This is the story of four women and their conversations with Jesus. Some were women whose names we know and whose story is familiar. Others are only mentioned once. But each experience identifies a message of redemption for us today.
The first meeting took place as Jesus traveled with His disciples through Samaria on their way to Galilee. This was not the normal path of choice, understanding that pious Jews avoided Samaritans and chose to travel a longer route rather than to pass through Samaria. But it was here that Jesus sat by Jacob’s Well and asked a woman of Samaria for a drink of water. In the course of this unusual encounter, Jesus changed the focus of their conversation from a comparison of religious differences to an understanding of spiritual identity. When she asks Him if He is the Messiah, He replies ”I AM, who speaks to you,” identifying Himself in the same way that God spoke to Moses from the burning bush. Jesus’ choice of this woman to be the first to hear these words implies the scope of His kingdom. Not coming for the Jews only or for any select few but the Messiah for all humankind, male and female. It was a message of inclusion.
Later in His ministry, Jesus was in the temple when a woman was brought before Him. She had been caught in the act of adultery, a capital crime which carried the penalty of stoning. The Scribes and Pharisees who had brought her to Jesus had no concern for the administration of punishment. They hoped to test Jesus and find some way to bring accusations against Him. ”What should happen to her, Rabbi?” they asked. But Jesus refused to be trapped and instead turned the attention from the accused to the accusers. “Who of you is without sin to cast the first stone?” He asked. When all had finally left, He does not condemn the woman but instead helps her to identify her options. Stop your pattern of sinning, He tells her, placing the responsibility for change in her control. It was a message of empowerment.
The third conversation was not with strangers but with a friend. Mary and Martha and their brother Lazarus had been followers of Jesus throughout His ministry, often hosting the group when they traveled through Bethany. Martha had matured in her faith, understanding what was important and what was peripheral. But now she stands with Jesus by the tomb of her brother. Jesus says to her “I am the Resurrection and the Life. Do you believe this?” Martha responds from the pinnacle of her faith. “I believe you are the Christ.” Jesus had changed the moment from an emphasis on physical mortality to a glimpse of spiritual eternity. It was a message of hope.
The last of the four encounters came a few days after the crucifixion. Mary of Magdala knelt beside the tomb of Jesus. She had been a follower, had been included, felt empowered and experienced the hope of the gospel. But now she was in deep despair and everything she had believed in seemed to crumble. Yet, it was in those early hours that Jesus spoke her name and all fear vanished. In that moment, she understood the message of fulfillment. God had promised life, abundant life, and that promise had been realized in the resurrection of Jesus.
Every day we stand in the presence of Jesus. We offer our prayers of thanksgiving, of blessing and of contrition. We bring our problems and our petitions. And each encounter brings the opportunity to know Him more and to grow in the grace of His message.
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