Women Who Deserve to Be Noticed

Luke's Gospel tells about several women who interacted with Jesus. There were women who gave financial support. Along with the 12 disciples there were women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases: Mary (called Magdalene) from whom seven demons had come out; Joanna the wife of Cuza, the manager of Herod's household; Susanna; and many others. These women were helping to support them out of their own means (vv. 2, 3).

Thank the Lord for faithful women who support the Lord's work with their financial gifts and inspire others by the testimony of their changed lives!

Next, Luke tells about a woman who gave him her personal concern. "Jesus' mother and brothers came to see him" (v. 19). Elsewhere the Gospels explain that Jesus' family was concerned about his health, for he and his disciples were too busy even to eat. Mary's worries must have intensified when her family couldn't even get near Jesus because so many people were gathered around him. And what did she think when instead of dismissing the crowd to be with her, Jesus said, "My mother and brothers are those who hear God's word and put it into practice" (v. 21)?

It's natural for a mom to be concerned about her offspring. Some moms worry too much, and some struggle to see the God's calling in the lives of their children. But thank the Lord if you were blessed with a mother who cared deeply and did her best to make sure you were fed, clothed, and protected. How can you show your appreciation for her?

Then, Luke tells about a woman who gave Jesus her physical suffering. As Jesus made his way through the crushing crowd, "a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years, but no one could heal her. She came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak, and immediately her bleeding stopped" (vv. 43, 44). With such a large crowd pressing around him, the disciples were surprised Jesus noticed the touch of one individual. But he did, and he told her, "Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace" (v. 48).

Do you know a woman who has endured physical suffering for years? Has she taken her pain to Jesus, hoping to touch the hem of his garment? Could you help her find healing and strength in the Lord?

Finally, Luke tells about a woman who gave Jesus her emotional pain. What hurts more than the death of a child? The wife of Jairus must have felt unspeakable grief when her 12-year-old daughter died. I presume the young girl died in her mother's arms, since at the time Jairus had left to ask for Jesus' help. Pushing past the group of mourners gathered at the doorstep, Jesus told them, "Stop wailing; she is not dead but asleep," which at first must have sounded like a cruel joke. But Jesus took the girl by the hand and said, "My child, get up!" Raised from the dead, the stood up and Jesus ordered that she should be given something to eat.

Do you know a woman who finds Mothers Day painful because she grieves the loss of a child? How can you help her find comfort and hope in the Lord?

Luke says that even amid the huge crowd, the woman Jesus healed saw she "could not go unnoticed," and she "came trembling and fell at his feet" (v. 47). The women who bless our lives do not go unnoticed by the Lord. Let's make sure we notice them too.