THE WORD 4 ev 1

Today’s reading is Luke 8 (click here for link)

This morning the alarm clock rang and I woke up the same as any other morning, tired. However, instead of going downstairs and reading some Luke and posting the day’s devotion, I did something different. I got dressed and attended a 6:00 morning meeting of “Men’s Fraternity.” (So my apologies to all you early risers out there who logged on to find nothing posted… yet!)

Today was only the second session, but already I am appreciating the chance to meet with other men in the community to learn and discuss what it means to be a godly man, husband, and father. It will be a 16 week journey. Today’s topic was “What Men Need To Know About Women.” It may seem simple enough, but anyone who has been married or has ever been in a serious relationship with a woman understands just how complicated things of this nature really are. This morning, we were reminded that “immature men assume women see life the way a man does, but real men know women don’t, and a real man works at recognizing and appreciating the differences.” This may sound simple enough, but it is complicated, nonetheless. And so, it felt good beginning my day with little bit of direction—“manly” direction. However, I never expected to find a correlation in our reading from Luke. Apparently, Luke doesn’t mind complicating our picture of Jesus with the subject of gender roles.

We read this morning that Jesus and his disciples were supported by women. What’s that? …supported by women? While that might not sound strange to 21st century readers who are accustomed to a world of career driven women and “Mr. Moms” (to use Lonestar’s lingo), it does seem strange to hear that 2000 years ago, Jesus and his “men” were supported by women. However, it shouldn’t surprise us, because, after all, Scripture is quite clear on what it looks like for men and women to live together in a godly way, and despite the many differences between the two sexes, that often that means that women will play the supportive role in our relationships together. In fact, the Dr. Phil of the 1st century’s—the Apostle Peter—had this to say about the subject:

You husbands likewise, live with your wives in an understanding way, as with a weaker vessel, since she is a woman; and grant her honor as a fellow heir of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered. 1Peter 3:7

All you men out there (including me)… Did you hear that? Peter says that we should live with our wives in an “understanding” way. Why? Well… because they are not men, they are women. That means they are different from us and that difference is pleasing to God. The difference matters!

But do we always “understand?” Jesus did! The difference mattered to him. He included women in his ministry and honored them by making them the first witnesses of the most important event in history—his death and resurrection. In fact, Luke reports to us this morning, that women were a part of Jesus’ ministry from the very beginning. They facilitated the ministry by supporting the ministry. This support or “service” was no demeaning thing. It was a godly thing. In fact, all throughout the gospels, it is women who have this privilege of serving our Lord, especially in the Gospel of Luke: In chapter 4:39, Peter’s mother-in-law serves Jesus; in the reading this morning we hear about the service of Mary, Joanna, and Susanna; Martha serves our Lord and the disciples in 10:40; and finally, it is women who come to provide one last act of service for our Lord on the first Easter morning. But this isn’t surprising, Scripture begins in this very same way. Adam and Eve, the first man and woman to live in relationship do so as partners—Eve giving support and being a help to Adam. And God did not make woman to be “helper” for nothing, because in a very real way, it is the woman who makes the man! In fact, that is still the case today. Think about it...

Therefore, men likewise, honor the woman in your life. She makes many sacrifices for you. She, like our Lord, is willing to become last so that you can be first. Honor that! Make her the passion of your life—make her first. Be like Jesus in that way—sacrificing for her as he sacrificed for us. This may mean dying a little to yourself, which is hard to do, but then again, Jesus did that, too—not a little, but a lot!

Pastor Aaron