Corona Devo 374

Some women were there, watching from a distance, including Mary Magdalene, Mary (the mother of James the younger and of Joseph), and Salome. (41) They had been followers of Jesus and had cared for him while he was in Galilee.  Many other women who had come with him to Jerusalem were also there.  ~Mark 15:40-41

Jesus had a band of women whose spirits He had touched, and they followed Him.  

I am one of them.  Are you?

Anyone (man or woman) who allows Jesus past their defenses is changed.  And even during a time when women had very little place or respect in society, the Bible is not shy about revealing the roles and support of women who had their lives changed by Jesus during His years of ministry.  

They did what women do: 

  • They listened to Him (And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his teaching. ~Luke 10:39)
  • They cooked for Him (But when Jesus touched her hand, the fever left her. Then she got up and prepared a meal for him. ~Matthew 8:15)
  • They got distracted by the cares of the world and whined (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!" ~Luke 10:40)
  • They presented gifts of themselves and sacrifices to Jesus because He loved them, even though they were sinful (A woman in that town who lived a sinful life learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, so she came there with an alabaster jar of perfume. (38) As she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them. ~Luke 7:37-38)
  • They thought ahead and took care of preparations and needs (Saturday evening, when the Sabbath ended, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome went out and purchased burial spices so they could anoint Jesus’ body. (2) Very early on Sunday morning, just at sunrise, they went to the tomb.  ~Mark 16:1-2) 
  • They spread the word/shared news: (When they came back from the tomb, they told all these things to the Eleven and to all the others. ~Luke 24:9).
What do all women want?  (Besides chocolate and sleep?)  We want to be loved, we want purpose, and we want to use our gifts for good.  

Jesus is/fulfills all of those things to us, and when women in ancient Israel or women today meet Jesus and are touched by His unconditional love, we are changed, and there is no going back.

The women mentioned in these verses were not perfect, and --NEWSFLASH--there is no perfect woman.  We can stop obsessing and lamenting that we are not perfect because there is no such thing. 

All of us (like all of the women mentioned in the Bible) are a mix of sweet and sour/love and sin, and Jesus loves us anyway.   

And in this same vein, once we shed the perfection stigma, I also suggest that we crucify the competition myth.  Women are stronger together, and we need each other.  We do not need to be constantly competing with one another.  

The women gathered at the cross were there in community and solidarity:  

Some women were there, watching from a distance, including Mary Magdalene, Mary (the mother of James the younger and of Joseph), and Salome. (41) They had been followers of Jesus and had cared for him while he was in Galilee.  Many other women who had come with him to Jerusalem were also there.  ~Mark 15:40-41

Jesus had a band of women whose spirits He had touched, and they followed Him.  

Do we have a band of women that we are pursuing Christ with?  Authentic women with whom we can be honest and who can hold us accountable in our lives and our walks with Christ?  

Back in Bible days, or right now--Women are a unique group.  We work hard and our tasks are never ending, but our bonds are fierce.  Strong.  Loyal.  And we do our best work together.

I am grateful for the tribe that surrounds me, and I am stronger in my pursuit-of-Christ because of them (you!).  If you are longing for a sister-in-Christ, count me as your first connection, because we are.  And God has more for you, because He knows that we are wired for connectivity, community, chatter and friendship.  (He wired us!)  And most importantly, He wired us for serving Him.  

If you are seeking authentic female-friendships, come to the cross.  Start showing up in places where we can serve Jesus and get-to-know-Him better (church, volunteer efforts, Bible studies, service projects), and your band-of-women will be there, even if you have not met them yet.  


Blessings,

sarah

https://sarahsundy04.blogspot.com  

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