Johnson think about any issue? Go pick up a Bible off your shelf and read it. That’s what I believe.” Yet without blushing, he’s leading the charge to strip benefits from America’s neediest. SNAP programs from the hungry. School lunches from underprivileged kids. Long-term care from seniors. Medicaid services from David. Hurting the poor to help the rich. And doing it in the name of Jesus. With a straight face. Seriously??

Like the Scribes of Jesus’ day, Christian Republican lawmakers shamelessly hurt — devour — vulnerable people and then piously parade their religion in public. My guess is that if Jesus was here, he’d have some choice words for them as he had for the Scribes.

But wait! Jesus is here! Jesus’ life isn’t over. Easter and Pentecost affirm that he lives in the world today, not in a human body, but in the Church, which carries on the work he would do if he was still here physically. And so the Church must raise a storm of dissent, like Jesus to the Scribes, against Christian Republican lawmakers who, if not stopped, will devour David.

It’s not too late to call your Congressional delegation and protest, especially if you’re in a red state. Some, thankfully, are beginning to listen to their vulnerable constituents. They should be reading their Bibles as well!