The Women Jesus Loved: A Holy Week Meditation For Spy Wednesday

While he was in Bethany, reclining at the table in the home of Simon the Leper, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, made of pure nard. She broke the jar and poured the perfume on his head. Some of those present were saying indignantly to one another, “Why this waste of perfume?  It could have been sold for more than a year’s wages and the money given to the poor.” And they rebuked her harshly. “Leave her alone,” said Jesus. “Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. The poor you will always have with you, and you can help them any time you want. But you will not always have me. She did what she could. She poured perfume on my body beforehand to prepare for my burial. Truly I tell you, wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.” Then Judas Iscariot, one of the Twelve, went to the chief priests to betray Jesus to them. They were delighted to hear this and promised to give him money. So he watched for an opportunity to hand him over.

It started with Judas and spread throughout Jesus’ small band of followers, infecting them all. We vividly remember Judas’ betrayal and Peter’s angry denial, but according to the scriptural witness, “all his disciples deserted Him and ran away.” All of them—except the women.

We often neglect or even gloss over the women in Jesus’ life, but there they are, the most constant and dedicated members of His movement. Starting with Mary His mother, who formed His prophetic, revolutionary imagination by singing The Magnificat to Him as a child, she is joined by Joanna and Susanna, who provided financial backing for His life’s work. In addition, an entire cadre of nameless women traveled with Jesus throughout Judea, while Mary of Bethany chose the one needful thing by sitting at the feet of Jesus and becoming His disciple. It’s no exaggeration to say that without women, the Jesus file may never have been re-opened after the crucifixion.

Women were the last ones at the cross and the first ones to the tomb: “Men move away from the cross, women move toward it,” declares pastor Robin Meyers. It was women who God placed at the center of the two greatest mysteries of faith, the incarnation and resurrection of Jesus. Why? Because you just can’t keep mama down. She never runs away. She was there until His final dying gasp. It’s even safe to say Mary Magdalene gave the first Easter sermon when she ran to the men huddled in fear and declared, “I have seen the Lord!”

So why are women still second-class citizens in most evangelical churches? Why do we continue arguing over whether women can be priests and pastors? Why are the spiritual dreams of our daughters stunted by patriarchy and power? Why do megachurch pastors like Kevin DeYoung still obstinately and arrogantly believe women cannot hold authority or teach in the Church when it is so evident the very founder of our faith elevated women to equal status and claimed them as His most loyal disciples? As Joan Chittister retorts, “It is precisely women’s experience of God that this world lacks. A world that does not nurture its weakest, does not know God the birthing mother. A world that does not preserve the planet, does not know God the creator. A world that does not honor the spirit of compassion, does not know God the spirit.”

As we get closer to Good Friday, notice how many women appear in the passion story. See maybe for the first time how women almost exclusively sustain the discipleship community through their courage, presence, and dedication. While the men move to the margins, the women take up space at the very center of the tragedy. Then go and make room at your table, in your congregation, and in your home for the other half of the human race.