Bethlehem

In Matthew's genealogy of Jesus, we see five women listed. The first four are within the context of the first 14 generations. Mary is in the last fourteen. They have so many things in common. 

In their stories we see pictures of forgiveness, redemption, the blood of Jesus, the extravagant grace of God, the marriage of the bride and Redeemer, the death of the lamb, and the engrafting of the Gentiles into the vine (see Romans 11). But, while I was studying, and asking questions, I found what I believe is another connection. 

I don't think God does anything randomly. He does things with purpose. He wants to answer our questions.

In chapter 2 of Matthew's Gospel, he repeats the prophecy of Micah 5:2. It says,

But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,

are by no means least among the rulers of Judah,

for out of you will come a ruler

who will be the shepherd of My people Israel.’

This prophecy made me realize that they are all connected to this place, and the house of David in one way or another.

The descendents of Tamar produced the land of Judah. The land of Israel was divided into portions according to tribes. Bethlehem is in the portion assigned to Judah. Rahab would have lived in Bethlehem upon moving into that land after leaving Jericho with the Israelites. Ruth came to Bethlehem from Moab. David came out of Bethlehem and was married to Bathsheba, producing two sons through whom the kingly lineage would continue. And Mary and Joseph had to travel back to Bethlehem for Jesus to be born because they were both of the house of David.

Ananias and Sapphira: Law & Grace

I have been teaching on women in the book of Acts in an online women's Bible study group. Sapphira is one of the named women in the book of Acts. Her story is kind of difficult, and has been used to create fear in the Body of Christ. Even thought I wanted to, I couldn't skip her. I am really glad now I didn't. This post is part 4 of the series I have been teaching on Ananias and Sapphira.

There are many pictures of law and grace contrasted in the stories in the Gospels. I have written about a few of them. I will share links to some of those at the bottom of this post. I believe that is what we are seeing yet again in the story with Ananias and Sapphira.

The name Ananias is of Hebrew origin and means, “Yah has been gracious.” He is a picture of the grace of God. Sapphira’s name comes from the word for the jewel sapphire or lapis lazuli.  I believe she is a picture of the law.

The Jewish Talmud teaches that the ten commandments were written on sapphire, not stone. The Talmud is not Scripture, but a collection of commentary compiled by Jewish rabbis from A.D. 250-500. 

Since the Talmud is not Scripture, but commentary, let’s look at some Biblical support for the idea of the ten commandments being written on sapphire or a blue stone. 

In Exodus 24, right before God gives the ten commandments to Moses, we see the word sapphire in reference to what was under God’s feet.

Then Moses went up with Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel, and they saw the God of Israel. Under His feet was a work like a pavement made of sapphire, as clear as the sky itself. But God did not lay His hand on the nobles of Israel; they saw Him, and they ate and drank.

Then the LORD said to Moses, “Come up to Me on the mountain and stay here, so that I may give you the tablets of stone, with the law and commandments I have written for their instruction.-Exodus 24:9-12

God gives Moses the first set of tablets of stone. Moses breaks those when he goes down the mountain and finds the Israelites worshipping the golden calf. When he goes back to God and gets the second set, Moses chisels those out of stone himself.

Another thing that would support the idea of the first set of the ten commandments being sapphire is the tekhelet.

As I understand it, Jewish men wore tassels on the four corners of their garments. If there were no corners, they had no tassels. Those tassels were called the tzitzit and had a blue thread woven in called the tekhelet. 

Numbers 15 says this, 

Speak to the children of Israel: Tell them to make tassels on the corners of their garments throughout their generations, and to put a blue thread in the tassels of the corners. And you shall have the tassel, that you may look upon it and remember all the commandments of the LORD and do them, and that you may not follow the harlotry to which your own heart and your own eyes are inclined,-Numbers 15:38-39

Because the thread was blue, that connects with the idea that the ten commandments were made from Sapphire, and further connects with the idea of Sapphira being a picture of the law in Acts 5. 

 

In 2 Corinthians 3, Paul spends some time comparing the ministry of the law or the ten commandments to the ministry of the Spirit.

And He has qualified us as ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

Now if the ministry of death, which was engraved in letters on stone, came with such glory that the Israelites could not gaze at the face of Moses because of its fleeting glory, will not the ministry of the Spirit be even more glorious?- 2 Corinthians 3:6-8

If you read the book of Galatians, you will find Paul discussing the law and grace throughout most of the book.

I believe we can safely say that the story of Ananias and Sapphira is another picture the Holy Spirit wanted to paint for us, of law and grace, and what happens when you combine the two.

To see some more pictures of grace in the Gospel stories, please check out my series, A Foundation of Grace.

You can also read about grace and healing in my series, 31 Days of Healing.

A Week in the Life of a Greco-Roman Woman by Holly Beers

I recently read the book, A Week in the Life of Greco-Roman Woman by Holly Beers,  It is about the life of a woman in Ephesus when the church was just starting there.

Women's lives were so hard!! They were considered property and treated anyway their spouses wished.

The parts of the book I loved was when the woman started learning about Jesus. That was really cool. The author also included several incidents of healing, which was amazing!

I think we forget about what it is like for people who don't know anything nor have ever heard about Jesus, and then all of a sudden start learning. It was very refreshing to see what that would be like through the eyes of that woman.

I think it would be refreshing to all of us to go back to the early days and remember the love of God we felt and how clean and pure everything seemed when we first came to the Lord.

There were also a few Bible figures in the book including Paul, Priscilla, and Aquila. It was interesting to see how the author interpreted their personalities.

Another interesting aspect of the book is that pictures and factual information from that time period in Ephesus were included as part of the book. That was a little awkward reading it at first, because it is Biblical fiction, a story that is fiction, but based on events in the Bible. But it helped to understand the time period more, and the book of Ephesians more as well.

I think when you understand what was going on, it helps you to read the Bible with fresh eyes. This is only one of the books in "A Week in the Life of" series, and I can't wait to read more!

From Darkness to Light

In Matthew's genealogy of Jesus there are four women mentioned, Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, and Bathsheba, all with seedy pasts. Yes,  even Ruth. She was a Moabite. They sacrificed babies to their gods and their people was a product of Lot and one of his daughters, an incestuous relationship.

Today, I heard a minister, (someone I love), say that if he were writing the genealogy, he would have thought Sarah or Rebecca would have been more appealing to include. But they both were sinners too.

Sarah had her husband sleep with their slave, Hagar. And that created a huge division and strife in people groups. Rebecca conspired with Jacob to deceive her husband, Isaac, and steal the blessing that was supposed to belong to his brother Esau.

Those girls were no better than the list in Matthew's genealogy.

We are all in one of two places. We are either in Adam, or in Christ. We either belong to darkness or light.

And, truth be known, Jesus has already (past tense) reconciled you to God. You might just be finding out about it right now, in this moment. And that is so you can receive his payment and become part of the light, part of the Kingdom of God, part of Christ.

Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation,- 2 Corinthians 5:18 (NKJV)

No other human is better than you. You were the same before Jesus, and you are still on the same level playing field with the rest of the Body of Christ, when you step out of the dark and over into the Kingdom of Light.

All it takes is a moment of faith.

to open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me.-Acts 26:18 (NKJV)

Bold Women in the Bible

When they saw the boldness of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they marveled and took note that these men had been with Jesus.

-Acts 4:13 (Berean Study Bible)

Boldness. The word in the Greek is “parresia.” It means freedom of speech or confidence. So, the word has to do with confidence in what we say.

There were many bold women in the Bible. I put together a short list that I thought would encourage some of us when we speak. Some of these women were bold in their actions as well. If her name is highlighted, you can click on it and go read where I have written more about her story in another post.

Tamar -Genesis 38

Tamar's story is found in the book of Genesis. While we might not agree with her actions, nevertheless she was bold in securing her rights that were actually set in place by the law. She is also the first woman listed in the genealogy of Jesus. (See the Gospel of Matthew chapter 1.)

Deborah-Judges 4

Now Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lapidoth, was judging Israel at that time.-Judges 4:4

Deborah led men in the book of Judges. She was the only female judge in Israel that is listed. To lead an army and be a judge would require some boldness.

Rahab-Joshua 2Rahab was a prostitute that hid the two spies when they came to spy out Jericho. She helped them escape and her family were the only ones who were saved when Jericho was destroyed.

Jael-Judges 4
Jael was also included in the same story of Deborah. She risked her life and is the heroine of the story. When the enemy invaded her house, she used a hammer and tent peg to end his reign as an adversary.

Naaman’s servant girl-2 Kings 5

Now Naaman was commander of the army of the king of Aram. He was a great man in the sight of his master and highly regarded, because through him the Lord had given victory to Aram. He was a valiant soldier, but he had leprosy.

 Now bands of raiders from Aram had gone out and had taken captive a young girl from Israel, and she served Naaman’s wife. She said to her mistress, “If only my master would see the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy.”

Naaman went to his master and told him what the girl from Israel had said.

-2 Kings 5:1-4


Phoebe-Romans 16Phoebe is one of the women listed in Romans chapter 16. Paul said she was a deacon at the church of Cenchrea. It is widely held by many scholars that Phoebe was the one who delivered the epistle to the Romans to the Church at Rome. Not only would that have been a dangerous journey during the time, but it was a very important letter!

Mary of BethanyMary is found in all four Gospels, always sitting at Jesus’ feet. She was ridiculed on multiple occasions, first by her sister and then by other disciples for her actions. She was brave and set a precedent for what women in the Church should be like now.

Martha-Luke 10, John 11
Martha was brave in her outspokenness in her conversations with the Lord. In Luke 10, she refers to him as Lord, but in an extremely exasperated and sassy way. Jesus answers her statement but does not rebuke her boldness. In John 11, we see her have a monumental theological conversation with Jesus that is pivotal in our understanding of Jesus and who He is.

Women in Luke 8
There is a list of women in Luke 8 that supported the ministry of Jesus out of their own financial means.

Priscilla -Acts 18
Priscilla and her husband were both companions of Paul. She is said to have “risked her life for the church” and on one occaision corrected another male believer in his theology, albeit privately.

Lydia-Acts 16
Lydia was the first European convert in the book of Acts that we know about. After her conversion, she boldy invites Paul and his team to come and stay at her house, if they consider her a Believer in the Lord.

In 2 Timothy 1:7, Paul writes to Timothy,


For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

That is the Spirit of Jesus, the Holy Spirit, who lives inside all Believers. He gives us boldness, just like he did Peter and John.


The book of Acts is still being written. The Holy Spirit wants us to continue to proclaim Jesus with boldness, as women, as men, as the Church.



May you continue to grow in grace and in the knowledge of Jesus,
Beth

Women in the Genealogy of Jesus

Did you know that there are only 5 women listed in the genealogy of Jesus? Don't you think that is interesting? I mean, men cannot have babies, right? So, why did God choose those five women to include?

The first woman tricked a man named Judah into sleeping with her, and God gave her two babies out of the union. Her name was Tamar. When one of the babies is born, the midwife ties a scarlet thread on his wrist, and is the first time we see the scarlet thread in the Bible.

The second woman was a prostitute named Rahab in the city of Jericho. She hid two spies, and helped the people of God. Her household was saved through the process. We also see the scarlet cord in her story.

The third woman was an outsider named Ruth. She was a Moabite. They were wicked people, but she followed her mother-in-law to be with the people of God. God gave her a husband who was, amazingly, the son of Rahab. I wonder if Rahab and Ruth ever met??

There has been much controversy surrounding the fourth woman. She was married to an outsider. He was a Hittite, but he was part of David's army, and mighty men. My personal belief is it wasn't her fault. (The prophet Nathan backs me up.)  David took something that wasn't his, and thus an adulterous situation ensued. Bathsheba's name isn't even mentioned in many translations in Matthew's genealogy. It just says the wife of Uriah the Hittite. But God took their story, and redeemed it, and out of the union of David and Bathsheba came Solomon, who was also called Jedidiah, or loved by God.

The fifth woman was his mother Mary. Her name means bitter. She was a wonderful girl, out of whom came our Savior. But she was still in need of Him too. Grace comes along and redeems the bitterness.

So, back to my original question, why did Matthew, and the Holy Spirit choose to include just those women?

Wouldn't it be better to choose women who seemed upright, and didn't have any blemish on their record?

In reality those women just don't exist. I don't care how good you think you are, or how good other people think you are. We are all like these women.

These women are a picture of the church. They are in need of a savior. And when Jesus steps in, they are redeemed. We also need a Savior. Jesus redeems our stories too.

Many blessings ad you grow in grace and the knowledge of Him,
Beth

Names in the Life of Jesus

There have been quite a few times that I have heard people speak about women in the Bible and try to combine the different personalities, like the woman who was a great sinner, or Mary Magdalene, or Mary of Bethany. But, I think they were all individuals. I have a couple of reasons why.

The first reason was the authors were specific. They called them the names of people to whom they were connected, or linked them to the name of a specific region. Like, the mother of James and John (John 20:20) or Mary and her sister Martha (John 11:1). Mary Magdalene was most likely called that because she was from a region called Magdala. And the Syrophoenician woman was called that because that is where she was from.

Second, if something changed about them, usually the writers let us know. Like when Jesus renamed Simon. The author would state different names for one person., and Simon, who was also named Peter (Acts 10:18).

Finally, and this is opinion, I feel like we short change the ministry of Jesus when we combine persons. I believe that a lot of those people were all very interconnected, more than we know. But Jesus touched so many lives. How do I know that?

John 21:25 says, "There are many more things that Jesus did. If all of them were written down, I suppose that not even the world itself would have space for the books that would be written."

He's a great Jesus, and we want all their stories to be told. Because in them, we find ours.

Five Minute Friday: Touch

Today I am participating in Five Minute Friday, where a group of writers get together and write about a one word prompt for 5 minutes.  Today's word is “Touch.”

“Just one touch,” she thought.  Her eyes surveyed the crowd. She must move quickly. There were so many people, and Jesus was moving. The crowds swayed like fields of grain in the wind or the ocean waves at night. It was smooth and slow, like a sweet, soft lullaby, and Jesus was at the center.

She kept repeating in her heart what she had heard about Jesus. “He is a healer. He loves the people. I am no different than them. If I can just get close.”

Suddenly, she saw a small break in the sway. She picked up her skirt as she was accustomed, trying not to touch anybody, but it was no use. The crowd was thick-too many people.

She was close enough to touch his shoulder, but then she remembered, the hem. The hem was where she must touch.

The son of righteousness will arise with healing in his wings the prophet had said. The blue thread. She knelt down slowly. It was better there. Maybe she could get away unseen, and not disturb the crowd.

She saw it. Now, to just reach out. She felt the fibers of the thread gently touch the tips of her fingers. Heat moved up her arm, and down into her stomach. Instantly the bleeding stopped. And so did Jesus.

Jesus' Conversations with Women: The Water Jar

I have been thinking about the woman at the well that is found, in John 4. Mainly I have been thinking about her water jar. That water jar represented shame to her. The Bible says it was the sixth hour when Jesus sat down at the well. That would have been about noon. Then comes the woman to draw water.

Coming to the well at this time of the day would have been unusual. The job of drawing water was the job of a slave or women, and they would have done it earlier in the day when it was cooler, so this woman was coming to the well when she could avoid other people.

Her tone seemed a little sharp when she talked to Jesus, and we can tell that she was brave when speaking with Him. But she carried that shame because she avoided those who would shame her.

They have a conversation, she and Jesus, and discuss theological things. He offers her living water They discuss Jacob who built the well. His words tell her he knows her and what has happened to her in her life. And then they come to the most pivotal point.

Jesus tells her He is the Messiah. He reveals His true nature to her, and what He wants to do for her.

And she leaves her water jar.

She leaves the thing that is a representation of her shame. She lets it go, runs away, and tells other people about Him.

I believe, that when we all have a true encounter with the living Jesus, we will do the same. It will cause us to let go and leave our shame. We will leave all those things that have been holding us back, with Him, and we will run and tell others about Him.

He wanted her to come to know Him, That was His purpose in talking to her and still is His purpose with us.

The woman said to Him, “I know that Messiah is coming” (who is called Christ). “When He comes, He will tell us all things.”

Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am He.”

And at this point His disciples came, and they marveled that He talked with a woman; yet no one said, “What do You seek?” or, “Why are You talking with her?”

The woman then left her waterpot, went her way into the city, and said to the men, “Come, see a Man who told me all things that I ever did. Could this be the Christ?” Then they went out of the city and came to Him.-John 4:25-30 (NKJV) 

My prayer is that we would all continue to grow in the grace and knowledge of Him,

Beth

Fragrance of Kings and Queens

Jesus was at Bethany, a guest of Simon the Leper. While he was eating dinner, a woman came up carrying a bottle of very expensive perfume. Opening the bottle, she poured it on his head. Some of the guests became furious among themselves. “That’s criminal! A sheer waste! This perfume could have been sold for well over a year’s wages and handed out to the poor.” They swelled up in anger, nearly bursting with indignation over her.


But Jesus said, “Let her alone. Why are you giving her a hard time? She has just done something wonderfully significant for me. You will have the poor with you every day for the rest of your lives. Whenever you feel like it, you can do something for them. Not so with me. She did what she could when she could—she pre-anointed my body for burial. And you can be sure that wherever in the whole world the Message is preached, what she just did is going to be talked about admiringly.”-Mark 14:3-9



I love Mary of Bethany. She is who I named my blog after. She has several stories in the Bible, each filled with their own unique goodness.

One of the stories has to do with the anointing of Jesus. Matthew, Mark, and John all tell the story about anointing Jesus for his burial. Each Gospel writer gives different details, but they all tell the same story.

She is not the same woman as in Luke 7. That is a completely different story filled with its own treasures. But Matthew, Mark, and John tell the story of Mary anointing the feet of Jesus with the perfume, which would have been spikenard.

Now, if you haven't ever smelled spikenard, it is strong. One little drop is very fragrant. The Bible says, she took an entire jar of alabaster, which equaled a pound of spikenard, broke it, and anointed him with it, starting at his head.

Every time I hear or think about this story, I think about how everyone in that room, or in that house came out of there smelling like spikenard that day. They had the fragrance upon them.

I just read that this particular perfume is used to anoint royalty. Jesus says in that passage of scripture that she is anointing him for his burial.

In the Old Testament, kings were anointed on the head with oil to prepare them to be king. What if, in anointing him for his burial, she was also anointing him to be king?

When he was crucified, Pontius Pilate had a sign placed above his head.

"And Pilate posted a sign on the cross that read, "Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.""-Joh 19:19

The same things that happened to Jesus, happened to us. The fragrance of the spikenard that anointed him, also covered us that day.

Now, consider these scriptures...

Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him.-Romans 6:8

And having been buried with Him in baptism, you were raised with Him through your faith in the power of God, who raised Him from the dead.-Colossians 2:12

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, to proclaim the virtues of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.-1 Peter 2:9

And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.-Revelation 5:10

But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere.- 2 Corinthians 2:14

we have boldness through him, and free access as kings before the Father because of our complete confidence in Christ’s faithfulness.-Ephesians 3:12 (The Passion Translation)


Grace and peace to you.


In Him,
Beth

Women in the Life of Moses

We are watching The Prince of Egypt again. It's one of our favorites. The soundtrack is fantastic!!! Every time we watch it, I am filled with this overwhelming emotion about the women God used to preserve and protect Moses. Did you know there were  7 women who played pivotal roles in the life of Moses?

The first two women were Shiphrah and Puah, midwives who feared God rather than Pharoah, and let the Hebrew babies live.

Then the king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives, whose names were Shiphrah and Puah, “When you help the Hebrew women give birth, observe them as they deliver. If the child is a son, kill him; but if it is a daughter, let her live.”

The midwives, however, feared God and did not do as the king of Egypt had told them; they let the boys live. So the king of Egypt summoned the midwives and asked them, “Why have you done this? Why have you let the boys live?”

The midwives answered Pharaoh, “The Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women, for they are vigorous and give birth before a midwife arrives.”

So God was good to the midwives, and the people multiplied and became even more numerous. And because the midwives feared God, He gave them families of their own. -Exodus 1:15-20 (Berean Study Bible)

The third woman was his mother, Jochebed. She also didn't obey Pharaoh and hid her baby so he would not be killed like the other Hebrew baby boys.

And Amram married his father’s sister Jochebed, and she bore him Aaron and Moses. Amram lived 137 years. -Exodus 6:20  (Berean Study Bible)

Now a man of the house of Levi married a Levite woman, and she conceived and gave birth to a son. When she saw that he was a beautiful child, she hid him for three months.

The fourth was his sister, Miriam. She was there the day their mother placed him into the Nile in an basket, which was actually an ark. Later, she would become a prophetess and lead alongside Moses.

But when she could no longer hide him, she got him a papyrus basket and coated it with tar and pitch. Then she placed the child in the basket and set it among the reeds along the bank of the Nile. And his sister stood at a distance to see what would happen to him. -Exodus 2:1-4

The fifth woman was Pharoah's daughter who rescued him from the Nile, thus preserving his life, and continuing God's plan.

Soon the daughter of Pharaoh went down to bathe in the Nile, and her attendants were walking along the riverbank. And when she saw the basket among the reeds, she sent her maidservant to retrieve it. When she opened it, she saw the child, and behold, the little boy was crying. So she had compassion on him and said, “This is one of the Hebrew children.”

Then his sister said to Pharaoh’s daughter, “Shall I go and call one of the Hebrew women to nurse the child for you?”

“Go ahead,” Pharaoh’s daughter told her. And the girl went and called the boy’s mother.

Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Take this child and nurse him for me, and I will pay your wages.” So the woman took the boy and nursed him.

When the child grew older, she brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter, and he became her son. She named him Moses and explained, “I drew him out of the water.” -Exodus 2:5-10 (Berean Study Bible)

The sixth woman was the Pharoah's daughter's maidservant.

The only thing we are told about her is that she is the one who pulled the baby out of the water.  She was a slave, so was she an Egyptian?  Stepping into the Nile was dangerous, so there had to be moderately brave to do so, but she was following her mistress' orders.  

Soon the daughter of Pharaoh went down to bathe in the Nile, and her attendants were walking along the riverbank. And when she saw the basket among the reeds, she sent her maidservant to retrieve it.-Exodus 2:5

The seventh woman was his wife, Zipporah. God was going to kill Moses and Zipporah circumcised her son, an act of shedding blood, and she said "Surely you are a bridegroom of blood to me."

Now at a lodging place along the way, the LORD confronted Moses and was about to kill him. But Zipporah took a flint knife, cut off her son’s foreskin, and touched Moses’ feet with it. “Surely you are a bridegroom of blood to me,” she said.

So the LORD let him alone. (When she said, “bridegroom of blood,” she was referring to the circumcision.) -Exodus 4:24-26(Berean Study Bible)

The first four women were Hebrews.  The last two were Gentiles. Four of them were slaves. One of them was royalty.  And one was the daughter of a priest.

Each one was amazing. Their lives intersected; they were connected in some way to one another.  And it seems as though they each had just a small part in Moses' story a single moment in time, but in hindsight it was a monumental action.  Those events would be more far reaching than they could know.

If you are a woman with a heart to serve God, don't discount your day to day living.  Each of these women was just going about their daily lives and God turned what they did to a beautiful occasion, something that will be talked about forever.  They were part of a bigger picture, telling the story of a Messiah soon to come for all generations of this world.

A Foundation of Grace: (Past Tense) Forgiven

Lots of times we are praying, asking God for things, when He has already given them.  Just like the woman who washed Jesus' feet with her tears.


Then one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to eat with him, and He entered the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. When a sinful woman from that town learned that Jesus was dining there, she brought an alabaster jar of perfume. As she stood behind Him at His feet weeping, she began to wet His feet with her tears and wipe them with her hair. Then she kissed His feet and anointed them with the perfume.

When the Pharisee who had invited Jesus saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, He would know who this is and what kind of woman is touching Him—for she is a sinner!”

But Jesus answered him, “Simon, I have something to tell you.”

“Tell me, Teacher,” he said.

“Two men were  to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. When they were unable to repay him, he forgave both of them. Which one, then, will love him more?”

“I suppose the one who was forgiven more,” Simon replied.

“You have judged correctly.” Jesus said.

And turning to the woman, He said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? When I entered your house, you did not give Me water for My feet, but she wet My feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You did not greet Me with a kiss, but she has not stopped kissing My feet since I arrived. You did not anoint My head with oil, but she has anointed My feet with perfume. Therefore I tell you, because her many sins have been forgiven, she has loved much. But he who has been forgiven little loves little.”

Then Jesus said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”

But those at the table began to say to themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?”

And Jesus told the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”

-Luke 7:36-50 (Berean Study Bible)

Faith is believing in the goodness, mercy and love of God. Faith is believing He loves you ridiculously and has all these good things for you.

The woman who washed Jesus' feet with her tears was not sad. She was happy. Those were tears of joy! She believed Jesus was who He said he was. She believed he loved her. She believed she was already (past tense) forgiven. The tears and the oil were an offering out of a heart of love.

The Pharisee couldn't see the goodness of God and who was standing right in front of him. But the woman could. She could see him.

And I believe that is what God wants, more than we even want it.  He wants us to see and know the love God has for us.  Paul prayed in Ephesians that we would know how "wide and high and long and deep is the love of Christ."(Ephesians 3:18)

The same mercy, grace and love present then is present now.  I pray the same prayer as Paul for all of us that we would know that love, and as that knowledge of his love for us fills our hearts, we would have a massive overflow of love for him.

To read more in the series, please join me here, at A Foundation of Grace.

Five Minute Friday: Woman

*Occasionally I will participate in Five Minute Friday, a weekly linkup where we free write for five minutes flat about a specific topic. I veered a little from the no editing part this week, but I am pretty sure my actual writing was close to 5 minutes.  This week's topic is: Woman.

Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”

So God created mankind in his own image,

in the image of God he created them;

male and female he created them.-Genesis 1:26-27

In the very first chapter of Genesis, we see where God created woman.  If you go on to Genesis 2, you can see a more detailed explanation about how she was created.  But, in Genesis 1, we see that God created her in his image.  

Later, in Genesis 1, God gives both the man and the woman the same commands.

God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”

Then God said, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds in the sky and all the creatures that move along the ground—everything that has the breath of life in it—I give every green plant for food.” And it was so.-Genesis 1:28-30

Then at the end of Genesis 1, God calls everything he made good, including both the man and the woman.

God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day.-Genesis 1:31

Woman is not this inferior, lesser creation, made of a different design than man.  She is equal in the way she was created, in her purpose, and in her quality.  God called her good.  This, in Genesis 1, is all of God's original intent for man and woman.

The woman was  good.  She was supposed to bear children and increase.  She was to have dominion over the creatures in the earth.  

After the fall, it seemed like her position changed. Pain came in.  But still we see women holding places of authority through the Old Testament.  When Jesus came, it seemed He restored the woman back to her place in the Kingdom.  To learn more about that, see my series, Women in the Life of Jesus.

Bread of Angels by Tessa Afshar

Therefore, sailing from Troas, we ran a straight course to Samothrace, and the next day came to Neapolis, and from there to Philippi, which is the foremost city of that part of Macedonia, a colony.  And we were staying in that city for some days.  And on the Sabbath day we went out of the city to the riverside, where prayer was customarily made; and we sat down and spoke to the women there. Now a certain woman named Lydia heard us. She was a seller of purple from the city of Thyatira, who worshiped God.  The Lord opened her heart to heed the things spoken by Paul.  And when she and her household were baptized, she begged us,  saying, 'If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay."  So she persuaded us. Acts 16:11-15 (NKJV)

Purple.  The foundation of an influential trade in a Roman world dominated by men.  One woman rises up to take the reins of success in an incredible journey of courage, grit, and friendship. And along the way, she changes the world.

But before she was Lydia, the seller of purple, she was simply a merchant's daughter who loved three things: her father, her ancestral home, and making dye.  Then unbearable betrayal robs her of nearly everything.

With only her father's secret formulas left, Lydia flees to Philippi and struggles to establish her own business on her own.  Determination and serendipitous acquaintances--along with her father's precious dye--help her become one of the city's preeminent merchants.  But fear lingers in every shadow, until Lydia meets the apostle Paul and hears his message of hope, becoming his first European convert.  Still, Lydia can't outrun her secrets forever, and when past and present collide. Still, Lydia can't outrun her secrets forever, and when past and present collide, she must either stand firm and trust in her fledgling faith or succumb to the fear that has ruled her life.

-Book Description, Tyndale House Publishers

I love the account of Lydia found in Acts 16.  I have read it many times.  So when I found out that Tessa Afshar was writing a story about her, I was so excited! 

She did such an excellent job of weaving all the Biblical details together.  Her fictional portions were very plausible, including how Lydia came from Thyatira to Philippi.  Her characterization of Paul was very believable as well. 

I have read the novel two times now, and I believe I enjoyed it more my second time around.  The first time I was so eager to get through the story, that  I don't think I enjoyed all the details.  This time I picked up on so many things I missed the first time. 

Tessa presents the Gospel in a very simple, loving way, the way I think that God meant it to be presented to people.  It was so inviting.  You travel along with Lydia throughout her story, and when her heart opens to the good news Paul shares, I could feel my heart opening anew.  You will be blessed, encouraged, and refreshed as you read Bread of Angels, the story of Lydia, seller of purple.

To learn more about the author, you can visit her at tessaafshar.com.

To read a sample of the book, visit amazon.com or christianbook.com.

Jesus' Conversations With Women: Martha and the Resurrection

Jesus had many theological conversations with women. For the last few days, I have been thinking about his dialogue with Martha in John 11. Martha gets a bad rap sometimes. We first see her in Luke 10, verses 38-42. In this chapter, she is making preparations for a meal, while her sister Mary sits at Jesus’ feet.

Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus’ feet and heard His word. But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me.”

And Jesus answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.”-Luke 10:38-42 (NKJV)
Luke's Gospel tells us she is distracted by much serving. The word distracted makes me think at some point she had been doing what Mary was doing, or perhaps it means that she also should have been sitting with her.

The next time we see her is in John chapter 11 after her brother Lazarus has died. She and Mary send a message to Jesus that Lazarus is sick, but he doesn’t make it there before Lazarus dies. When Jesus is getting ready to enter the village, Martha hears he is coming, and goes out to meet him. This is the dialogue that follows:

So when Jesus came, He found that he had already been in the tomb four days. Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles away. And many of the Jews had joined the women around Martha and Mary, to comfort them concerning their brother.

Now Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met Him, but Mary was sitting in the house. Now Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You.”

Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.”

Martha said to Him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.”

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?”

She said to Him, “Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.”-John 11:17-27 (NKJV)

This is an amazing conversation and foundational to our lives as Believers. At the beginning of their dialogue, Martha expresses her pain that Jesus was not there when Lazarus was sick, but she goes on to demonstrate her faith in him.

Based on her words, it seems as though Martha has been transformed. No longer do we see the huffy woman in Luke 10 who is perturbed about all her serving. She is a new Martha. It seems as though she has been doing some sitting at Jesus’ feet as well, and she has become the Martha that she was always meant to be.

What caused the change in her? Maybe the answer is found in the conversation itself. They start out talking about Lazarus, but then switch to talking about who Jesus is!

When we first see her in Luke 10, she has her eyes on herself and all that she has to do. In John 11, she has her eyes on Jesus. He even goes on to teach her more in this moment. He switches her focus from in the future, to right now. Jesus says,

I am the resurrection and the life.

He is the resurrection (in the future) and the life (right now). Right now. In this moment. He is “I am.” The word life in that sentence is the Greek word “zoe.” Strong’s Concordance defines it as meaning “life, both of physical (present) and of spiritual (particularly future) existence.”

And then Martha confesses what ever person who has ever entered or will enter the kingdom has said in their heart and with their mouth,

Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.-John 11:17

She focuses her attention on Jesus now. In the moment. And then she receives a miracle. Jesus raises her brother from death.

Something else interesting to note is this event took place shortly before Passover. In John 12, we get to see Jesus and Martha together in Bethany again. Jesus would soon be entombed just as Lazarus was, and he would also be raised again! To prepare for this, Mary anoints Jesus’ feet, and we see Martha serving again. This time there is no protest to Mary being at the feet of Jesus again, just the accomplishment of peaceful service.

As we get ready to celebrate Resurrection Sunday, and always, let us remember to focus our attention on Jesus in the now. In our everyday lives, in each and every situation we face, may the words that He spoke to Martha, go deep down in our hearts,

I Am the Resurrection and the Life.

Many blessings to you as you continue to grow in the knowledge of Him,
Beth