6 Women In Mark's Stories

The snapshot stories today show Jesus and Mark treating women with respect and honor, receiving their word as valid witness/testimony, dealing with them as disciples, valuing and validating and caring for them.

If Mark were written more to an audience of Christians in Rome, then the status of women may have been different anyway to that of Israel.

Often men spoke up for women to receive help, but we see several in Mark approaching Jesus.

Points

Peter’s Mother-in-law

Mark 1:29-31

Mark 1:29–31 CSB

29 As soon as they left the synagogue, they went into Simon and Andrew’s house with James and John. 30 Simon’s mother-in-law was lying in bed with a fever, and they told him about her at once. 31 So he went to her, took her by the hand, and raised her up. The fever left her, and she began to serve them.

Peter’s mother-in-law. healed her of the fever and she served them.

In Chapter 1 we’ve already looked at Jesus’ start in ministry with His baptism, temptation in the wilderness, and inviting men to follow Him. His first miracle story is driving out an unclean spirit from a man in the synagogue.

Interesting though is Jesus’ first healing miracle recorded by Mark is a woman.

Read

Mark 1:31 CSB

31 So he went to her, took her by the hand, and raised her up. The fever left her, and she began to serve them.

While the story recounts the restoration of a woman to ordinary life, its particular vocabulary links her experience to that of Christ. Word for raised up is same as Jesus’ resurrection. Serve is same as angels ministering to Jesus in wilderness, and Jesus came not to be served but to serve. (FSB)

(not just recovering, but up serving.)

Jairus’s Daughter and Woman in Crowd

Mark 5:21–43 CSB

21 When Jesus had crossed over again by boat to the other side, a large crowd gathered around him while he was by the sea. 22 One of the synagogue leaders, named Jairus, came, and when he saw Jesus, he fell at his feet 23 and begged him earnestly, “My little daughter is dying. Come and lay your hands on her so that she can get well and live.” 24 So Jesus went with him, and a large crowd was following and pressing against him. 25 Now a woman suffering from bleeding for twelve years 26 had endured much under many doctors. She had spent everything she had and was not helped at all. On the contrary, she became worse. 27 Having heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his clothing. 28 For she said, “If I just touch his clothes, I’ll be made well.” 29 Instantly her flow of blood ceased, and she sensed in her body that she was healed of her affliction. 30 At once Jesus realized in himself that power had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd and said, “Who touched my clothes?” 31 His disciples said to him, “You see the crowd pressing against you, and yet you say, ‘Who touched me?’ ” 32 But he was looking around to see who had done this. 33 The woman, with fear and trembling, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell down before him, and told him the whole truth. 34 “Daughter,” he said to her, “your faith has saved you. Go in peace and be healed from your affliction.” 35 While he was still speaking, people came from the synagogue leader’s house and said, “Your daughter is dead. Why bother the teacher anymore?” 36 When Jesus overheard what was said, he told the synagogue leader, “Don’t be afraid. Only believe.” 37 He did not let anyone accompany him except Peter, James, and John, James’s brother. 38 They came to the leader’s house, and he saw a commotion—people weeping and wailing loudly. 39 He went in and said to them, “Why are you making a commotion and weeping? The child is not dead but asleep.” 40 They laughed at him, but he put them all outside. He took the child’s father, mother, and those who were with him, and entered the place where the child was. 41 Then he took the child by the hand and said to her, “Talitha koum” (which is translated, “Little girl, I say to you, get up”). 42 Immediately the girl got up and began to walk. (She was twelve years old.) At this they were utterly astounded. 43 Then he gave them strict orders that no one should know about this and told them to give her something to eat.

Mark 5:21-43

Did you ever go to the ER and have to wait? What if you took your child who was in dire condition and could possibly die, and then someone with a serious but non-life-threatening condition walked in and the doctor saw them first. What if just as the doctor finishes with that person your child dies?

Woman bleeding and Jairus’s daughter

Very interesting how Mark splits the story of Jairus’s daughter’s healing to add time and a sense of urgency. Also a sense of tension as she then is reported to have died.

Read

But on the way…

Doesn’t say what kind of bleeding, but not normal, not monthly, it wouldn’t stop and got worse. bleeding that doctors couldn’t cure

In any case, bleeding made her unclean and separated her from the synagogue and social contact.

Note that her affliction was 12 years of suffering. No doctor was able to help her.

Here is a woman approaching Jesus. She touched the end of His robe and was healed.

Jesus could have let her go, but He asked who touched Him to bring her out and have her speak her request and speak faith.

Read

Mark 5:34 CSB

34 “Daughter,” he said to her, “your faith has saved you. Go in peace and be healed from your affliction.”

Daughter! A kind expression of compassion. Saved by faith, received peace and healing.

A woman approaches Jesus in faith and receives something she has desired for 12 years.

Back to Jairus and his story

v.35 Jairus hears that his daughter already died – Why bother the teacher anymore?

Jesus reassures Jairus Do not fear, only believe.

Mark 5:36 CSB

36 When Jesus overheard what was said, he told the synagogue leader, “Don’t be afraid. Only believe.”

v.41 Little girl, I say get up (not just recovering, but up walking.)

a bleeding woman and a dead girl. Lots of common items in the story. #12. Ritually unclean. Faith. The touch of Jesus. both encounter Jesus and His healing.

Gentile Woman

Mark 7:24–30 CSB

24 He got up and departed from there to the region of Tyre. He entered a house and did not want anyone to know it, but he could not escape notice. 25 Instead, immediately after hearing about him, a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit came and fell at his feet. 26 The woman was a Gentile, a Syrophoenician by birth, and she was asking him to cast the demon out of her daughter. 27 He said to her, “Let the children be fed first, because it isn’t right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.” 28 But she replied to him, “Lord, even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.” 29 Then he told her, “Because of this reply, you may go. The demon has left your daughter.” 30 When she went back to her home, she found her child lying on the bed, and the demon was gone.

Mark 7:24-30

Syrophoenician woman (gentile) more faith than disciples even, and able to counter Jesus first rebuttal(?).

Tyre – town along the Med Sea coast. Gentile area.

Read and discuss

v.24-25 in a house, Gentile woman comes in on behalf of her young daughter

Jesus responds and it sounds strange at first and almost like a severe put down.

Dog = little dog, house dog.

v.29 demon cast out by the faith of the mother. The girl was not present.

Poor Widow and Rich Lady

Mark 12:41–44 CSB

41 Sitting across from the temple treasury, he watched how the crowd dropped money into the treasury. Many rich people were putting in large sums. 42 Then a poor widow came and dropped in two tiny coins worth very little. 43 Summoning his disciples, he said to them, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. 44 For they all gave out of their surplus, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had—all she had to live on.”

Mark 12:

Read

widow who gave all held up as example of selfless giving. Widow who must have been suffering as in v.40 by the hand of scribes.

giving to a system that was unjust and a temple that would soon be destroyed.

Mark 14:3–9 CSB

3 While he was in Bethany at the house of Simon the leper, as he was reclining at the table, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume of pure nard. She broke the jar and poured it on his head. 4 But some were expressing indignation to one another: “Why has this perfume been wasted? 5 For this perfume might have been sold for more than three hundred denarii and given to the poor.” And they began to scold her. 6 Jesus replied, “Leave her alone. Why are you bothering her? She has done a noble thing for me. 7 You always have the poor with you, and you can do what is good for them whenever you want, but you do not always have me. 8 She has done what she could; she has anointed my body in advance for burial. 9 Truly I tell you, wherever the gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will also be told in memory of her.”

goes with widow story above, woman who sacrificed a great wealth on the temple of Jesus’ body.

Tell the stories

Read

Tell the anointing then

Read

Mark 14:8 CSB

8 She has done what she could; she has anointed my body in advance for burial.

Two women who give something of great value to the temple. Recognized for their faith and sacrifice.

Women at the Cross

Mark 15:40–16:8 CSB

40 There were also women watching from a distance. Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joses, and Salome. 41 In Galilee these women followed him and took care of him. Many other women had come up with him to Jerusalem. 42 When it was already evening, because it was the day of preparation (that is, the day before the Sabbath), 43 Joseph of Arimathea, a prominent member of the Sanhedrin who was himself looking forward to the kingdom of God, came and boldly went to Pilate and asked for Jesus’s body. 44 Pilate was surprised that he was already dead. Summoning the centurion, he asked him whether he had already died. 45 When he found out from the centurion, he gave the corpse to Joseph. 46 After he bought some linen cloth, Joseph took him down and wrapped him in the linen. Then he laid him in a tomb cut out of the rock and rolled a stone against the entrance to the tomb. 47 Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses were watching where he was laid. 1 When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, so that they could go and anoint him. 2 Very early in the morning, on the first day of the week, they went to the tomb at sunrise. 3 They were saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone from the entrance to the tomb for us?” 4 Looking up, they noticed that the stone—which was very large—had been rolled away. 5 When they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side; they were alarmed. 6 “Don’t be alarmed,” he told them. “You are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they put him. 7 But go, tell his disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you to Galilee; you will see him there just as he told you.’ ” 8 They went out and ran from the tomb, because trembling and astonishment overwhelmed them. And they said nothing to anyone, since they were afraid. [Some of the earliest conclude with .]

– women at the cross and tomb.

Tell story.

Talk about Mary Magdalene who anointed Jesus, Mary who is also Jesus’ mother, and Salome who may be the mother of James and John.

Read

Mark 15:41 CSB

41 In Galilee these women followed him and took care of him. Many other women had come up with him to Jerusalem.

Followed at a distance. Stayed near Jesus even through death, saw place of burial. Came back to tomb.

Failed to report as told. But even in failure, forgiveness and hope.

Conclusion

Mark lifted up women in his stories, the snapshots of Jesus in His ministry.

Mark showed that Jesus lifted up women in importance and value.

Women in Marks stories showed faith, courage even in the face of fear, followed and served Jesus, and often portrayed as the successes in the cases of men’s failures. Although, in the end they also failed because of fear.

I believe Jesus is still saying to His followers – Don’t be afraid, only believe.