Always There

There is an attempt by scholars and neo-feminists to emphasize the role of women in Biblical times as property and put down. I have written a post that proves Jesus Christ was first to elevate women back to an equality that has not been since Eve. In this post I want to explore the faithfulness of women in the Bible, particularly those who followed Jesus. While all the disciples, save the Apostle John, deserted Christ in what would be called His darkest hour, the women stood by Him and endured, watching as the Master was mutilated. The argument has always been, men are stronger than women, this is true in a physical sense, we can lift four times as much on our shoulders. But women are stronger in other ways, they despite their tenderness and maternal instincts are able to bear emotional burdens when men flee out of fear. In America in particular men are taunted and teased if they shed a tear, when in Israel and other places in world, men cry often, showing the depth of feeling in their souls. Many women are like steel, able to withstand incredible heartbreak, and watching the most dreadful of scenes that many men can not endure, like a child you bore, raised to adulthood being executed.

Let us begin with the woman whom God chose to be the vessel in which He would step into their world. Mary was a woman whose strength must have been from the Spirit, for while she would hear the first cry of the Son of God, she would also hear His last. Could she have imagined that in one moment she would swaddle him, and the next put him in shroud for His tomb. A prophet warned her early on, "As a result, the deepest thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your very soul." (Luke 2:35). Due to the Cult of Virgin Mary in Catholicism, and the Co-Redeemer heterodoxy that created the Madonna, it can be hard for Protestants like myself to identify or even dare to ponder what she went through. While I reject the Catholic deism, and Orthodox Theotokios, I believe Mary was a woman of great character, whom the LORD showed favor to. She must have been a good and tender heart, for her to be chosen, not perfect or sinless, "And Mary said: "My soul glorifies the Lord How my spirit rejoices in God my Savior!For he took notice of his lowly servant girl, and from now on all generations will call me blessed." (Luke 1:46-48). Mary did not command generations to call her blessed, she merely stated a fact, who wouldn't say a woman is blessed to be the vessel in which God would come in flesh and save mankind from sin?

Mary Magdalene is a most misunderstood woman. She was not a harlot as the Catholic Church established, and when it was discovered in Middle Ages they had confused her with Mary the Prostitute, the clergy decided to hide the findings for it would effect pilgrimage sells. Magdalene instead was a wealthy, and probably promiscuous woman, whom had seven demons, "along with some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases. Among them were Mary Magdalene, from whom he had cast out seven demons." (Luke 8:2). It is interesting to note that Luke the Physician and companion of the Apostle Paul interviewed the women disciples and followers. This is probably why His Gospel account contains many stories about women, for it is the Gospel account of Mary, Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Susanna and many others. When Jesus was suffering His Passion, Mary Magdalene was among faithful standing there, "Standing near the cross were Jesus' mother, and his mother's sister, Mary (the wife of Clopas), and Mary Magdalene." (John 19:25). She like the other women stood there like steel as the Savior suffered for the sins of all humankind.

Jesus Christ spend much time at Lazarus' household. His disciple Mary, sister of Lazarus often spoke with Him, as did her sister Martha. The two women represent two kinds of women, Mary believed (John 11:27) that Jesus was the Messiah, and broke with the tradition and customs of the times, learning from Jesus as if she were man in presence of her sister. Martha had accepted that she was house wife, and at one time is perturbed when Mary is being discipled, "But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, "Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!" But the Lord said to her, "My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details! There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her." (Luke 10:40-42). Martha was too concerned with fleeting details of life, and was not being discipled. Jesus alludes to Martha's disposition in a rebuke to Peter, "But when Jesus turned and looked at his disciples, he rebuked Peter. "Get behind me, Satan!" he said. "You do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns." (Mark 8:33).

The Women of Galilee supported Jesus' ministry, "Joanna, the wife of Chuza, Herod's business manager; Susanna; and many others who were contributing from their own resources to support Jesus and his disciples," (Luke 8:3). Notice that Joanna would have been very wealthy, being Herod Antipas' business and financial manager! Here we see women who are willing to sacrifice their money for what they know is important. Many mothers do this, but these women were doing it for the Messiah and Bridegroom of God! Their contribution should not be belittled. So often in churches women are made to be less than, but remember that Jesus revealed Himself to a Samaritan Woman, "The woman said, "I know that Messiah" (called Christ) "is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us. Then Jesus declared, "I, the one speaking to you--I am he." (John 4:25-26). It was the women and John the Apostle who witnessed Jesus' Death on the cross, "Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of Zebedee's sons." (John 19:25, Matthew 27:56). It was a woman who first beheld the Risen Christ, "Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.” Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned and said to him in Aramaic,“Rabboni!” (which means Teacher). Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God." Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord”—and that he had said these things to her." (John 20:15-18). The importance of these women is the fact that they are there. Unlike Catholics and Orthodox I do not think these women were perfect, virgins, and who abandoned their families to be Nuns. I think like Mary the Mother, they were ordinary, yet devout Jewish and Gentile women who knew Jesus was the Christ and God incarnate. They were always there, from ministry to mutilation to mummification to meeting in the Upper Room. The Woman stood by the Savior no matter what happened. They were extraordinary, as they endured His death and burial, and then ecstatic at His Resurrection!  

The lengths at which mothers and devout women sacrifice is in of itself a passion. They labor to our good, and fight harden then when soldiers through the pangs of life. They are heroes under heaven, in a hallowed out world where many find their hearts broken over and over again. Weak? Nay, the w in woman is not for weakness, but warrior. She fights when the man sleeps, labors when he is away, and prays for her children when even priests say give up. Loyalty can be found in a honorable and God fearing woman, a loyalty second only to the LORD God himself. Not all women are as I have spoken, many have fallen and are instruments for evil, but a faithful and devout Christian woman is worthy of recognition. As King Lemuel's mother says in Proverbs 31, she is, "Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: “Many women have done excellently, but you surpass them all.” Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. Give her of the fruit of her hands, and let her works praise her in the gates." (Proverbs 31:28-31). The Proverbs 31 Woman is industrious, she makes belts, runs her own vineyard she bought, and raises her children, and loves her husband. She is an excellent example for all women, and to be sought by godly men. She I imagine is an example of what Mary the Mother was like, and perhaps even Mary Magdalene, Johanna, Susanna, and the other Mary's who followed Jesus. Always there, always serving with her eyes on Almighty.