Three Women and The Cross

Friday, April 6, 2012 by Terri Stovall

As we prepare our hearts to celebrate the resurrection of our Lord, on this Good Friday, I am reminded of three women who stood at the cross of Christ – women who were just like you and me. While we may not truly know their thoughts or their words, perhaps we can imagine …

She stands at a distance, but at least she is still standing. She refuses to let her knees buckle…not now.  Determined to stand there, to watch, to be strong for him, no matter how hard, she will not take her eyes off her son…her Messiah.

As Mary stands there surrounded by friends, perhaps her mind drifts over the many memories from the past 30 plus years. From the time she learned that she was pregnant and prayed that Joseph would understand, to that most miraculous night in the stable for which she had no words, I imagine she replays the journey that seems to end here . . . at the cross.

Imagine Mary reminiscing through the life of raising a son who was like no other. Does she stop hard in her thoughts when she remembers that day they had lost Jesus only to find him back in Jerusalem in an animated conversation at the temple with the rabbis? The twelve-year-old boy’s response surely echoes loud in her heart this moment. “I must be about my Father’s business.” (Luke 2:49) As Mary stands stoically for her son no doubt she realizes that even if she is able to save him, she can’t. For especially now, he must be about his Father’s business.

Mary’s journey to the cross brings her to the point where she can stand firm as the Father’s business is completed.

Mary reaches over and grasps the hand of her best friend, Salome, who is lost in her own thoughts. The mother of James and John, Salome may not be staring at Jesus. Rather, her eyes focus more on the two men on Jesus’ right and left, repeating the same question over and over, “What was I asking?”

It wasn’t very long ago that this mother, who wanted the best for her sons, built up the courage to ask Jesus if James and John, the sons of Zebedee, could have the honor of sitting on Jesus’ right and left in his Kingdom. But now, the reality of that question is graphically displayed before her. Jesus warned her that she did not know what she was asking. Seeing the two men on Jesus’ right and left, perhaps Salome is now wondering if she is truly willing to let her sons continue to follow him, especially if it means the same suffering. (Matt 20:21-22) The rest of Jesus’ response to Salome’s request returns with just as full a force when the Roman guards lift a cup of bitter wine to his mouth . . . “You will indeed drink my cup.” (Matt 20:23)

Salome’s journey to the cross brings her to the point where she surrenders, not only her own life, but also the lives of those she holds most dear.

Salome and Mary look at each other and both turn to see Mary Magdalene take a step forward, away from the group of women. Mary’s face still bears the sharp edges of a hard-lived life. It had not been that long ago when Mary Magdalene joined the group of women who traveled with Jesus. She had probably become like a little sister to Mary and Salome, as Jesus’ impact on her life was dramatic when he drove out the seven demons that had tormented her for so long and she experienced her first taste of life.

Mary Magdalene stands, staring at her Savior in such disbelief that she has neither thoughts nor words; only emotions so raw that she can barely keep them in check. Jesus, the one who literally saved her life and for whom she had given her all, is being taken away from her. Imagine her standing, gripped in fear, that once again she will have nothing. She just cannot wrap her mind around it.

Witnessing her Lord take his last breath and his body removed from the cross, others are leaving to go home. Perhaps she starts to as well . . . but just can’t. Instead she follows them to see where they will place Jesus. Mary Magdalene watches as Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus so tenderly lay Jesus in the tomb that she can’t help but think that these men loved him too. (Jn 20:38-42) With a setting sun marking the beginning of Sabbath, Mary Magdalene is forced to go home to begin her own time of rest and worship, but vows then to return to properly care for his body. . . .

This Sabbath must seem like such a blur. Surely, Mary Magdalene feels so helpless, able to think only of his death and that tomb, so compelled to care for the body of Jesus, she can’t even wait for the sun to rise on that third day. (Jn 20;1) Then it seems her hopelessness sinks to utter despair when she discovers his body is gone, for all she can do is stare at that tomb and weep a hopeless cry. (Jn 20:12-13)

Only when she hears him speak one word . . . “Mary” . . . does she see him.  Just like a sheep that hears the voice of her shepherd in the midst of chaos, she knows it is his voice. That’s when she stops staring at the tomb and turns to see Jesus . . . her Messiah . . . her Savior . . . her Lord.

Mary Magdalene’s journey to the cross and then the empty tomb brings her to the point that she no longer sees loss and death, but only sees hope and life.

On this Good Friday, if you were to join this group of women at the cross and stand with them, watching from a distance, what would be your story?

 

Are you able to stand firm as the Father’s business is completed?

Are you still holding on to something or someone God has asked you to surrender?

Are you still staring at death and hopelessness or have you found life?

 

 

 

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Voices from the Past: A Woman. A Poet.

Tuesday, March 13, 2012 by Diana Severance

What do you do when you are terribly ill and racked with pain?  When your child is so ill she faces death? When your husband is away on business for months, leaving you with the children and household affairs?  When your house burns down?  The seventeenth century Puritan Anne Bradstreet (1612-1672), facing these and many other trials, turned to the Lord for help, comfort, and strength – and she wrote poetry.

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Dear Dottie, Is the OT Unfair to Women?

Monday, March 5, 2012 by Dorothy Kelley Patterson

Dear Dottie,

This year my goal is to read the Bible from beginning to end for the very first time. As I’ve plodded through Leviticus and Numbers I found myself confused (and I must confess, a little offended) by some of the embarrassing laws women were subjected to–being “unclean” during their monthly periods, a public trial if they were accused of adultery, and not even being allowed to make a vow to the Lord if their father or husband didn’t approve. It sounds like the kind of women’s oppression that I’ve heard others accuse the Bible of being.

How do I read the Old Testament laws for women and still believe that God values me as much as He values men? How can I believe that He loves us equally when even His own laws sound so discriminating? Since all of the Bible is inspired by God, what do laws like these tell us about who He is to women today? Thank you for your help.

 

Sincerely,

Confused

Dear Confused:

You are on the right journey to answer your own question with the goal of reading through the Bible! With all of the divinely mandated instructions—admonitions and warnings—there is always purpose. That ultimate purpose for God’s people is to make them holy or set apart unto Him. Saturating yourself with God’s Word will move you toward this goal. Believers in this generation can understand that better by saying that they want to be more like Jesus! I would never suggest that life is easy, much less perfect, for a woman today or in ancient times. However, I think that built into God’s plan there are some amazing protections that show His special care for women. Any injustice or oppressiveness toward women comes from living in a sin-bent world and from the sinful nature of its inhabitants, and yet we are blessed by seeing the goodness of God in the least likely places.

Let me try to answer several specific questions you raise:

• Concerning the “unclean” status of a woman during her menstruation period (see Lev 15:19-30), remember that life is in the blood (Lev 17:11). The loss of blood during menstruation required purification to acknowledge the sanctity of life, but there is no suggestion that the issue involved in the woman’s isolation here is her sinfulness. Whatever she touched and whoever touched what she touched was unclean until evening (Lev 15:20-23). What many miss is that this isolation provided the woman a needed break from housework, caring for children, and even marital duties. Sexual intercourse was considered unclean during this time. Any woman who has experienced severe cramping and even mood swings during this monthly time would understand that this interruption could be meant for her good. The rabbis suggest that these laws actually can strengthen marriage by adding a rhythm and sense of spiritual responsibility to sexual intimacy so that a period of separation adds to the mystery, romance, and magic of the marital relationship. Laws like these made Israel distinct from the surrounding pagan nations and even worked as a deterrent to intermarriage with other nations who would not want to honor these mandates. These laws have no function for New Testament believers in the sense that distinguishing the Israelites from their pagan neighbors is no longer part of God’s program. Jesus did not consider Himself defiled when he encountered the woman with an issue of blood (Mt 9:20-22).
• Concerning the “trial by ordeal” passage (Num 5:11-31), the wife is suspected by her husband of committing adultery, and she can be brought before judges by her husband. Many interpreters have misconstrued the passage to make both the Israelites and God appear unfair and chauvinistic. However, again you must see that the event involves the holiness or set-apartness and purity expected of God’s people. Though no reciprocal provision is suggested for a wife to bring charges against her husband, an unjustly accused innocent woman had God’s protection. Once a wife had been proven innocent, no further suspicion could rest upon her so that a wife whose husband might be emotionally unstable then had legal recourse for her public vindication. The potion itself was never intended to determine guilt. Rather the ritual’s efficacy rested upon psychological suggestion and memory as the wife stood before God. The rabbis point out that through this ritual, the name of God was dissolved in the waters. No Jew dared erase God’s name, which is one reason many Jews never write out the name of God. This situation, however, is one exception in which God literally allowed His name to be dissolved in order to rebuild the trust between husband and wife.
• In the matter of a woman and personal vows, Numbers 30 covers four categories of women: unmarried and living with their fathers (vv. 3-5), unmarried when they made a vow but married before the vow was fulfilled (vv. 6-8), widows or divorced women (v. 9), married women (vv. 10-15). For the husband to veto his wife’s vow or a father his daughter’s vow, the respective veto had to be spoken when the husband or father first heard the vow made. The reason for this veto option was not the right to rule but the responsibility for protection of the woman assigned to her respective husband or father. Furthermore, if the vow were vetoed, the woman incurred neither punishment nor guilt, but the liability rested upon the one responsible for her protection.

 

Now, for a personal word from my own experience. Read the whole of Scripture and not just parts.

 Accept the fact that Scripture cannot contradict itself, and interpret what is difficult in light of what is crystal clear. God’s plan of redemption stretches from Genesis in which both the man and woman are created “in His image” (Gen 1:26-27), to Revelation where we share the glories of heaven (Rev 21:22-27). The story of God’s unconditional love and overwhelming sacrifice in our behalf underscores indeed “God so loved the world . . .” (John 3:16). Don’t be concerned about how something sounds; read what the words say! Since the Scripture is clear:

“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, and your ways are not My ways.” This is the Lord’s declaration. “For as heaven is higher than earth, so My ways are higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts  (Is 55:8-9).

You and I must rest in the path of obedience.

Let us work hard to understand all we can through reading God’s Word and digging out its meaning. However, what is beyond our understanding, we accept through faith, knowing that our loving heavenly Father will make the journey with us through every challenge and difficulty. He has been faithful to me!

I remain yours in the journey,

Dottie

*For more in-depth study on Old Testament legal codes for women, Dottie recommends Women’s Evangelical Commentary: Old Testament,  Dorothy Kelley Patterson and Rhonda H. Kelley, eds. Nashville: Holman Reference, 2011.

Dorothy Kelley Patterson serves as the First Lady and Professor of Theology in Women’s Studies at Southwestern Seminary. She has authored numerous books and articles including, Where’s Mom: The High Calling of Wives and Mothers, and A Woman Seeking God: Discover God in the Places of Your Life.  One of Mrs. Patterson’s greatest joys is hospitality! She loves to cook and is known for her family’s famous “Kelley biscuits.”

*”Dear Dottie” is a featured, monthly column from Dorothy Kelley Patterson (aka – Dottie!). If you have a question for Dottie, please email us at biblicalwoman@swbts.edu!

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Please…Let Me Know!

Thursday, February 9, 2012 by Katie McCoy

Please Let Me Know Your Ways

It was the heart cry of a lonely leader faced with a frustratingly familiar scene, surrounded by the volatile voices of an unbelieving nation. This biblical hero with whom the Lord spoke “face to face, as a man speaks to his friend,” (Ex. 33:11) had one audacious request: “Now therefore, if I have found favor in your sight, please show me now your ways, that I may know you in order to find favor in your sight….Please show me Your glory.” (Ex. 33:13, 18)

It seems odd that a man like Moses, who had seen the Lord’s epic works, would feel the need to ask the Lord to reveal His ways. I mean, this man heard God speak through a wasteland bush, saw His miraculous provision at the Red Sea, and followed Him to lead His people out of a tyrant’s grip carrying nothing but a walking stick.

Moses had known the Lord’s works – but he did not yet know the Lord’s ways.

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New Year with Old Problems

Tuesday, January 3, 2012 by Venessa Yvette Ellen

During the holiday season many find themselves depressed and lacking any zeal to continue.  Trials and tribulations have clouded their vision, and they feel as though they are unable to go on.  These women are sitting on the pew next to you every Sunday; some even wear a smile as part of their Sunday uniform.  However, on the inside they are sorrowful and may even be contemplating divorce, suicide, or worse.

What’s the answer?  “Just cope!  Just reach deep down inside and tough it out – this too shall pass.  Just trust Jesus – O you of little faith – know that He is working it all out for your good!”  These are all things that we may say to someone going through a cold bitter season of life.  We may have even said these things to ourselves in hopes that we could conjure up a wealth of strength to make it through another day.

What’s the problem with coping or just reciting biblical platitudes such as, “Just trust God”?  I mean, aren’t they true?

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Overcoming the “Elijah Effect”

Thursday, November 3, 2011 by Pat Ennis

November ushers in the commencement of the holiday season.  Billed as the “happiest weeks of the year” the weeks spanning November 1 to December 31 can be exhilarating or exhausting.  Statistics suggest that when exhaustion settles in, Satan’s fiery dart of discouragement embeds itself in our hearts.  Choosing to detonate discouragement during the holiday season poises us for a Christ-centered celebration!

When we speak of God answering our prayers, more than often what we really mean is that He said yes to our petition.  One of the most challenging lessons for believers to learn is that yes, no, and wait are all responses to our requests.  What is your reaction when you earnestly pray that a situation will have a specific outcome (such as a calm, pleasant holiday season), and the response from your heavenly Father is no or wait?  Do you believe that there is no good thing that He will withhold from you if you are walking uprightly (Ps 84:11) and focus on your responsibility of walking uprightly, or are you like Elijah when he fled from Jezebel to the wilderness, sat under a juniper tree, and wished to die (1 Kgs 19:4)?  The woman who chooses the response aligned with Psalm 84:11 embraces contentment, while the one who opts for an Elijah Effect is courting discouragement.

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An Attitude of Gratitude

Thursday, October 27, 2011 by Dorothy Kelley Patterson

As the Thanksgiving season approaches, the unique aspects of this “American” holiday dedicated to thankfulness come to mind.

• Thanksgiving is a holiday rooted in history. The very existence of your forefathers was the result of divine blessing. The land’s rejection of cultivation, the onslaught of their human opposers, the vengeance of debilitating diseases, and the peril of nature worked to discourage, and even eliminate, many of these early settlers.
• This holiday is reserved for the family—a time for every generation to gather around the table.
• This holiday is devoted to God. Thanksgiving was begun as a national reminder of the blessings of God. No nation in any generation has enjoyed prosperity and blessing equal to or surpassing the United States of America.

 

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