Daily Journal: 28 November

Serving Jesus

I am struck by the many women who served Jesus together in community through His years of ministry and remained with Him in the most heinous, dreadful ordeal of His life, and theirs.

Matthew 27:55-56 (NET)

Many women who had followed Jesus from Galilee and given him support [“and ministered to him”] were also there, watching from a distance. Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of the sons of Zebedee.

These women lived in close community. Sharing with each other. Talking with each other. Supporting each other. Living a new and completely different life from the time they met Him and He changed their world.

They loved Jesus. They believed in Him. He had become the centre of their whole world. Therefore, they wanted to be serving Jesus, always, together. They were devoted to Him in life and in death. They were the first to see the empty tomb and first to see Him after His resurrection. They were filled with awe, fear, jubilation, and wonder. They passed the message on but were not believed.

But they knew.

Luke 23:55-56 (NLV)

The women who had come with Jesus from Galilee followed behind. They saw the grave and how His body was laid. They went back and got some spices and perfumes ready. But they rested on the Day of Rest as the Law said to do.

Luke 24:1-3, 9-11 (NLV)

Early in the morning on the first day of the week, the women went to the grave taking the spices they had made ready. They found the stone had been pushed away from the grave. They went in but they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus…. When they came back from the grave, they told all these things to the eleven followers and to all the others. They were Mary Magdalene and Joanna and Mary the mother of James. Other women who were with them told these things to the followers also. Their words sounded like foolish talk. The followers did not believe them. 

Together, they were obedient. Together, they served Him. Together, they mourned and grieved for Him. Together, they were restored by Him. Together, they shared in His victory.

How do I serve Jesus? How do I serve Him in community with other women? How do I serve in obedience with others? How do I serve Him in my life, as the centre of my whole world? Am I ridding myself of things that hinder me and my relationship to Him? Am I being filled with awe, fear, jubilation and wonder? Am I passing His message on to others out of love and a pure desire to serve?

The closeness of pure relationships is foundational to following and serving Jesus. Beautiful, untainted, uncomplicated, and pure.