Today's Meditation - Friday, October 9, 2020

 Today’s Meditation

Read Luke 8:1-15

Soon afterwards he went on through cities and villages, proclaiming and bringing the good news of the kingdom of God. The twelve were with him, ²as well as some women who had been cured of evil spirits and infirmities: Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, ³and Joanna, the wife of Herod’s steward Chuza, and Susanna, and many others, who provided for them out of their resources.

⁴When a great crowd gathered and people from town after town came to him, he said in a parable: ⁵“A sower went out to sow his seed; and as he sowed, some fell on the path and was trampled on, and the birds of the air ate it up. ⁶Some fell on the rock; and as it grew up, it withered for lack of moisture. ⁷Some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew with it and choked it. ⁸Some fell into good soil, and when it grew, it produced a hundredfold.” As he said this, he called out, “Let anyone with ears to hear listen!” ⁹Then his disciples asked him what this parable meant. ¹⁰He said, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of God; but to others I speak in parables, so that ‘looking they may not perceive, and listening they may not understand.’ ¹¹“Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. ¹²The ones on the path are those who have heard; then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved. ¹³The ones on the rock are those who, when they hear the word, receive it with joy. But these have no root; they believe only for a while and in a time of testing fall away. ¹⁴As for what fell among the thorns, these are the ones who hear; but as they go on their way, they are choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of life, and their fruit does not mature. ¹⁵But as for that in the good soil, these are the ones who, when they hear the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patient endurance.

     We often only look at and remember the men who followed Christ, particularly the twelve disciples.  But Luke makes a point of listing the women who also followed Christ and who made a substantial impact on Christ’s ministry by “providing for them out of their resources”.  Luke names Mary Magdalene, from whom Jesus drove out demons, Joanna, the wife of Herod’s steward Chuza, Susanna, and then says that there were many others.

Recorded history has not been kind to women, often pushing them to the background of the story.  But they have always played an integral part in every story whether they are named or not.

In response to Luke’s testimony in the gospel by his name, I want to name just a few women in my own life that have played an important role.  The first being my mother.  She has always been my strongest supporter and advocate my entire life.  She always pushed me to reach for more growing up, to try harder, to not give up.  She is a woman of fortitude and strength in the midst of struggles and difficulties.  My sister, Joy, who I can laugh with, cry with and she understands where it all comes from.  She is one of the most intelligent people I know and we've always shared so much in common.  I was closest to one of my grandmothers who taught me a lot about nature and its appreciation.  She taught me to be introspective and to look at the world with wonder.  She also taught me a lot about forgiveness, because I think she knew how difficult it was to forgive.  I am reminded of my Aunt Marie who was generous nearly to a fault.  I admired her spunk and her “go get it” attitude – she was small but mighty!  And there are so many others!

Who are the women in your life who have enriched your world?

 Wind Beneath My Wings