How would you describe a woman who is an effective servant in our Lord’s kingdom? Well-organized, hard worker, and flexible might be words you would select. Words like sit, listen, ponder, and then serve probably would not be on your list. Why? Because they do not appear to produce an immediate outcome. Yet, management experts tell us that if our time is limited to complete a project, we will make more progress if we plan first and then take action.
Contemplating the activities of the women who spent time with their Lord during the last days of His earthly ministry offers helpful suggestions to the 21st century woman who wants her life to have a far-reaching spiritual impact. The Gospels present a tender portrait of the faithful women who were with Jesus throughout His crucifixion (Matthew 27:55-56; Mark 15:40-41; 23:49; Luke 23:26). Their sympathetic devotion was in direct contrast to the clearly absent presence of Jesus’ disciples.
Before we look at their activities, let’s briefly meditate on why the women remained faithful to Jesus. His conduct toward women during His earthly ministry reveals how much He valued them. Prior to His advent, women were second-class citizens. His manner of treating them was revolutionary. Rather than possessing a condescending attitude toward women, He ignored the cultural prejudices of the day and allowed them to learn from and serve with Him. Just as Jesus offered liberation to the women of His generation, so He offers true liberation to the 21st century women who embrace and follow His teachings.
Mary was one of the women who remained faithful to Jesus. Her friendship with Him and her choice to sit at His feet, absorb His teachings, and ponder His words allowed her to develop a spiritual insight and understanding of things which others did not see. Mark 14:6-9 teaches us that Mary was the only one who realized Jesus’ time on earth was drawing to an end. Rather than being concerned about offering her Lord a gourmet meal whose benefit would be short-lived, Mary chose to worship Him. Her example of knowing her Savior well enough to understand that He wanted her heart more than her skills at that point in His ministry is an important lesson for us (Matthew 22:37).
The faithful women who remained with our Lord at the lowest point of the cross went to the tomb after the Sabbath to serve Him one final time. Their desire to minister to Him yielded an unsurpassing honor — they were the original eyewitnesses to the Resurrection (Matthew 28:1-10; Mark 16:1-8; Luke 24:1-12; John 20:1-18)!
Pondering the lives of the women who ministered to Jesus offers us guidelines for ours. If we are willing to sit, listen, and ponder, we are then able to…
- Accept God’s special assignments (Luke 1:26-38; Luke 2:51-52).
- Support Jesus’ ministry with our resources and energies (Luke 8:1-3).
- Share our testimony and the good news of the Resurrection with others (John 4:28-30, 19:25, 20:1-18; Matthew 27:55).
As you approach this holy season will you seek your heavenly Father’s wisdom for how best to sit, listen, ponder and then serve at this season of your life? Ask Him to help you acquire the character qualities of the women who served Him until the end so that He will say of you that you chose “that good part, which will not be taken away from you” (Luke 11:42).
If you are in the Fort Worth area, consider scheduling a tour of Horner Homemaking House, Southwestern’s Management Model where our Homemaking classes are taught. If you would like a sample chapter of The Christian Homemaker’s Handbook simply click on Contact Pat and request your copy.
