Women in the Bible: Faith

Here at Gray Memorial UMC, we are embarking on a sermon series focusing on women in the Bible. We began with the stories of Rahab (Joshua 2 and 6), Ruth and Naomi, and Esther (who each have books in the Bible devoted to their story.) These women show incredible faith and courage in God, in themselves, and in their causes for justice. We continue the theme of "faith" this week by considering some of the stories of women in the New Testament: the woman at the well (John 4), the woman who touched Jesus' cloak (Luke 8), and Mary Magdalene. Each of these women shows their faith in Jesus in their own ways.

Each of these women shows us that faith is not a quiet, pious endeavor. Rather, faith is what prompts your actions and your reactions. The woman at the well's claim that "I know the Messiah is coming" is only the beginning for her. She then took her experience and shared it with her community. She put her faith into action. It is quite meaningful how this was such a counter-cultural experience. Women were not valued in the ancient near east. Moreover, this experience crossed racial divides as Jews and Samaritans just didn't get along. On this Independence Day, I come to this story very thankful to be an American. I have freedoms and opportunities that folks across the world just don't have. But I am also reminded that my nationality is only a portion of my identity. My full identity is in Christ, as it was for this woman, whose life was changed by Jesus.

I also learn from the woman who touched Jesus' cloak. I learn from her to have hope, and to dare to reach out for Jesus, even if I might look foolish. Can you imagine watching someone reach for just a touch of someone's jacket? How weird would that be!? This woman did not care about the way she looked, but hoped that her act would in fact heal her. Nowadays, this may look like praying in a public place, or risking your image in order to pursue God in some way. This woman teaches me to have an undignified faith in the hope that Jesus offers.

Mary Magdalene also shares this kind of faith. After Jesus died and was placed in the tomb, she went there, only to find the door open and the cave empty. Mary Magdalene was the first person Jesus encountered after his resurrection, scripture says. It led Mary back into town to share with Jesus' other followers. How foolish she must have looked and sounded. To be speaking of how Jesus was raised up from the dead, after most of them just witnessed his devastating and tortuous crucifixion, must have sounded like foolishness. But Mary had the faith that led to this action, becoming the first preacher of the resurrection anyone ever heard. Millions have tried to shred her reputation by claiming, without any biblical evidence of it, that Mary was a prostitute, but her story remains one of the most powerful ones in the Bible. Her reputation may have taken a hit, but that's the type of risk that is often involved with being faithful to Jesus. Your life will change, your image will change, your actions will change. You may look foolish, people may try and discredit you, and your life will be a series of questionable decisions...but, as the apostle puts it in Galatians 5:1, "for freedom Christ has set us free."

*Prayer:

Let us plead for faith alone,
faith which by our works is shown;
God it is who justifies,
only faith the grace applies.

*United Methodist Hymnal, 385.

In Christ, Jack