The women who followed christ

Many assume that Christ traveled around with just his 12 apostles as companions. This is not the case. Women also traveled with Christ and were important figures in the Bible. The lessons these women teach us are perhaps more subtle than those taught by men, but they are valuable lessons nonetheless.

It’s likely that the immediate families of the disciples traveled with Jesus and the disciples.

Mary, the mother of Jesus, is often with Jesus in various cities. There aren’t many greater examples of obedience than Mary. When the angel of the Lord appeared to her and told her that she would conceive a child though she was not married, she told the Lord that she was grateful to be His servant. “Mary responded, "I am the Lord's servant, and I am willing to accept whatever he wants”. (Luke 1:38 NLT) There was not only horrible stigma involved with being unwed and pregnant, Mary’s very life was in jeopardy. She knew that she could be stoned to death for her condition.

Mary’s life was incredibly difficult and frightening. Yet she obeys the Lord’s commands consistently, trusting in Him to provide for her and protect her. It seems that her courage and faith are often overlooked: that we assume she had some special direct line to God that gave her such faith to deal with the circumstances of her life. But she didn’t. She had the same avenues to God that we do: God didn’t appear to her or speak directly to her from a mountaintop or burning bush.

After the annunciation, she didn’t have any more proof that her son was the Christ than we do. She may well have thought that she imagined that encounter or doubted it in some ways. When Jesus was 12 and missing for three days in Jerusalem, she was terrified. Neither she nor Joseph really understood the uniqueness of their son. (Luke 2:41-50) But she remained obedient and faithful despite fears that she must have felt.

Mary Magdalene was a tortured woman before Christ came into her life. She was possessed by seven demons that Christ cast out of her. (Luke 8:2) We don’t know what those demons were or how they affected her, whether with illness, mental illness or some sort of immoral behavior but we do know that she was an outcast. Associating with a woman like Mary Magdalene would have been completely unacceptable.

Mary Magdalene is an excellent example to us of gratitude. Mary was entirely dedicated to Jesus. She traveled with him and was one of the people that helped to provide for Christ and the disciples. (Luke 8:4). When Jesus was sent to the cross, Mary Magdalene was one of few of His followers that stayed with Him till the end. Most had fled in fear, including many of the disciples. Not Mary. She stayed with Jesus through the entire ordeal. “55 And many women were there beholding afar off, which followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering unto him: 56 Among which was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of Zebedee's children. (Matthew 27:55-56 KJV)

Mary Magdalene grieved Jesus death terribly. She was desperate to see that he had a proper burial and went to his tomb to anoint him with precious oils. When she found the tomb empty, she was distraught. She begged a groundskeeper to tell her where His body had been taken. But this was no groundskeeper. He said her name and she knew him instantly. For her dedication to Him, Mary Magdalene was rewarded with being the first to witness the risen Christ. She also was the first to carry the Good News that Christ was raised. “9 Now when Jesus was risen early the first day of the week, He appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom He had cast seven devils. 10 And she went and told them that had been with Him, as they mourned and wept.” (Mark 16:9-10 KJV)

Mary Magdalene’s dedication and gratitude to Christ were complete. She served Him with everything that she had; her money and her labor. She had the courage to follow Him to the end of His life despite danger to herself for doing so. She sought to serve Him even after death and her service to Him was rewarded.

Mary of Bethany teaches us about hospitality and listening. This Mary was the sister of Lazarus and Martha. Jesus was a guest in their home many times and Mary always paid great attention to Him. Martha chastised her sister for not helping to prepare the food and keep the house in order while they had guests but Jesus said, “Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: 42 But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.” (Luke 10:41b-42 KJV) Jesus was telling Martha to do as Mary, set aside the busy work for a bit and listen. This is an important lesson. I am often so busy doing the things that I think I should be that I don’t take the time to just listen to what God has to say to me.

Mary of Bethany benefited from her listening. She was one of the few that understood what Jesus was facing and what it meant. Perhaps the most memorable thing that Mary did was to anoint Jesus' feet with oil and dry them with her hair. This oil was worth a fortune and probably represented her dowry. So, in effect, she was pouring out all that she had at the feet of Christ. She also understood that she was anointing His body before His death. She knew He was destined to die and wanted to show her love and devotion before His death. “12 For in that she hath poured this ointment on my body, she did it for my burial. 13 Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached in the whole world, there shall also this, that this woman hath done, be told for a memorial of her.” (Matthew 26:12-13 KJV)

As a reward for her devotion and attention to Jesus' needs (hospitality) Mary was honored like few others have ever been. There are certainly things in life that we need to attend to and some of those things will be about our church or our spiritual needs. But, we need to find time to be quiet and listen, like Mary of Bethany.

The New Testament is filled with stories of the men that Jesus encountered and the men that followed Jesus. We learn a great deal from their lives. It’s a little more work to find the stories about the women who followed Jesus, but their stories and their lives teach us important lessons, too. Jesus honored the women in His life and treated them with dignity and respect. It’s the church’s responsibility to do the same, not just for women, but for all people.