Daily Scripture and Devotions October 2025 Safe Harbor Presbyterian Church

October 1, 2025:  Bath-Sheba – The Beautiful One – 11 Samuel 11:1b-4 – In the spring of the year, the time when kings go out to battle, David sent Joab with his officers and all Israel with him;…But David remained in Jerusalem. It happened, late one afternoon when David rose from his couch and was walking on the roof of the king’s house, that he saw from the roof a woman bathing; the woman was very beautiful. David sent someone to inquire about the woman. It was reported, “This is Bathsheba daughter of Elam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite.”

Bath-Sheba’s story does not begin with these verses, but everything changes in her life as a result of them. Often in the centuries after her life, she has been portrayed as a seductress, as being at fault in what happens next. There is no biblical warrant for that. We know that she was born into a religiously faithful family and was married to one of King David’s great soldiers and leaders, Uriah. When we look at today’s verses we see immediately that something is very wrong. It is spring and David is at war, but he has not gone out to battle with his soldiers as one would expect. He has stayed home for reasons we do not know. Perhaps it was those reasons that led him to wander on the parapet of his royal house on this fateful night. He sees the beautiful Bath-Sheba bathing on the roof at dusk, as was the custom in those days. He is immediately overcome by his desire for her and sends his men to find out who she is and bring her to him, which they do. He then has sex with her. We do not hear her voice in the story, although it would have made no difference. She had no voice. She had no say. What the King wanted, the King took. We don’t hear from her until she discovers she is pregnant by the encounter, a potential death sentence with her husband off at the front. She sends word to David at which point he panics and devises several schemes to bring Uriah home to his wife to disguise the child’s parentage. Those schemes fail as Uriah has been consecrated to battle, and the law forbade sex during that time. So, David has Uriah sent to the front lines where he is killed. When the mourning period was over, he sent for Bath-Sheba and made her a wife. Bath-Sheba’s child dies. David is overcome with remorse, but we are not telling his story today. We are telling hers. She becomes David’s favorite wife and the mother of four of his sons. One of her sons with David was Solomon. When David was old and feeble she advocated for Solomon to become David’s heir and next king. There was a lot of palace intrigue in that negotiation. Yet she comported herself with grace, savvy and wisdom. She was a strong force in David’s life and Jewish tradition holds that she recited the lovely virtues of a good wife found in Proverbs 31 to her son Solomon at the time of his first marriage. While probably not historically true, it does give us a feel for how honored a place she came to hold in the hearts of her people over time. She is listed in Matthew 1:6 in the genealogy of Jesus. Today think about Bath-Sheba. Have you ever experienced helplessness as a result of the choices of those more powerful than you? Have you ever found yourself being type cast by your appearance? Have you ever found that your own grief was truncated by the decisions of others? How have you experienced turning around a terrible situation and making a good out of it? Has the genuine remorse of someone who has harmed you ever helped you to truly forgive and start over? If so, you have shared a bit of Bath-Sheba’s story. Ponder today how you may find a new start after a horrible circumstance. Remember God always wills you well and whole, no matter what others do.

Prayer: Dear God, help us to remember that we are not defined by our past experiences. While we may be helpless in some cases, you never are. In that we place our trust. In Jesus’ holy name we pray. Amen. 

October 2, 2025:  Two mothers of Solomon’s Time – 1 Kings 3:16-38 – Later, two women who were prostitutes came to the king and stood before him.

We do not know the names of these two women. All we are told of them by way of identity is that they were both prostitutes living in the same home. Both became pregnant and apparently delivered their babies only three days apart. Like many tiny infants, the two looked a lot alike. One infant was killed during the night when his mother rolled over on him in bed. She snuck up and replaced her dead child with the living child of the other woman. The real mother instantly knew what had happened and went to King Solomon for justice. Solomon calls the other woman and a ‘she said verses she said’ situation followed. Solomon looked at the two women and the one child who was being held by the thief mother. Only recently he had prayed that God would give him an understanding heart to discern between good and bad. He needed it! What fear must have filled the heart of the true mother and what grief the heart of the imposter! Anyone else might have dismissed the case for lack of real evidence, but Solomon stood up and brandished his sword and said, “Divide the child in half and give one half to one and the other half to the other.” The child’s mother immediately, instantly replied, “Give her the living child and in no way slay it.” The other mother said, “Divide it.” Whereupon it was plain to Solomon who was the real mother. Her child was returned to her. Think today about both of these mothers. Have you ever known such overwhelming grief and jealousy that you would do just about anything to escape the pain of it? Have you ever suffered so much that your heart became hard to the suffering of others? Have you ever felt so lost that others were no longer real to you, only objects for your use? If so you know a bit about the imposter mother. On the other hand, have you ever had to fight for justice for someone you loved? Have you ever had to release someone you loved for their own sake? Have you ever loved someone so much that you let them go, even when you believed they were not going into good hands? Who have been the wise judges in your life when conflict or tragedy tore things apart? If you know a bit about those experiences then you know a bit about this real mother. Ask God today, as Solomon did, to give you an understanding mind and the capacity to discern love when you see it.

Prayer: God of Wisdom and Love, in tumultuous times when tragedy lurks, help us to turn to you for wise counsel. Boldly, we ask that you will also bring us wise friends and counselors who truly see and can lead us. In Jesus’ holy name we pray. Amen.

October 3, 2025:  The Queen of Sheba – She Came to See for Herself – 1 Kings 10:1- When the Queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon (fame due to the name of the Lord), she came to test him with riddles.

This fascinating woman stands out as the first reigning queen on record to pit her wits and wealth against those of a king. Sheba was a kingdom in the southwestern portion of Arabia. It was a kingdom in which women in almost every respect were viewed as the equals of men with the same civil, religious and even military functions. This queen’s story in scripture revolves around a probable trade mission that she undertakes to negotiate with King Solomon. Scholars assume that she was successful in her mission as it is almost immediately afterwards that Solomon expands his commercial dealings. She made the approximately 1200-mile journey from Sheba to Jerusalem on a camel caravan. For this lengthy journey, her camel was decked out with gold and precious jewels. The caravan is described in 1 Kings 10:2 as a very great train, with camels bearing spices and very much gold and precious stones. The gift of gold she brought to Solomon would today have been valued in many millions of dollars. This was no doubt good public relations, and she was also without a doubt, a savvy business woman and ruler. But there was more to this trip than a trade mission. She had heard of the wealth and wisdom of Solomon. She didn’t believe it until she saw it with her own eyes. She was impressed not just with the grandeur and elegance of his palace but also with his ability to answer questions with wisdom and assurance. She responds to him with the words, “Blessed by the Lord your God.” Early Jewish writers taught that this was an indication of her conversion to the worship of Israel’s God. That may be wishful thinking. Many legends surround this woman, including that she had a love affair with Solomon that issued in a son named Menelek who was thought to migrate with his followers to what is now Ethiopia. The royal house there claims descent from Solomon. There is no warrant for this in the bible itself. Other fantastic stories about her journey to visit King Solomon are included in Sura 27 of the Koran. Today think about the Queen of Sheba. Have you ever needed to see something for yourself in order to trust that it is true? Have you ever experienced a time when you set off with one purpose only to find that you found something much more profound and satisfying? Not all wealth is used for good. Have you ever seen great wealth used for good for others? In what ways have you been a negotiator between diverse people? Have you ever used your resources in order to gain favor only to find that you got far more than you gave? If so you know a bit about the Queen of Sheba. Remember that God is always at work in whatever you bring to life!

Prayer: Gracious God, most of us are not wealthy. Many of us struggle day to day. Even so, help us today to see the bounty of our lives and world and to approach each day with curiosity and wonder. In Jesus’ holy name we pray. Amen.

October 4, 2025:  Jezebel – The Baal Worshipper Who Will Stop at Nothing 1 Kings 21:5 – His wife Jezebel came to him and said, “Why are you so depressed that you will not eat?”

Jezebel’s name is synonymous with wickedness. She was the daughter of the King of her native country of Zidonia and a worshipper of the religion of that area, Baal. We don’t know the details of this religion and the word Baal has a number of meanings. Sometimes it refers to any god other than the God of Israel. Other times it seems to refer to a particular religious practice most often identified as a fertility religion. In any case, Jezebel married King Ahab, a rather week but not entirely ineffective ruler of Samaria, the northern kingdom of Israel. She was the daughter of a king, wife of a king, mother and grandmother of kings. She is primarily remembered as a strong-willed woman whose ways and religion stood in competition to the ways and rule of Israel’s God. Baal worship was connected with temple prostitution as a way of insuring fertility and abundance as well as sacrifices to control the weather. One of Baal’s consorts, Asherah was the goddess of love, and her temple became associated with all manner of vice. Ahab, trying to be inclusive and, no doubt, trying to keep the peace at home, allows for this more pluralistic religious culture in his kingdom leading him and his wife into conflict with the greatest prophet of the day, Elijah. It was said that on occasion Jezebel entertained as many 450 priests of Baal at the palace. It was this permitting of pluralism that soiled Ahab’s name in the minds of faithful Israelites. Jezebel was in many ways stronger than her husband and seems to dominate him. She insists on the extermination of the Lord’s prophets and the desecration of shrines. This, among many actions that outraged him, led Elijah to challenge the priests of Baal to bring rain after a drought. They failed. Elijah succeeded. This so infuriated Jezebel that she sought Elijah’s death. Things only got more complicated after that. She continued to rule from her great ivory palace with its commanding tower from which she could view the lands. After her contract killing of Naboth, a faithful Israelite from whom her husband wanted to by a vineyard, Elijah was outraged as were many of the citizens. Elijah predicted her brutal death and that of her husband. She ignored the warnings and continued defiantly on her path. In due time Elijah’s prophecies came true. She outlived her husband by about ten years. When she knew that she was about to be overthrown, she dressed in her finest gowns and went to the tower where she saw Jehu’s army approach. At his order, her own attendants threw her from the tower to her death below where the wild dogs ate her. Her offspring carried on her ways. She had such an influence that her name became synonymous with seduction and idolatry. Think today about Jezebel. In what ways have you seen power and zealotry take their toll on a community or country? Have you ever moved to a new place and found that all you wanted was to bring what had worked for you in the past into your new circumstances? Have you ever been unwilling to let go of old ideas that were actually harmful to yourself or others? On the other hand, have you ever moved to a place where your ways or religion were in the minority and tried to impose them on others? In what ways have you seen the strong willed, with power and weak morals, do harm with their power? We can always use those painted as evil in scripture to evaluate our own hearts and behaviors in order to make better choices.

Prayer: Gracious God, help us today to look into our own hearts for the idolatries that drive us. Give us the insights that Jezebel lacked and inspire us to the same strong-willed devotion that she displayed directed at you alone. In Jesus’ holy name we pray. Amen.

October 5, 2025:  Widow of Zarephath – Generosity for God - 1 Kings 17:8-24 Go now to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and live there, for I have commanded a widow there to feed you.

In stark contrast to the venomous Jezebel who sought Elijah’s death, we find the story of one unnamed woman who sought to save his life. This woman lived in Zarephath in Phoenicia, about eight miles south of Zidon on the road to Tyre. That area had suffered from extreme drought for two and a half years leading to wide spread poverty and death. She was hungry and so was her son. They knew that they had only a short time left to live. She had only a little meal left in her barrel and a little oil to mix with it. No doubt she was pale and undernourished by the time we meet her. Fleeing from Jezebel’s wrath, Elijah had gone to a brook called Cherioth. He could have starved there himself, but God met his need. Ravens fed him twice a day. The language is a bit strange here and we don’t know for sure if the word for raven referred to the actual birds or someone or something else. The point is that God supplied what he needed as only God can. At one point, God tells Elijah to go to Zarephath because there was a widow there that God had commanded to help him. When he arrived, wearing his camel hair tunic and the mantle of a prophet, he saw her while she was gathering sticks at the city gate for a small fire. He approached her and asked her for a little water. In this barren land, she set out to try to find him a little water. As she left, he called to her asking that she also come back with a little bread to share. She turned and opened her heart to him, telling him everything about her dire situation. She told him that she was gathering sticks to make a fire to bake a last meal for herself and her son. Elijah tells her not to fear. She is to go and do as she has said, but he asks her to bring him a small cake first. What a test for this starving woman. Still, she obeys. Miraculously her supplies prove to be enough. Not only that, her resources were never exhausted until the drought ended and new hope arrived. Even in the midst of her miracle of provision, trouble came again. Her son was struck with a mortal illness. Grief stricken she lashes out at Elijah. Elijah takes the son in his arms and goes alone into a room with him where he prays and the child is resuscitated. Please do not get side tracked by the mysteries of ravens, never emptying barrels of meal and resuscitating the dead! Those are not the point. The point, and what this woman learned from her life and Elijah’s teaching, is that God provides what we most need when we can no longer find our way. God also heals, sustains and guides. When we open our eyes to see the ways that happens, even today, our life is renewed, relationships are restored and trust in God’s ways can change the situations in which we find ourselves. Think a bit today about the widow of Zarephath. Have you ever been on the edge of despair, ready to give up on life itself? Have you ever kept going for the sake of one you loved? Have you ever used all of your resources and not known where else to turn? Have you ever felt moved to give to someone else in need knowing that you are giving not of what you have to spare but rather giving of that which you had thought you needed for yourself? Have you ever had to trust God for your next meal? Have you ever felt moved to welcome a stranger? What gifts did those times bring? Have you ever had an experience of God’s healing, physically, spiritually or emotionally? What was that like? Look at your own faith and the generosity it awakens in your life. You are more like this widow than you may think. Or at least you can be.

Prayer: Generous God, fill us today with the generosity of this widow and the sustaining faith in you that makes it possible. In Jesus’ holy name we pray. Amen.

October 6, 2025:  The Shunamite Woman – The Great Woman – 11 Kings 4:8-37, 8:1-6 Now the wife of a member of the company of prophets cried to Elisha, “Your servant, my husband is dead, and you know that your servant feared the Lord, but a creditor has come to take my two children as slaves.”

The Shunamite woman lived in a village on the edge of the rich grain fields of Esdraelon in the time of the great prophet Elisha, the successor of Elijah. It was a historic town rich with history. King Saul and his son Jonathan had been killed in battle there. Victories against the Philistines happened there. Elijah had passed her way and now Elisha was no stranger to the place. Perhaps she had heard the tale of Elisha increasing the oil in the jars of a widow of one of the prophets so that she could pay her debts. The Shunamite woman was obviously a woman of means who was open and receptive to God. Little is said of her husband, only that he is older than she and had confidence in her judgement. She, however, is described as great. This probably meant that she was wealthy, influential, kind and generous. Because their home was situated in an inviting place, people often stopped on the busy road to rest and refresh themselves. One day we learn that she shared her bread with the traveling Elisha. After that he visited with her often. She told her husband that she thought he was a holy man and suggested that they make a room for him in their home. She prepared a lovely upper room for him that he could access by an outside staircase in the garden. It became a favorite retreat for him when he was in the area. One day Elisha asked how he could repay her for her hospitality. She said that she did not desire honor or recognition. Elisha consulted with one of her servants who told him that her deepest wish was to have a son. Elisha called to her and told her that after years of barrenness the next spring she would have a son. She did. Years passed and one day the boy went out among the reapers with his father. Suddenly he was struck ill with terrible pains in his head. He was carried to his mother who held him in her lap for hours. Sadly, he grew worse and died, probably of sunstroke. Quickly she carried her son to Elisha’s chamber and laid him on his bed. She ran for Elisha.  When he saw her from a distance he sent his servant to go to her and inquire if all was well. In a truly stunning statement of faith she said, “It is well.” Still, it was obvious that something was troubling her deeply. She would not leave Elisha’s side. Shortly he took his staff and followed her home. Elisha lay on top of the child and prayed. The boy sneezed and rose. She fell at Elijah’s feet in silent gratitude. Their relationship continued with Elisha warning her later of impending famine. She took action to insure that her son and she survived as refugees in the land of the Philistines. There is much more to her story than this short devotion permits us to explore. Today, though, take a moment to think about this woman. Have you ever befriended someone you knew to be a holy person? Have you ever felt moved to bring someone into your home? Have you ever experienced anything miraculous? How do you express your faith in good times? In times of trial? Have you ever had your circumstances change dramatically? How did you manage that? If you have found your faith to be a bedrock guiding both your emotions and your ethics, then a bit of this good woman lives in you too.

Prayer: Gracious God, we thank you for the holy ones you bring into our lives who help us navigate the joys and the heartaches. Help us to trust you to guide us to life at all times. In Jesus’ holy name we pray. Amen.

October 7, 2025:  Athaliah – The Only Woman Ever to Rule Judah – 11 Kings 11:1-3 Now when Athaliah, Ahaziah’s mother, saw that her son was dead, she set about to destroy all the royal family. But Jehosheba, King Joram’s daughter, Ahaziah’s sister, took Joash son of Ahaziah and stole him away from among the king’s children who were about to be killed; she put him and his nurse in a bedroom. Thus, she hid him from Athaliah, so that he was not killed; he remained with her six years, hidden in the house of the Lord, while Athaliah reigned over the land.

It is sometimes hard to read history. We want to remember ourselves as the good guys and not look at the complex complicity of our ancestors in generational devastations. I was tempted to skip over this ancestor because she was awful. At least that is how the Bible presents her to us. Did she have redeeming features? She must have since we are each created in the image of God, but if she did they are buried pretty deeply. No doubt if we go back far enough in our own personal ancestry we will find those who do appalling things there as well. We may not have to back very far. So, we can at least take a look at Athaliah and consider what we learn from her about how we do not want to live. She was the daughter of Jezebel, and the acorn did not fall far from the oak. She is the only woman to sit on the throne of David and rule. There is little wonder that if all woman were judged by her performance, it would be millennia before another got the chance! For political expediency she was married to Jehoram, the eldest son of the faithful Jehoshaphat, king of Judah. Like her mother, she worshipped Baal and promoted her religion from the throne. Jehoram’s two brothers were faithful to the religion of Israel and for that reason they were both killed. She and her husband were birds of a feather. His reign was short, and he died just as Elijah prophesied after 8 years. All of his wives and sons, except Ahaziah and Athaliah had been captured by the Philistines, so the young Ahaziah came to the throne with his mother acting as a sort of regent. We don’t know a lot about him. 11 Chronicles 22:3 sums it up. He “walked in the ways of Ahab: for his mother was his counsellor to do wickedly.” From the point of view of the writer of Chronicles, this probably meant giving way to pluralism in worship and not adhering to his own faith tradition as a king of Israel. Within a year, her son was wounded in his chariot by Jehu who had been commissioned by Elijah to overthrow the dynasty of Athaliah’s father. He escaped to Megiddo where he died. She seized the thrown and resolved to kill the entire royal family and rule herself. She did for 6 years. Only one child was spared and spirited away to safety. She fiercely promoted her religion to the point, we think, of having part of the Jerusalem Temple torn down and constructing a Temple to Baal from the marble. In a moment of true palace intrigue, Jehosheba with the support of mighty men of Israel took the now seven-year-old Joash, the rescued child, to the high priest Jehoida who pronounced him king. When the Queen heard the celebration of his accession she went to the Temple screaming “Treason! Treason!” The High Priest ordered her execution after she left the temple. She was trampled to death by horses and left there, much like her mother, to the dogs. So, what do we do with this ancestor? Was she just a spoiled woman devoted to her Baal religion? Maybe. But the final reference to her in the Bible, (II Chron. 24:7) just refers to her as ‘that wicked woman.” Was her wickedness just that she practiced a different religion? Again, maybe. But I suspect it went deeper than that. I think it was at least in part the fact that she used her wealth and power to promote her religion from the top and persecute all others. We have certainly seen that in history, even the history of Christianity. Perhaps we can learn from her that power and fanaticism are a deadly combination, and we should beware of it in any form. We should also learn that religious persecution was wicked and is to this day. Perhaps we read her story and wonder if the establishment of religion is religion at all or just a convenient tool of persecution. Today think about Athaliah and how power and passion can be used as a tool for oppression. Remember as well, that that combo led to a hardened heart and the last blood on her hands was her own.

Prayer: Gracious God, we thank you for the witness of history that allows us to see the mistakes of the ancestors and make better choices today. In Jesus’ holy name we pray.

October 8, 2025:  Huldah- A Prophet – II Kings 22:14 So the priest Hilkiah, Ahikam, Achbor, Shapham and Asaiah went to the prophet Huldah the wife of Shallum son of Tikvah son of Harhas, keeper of the wardrobe; she resided in Jerusalem in the Second Quarter, where they consulted her.

Huldah’s story unfolds in Jerusalem in the time of King Josiah. His faithful priests have found a holy book, the book of the Law, while on a mission from the king to count all the silver. Not quite knowing what to make of it, they went to the prophet Huldah for help in determining if the book was genuine or not. She was widely known throughout the region for her faithfulness and her spiritual perception. It was said that her prophetic insight was given to her because she loved God with all her heart. When the prominent emissaries of the king arrived and showed her the book, she authenticated it and commended it to the faithful King Josiah. At the time of the authentication, Huldah also prophesied about the future of Jerusalem. She foretold that the nation of Judah would fall because the people had turned from God and given their allegiance to idols. But, she added, because the King was faithful, he would be spared. After this Josiah had the scroll read in the Temple and vowed to walk with the Lord more zealously. Commentators have often puzzled about why Josiah would seek out Huldah for advice and not one of the male prophets of his time. Some suggest it was because he had come to trust his faithful mother when he came to the throne at an early age. We just don’t know. What we do know is that her spiritual insight, which is highlighted in the repetition of the phrase “Thus says the Lord” in her prophecy was an indication of both her own humility and her confidence that God was speaking through her for the good of the people. Today think about Huldah. Have you ever been sought out to give your opinion in a matter of importance? What do you think your reputation is among those around you? How do you think Huldah nurtured her spiritual insight? Have you ever read scripture and been moved to tell someone else the truth you found there? In what ways are you humble when you share your faith? There is a bit of your ancestor Huldah in you! Think today about how you might use your gifts for good.

Prayer: O God, you are the giver of all gifts. We thank you for the spiritual insights that you give to us. Help us, with humility, to speak your truth for the good of others. In Jesus’ holy name we pray. Amen.

October 9, 2025:  Esther – The Right Woman for the Ripe Moment – Esther 2:5-7 Now there was a Jew in the citadel of Susa whose name was Mordecai son of Jair son of Shimei son of Kish, a Benjaminite, who had been carried away from Jerusalem among the captives carried away with King Jeconiah of Judah, whom King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon carried away. He had brought up Hadassah, that is Esther, his cousin, for she had neither father nor mother; the young woman was fair and beautiful, and when her father and mother died, Mordecai adopted her as his own daughter.

Esther’s name appears 55 times in the Bible book that carries her name. It is one of only two books in the Bible that carry the name of a woman. The other is Ruth. Esther’s story takes place in Persia during the time of exile. The book named for her is one of the most controversial books in the Bible because not once is the name of God mentioned. Some scholars call it a historical novel. Many agree that it is a story told to explain and justify the celebration of the Feast of Purim celebrated by Jews in March each year. The author of the book is unknown but was clearly a skillful writer with knowledge of Persian palaces and customs. Even though Esther did not come from a noble family, she became a symbol of courage and a means of salvation for her people. Her story begins, however with another woman, Queen Vashti, a respected and honorable monarch. One evening during a wild drinking feast, the king, and those who were celebrating with him, got quite drunk. Queen Vashti was giving a banquet for the woman at the same time. The king had issued an order that drinks would be served in golden goblets and there would be no limits. On the seventh day of this celebration, he sent for Queen Vashi and demanded that she put on her crown and parade herself in front of his drunken friends. Whether this was a mere parade or not is disputed. At any rate, the Queen refused, which enraged the king and eventually led to her banishment. When the king sobered up he began to think about Vashti and miss her beautiful presence. His servants suggested that he call for all the beautiful virgins in the kingdom to be brought before him in a kind of beauty parade from which he would choose a new Queen. Enter Esther who is chosen as the new Queen. She does not reveal her Jewish parentage. Shortly Mordecai learns of a plot by Haman, a scheming Persian official, to rid the kingdom of all jews. Mordecai hears of the plot, which, by this time, has become an empire wide edict of annihilation, and reaches out to Esther for help. The plot thickens and it is worth reading the whole book of Esther in one sitting to sense the drama. She throws a banquet, weaves a web, risks her own life and in the end orchestrates Hamans downfall and saves the Jewish people. Think Today about both Esther and Vashti. Vashti refused to obey oppressive orders and paid the price for it. Esther plotted within the system for evil to be confronted and the oppressed to be saved. Both actions take courage. Sometimes one is effective. Sometimes the other is better. Have you ever felt surrounded in situations that you knew were wrong? Which method of action did you choose? Whether there is more of Esther than Vashti in you, who knows, perhaps you were born for a moment such as this.

Prayer: Gracious God, in the face of injustice, make us wise and brave. In Jesus’ holy name we pray. Amen.

October 10, 2025:  .The Virtuous Woman – Her Price is above Rubies – Proverbs 31:10 – A woman of strength who can find? She is far more precious than jewels.

Today’s verse from the wisdom book of Proverbs offer us a beautiful portrait of a virtuous women in the codes and mores of the day. Read verses 10-31 to get the full picture. We don’t know who wrote this last chapter of Proverbs. It appears to be the counsel of a mother to her son who is a king. She begins with a picture of a woman who will be a man’s downfall and ends with a vision of a true partner who will be a joy and a solace. Commentators have suggested that the portrait painted is intended to be a mirror in which every woman can judge her own choices and behavior. I don’t think that the qualities highlighted in these verses are restricted to any one gender. This woman is painted as strong, trustworthy, hardworking, a good leader of her staff, a provider of nourishment, a just distributor of resources, faithful to give to her spouse, a shrewd business person. She is creative and artistic, someone who thinks ahead, is thrifty, honorable and beloved by her family. All of the verbs to describe her are strong and active. There is nothing passive about this person. That is quite a portrait! I wonder if any of us can see ourselves fully in it. Still, today think for a bit about what virtue looks like in our day. What of these qualities do you want to develop? Which ones do you already see in yourself. Take a moment to jot them down. How do you see these qualities in those closest to you? Thank God for this wonderful list as we close our look at women in the Old Testament.

Prayer: Gracious God, help us today to live virtuous lives that shed love and peace to all we meet. In Jesus’ holy name we pray. Amen.

October 11, 2025:  Mary the Mother of Jesus – The Blessed One – Luke 1:46-48 And Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked with favor on the lowly state of his servant. Surely from now on all generations will call me blessed.

As the mother of Jesus, Mary holds the most exalted position for Christians of any of the women in the Bible. Much of her story is well known. She was a young woman, engaged to be married, when the angel Gabriel came to her to announce God’s calling on her life. We may get caught up in the controversies of this special birth. Did the words of scripture refer to virgins as we think of them or simply to unmarried, pure hearted women? When we get wrapped up in the physical details of the miraculous birth we can miss the true miracle of Mary’s ‘yes’s to God’s will for her life, and the amazing manifesto she sings to her friend Elizabeth. (More of that tomorrow.) Mary, whose Hebrew name means rebellion, showed remarkable courage even as she was faced with what seemed the nonsensical invitation of God. In her day, to be engaged meant that, even while she lived at home with her family until the marriage, she was, under the law, considered Joseph’s wife. That meant that if she got pregnant, and Joseph claimed not to be the father, she could be convicted of adultery and executed. Knowing this makes her answer to the angel, “Let it be with me according to your word,” even more stunning. Would she lose everything, even her life, to accept this assignment? That indeed takes a remarkable faith! Throughout the centuries, Mary has been known as the theotokas, the God-bearer. Some consider her to be the first priest, as priests are those who are understood to mediate and offer Jesus to the world. Her story unfolds in miraculous ways throughout. She bears the holy child, with Joseph by her side. She ponders these miracles in her heart. She welcomes wise ones from the east with unimaginable gifts. She listens to shepherds telling her of angel choirs. She takes the baby, as the law required, to the temple for the birthing rituals, only to find two old prophets who tell her of her son’s special status and what that will mean for her. She is found throughout his life, caring and trying to guide Jesus. She is at the foot of the cross when he breathes his last. We could do a whole month of devotions reflecting on her role! Today, though, think about her yes to God’s will for her life. In what ways are you able to say “Let it be with me according to your will” to God? How is that difficult. In what ways do you, or could you, be a God bearer in your life?

Prayer: God of Wonder and Grace, we thank you for the role model of Mary, brave and constant. Help us to embrace the role you have for us to play in the world with Mary’s “Let it Be” on our lips as well. In Jesus’ holy name we pray. Amen.

October 12, 2025:  Elisabeth – The Great Friend – Luke 1:39-40 In those days Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth.

Perhaps it was the knowledge that she had a great friend in Elizabeth that gave Mary the courage to say her ‘yes’ to God’s calling on her life. Elizabeth was a kinswoman, older than Mary, who had known both pain and grace in her life. She was married to a priest and came from a priestly family. After long years of barrenness, she was now pregnant with John the Baptist. This was a miracle indeed. Zechariah was old and Elizabeth was getting on in years herself. When the angel comes to Zechariah in worship and foretells the birth of his son John, he is doubtful. Because of his doubt he was rendered mute until the things the angel foretold came to pass. Elizabeth was a woman who welcomed miracles and was nearly six months along when Mary came to see her. It seems that Mary, immediately after the angel left her, set out to go and see Elizabeth. Elizabeth, a deeply spiritual woman, knew before Mary told her what had happened. She greeted Mary by telling her that the baby in her own womb leapt inside her when Mary approached. Her first act of welcome was to tell her friend that she was blessed and to ask her why she had come to see her. It was in the presence of her friend that Mary sang her world-shattering song of praise, sometimes called the Magnificat, in which she praises God for God’s favor and outlines a vision of God’s status quo toppling values. Mary stayed through her first trimester with Elizabeth. Why? Did she need her support through the first dangerous months of pregnancy? Did she need the guidance and spiritual maturity of an older woman? Did she need someone she trusted with whom to ponder deep things? Did she need to gather courage to face Joseph, her family, the consequences and the scandal? Maybe all of those things. Elizabeth disappears from the story after her son John the Baptist is born, but her modeling of true friendship sings out to this day. Think today about Elizabeth. In what ways are you being called to be a safe haven friend to someone today? How do you experience spiritual insight? In what ways do you welcome those who come to you for support? How do you provide a safe space to hear people’s stories? How to you help to nurture courage in others to sing their praise and their power toppling songs? When you hear a powerful manifesto, how do you respond? See if you can find the Elizabeth in you today.

Prayer: God of Grace, help us to remain awake today to your miracles and ways. Help us to offer support to those who need us. Help us to be true friends, to welcome and to protect the people who turn to us. In Jesus’ holy name we pray. Amen.

October 13, 2025:  Anna – The Wise Prophet – Luke 2:36-38 There was also a prophet, Anna the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age, having lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, then as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshipped there with fasting and prayer night and day. At that moment she came and began to praise God and to speak about the child to all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem.

Today’s verses give us our only look at the prophet Anna. While her exact age is a little difficult in the Greek text, (was she eighty-four or had she been a widow for eighty-four years?) what is abundantly clear is that she was an old woman with wisdom and insight honed from decades of prayer and devotion. She was a daughter of Phanuel of the tribe of Asher and the context would indicate that she had no living children. We meet her when Mary and Joseph bring the baby Jesus to the Temple for his presentation. The custom was to do this along with the purification ceremony of the mother forty days after birth. Mary and Joseph traveled from Bethlehem to Jersualem for the rituals. Upon entering the Temple they meet Simeon, a just and devout man, who recognized Jesus as the longed-for Messiah. Simeon sings his beautiful song, while Anna watches and waits. She is not silent for long. She immediately realizes who the baby is and begins to declare that truth to all who looked for the liberation of Jerusalem. In those days, Jerusalem was under the control of the Roman Empire. Rome was extraordinarily powerful, exercising control of science, philosophy, theology, wealth and social power. Many had longed for centuries for God to send a mighty messiah who would liberate them from Roman control and restore the promised land to the control of the covenant people. Was it because she had spent decades listening to the reading of the sacred scrolls that Anna became the first to declare Jesus Messiah? Was it because she gave her life over to prayer and worship that she was able to see in a tiny baby from a poor family (notice in the larger text that they were only able to afford two small doves as their offering,) the one who would realize their dreams and set them truly free? I expect that both of those things are true. Think today about Anna, the first one to speak messianic hope to those looking for the redemption of Israel. Think today about your life of prayer and study of scripture. How do those two things shape what you see in the world? How does prayer and worship allow you to see hope when it comes your way? How might you want to deepen your spiritual practice to such an extent that you recognize Jesus present with you today? Anna calls us to faithful spiritual practice and bold proclamation. Look for those qualities in yourself today and rejoice.

Prayer: Gracious God, help us today to deepen our lives of prayer and devotion to scripture so that we may see the many ways you come to us each day. In Jesus’ holy name we pray. Amen.

October 14, 2025:  Mary – The Woman Who Sat at Jesus’ Feet – Luke 10:39 She had a sister named Mary, who sat at Jesus’ feet and listened to what he was saying.

The two sisters, Mary and Martha of Bethany, along with their brother Lazarus were core members of Jesus’ inner circle. He took refuge in their home, taught there and rested there whenever he especially felt the need for companionship and refreshment. The two sisters, both deeply faithful, had very different temperaments. We’ll look at what we can learn from Martha tomorrow. For today, let’s look at Mary. We find three major stories that revolve around her in scripture. Today’s story is the first. The other two involve the raising of her brother Lazarus and how she (and her sister) wrestled with Jesus’ delay in coming to them when they asked for help, and the beautiful banquet of gratitude when Mary anoints Jesus with oil. There are several remarkable things about Mary of Bethany. First of all, in a patriarchal world with very strict rulers about the roles of women, she does not seem bound by those rules. In the story from which we take today’s verse, Jesus has come to their home for a visit. While Martha welcomes him and sets about preparing the household to feed and honor him, Mary sits with the male disciples to hear his teaching. This was outlandish behavior in her day and even outraged her sister. Jesus however supported her and treated her as an equal to the men, going so far as to chastise Martha for reprimanding her sister. What do we learn from her in this little story? One clue we find in the Greek word translated as ‘listened’ in our verse. This word does not simple refer to hearing with the ear. It also implies hearing with the ear of the mind. For Mary to listen in this way meant that she heard him, incorporated what she heard and acted accordingly. When I was in seminary, a professor often started a lesson in scripture by saying “Read. Learn, mark and inwardly digest.” This is what Mary was doing right alongside the other disciples. Today, think about Mary of Bethany. How do you listen to Jesus in the way of Mary? How do his words enter not only into your heart, but move from your heart to become actions that are consistent with what you hear from him? Mary teaches us that words may pass through the ears and never root in the heart and ethics unless we make the risky choice to make certain that they do. Mary teaches us that any convention or custom that seems to prevent someone from sitting at Jesus’ feet and learning his ways, must be discarded regardless of the consequences. She gives us a picture of what Jesus calls ‘the better part.’ Think today about how you can listen more to Jesus. Are there obstacles that you must overcome? You have a partner in Mary of Bethany!

Prayer: Gracious God, we long to sit at Jesus’ feet. Sometimes it feels like there are many obstacles to that. We are rushed with work and other responsibilities. Our family members don’t value what our hearts yearn for, and we often don’t know which teachers to trust. Help us today, and every day, to find our way to faithful teaching and be changed by what we learn.

October 15, 2025:  Martha – The Detailed One – Luke 10:38-42 – Now as they went on their way, he entered a certain village where a woman named Martha welcomed him. She had a sister named Mary, who sat at Jesus’ feet and listened to what he was saying. But Martha was distracted by her many tasks, so she came to him and asked, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her, then, to help me.” But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things, but few things are needed—indeed only one. Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her.”

Yesterday we met Martha’s sister Mary, a studious and spiritual person who would let nothing stop her from sitting at Jesus’ feet and learning from him. Today we meet Martha, an equally faithful woman with a different temperament and set of gifts. Martha loved Jesus. She also knew that meals don’t cook themselves, and feeding 12 male guests on top of her own household would take organization and willing helpers. Martha’s story is not about whether Bible study should win out over working in the kitchen. It was not what Martha was doing that was her problem. The problem was that what Martha was doing was doing her in. She was rushed off her feet and that frustration gave rise to resentment. Often for all of us when that is our situation, resentment leads to a lack of discernment. When we don’t have the help we need and begin to blame others, often the details of our tasks take an over blown importance. Does it really matter the kind of paper the report is filed on? Do we really need six side dishes at the Thanksgiving dinner? Will the sky fall if we miss one cobweb on the window sill? Jesus does not devalue Martha’s work. Nor does he belittle her need for help. He simply reminds her that her overdoing and distractions are making her tasks unnecessarily unpleasant. Martha’s gift was clearly organization and hospitality. She was adept at providing welcome to honor guests. Jesus is simply asking her to not do so much that the love behind her doing is lost and morphs into resentment. He wants her to be herself, just as he wants that for her sister. He needs her to do what she does best. He just doesn’t need her to impress them all by all that she does. Think today about Martha. Are there times when you take on too much, times when you really want to do those things well but do not have the help you need to pull it off? Are there times when resentment seeps into your thoughts? Are there times when all of your doing, all of your perfectionism, make it difficult for you to discern what is most needed at the moment and let go of the rest? What would happen if today you let Jesus reorganize your priorities? As you pray today, ask the Martha in you what she really needs. Let Jesus meet your real needs, take a deep breath, and let the rest wait for the right time.

Prayer: Gracious God, we thank you for the witness of the two sisters Mary and Martha. They both teach us important lessons about our priorities. Open our eyes today to see what is ours to do, how you want our gifts used, so that we may experience the joy of your presence. In Jesus’ holy name we pray. Amen.

October 16, 2025:  Simon’s Mother-in-Law – Luke 4:38-39 After leaving the synagogue he entered Simon’s house. Now Simon’s mother-in-law was suffering from a high fever, and they asked him about her. Then he stood over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her immediately.

Jesus’ healing miracles can be baffling in our scientific world. They can also be baffling when we ourselves pray for healing and find so little of it. Why do we care about Simon Peter’s mother-in-law when our spouses cancer has returned, or our child is in a coma, or we ourself hurt every minute of every day? In the Bible, healing is understood holistically.  There are a number of different words in Greek that we translate as heal or healing.  Each has a slightly different meaning.  Three of the most common words are therapeuo, iaomai and sozo.  Therapeuo forms the base of our English word, therapy.  It had a variety of meanings including to heal or cure, to render service in worship (therefore to do for God by doing for others) or even to cultivate a garden.  Iaomi (from which we get the Greek word for physician) implies the restoration of health.  Sozo (also the word we translate as ‘saved’) means to be made well or whole in every arena of life.  Jesus often uses sozo, especially when the person healed is the one who reaches out for help. While these words are not used in today’s verse, the story is one of therapeuo and carries the meaning of being made well as a service to God and for service to God.   Healing includes all aspects of a person’s mind, body, relationships and spirit.  Likewise, any disturbance of wholeness of mind, body, relationships or spirit, is the subject of God’s healing. Healing can take place in each of these arenas.  Sometimes when we pray for physical healing that is what we get, remembering that all physical healing is temporary since we will each eventually die.  Sometimes, however we get healing of spirit, mind or relationships that allow us to come to terms with physical ailments or death. Sometimes healing comes only in the new life after death.  One of the most important Biblical areas of healing occurs in the forgiveness of sin and the healing of our broken relationship with God. Simon’s mother-in-law, once healed, rises quickly to serve the people who have surrounded her in her hardship. Think today about this women, who is healed and, from her gratitude, begins to care for others. In what areas of life do you need healing of body, mind or spirit, so that your gratitude can overflow into service? Who stands beside you in your struggles? Do you have people praying for you? If you would like prayer, reach out to us, or to your church. We will be honored to pray for you.

Prayer: Gracious God, work your will out in our lives today. Remove any obstacle to the fullness of life so that we may serve others as you intend. In Jesus’ holy name we pray. Amen.

October 17, 2025:  Woman with an Issue of Blood – Mark 5:24b-26 Now there was a woman who had been suffering from a flow of blood for twelve years. She had endured much under many physicians and had spent all that she had, and she was no better but rather grew worse.

Today’s unnamed women’s story is a story within a story. Jesus has been teaching, healing and exorcising spirits for some time. He has crossed the Sea of Galilee to a new area of ministry only to be met by a huge crowd who had heard of his power and authority. In that crowd, an elder from the synagogue comes to him pleading for his young daughter who is gravely ill. As Jesus is on his way with the man, a woman with a chronic hemorrhage sneaks up to him in the crowd and touches the hem of his garment. She does this surreptitiously because the law forbade contact with blood and because women did not touch men other than spouses or sons ever. She hopes for an anonymous miracle. No such luck. Jesus searches for her and when she falls at his feet confessing what she has done in touching him, he lifts her up and bestows an even greater miracle than the stopping of her blood flow. He calls her daughter and tells her to go and live in wholeness. This is even more startling because, according to the law, her issue of blood would have long made her an outcast in her family who believed that her suffering was punishment from God and that to touch her or even sit on a chair she sat upon, would make them unclean and anger God. She had probably been living outside of town with the lepers. What courage it must have taken for her to reach out after all of her disappointments! How frightened she must have been when he turned to search for her! How astonished she must have been when his words of compassion invited her into his own family and encouraged her to live whole. Think today about his woman. Are there areas in your life with which you have struggled for many? Can you imagine the isolation those with chronic illness often experience? Where are you in need of wholeness today? Take a moment to breathe deeply with the courage and resolve of this woman, and reach out to Jesus. He will know what you need and the best way to provide it. Remember, that prayers for healing may be answered by complete cure, gradual improvement and/or the grace and strength to cope. However, the answer comes, in the grand scheme of things, it will be what you need most.

Prayer: God of Healing, we thank you for lifting us up and making us your own. Help us today to live with the wholeness you bestow upon us. In Jesus’ holy name we pray. Amen.

October 18, 2025:  The Crooked Woman – Luke 13:11-13 – And just then there appeared a woman with a spirit that had crippled her for eighteen years. She was bent over and was quite unable to stand up straight. When Jesus saw her, he called her over and said, “Woman, you are set free from your ailment.” When he laid his hands on her, immediately she stood up straight and began praising God.

This third story of a woman healed by Jesus in our series gets Jesus in some really hot water. Why? Because he was teaching on the sabbath when he saw her coming into worship and, according to the leader of the synagogue, he broke the law by healing her on that holy day. Jesus pulls no punches in putting him straight, calling out the leader’s own hypocrisy. Today let’s focus on the woman. As I age, I identify with her more and more. I too am becoming a bit more stooped, trying to protect myself from the pain of my deteriorating spine. What I notice here, however, that can apply to most of us at any time, is that, like the woman here, when I find myself bent over, I am unable to look up, even to see what is right before me and what might yet be mine to live into. When our pain or helplessness bends us double, physically or metaphorically, it can be really hard to see our options or even to see the beautiful consolations that God sends for us to ease our journeys. When I am looking at the floor, trying to avoid the pain, I can no longer see the stars and recognize the one who walks with me every day. This bent woman knows where her help can actually be found: in the place of worship. We do not know if she was a follower of Jesus, or if she had even heard of him, but something drew her to the place where she knew consolation lay. Walking in, cramped and broken, there was still something that hoped inside of her. There was something in her that knew that God cared for her, that God sustained her, that God would somehow meet her where she was in the touching familiarity of the sacred scriptures and the well-worn prayers. So, she got up, got dressed and came. Little could she even imagine that she would meet God in skin who would care enough about her to defy all tradition, to stop what he was doing at the very sight of her and instigate an intimate healing relationship with her. Little could she have known that when he saw her, he saw her whole and declared her so before he even laid hands on her and removed her disability. What must she have thought when she heard him declare that she was free of her ailment while she was still stuck and bent? Could she have known that she was not defined by her disability? Could she have known or remembered who she was before it? Could she have felt a soul wholeness before she felt her back unfreeze and her gaze lift to his face? Can we? Can we see that our obstacles do not define, nor confine, us in the eyes of Jesus? Can we see in ourselves what he saw in her? Can we see ourselves as set free even before the symptoms of our bondage melt away? It seems to me that that is the core of the miracle here. Jesus focuses his attention on each of us, declares us whole, risks his own life to call out all that holds us back. He rebukes everything that keeps our focus off of hope and that tells us we are broken and not whole. Sometimes, like this woman, physical release comes, other times the release is of a captive and bent spirit or perspective. Think today about the bent woman. What bends you double these days? Invite Jesus to touch you and see what happens.

Prayer: Great God, sometimes we curl in upon ourselves. Our struggles bend us double, and we can only come to you by habit and not hope. Still, you see us. You declare us whole. You lift our eyes and awaken us to your grace. We praise you! In Jesus’ holy name we pray. Amen.

October 19, 2025:  Herodias – A Woman Consumed by Revenge – Luke 3:19 But Herod the ruler, who had been rebuked by him because of Herodias, his brother’s wife, and because of all the evil things that Herod had done, added to them all by shutting up John in prison.

If there is a more blistering picture of an insecure and vengeful woman corrupted by power in the New Testament, I am not sure what it could be. Herodias was the second wife of Herod Antipas. This was the same Herod that Jesus called a fox for his cunning and to whom Jesus was sent by Pontius Pilate for judgment. Herodias’ first marriage was to her half-uncle Herod Philip whom she divorced to marry his half-brother Herod Antipas, who was the step brother of her father. What a maze! In her first marriage, she bore a daughter who, we are told, excelled in sensuous dancing. The family tree of the Herod’s is complicated and hard to untangle. During Herodias’ first marriage she lived in Rome where her husband had been exiled because his mother took part in a plot to overthrown Herodias’ grandfather, Herod the Great. While in Rome the couple entertained Herod Antipas, and an affair began between Herodias and the man who became her second husband. She persuaded Herod Antipas to divorce his wife. She divorced her husband and the two were married. Even with the divorces, in her day her second marriage was considered adulterous and incestuous. Apparently the only one who was brave enough to call all of this tangle out was John the Baptist who declared the marriage unlawful. She wanted him killed, but for a while was restrained by her husband you likely feared John’s popularity. Her stinging hatred of John grew until one night at a banquet for Herod’s birthday in which her daughter, Salome was dancing in such a way that the men were in a frenzy she saw her opportunity to strike. Salome’s step father was so pleased with her dancing that he vowed that she could ask him for anything, and she would have it. After consulting with her mother, she asked for John’s head on a platter. It is hard to imagine, but historians tell us that Herodias and Antipas’ story become even more twisted than that. They were banished to Gaul by Emperor Caligula and reportedly died in Spain. When the banishment was declared, Caligula, who was a special friend of Herodias’ brother’s offered her freedom from the edict, but she decided to go with her husband. Think today about Herodias (and her daughter Salome.) How have you experienced or witnessed senseless retribution on the part of insulted people in power? Have you ever experienced or witnessed other people conscripted into evil activity to please those in power? Have you ever nursed resentment over a remark made to you or about you? Have you ever struggled to let go of vengeful feelings and found yourself plotting someone else’s downfall? Herodias, in all her current guises, is not unknown to us. She is not even completely unknown inside of us. Think of her as a cautionary tale, a warning that revenge and retaliation always bring destruction in one way or another.

Prayer: Gracious God, we read Herodias’ story with horror. And yet, we know that we, too, are capable of nursing wounded pride and plotting revenge on those who hurt or endanger us. Help us today to learn from history, embrace Jesus’ way of being and not that of the selfish powerful like Herodias. In Jesus’ holy name we pray. Amen.

October 20, 2025:  The Syrophoenician Woman A Woman Who Won’t Take No for an Answer– Mark 7:24-26 From there he set out and went away to the region of Tyre. He entered a house and did not want anyone to know he was there. Yet he could not escape notice, but a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit immediately heard about him, and she came and bowed down at his feet. Now the woman was a gentile, of Syrophoenician origin.

This woman, also called The Canaanite Woman, is the only person in scripture who is able to change Jesus’ mind in a debate. At first when she comes to him, his response to her is very harsh. Why? We don’t know. Scholars suggest several possibilities. 1) Jesus was focused on his primary mission and did not want to be distracted from it. 2) Jesus is sometimes harsh with others to make a point. In Mt. 8:22 he says to a grieving son who wants to follow him but needs to bury his father first, “Let the dead bury their dead.” In Luke 10:4 he tells people “Greet no one on the road,” thus forbidding a normal and expected courtesy. In both of those instances his point is the urgency of the mission. Perhaps the same is true here. He has no time to waste on that which is not central. 3) The saying is not as harsh as it sounds and is probably from an old Jewish proverb that means something like “Charity begins at home.” You can’t meet every need. 4) Jesus, fully human, was having a really bad day, was exhausted, was raised in and influenced by his racist and sexist culture, and had to grow in his own blind spots. Luther says, “She serves Christ his own words.” 5)  Jesus is using this incident as an object lesson to show the disciples their own prejudices. All of these, except for #3 are convincing. If you look carefully at the original text, in my view, it is hard to soften the well-established slur that Jesus uses toward the woman. The harshness of Jesus’ response does nothing but highlight the woman’s courage and resourcefulness. In the search for help for her daughter, she would stop at nothing. As she refused to back down, she spun her argument in a typically rabbinic way. Jesus sees that she is right, and her daughter is healed by Jesus due to the actions of her mother. Think today about the Syrophoenician woman. Has there ever been a time when you felt moved to plead the case of others who were helpless? Have you ever felt dismissed due to your gender or your race? Has there ever been a time when you ‘stuck to your guns’ until you got the help you needed? Have you ever had to navigate our healthcare system and discovered you needed an advocate? If you have then you have a bit of this woman and her daughter in you. Good for you!

Prayer:  God of Grace, help us today to be tireless advocates for those in need. Give us courage to call those in power to account. Give us the wisdom we need to know when to push and when to rest so that we may try another day. In Jesus’ holy name we pray. Amen.

October 21, 2025:  Salome, Mother of James and John – The Ambitious One – Matthew 20:20-21 Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came to him with her sons, and kneeling before him, she asked a favor of him. And he said to her, “What do you want?” She said to him, “Declare that these two sons of mine will sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your kingdom.

Salome the mother of James and John, not to be confused with the daughter of Herodias of the same name, is often simply referred to as the mother of the sons of Zebedee. Mark alone calls her Salome at the crucifixion and Resurrection. (Mark 15:40 &16:1) As her story unfolds it is clear that she is a faithful follower of Jesus who supports her sons James and John who are among Jesus’ inner circle. As Jesus’ movement is picking up steam she is among the disciples following him, along with her sons. Immediately after Jesus makes his third prediction of his death and resurrection, she pulls him aside on the road and asks a favor. She is so full of assurance that the new reign of God will be ushered in by Jesus that all the strange talk of death and resurrection seems to fail to register with her, as it did for most of Jesus’ followers. She asks him if her two sons can have positions of honor and power in his new reign, one to sit on his right hand and the other on his left. Jesus, likely feeling the weight of what he knows is in store for him, realizes that she does not know what she is asking. He tells her that those positions will go to whomever the Father has chosen for them. The other ten of the twelve apostles, are angry and feel like James and John just want to lord it over them. Into this internal brouhaha, Jesus inserts the still earth trembling truth that lowly service is the only path to true power. Whoever wishes to be great must be a servant to all. Salome must have pondered these words and grown from them. Others might have been offended at Jesus’ rather gentle rebuke. Still others might have been more in love with worldly power than with Jesus and walked away or tried to spin his words in ways that are totally foreign to his meaning. Salome did not. She kept following, even to the cross and to the empty tomb. Today think about Salome. Can you identify with her ambitions for her sons? Have you had those ambitions for yourself or your children? In your daily life, how do you understand power? Have you grown and changed in your views of success over the years? Who has helped you to refocus your goals when you got off track? Have you ever felt the sting of a rebuke and still been able to take in the truth of it and not flee the relationship? If so, a bit of Salome lives in you.

Prayer: Gracious God, we thank you for helping us grow in understanding your will and ways. Give us the wisdom and the opportunity to serve you without thinking of our own gain. In Jesus’ holy name we pray. Amen.

October 22, 2025:  The Samaritan Woman – The First Evangelist – John 4:7 A Samaritan women came to draw water, and Jesus said to her, “Give me a drink.”

The story of Jesus’ interaction with a Samaritan woman is one of the richest and most complex stories in the New Testament. It is so profound that I once preached on it for five weeks running and barely scratched the surface. This story offers us the longest conversation between Jesus and anyone in the Bible spanning 42 verses in John chapter 4. Obviously if it took me five weeks to preach on it, I will not be able to do it justice in this short devotion. Still, here are the headlines. Jesus is traveling with his friends through Samaria. There was generational animosity between Jews and Samaritans, each group claiming to be the true descendants of Abraham. There was such hostility that each came to think of the other as barely human. They had nothing whatsoever to do with one another. For a faithful Jew, to even share tools or implements such as a dipper in a well, with a Samaritan rendered one unclean and unfit for worship. On top of that, Jewish men did not have conversations with Jewish women outside the home, especially not complex theological ones. And for the cherry on top of this story, the woman was an outcast even from her own community, coming to the well for water alone at a time when the other women would have come and gone. Why was this so? Her marital history. She had had five husbands and was now living with a man not her husband. We don’t know her story. Did her first husband die and through the system of Levirate marriage she married each of his brothers until there were none left or at least none who would risk taking her as a wife? Women had very little say over whom they married in the ancient world. When she found herself without a husband there were very few choices for her. If she was lucky, a male relative would take responsibility for her. If she was not, she would become a concubine, a lesser wife, or prostitute. The Bible doesn’t make her status clear, only that she was outcast. When she comes to draw water midday, Jesus initiates conversation with her that begins with asking her to dip water for him, continues through her stunned, and probably frightened, response, a theological conversation about divisions, true worship and hope for the future. In the course of the conversation she wonders if he might be the longed-for Messiah. When his disciples return from town where they have gone to buy food, she runs back to her village, tells them what she has experienced and invites all to come and see for themselves who Jesus is. That is the task of an evangelist: to go to where the people are, to tell them what they know and to invite others to come to Jesus and see for themselves. According to that definition, she was Jesus’ first evangelist. Think today about the Samaritan women. Have you ever felt helpless and outcast? Did someone reach out to you and treat you like an equal? Have you ever felt truly seen by an unexpected person? How did that feel? In what ways do you act as an evangelist, that is, one who shares the good news of Jesus with others? Have you ever felt so inspired by Jesus words and presence with you that you couldn’t wait to share your story? If so, a bit of the Samaritan woman lives in you.

Prayer: God of Surprises, we thank you that you have always been One who seeks to break down barriers between your children. Help us today to hear your words and offer inspiration to others. In Jesus’ holy name we pray. Amen.

October 23, 2025:  The Woman with the Alabaster Flask – The Extravagant Lover – Matthew 26:6 Now while Jesus was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, a woman came to him with an alabaster jar of very costly ointment, and she poured it on his head as he sat at table.

Storm clouds are gathering. The disciples seem to know it, but somehow they still think that they can outrun them. They still hope for a military hero who will draw a massive force, overthrow their Roman oppressors and restore the Promised Land to its Godly purpose. More and more, though, Jesus seems to have changed. He is quieter somehow, speaking of things in a more mystical way, a way they find hard to understand. He is redefining power. He is redefining wholeness. He is, in a radical new way, re-emphasizing old ways and values that had become stagnant or more rigid. His disciples know something has got to give but they don’t agree on what or how. Today’s verse finds him in Bethany at Simon’s house, a kind of retreat and home base for him a short distance from the dangerous fray of Jerusalem. The men are gathered around the table for an evening meal. The custom in those days was for men and women to eat separately on occasions such as this. The men reclined on cushions around the low table while they discussed politics, God, and next steps. Judas is getting restless, maybe a little surly. After all he is a man of action and waiting does not suit him. Jesus is aware that the plot to kill him is organizing, but the men aren’t so sure. On this evening, suddenly the door opens, and a woman rushes in with an alabaster jar of very expensive ointment. People often saved for a lifetime to acquire such a jar to be used to anoint them for burial. Without a word, she goes to Jesus, breaks the jar open and pours the perfumed oil on his head. For a moment the men are silent in shock. Then Judas’ anger overwhelms him, and he cries out at the waste. When the others join in sputtering outrage, Jesus silences them. He has immediately understood the true statement this woman was making. While the others, lost in their illusions of power, thought there was a chance that they could still rally Jesus to their political cause, this woman knew that he would be killed for it all. She was preparing his body for burial and without saying a word, she told the men what they needed to know but were unable to accept. Jesus praises her and tells them that wherever the gospel is preached in the whole world what she has done will be told in memory of her. And then, Judas goes out into the night. The die is cast. Despite her pivotal role in salvation history and Jesus’ declaration that her story will be told in remembrance of her, the gospel writers do not record her name. There has been much scholarly discussion about that. Was it Mary Magdalene? What it Mary of Bethany? Was she a woman he had healed? Perhaps in not knowing her name, we can better see ourselves in her. Think today about this woman. Can you think of a time when you had spiritual insight that others seemed to lack? How is it that you express your love of Jesus extravagantly? How do you show your solidarity with him even if it is risky? When you do any of those things, you are telling this woman’s story with your own life.

Prayer: Gracious God, help us to show the same devotion to you as our long-ago sister did. Give us insight in difficult days and show us how to use our resources to glorify you. In Jesus’ holy name we pray. Amen.

October 24, 2025:  Mary Magdalene – The First Witness to the Risen Christ – John 20:1 Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb.

Next to Jesus’ mother Mary, Mary Magdalene is perhaps the most renowned woman in the New Testament. She first met Jesus when she was suffering from demon possession. In those days, demons were not seen as red tailed pitch fork carrying little monsters. Rather a demon was anything, any entity, any process, any system, any illness, any habit, any mindset, that blocked persons from the fullness of life for which they were created. We don’t know the nature of Mary’s demons. What we do know is that after her encounter with Jesus, she was released. Nowhere in the scripture is there any indication that she was a prostitute. She was simply a sufferer. The story that she was a prostitute came into the tradition in the middle ages in an attempt to equate her with the sinful woman referenced in Luke 7:36-50. In more modern times, Dan Brown’s novel, The DaVinci Code suggested that she was Jesus’ wife. There is no evidence for that in scriptures either. What we do know is that from the moment of her healing she followed Jesus and played a prominent role in the leadership of his movement. She raised funds to keep them all going and she stayed with Jesus to the cross and beyond. After Jesus’ resurrection, in the early years of the movement, a rivalry for leadership broke out between Peter and Mary. This dispute ultimately resulted in Peter taking control and Mary being relegated to the footnotes. While Mary was the only person attested to in all four gospels as being a first witness to the resurrection, she is largely expunged from the record after she runs to tell the others what she has seen. The apostle Paul, doesn’t even list her as a witness to the resurrection. Whether that was in a blatant attempt to down play her role or because she was so successfully suppressed, we simply don’t know. What we do know about her is that she was a changed person as a result of her time with Jesus. She was spiritually astute and had many followers in the early years of the growing faith. She had a significant following of those who respected  her because of her closeness to Jesus and the deep things that he taught her. She was the first person to whom Jesus appeared after the resurrection and she was the first to tell the story. As she ran from the tomb, at Jesus’ bidding, with the words, “I have seen the Lord” on her lips, the Christian faith burst forth in ways no one could have dreamed. No longer were humans to be ruled by death. Because Christ defeated death so shall we. Today think about Mary Magdalene. Have you ever experienced release and new life as a result of encounter with Jesus and his word? Have you ever been maligned as a way of dampening your power? In what ways do you follow Jesus through thick and thin? If Jesus sent you, how would you declare his majesty to others? In what ways have you ‘seen’ the Lord? Are there times when you too are called to give witness to your faith that Christ has overcome death? If so, there is a bit of the Magdalene in you too.

Prayer: O Gracious God, send us forth from the darkness to declare the truth of your living presence in all things we say and do. In Jesus’ holy name we pray. Amen.

October 25, 2025:  Sapphira – Her God was Money – Acts 5:1 But a man named Ananias, with the consent of his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property; with his wife’s knowledge, he kept back some of the proceeds and brought only a part and laid it at the apostle’s feet.

In the early years of the expansion of the church, there was a unity of heart and mind among the disciples that is hard for most of us to imagine. The biblical book of The Acts of the Apostles paints a, perhaps idealized, but none the less compelling picture of the common life of believers in those days. It was a time of signs and wonders in which people gathered together daily for meals and held all of their possessions in common. This did not mean common ownership as much as it meant that whatever one had control of was always available to meet the needs of the group. The custom was that when property was sold, the proceeds were brought to the apostles, then they would distribute to people according to their need. (See Acts 2:43-47) Generosity, prayer and praise marked the community resulting in the kind of unity Jesus must have envisioned when he prayed for his disciples at the Last Supper. Still, human selfishness, greed and duplicity were not eradicated then any more than they have been eradicated now. There was one such couple whose story we find in Acts 5. Ananias and Sapphira were stalwarts of the young church. They met and worshipped with the others but there was a problem. They had a measure of wealth and that became a wedge in their souls. At one point the two sold a piece of property. They conspired together to tell the others that they sold it for a different price and place only a portion before the apostles for charitable work. Peter realized this immediately and called Ananias to see him. He confronted him not with his greed but with his duplicity. When Ananias saw clearly how he had lied to the community, and we may assume, why he did it, he dropped dead on the spot. After a few hours, Sapphira came in, not knowing yet what had happened to her husband. Peter asked her about the price of the property, and she told the agreed upon lie. At which point Peter confronts her with the truth of her duplicity and her husbands death. At which point, she too falls down dead and is carried out by the ones who had just carried out her husband. It is interesting that the severest consequences of sin in these early days was meted out to a good church couple who lied about their pledge. What killed them? There is no indication in the text that God smote them. There is no indication that Peter somehow channeled the Spirit like a bolt of lightning to strike them dead. Rather, what we see here is the inevitable consequence of greed and the lies we tell to justify it. In our day, offering anything from the sale of a resource would be seen as generous and lauded. Back then, their actions belied two dangerous truths in Ananias and Sapphira’s hearts: 1. They loved their money. It felt like security to them. And, they trusted it more than they trusted God and the community of faith. 2. They wanted to be seen as better, more generous than they actually were. Think today about Sapphira and her husband. Where do you put your ultimate allegiance? How generous are you really with the church and those in need? Are there times when you lie, even in little things, in order to be seen as better than you really are? Down deep is there a kernel of greed that makes decisions in you about how much you give and where you security really lies? If so, there is a bit of this couple in you too. It will always bring a consequence. Duplicity always takes its toll.

Prayer: O Generous God, help us today to reflect on the story of this couple and ask ourselves how truthful and generous we really are. If we find that we are not, help us to see why we choose to hoard and try to justify it, so that we may live into the freedom and security of following you completely. In Jesus’ holy name we pray. Amen.

October 26, 2025:  Dorcas (Tabitha) – The Charitable One – Acts 9:36 Now in Joppa there was a disciple whose name was Tabitha, which in Greek is Dorcas. She was devoted to good works and acts of charity.

The book of Acts tells us the story of the early years of the Gospel’s expansion. The power of the risen Christ was at work through the disciples and all believers, not only reforming notions of community and unity but dispelling old fears and dysfunctions. The 9^th chapter gives us the story of the conversion of Saul (Paul) and the beginnings of the his ministry that came to largely shape the form of Christianity even to today. But lest we leap too quickly into Paul’s story, we have a few more stories from Peter’s life and work. One of the beautiful ones is the story of the lovely Tabitha (Dorcas.) She was a beloved in her community. She was a champion of the poor and powerless and was devoted to good works and charity. She was especially a defender of widows whose plight was always dire. In the story introduced by today’s verse we learn that she has fallen ill, desperately ill. Ill to the point, according to the text, that she died. The whole community is in such shock and despair that they send two men to find Peter. They were so distraught that they didn’t even tell him what had happened. They simply urged him to come immediately. Recognizing their pain and urgency, Peter jumped up and ran with them to the home of Tabitha where he found her lying in her upstairs room surrounded by the widows whom she had helped. The widows were weeping and showing him all the garments that Tabitha had made for them. The grief and despair in the room must have been palpable. Without Tabitha’s care and advocacy, they knew that they would have little recourse. Peter then puts them all out of the room, kneels in prayer and calls Tabitha to get up. Remember that stories of healing and awakening the dead are frequent in the scriptures. The point is never the physical miracle. The point is to teach that in the new realm of the risen Christ; death never has the last word. With Tabitha’s story we learn another important lesson: in the realm of the risen Christ, the poor and defenseless will never be left without resources. They will always be someone to help, respect, support and advocate for them. Tabitha is the only woman in the New Testament to be given the name of ‘disciple’ equal to the men. Today think about Tabitha. Take a moment to assess your own life according to her model. How are you known in your community? When people think of you, are their first thoughts about your good works and charity? In what ways do you help, respect, support and advocate for those who are in need and cannot help themselves? Tabitha spent hours making clothing for the poor widows. How do you spend your time for the least of these? These few verses that introduce us to Tabitha’s story can be a wonderful spiritual checkup for us. How do you see her values organizing your own life?

Prayer: Gracious God, we thank you for preserving for us the story of Tabitha to remind us how to organize our own lives of mercy. Show us today what is ours to do and fill us with your Spirit and stamina so that we may work for your glory. In Jesus’ holy name we pray. Amen.

October 27, 2025:  Lydia – A Successful Business Woman – Acts 16:14 A certain woman named Lydia, a worshiper of God, was listening to us; she was from the city of Thyatira and a dealer in purple cloth.

Lydia was a wealthy business woman in the region of Philippi who sold purple cloth. The dye for purple clothing was so expensive to procure that only the wealthiest and royalty were able to purchase it. She was one of the most successful and influential people in her community. That, however, is not primarily why we remember her story. Lydia was the first convert to Christianity in Europe, somewhere between 50-60 CE. Philippi was a bustling prosperous city often said to be more Roman than Rome. Yet something did not sit right with Lydia. There was a spiritual longing in her that neither Roman religion nor wealth could satisfy. She and a small group of her friends gathered on the banks of the river Gangitis for prayer and support. That is where Paul and Silas found them. The text tells us that the Lord opened her heart as she listened to Paul and Silas preach. In their teaching about Jesus, she began to find the answers to her spiritual hunger. Shortly after this encounter she and her entire household were baptized. Lydia urged Paul and Silas to come to her home and teach her and the others more about this new faith she had embraced. Her home became a haven for Paul, Silas and others who needed safety and lodging as they spread the Gospel throughout the region and beyond. We are not told whether her new faith affected her business, but likely it did. Still, that was no impediment for her. It seems that her whole life focus became the Gospel and supporting its spread. Think today about Lydia. Have you ever felt a deep spiritual hunger that nothing seemed to satisfy? Have you ever felt that the Lord opened your heart to words you heard preached? How do you devote yourself to Christ’s teaching? Have you ever found that business concerns dampened your witness? Lydia’s faith played a role in the conversion of her entire household. Ask God if you have a role to play in witness to your faith at home or at work today. See if you can feel the power of Lydia’s joy in the Lord and let that lead you.

Prayer: Gracious God, we thank you for filling our spiritual longing with your love and presence. Make us faithful witnesses to your grace every day. In Jesus’ holy name we pray. Amen.

October 28, 2025:  Priscilla – (Prisca) – Teaching Pastor - Romans 16:3 Greet Prisca and Aquila, my coworkers in Christ Jesus, who risked their necks for my life, to whom not only I give thanks but also all the churches of the gentiles.

Precilla was one of the most influential women in early Christian expansion. She and her husband Aquila were new church planters and teachers. Priscilla was a Jew who was expelled from Rome at the time of Emperor Claudius’ edict expelling all Jews from the city. She and Aquila first went to Corinth and then to Ephesus. In reading references to her in the scriptures, modern readers might well miss the clues to her prominence. She became the spiritual teacher of the eloquent and learned Apollos. Although she and her husband labored together for the gospel, in three of the five cases in which they are mentioned together, her name is mentioned first, breaking all conventions of the day. This indicates that she was the primary teacher/preacher in her church groups which included a house church in their home. Priscilla and Aquila earned their living as tent makers, as did their great friend the apostle Paul. It is easy to imagine the three of them together weaving the sturdy tent fabric and talking together about the deep things of God. Priscilla was bright, studious and an inspiring speaker who not only taught the faith but expounded upon it. She helped her people grow and deepen their understanding. After Emperor Claudius died, Priscilla and Aquila moved back to Rome and played an instrumental role in the growth of the Christian community there. She is mentioned in Paul’s letter to the church in Rome where he calls her with the affectionate diminutive of her name, Prisca, and tells the church in Rome that she had risked her life for him in his missionary journeys. Historical facts not recorded in the Bible attest to her influence. The historian Tertullias writes that ‘by the holy Prisca, the gospel is preached.’ One of the oldest catacombs in  Rome – Coemeterium Priscilla—was named in her honor. A church, Titulus Prisca, was erected on the Aventine hill in Rome and her name appears on many ancient monuments there. In many of the New Testament letters Pricilla is mentioned with love and gratitude for her teaching and preaching skills, for her self sacrifice, her hospitality and her reverence. Think today about Priscilla. Have you ever felt the need to break with convention in order to share your stories of faith? Have you ever learned something new and felt like you would burst if you couldn’t teach it to someone else? In what ways has your home served as a place of welcome and learning for others? Think about these things today and notice how Priscilla’s legacy lives on in you.

Prayer: Gracious God, we thank you for helping us to recognize the unique gifts that you give to each of us so that we may glorify you as we use them and serve to spread your good news of grace. In Jesus’ holy name we pray. Amen.

October 29, 2025:  Phoebe – A Deacon – Romans 16:1-2 – I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a deacon of the church at Cenchreae, so that you may welcome her in the Lord, as is fitting for the saints, and help her in whatever she may require from you, for she has been a benefactor of many and of myself as well.

Paul introduces Phoebe as the bearer of his letter to the church in Rome, his last written document that we have. We have no record of how she made the journey from Cenchrea, the port of Corinth, to Rome. If she went by land, as would have been customary for a woman in those days, she likely stopped for hospitality at the many different churches that had been established along the way. In sending his letter to the church in Rome, Paul had to be very cautious with his messenger. To be a Christian in Cenchreae was not easy. The port town was well known for its wickedness. He did not want the messenger to come to harm on the journey. She is the only woman recorded as a Christian in her town, although there were likely others who were not recorded. She probably had some wealth and influence to be able to assemble a caravan to undertake this journey. Though Paul uses only a few words to describe her, those words are loaded with significance. He calls her ‘our sister’ which was a simple and affectionate note of her belonging in the community of faith. More significantly, he calls her a deacon. This is the same word used for the ministry of men in that time. Sometimes the word is translated as minister, sometimes servant, sometimes deacon. The meaning is the same. In these early days the leadership of women in the church was not nearly as exclusive as it later became and, in some communions, remains. In addition, Paul calls her a benefactor. This polite phrase carried a lot of freight in Phoebe’s day. It suggested that she had been a patron of the unprotected and despised, one who has come to the aid of converts in need, one who has fought the battles of those who were oppressed. Paul goes on to say that she has even been such a benefactor to him personally. It is to this esteemed woman that Paul entrusts his most cherished, mature and theologically astute letter. Were it not for her, we might not have the book of Romans today. Whether Pheobe was killed in Rome, like Paul was and so many others, we do not know. Whether she made it back home, we do not know. What we do know is that she served as a deacon in her church and put her life on the line for the church’s mission. She was loyal, sympathetic, kind, an aid to the suffering and a trustworthy companion in ministry. Today think about Pheobe. Have you ever been entrusted with a really important task that could prove costly or dangerous? How did you approach it? Think about her characteristic of trustworthiness. How do you display this in your life? Think about her support of those who are oppressed? How can you embody some of Pheobe’s courage and compassion in that work? When you see yourself as being brave, trustworthy, kind and helpful, a bit of your ancestor Phoebe lives on in you.

Prayer: Gracious God, show us the work you have for us to do. If we need a special dose of bravery or compassion, fill us with that special sense of your Spirit that empowered Pheobe so that we may serve you as you need us to today. In Jesus’ holy name we pray. Amen.

October 30, 2025:  The Widow and the Unjust Judge – The One Who Refuses to Give Up - Luke 18:1-8 Then Jesus told them a parable about their need to pray always and not to lose heart. He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor had respect for people. In that city there was a widow who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Grant me justice against my opponent.’ For a while he refused; but later he said to himself, ‘Though I have no fear of God and no respect for anyone, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will grant her justice, so that she may not wear me out by continually coming.’” And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. And will not God grant justice to his chosen ones who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long in helping them? I tell you; he will quickly grant justice to them. And yet, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”

I could not resist printing this entire passage for you today. It is one of my very favorites in all of the scripture. It is the story of one unnamed woman who simply will not give up on her rights. On the way to Jerusalem, where he will meet his cross, Jesus has been teaching his friends and followers about the new character required to live in the Kingdom of God. He has told them that their priorities must be radical hospitality, refusing to love money, seeing and embracing the poor, putting faith into action and forgiving over and over and over. Many scholars believe that Luke’s hearers were experiencing extreme persecution. Some were finding it hard to hold on and were recanting their faith. This widow is an encouragement to them not to give up no matter what. If a cruel judge eventually gives in to a righteous widow, how much more will God listen and work on behalf of the faithful who never give up in prayer and action. The story is not about the judge. It is about God’s vindication, even though all around are corrupt and self-serving. When the faithful never give up, even the most corrupt can be forced to do the right thing. God will vindicate the people even when God has very little to work with. With that in mind, who was this woman? We don’t know her name, but we can learn a lot from her situation. As a widow, it was dire. Widows, if not redeemed by a near relative, were usually left in poverty, unable to own property or to find meaningful work to sustain their lives. A part of this harsh treatment grew out of the belief that to die before old age was a judgment against sin. The sin could have been that of the man who died, or that of the wife or another family member. For that reason, being a widow was sometimes seen as a situation of disgrace, brought by God for some good reason. Even with all of these cultural norms, it is clear throughout the scriptures that God has a particular concern for widows and orphans and all who are oppressed. In this story, the widow is suing in order to get what is rightfully hers. The language the gospel writer uses is fierce and funny! One way to translate the phrase used by the judge to explain why he gives in to her (because she bothers me and wears me out) could be translated “because she threatens to beat me up and black my eyes.” It is amazing that Jesus uses this fierce justice warrior as an object lesson for all of those who suffer oppression as well as those who have the means to alleviate it. We are simply never to give up, not in prayer and not in perseverance to achieve what is right. Think today about this widow. Have you known people who were fierce about their rights? Have you ever felt the need to address corruption of the powerful? Have you ever felt that you saw no real results from your actions? If so, Jesus says to you through this widow, never ever, give up.

Prayer: Gracious God, help us to keep up the fight for justice. Help us to never give up on the power of prayer. Help us to trust that you are at work and can use us even if it sometimes feels hopeless. In Jesus’ holy name we pray. Amen.

October 31, 2025:  Eunice and Lois – Unsung Heroines – II Timothy 1:5 I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that lived first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, lives in you.

Today we come to the end of our two-month journey of meeting some of the women in the Bible. We obviously did not meet them all. There are many unnamed women who still stand in the shadows, but their faith lives on. There are others whose names are known but very little of their story. Family albums always contain some pictures of those whose names we have forgotten or whose images are dulled to yellow over time. They each played a role in the lives we now live. Today we close with a mother and a grandmother who instilled faith in their son and grandson, Timothy. Paul calls Timothy his dearly beloved son. He does not mean this biologically. Rather, Timothy has been by his side through much of his ministry. Paul acknowledges that Timothy was ready for his mission because of the powerful example of his mother and grandmother. They are mentioned in only one verse of the scripture, the one we read today. There is one word in this verse that stands out: sincere. The word in Greek can also be translated as ‘unfeigned.’ What sets these women apart, and makes their witness take root in Timothy is not just their love and devotion toward him, as important as that surely was. What was important was that their faith was not a fake. They did not say words they did not live. They did not try to appear more faithful than they were. They deeply believed and put into practice the ways and values of Jesus. They did this in their home as well as in public. That is indeed a transformative witness. I remember once a young woman came into my office and flopped own into an overstuffed chair. She was electric with energy, and she said, “Eugenia, I beg of you. You have got to tell me the truth. Are you the real deal or not? Is Jesus the real deal or not?” Now, granted those two questions are not equal. Still, I remember how I felt when asked, as I interpreted it, if my faith was as sincere as I claimed it to be. I don’t remember what I said but I do remember that I thought as I prayed later about Eunice and Lois and prayed that the sincerity of my faith might inspire a quest for sincere faith in others along the way. So today, think about Eunice and Lois. Ask yourself about the sincerity of your faith and whether or not your actions mirror that sincerity, at least for the most part. If not, see how you can put the aspects of your life and ethics into better alignment. Know that Eunice and Lois are cheering you on.

Prayer: Gracious God, help us today to embody a sincere faith and to help raise others up to know you and to love you. In Jesus’ holy name we pray. Amen.