Faithful Women

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Faithful Women

Mark 15.40,41

Introduction

“/I did not gain very much, however, by my inspection.  Our visitor bore every mark of being an average commonplace British tradesman, obese, pompous, and slow.  He wore rather baggy gray shepherd's check trousers, a not over-clean black frock-coat, unbuttoned in the front, and a drab waistcoat with a heavy brassy Albert chain, and a square pierced bit of metal dangling down as an ornament.  A frayed top-hat and a faded brown overcoat with a wrinkled velvet collar lay upon a chair beside him.  Altogether, look as I would, there was nothing remarkable about the man save his blazing red head, and the expression of extreme chagrin and discontent upon his features.  

Sherlock Holmes's quick eye took in my occupation, and he shook his head with a smile as he noticed my questioning glances.  “Beyond the obvious facts that he has at some time done manual labour, that he takes snuff, that he is a Freemason, that he has been in China, and that he has done a considerable amount of writing lately, I can deduce nothing else.”

Mr. Jabez Wilson started up in his chair, with his forefinger upon the paper, but his eyes upon my companion.  “How, in the name of good-fortune, did you know that, Mr. Holmes?/”

I loved reading Sherlock Holmes as a teen.  This passage, from The Red-Headed League, is an example of the keen insight of Sherlock Holmes and how he did not pass quickly over what others did, but paid attention to details and in so doing, could assess things in far more detail than his sidekick, Dr. Watson.

There is a lesson for us here in how we approach the Scriptures.  We are going to dig into a passage this evening, which is very easy to pass quickly over, and at first glance tells us nothing very significant.  However, I think there are some crucial lessons concerning how we live faithfully as Christians in this passage, that, if we are not careful, we would certainly miss.

Let's begin with Mark 15.37.  “And Jesus uttered a loud cry, and breathed His last.  And the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom.  And when the centurion, who was standing right in front of Him, saw the way He breathed His last, he said, “Truly this man was the Son of God!”  And there were also some women looking on from a distance, among whom were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the Less and Joses, and Salome.  And when He was in Galilee, they used to follow Him and minister to Him; and there were many other women who had come up with Him to Jerusalem.”

I want to concentrate on those last two verses, concerning these women who were are the crucifixion with Christ.  There is something of great significance there for us, if we stop to consider it carefully.

Two Important Things

  1. First let me point out two important things.  We are looking at trees in the forest here.  We must remember that.  These women, faithful though they may be, are not the key point of this passage.  Christ is.  This passage marks the events surrounding the crucifixion, which is the crucial  event in all of human history.  Let us not forget that fact.  The forest is the crucifixion, apart from Christ these faithful women would mean nothing.
  2. Second, we do not want to venerate these women, or make them into something that they are not.  We want to point them out as an example, and admire their faithfulness, but we do not worship them, we worship Christ, and Christ alone.  This is how these women would have wanted us to look at them.

Cast of Characters

So, first we have a cast of characters here.  In this passage Mark mentions that we have Mary Magdalene.  Christ had cast out 7 demons from here, Luke tells us, in his gospel.  Then we have Mary, the mother of James the Less and Joses.  This gets kind of confusing, because there are at least three Marys who witness Christ's crucifixion.  We think that this is the same Mary that John calls “the wife of Clopas.”  Hegesippus tells us that Clopas was Joseph's brother, so this was in all probability Mary, the mother of Christ's sister-in-law, also named Mary.  Then there is Salome, we think that this might be Mary's sister, because John tells us that Mary's sister was present, but does not list her name, but that is only speculation.  There is Mary, the mother of Jesus, we learn from John's gospel.  There is Joanna, who was healed by Christ, Luke tells us, and Matthew adds that there were “many women” who witnessed Christ's crucifixion.  3 Marys, Joanna, Salome, and many other women.  These are the women that Mark refers to in our passage.

Theme: These Women Were Devoted and They Were Devout

What do we learn about these women from this short reference to them?  What we find, is that we learn two things which capture the essence for us, of what it means to live in faithful obedience to Christ.  These women were devoted and they were devout.

Their Devotion

First we see their devotion.  Look at what Mark tells us about these women.  “And when He was in Galilee, they used to follow Him and minister to Him.”  He describes them as “following”  Christ, and “ministering” to Him.  The tense that Mark uses indicates that what he is describing is a continuous past action.  In other words, when they were in Galilee, these women were continuously following him around in order that they could continuously serve Him.  So what we see is that they were devoted to Christ.  Continuous pursuit indicates devotion.  We see that in every day life, don't we.  For some reason, animals seem to take naturally to my wife.  I'm not sure what it is, but they become devoted to her.  Two of our dogs follow her around wherever she goes.  She wakes up in the morning, they wake up in the morning, she goes down stairs, off they go down stairs following her.  She goes into the kitchen, they drop what they are doing and go into the kitchen.  It is like they are afraid they will lose her.  They are devoted to her.  

These women were devoted to Christ.  It is obvious from their behaviour.

Look what else Mark tells us about them.  “And there were many other women who had come up with Him to Jerusalem.”  Now we know from Matthew's account that the women who came up with Christ were “ministering” to him while in Jerusalem.  Matthew uses the present tense, so we see that they were continuing in the present, what they had done in the past.  They were “ministering” to Christ.  

That word “minister” simply means “to serve.”  It is the word that we derive the English word “deacon” from.  These women were devoted to Christ, but, and note this carefully it is very important.  They were actively devoted.  They weren't just following Him around because he was their personal guru, or because if they happened to get sick, they could get healed.  They were following for the purpose of serving him.  Of helping to meet His needs, and lightening his burden as it were.  Their devotion was expressed in action.  It was expressed in faithful service.

That is a good example for us, isn't it.  We are called, not simply to be devoted to a thing or an idea, but to be devoted to Jesus Christ, and not simply to be devoted to Christ, but to be actively devoted to Him.  To serve Him as He calls us into ministry.  What a beautiful example of service we have here, don't we.

We need to think about that for a minute.  Service is not something that is admired in our culture.  If these women lived in America, the culture would tell them to get a job and some self-esteem and fulfill themselves.  Quit wasting your life following this guy around and serving him, and serve yourself!  That is what life is all about.

The world will not come and pat you on the back if you tell them that your main purpose in life, mothers, is to serve God first, and your husband and children next.  Fathers, you will receive no accolades from the world for passing up a promotion because it would interfere with serving your wife and children, and teens you can imagine what reactions you would get at school if you told your friends that one great way that you can display commitment to Christ is by serving your parents!  

Being a servant is not admired in our culture.  It is not an ideal that we are taught to reach for.  In fact, it is just the opposite.  Think of yourself first, you need to fulfill your own desires and hopes before you worry about anyone else.   That is the world's philosophy and woe unto the believer who comes along as a servant.  What a fool!  What a waste!  

As the church of Christ, one of our chief characteristics ought to be the importance that we place on serving others.  We ought to be servants.  We ought to admire servanthood.  We ought to point it out to our children as something to be admired and emulated.  We ought to be radically different than the world here.  

What better example to follow than these women who poured themselves out willingly, unreservedly, faithfully, in the service of Christ.  And of course who else to follow but the Chief Servant Himself, who tells us, “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.”  Don't you think, brothers and sisters, that these women had got that message?  I think they did.  They were actively, faithfully devoted to Christ.

Why Are They Devoted to Christ?

We have to stop for a minute and ask ourselves the question, why were they devoted to Christ?  Why did they choose to follow Him around and minister to Him, just because of the health insurance it provided.  I think Martha provides us the answer in a fascinating encounter with Christ.  Lazarus has died and Martha knew that Christ could have healed him.  Let's pick it up in John 11.25, “Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life, he who believes in Me shall live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die.  Do you believe this?”  Now look at Martha's answer, “She said to Him, 'Yes, Lord, I have believed that you are the Christ, the son of God, even He who comes into the world.

The verb tense that Martha uses when she says, “I have believed,” indicates an action that was accomplished in the past and is true from that point on.  It was true in the past.  It is true in the present.  It will be true in the future.  What we have in this passage is the simplest and best expression of faith anywhere to be found in the Scriptures.  It is as if she is saying, “Yes, Lord, that decision was made.  It is done and it will stand.  I have believed that you are the Messiah.”

Now, I suggest to you that every one of these women who made the long trek down from Galilee would have made, and probably did make this same statement.  They were devoted to Him because they believed Him to be the Messiah, the Deliverer.  The one whom God had promised from long ages past.

They Were Devout

These women were devoted to Christ, but that is not all.  Turn over to Luke 23.55.  This is a parallel passage where Luke is also describing the events surrounding the crucifixion.   Luke writes, “Now the women who had come with Him out of Galilee followed after, and saw the tomb and how His body was laid.  And they returned and prepared spices and perfumes.  And on the Sabbath they rested according to the commandment.”

Now lets think about that for a minute.  What these women wanted to do was to continue, as best they could, serving the man that they believed was the Messiah.  They must have been distraught and heart-broken, we know that they did not anticipate the resurrection, so they were doing what they could, they were going to anoint his body for burial.  That is what they planned for, that is what they aimed to do, but what do we find them doing?  “On the Sabbath, they rested according to the Scriptures.”  What we find them doing, and listen to this, note this, we find them putting aside what they must have wanted to do immediately, and we find them being obedient to the Scriptures.  They were obeying the 4th commandment, “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.”

These women were not only devoted to Christ, but they were devout.  We must note that.  They were not only devoted, but they were devout.   I will define “devout” in this way.  It is living my life according to God's standards.  Living my life according to God's standards.  What we learn from these women is that Genuine faith, genuine devotion is lived out in a framework of obedience.  They were living out their faith in the framework of obedience, in their case, to the Mosaic law which God had laid out for them so many years before.  

Now, what does that mean for us?  It means this.  We cannot claim devotion to Christ and yet live as if the commands of Scripture do not apply to us.  You do not see these women living in this manner.  In fact, you will search the Scriptures in vain to find an example of a Christian who is commended when he is devoted, but not devout, when he is devoted, but not living out his life in a framework of obedience to Christ.

When I was in the Marines, we deployed to Japan for 6 months, and I had a roommate for part of that time who claimed to be a Christian.  He knew Christian doctrine, he could tell you how you could get saved, he knew it all.  Just about every night, if he wasn't flying early in the morning, he would go to the officer's club and get drunk and then come in around midnight and jump on me.  He thought this was the funniest thing in the world, of course I did not find it so funny.  So on the one hand he would claim to be a believer, a follower of Christ, on the other hand, he felt free to get drunk, despite the command in Scripture, “do not be drunk with wine, but be filled with the Holy Spirit.”  He was devoted, but he was not devout.  He was not living his life according to God's standards.

Let's bring the rubber down to meet the road here.  We live in a culture, where we have people who claim to be followers of Christ and feel free to disobey Him.  What I am saying is this, if you are sleeping with your girlfriend, or your boyfriend, you are not being obedient to Christ.  You may be “devoted,” but you are not devout.  You are not living your life out in a framework of obedience to Christ.

We had a Miss America a few years back who said this, “I am a Christian and I support the right of a woman to have an abortion.”  Brothers and sisters, if you can take up the Holy Scriptures and honestly search them out and make that claim, you are either just plain ignorant, or willfully rejecting what the Scriptures teach.

Genuine faith, genuine faith! Is both devoted to Christ and obedient to what He said.  If you have one without the other, you do not have genuine faith.  I say that dogmatically and without hesitation and I hope it offends you because offense is the first step in getting your thinking aligned with the truth of Scripture.  If you feel free to call yourself a disciple of Christ and yet disobey His commands you do not have genuine faith!

Now it is important to point out that we do not obey the Scriptures because we think it will make us acceptable to Christ, it will certainly not.  Nothing makes us acceptable to Christ except Christ Himself.    We have peace with God because we are justified by faith, so says Paul in Rom 5.1.  Obedience will no more make us acceptable to Christ than offering ourselves as a burnt offering.  Obedience springs from who I am.  I am obedient because I am a new creature in Christ, the Holy Spirit dwells in me, and now it is my nature.  I want to follow Christ, because that is who I am, not because it will make me any more acceptable to Him.  It is important that we understand that.

Those of you who feel free to claim to be a Christian and yet blatantly, purposely reject Christ's commands, I  plead with you to take a faith lesson from these women who surrounded Christ at his crucifixion.  Do not just be devoted, but live in obedience to the Scriptures.  Do deceive yourselves.  If you are living in disobedience than something is broken.  Something is not right.  Live a life of faithful, active devotion, and live a live out your life according to God's standards.  Be devout.  Be obedient.  An obedience that stems not from what you are required to do, or what you might think pleases God, but an obedience that comes from a heart that has been changed and is joyfully, willingly, contentedly, obedient.

Outline

- “I took a good look at the man and endeavoured, after the fashion of my companion, to read the indications which might be presented by his dress or appearance.  “I did not gain very much, however, by my inspection.  Our visitor bore every mark of being an average commonplace British tradesman, obese, pompous, and slow.  He wore rather baggy gray shepherd's check trousers, a not over-clean black frock-coat, unbuttoned in the front, and a drab waistcoat with a heavy brassy Albert chain, and a square pierced bit of metal dangling down as an ornament.  A frayed top-hat and a faded brown overcoat with a wrinkled velvet collar lay upon a chair beside him.  Altogether, look as I would, there was nothing remarkable about the man save his blazing red head, and the expression of extreme chagrin and discontent upon his features.  

Sherlock Holmes's quick eye took in my occupation, and he shook his head with a smile as he noticed my questioning glances.  “Beyond the obvious facts that he has at some time done manual labour, that he takes snuff, that he is a Freemason, that he has been in China, and that he has done a considerable amount of writing lately, I can deduce nothing else.”

Mr. Jabez Wilson started up in his chair, with his forefinger upon the paper, but his eyes upon my companion.  “How, in the name of good-fortune, did you know that, Mr. Holmes?”

Outline

I. Introduction

A. Sherlock Holmes

B. Mark 15. 37-41

C. Two Important Points

1. Looking at trees in the forest

2. Not worshiping these women

D. Cast of Characters

II. Devotion

A. “Following” and “Ministering” - Imperfect verb - continuous past action

B. Pursuit displays devotion

Illus: Cherie and the animals

C. Matthew uses the present tense - what they had been doing in Galilee, they continued to do in Jerusalem; - Active devotion, difficult journey

D. Minister - “to serve;” deacon - Lightening His burden

E. Application - Devotion expressed in action, expressed in faithful service.

1. World Does Not Admire

2. Church Should Admire

3. Christ - Mark 10.45

F.  Why Devoted - John 11.25ff

III.  Devout

A. Luke 23.55

B.  Obeying the 4th Commandment - Remember the Sabbath day to keep it Holy

C. Devout - “Living my life according to God's standards”

Genuine faith, genuine devotion is lived out in a framework of obedience.

Illus: Chet

D.  Culture  - I am a Christian, but don't live like one

1. Boyfriend/Girlfriend

2. Abortion

E. Genuine faith is both devoted to Christ and obedient to His commands, No obedience, no genuine faith

F. Do not obey for God's approval, obey because who we are

IV. Conclusion

A. Faith Lesson from these women

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