The Faithful Women
| Some women were watching from a distance. Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joses, and Salome. In Galilee these women had followed Him and cared for His needs. Many other women who had come up with Him to Jerusalem were also there. (Mark15:40-41) |
From the other gospels we know that there was only one male disciple at the cross and that was John. We think it is because he was young, possibly just a teen. This is why he could call himself "the one that Jesus loved." Being the young one it is likely that all the disciples and Jesus had a soft spot for him. This, probably, is also why Jesus assigns him and Mary to look after each other. To be fair, John is there only by advantage of his youth. The other disciples were older and potentially have been considered as "enemies of the state." It would have been dangerous for them to be at the cross.
In gentle contrast, Mark tells us of a number of women who were there, supporting Jesus. There are some variants in the names of the women as given by the four gospel writers, but we won't be considering the individuals for now.
What is interesting is that Mark portrays women positively in his gospel:
- The woman with the bleeding disorder had courageous faith.
- The Syrophoenician woman understood grace.
- The widow with her two coins gave sacrificially.
- The woman who anointed Jesus recognised His impending death when others didn't.
Here, the women stay at the cross, continuing their faithful devotion to Jesus. Mark tells us that they came to Jerusalem with Jesus and that in Galilee they had followed Jesus and cared for His needs. Luke tells us that some of them "... were helping to support them (Jesus and the twelve) out of their own means."
In a society where women did not enjoy rights and standing of men, it is significant that Mark (who was known for brevity and focus on key aspects) devotes some time to describing their presence. Especially just after the dramatic events of Jesus' death.
These women are examples of "a long obedience in the same direction."
They have been faithful, and, despite being undervalued by society, they are just faithfully there.
Let's take a moment to give thanks for the faithful women who are role-models to us as they faithfully and practically practice a long obedience in a God direction.
