Phoebe. Helper of many. A woman’s legacy encapsulated in only two verses in the Bible. Her name means radiant, shining one and would’ve been connected to the Greek goddess of the moon when it was given to her, but instead she lived as one shining the Light of Jesus, serving in the church of Cenchreae, shielding others from suffering (Rom 16:1-2). A remarkable woman with a servant heart, trusted to deliver Paul’s epistle to the church in Rome. A letter which has since reached the ends of the earth with its message of God’s boundless love and eternal salvation to an underserving people.
In a time when women and children weren’t valued, Jesus demonstrated how every person is valuable in His Kingdom and depended on women like Joanna and Martha and Mary throughout his ministry. Joanna, wife of Herod’s household manager, a woman whom Jesus delivered from bondage, generously provided for His needs out of her own means (Luke 8:3). Martha welcomed Jesus and His followers into her house and served faithfully, but trusted Jesus enough to approach him boldly when anxiety started to flood her heart (Luke 10:38-40). Mary served Jesus by loving Him earnestly and extravagantly as was evident by the aroma that filled the house when she lavishly poured out her offering at His feet (Matt 26:7-13).
Like them, you and I have a place in God’s Kingdom and the Holy Spirit is knitting our innermost beings into the fabric of the body of Christ with a mandate to serve humbly, love deeply and give generously. Maybe you are Lydia, the influential businesswoman abounding in hospitality (Acts 16), or Dorcas, devoted follower of Jesus, the seamstress blessing other women that don’t have the means to provide for themselves (Acts 9). Maybe you are Lois helping and encouraging daughters in raising sons, or Eunice, scorned for her marriage to a heathen, but honouring God by teaching His ways to her son (2 Tim 1:5). Or you could be Priscilla, working side by side with her husband to earn an income, to unfold Scripture to those seeking to understand and to share the gospel alongside others (Acts 18; Rom 16).
Eve, deceived by the serpent, thought she had to be more. She thought she had to be better than the woman created in the likeness of God and fell prey to the enemy’s scheme. Don’t we all fall into that trap at times? Thinking we are not enough? I’m sure these other women also felt unworthy, but when they came face to face with the profound love of Jesus, they accepted the reality of who and what they are, they believed in His saving power and their lives confessed of the peace they’ve found in relationship with Him. They gave themselves as living stones, chosen and precious in God’s sight. Like the uncut altar stones, they were authentically raw, ready for their Maker to build them into His spiritual house – holy, dedicated and consecrated – acceptable and pleasing to God through Jesus Christ (1 Pet 2:4-6).
Sometimes we look at the good work someone else is doing or look at the results of our efforts and worry that we are falling short. Isaiah also felt that type of distress even though he was convinced of the Lord’s calling on his life and testified of God’s protection over him, concealed as a sharp arrow in the quiver by God’s side. Isaiah seemed to have little impact on the Israelites and feared that he was failing his commission to bring Israel back to God. Yet, he said, he will leave it all in the Lord’s hand and trust God. Regardless of the overwhelming emotion at the time, he chose to be the arrow in God’s hand and have impact in the exact place God released him to, even if the effect was not yet visible to him, and in turn God not only used him to turn Israel back towards Him, but also as a light to the nations so that God’s salvation may extend to the ends of the earth (Is 49:7-9).
I find it strange that the Lord often don’t solve the apparent problem we face but changes our perspectives instead. God didn’t show Isaiah the impact he’s already had, instead He reiterates the calling on Isaiah’s life and tells him that He is the One who formed him in his mother’s womb to be His servant, the One who gives him strength for the job at hand (Is 49:5). Jesus didn’t tell Mary to help Martha with the work that had to be done, but instead addressed Martha’s anxious heart (Luke 10:41-42). Neither did Jesus go to Bethany in time to save Lazarus from death and when Martha said as much, Jesus redirected her focus to Him being the Resurrection and the Life (John 11:25). It seems like Jesus is intent on us keeping our eyes fixed on Him and not on the apparent obstacle in front of us.
I think Anna understood something about keeping her focus in the right place. Anna had been married for only seven years when she lost her husband. When we meet her in Luke, she has lived 84 of the 400 silent years where God didn’t speak to Israel through judges or prophets. She had seen world powers shifting, felt the repression of Roman forces sieging Judea and witnessed fellow Jews’ hope in the coming of the Messiah falter, yet she remained faithful, continuously worshipping God in the temple with fasting and prayer. Then, one morning in the temple, after years of keeping her eyes fixed on Adonai, she recognized His only Son, the Messiah, in the arms of Mary of Nazareth (Luk 2:36-38).
What a remarkable host of ordinary women have gone before us! Women that have found the grace, favour and loving-kindness of their Saviour and committed to serving Him in whatever way they could. Women that made themselves available to make the love of Christ visible right there where God had placed them. Blessed is every one of us who wait for the Lord, who expect and look for and long for Him; who long for His victory, His favour, His love, His peace, His joy and His matchless unbroken companionship with us (Is 30:19)!
Let us therefore make ourselves available to the Father and follow where He leads, so that when we help, when we serve, when we love others and when we give what we have, the Light of Jesus shines brightly.
[Collage created using Pinterest Images]
