Do you see this woman?”
Simon reclined silently at the table along with his companions as Jesus rebuked their host. He had hoped this dinner would help to repair Jesus’ reputation with the popular and well-respected Pharisees. Things appeared to be going well – until she arrived and ruined everything. He wished that just once, they could escape – so that Jesus might finally begin to be heard and accepted by the spiritual leaders. When Jesus began to speak, Simon lowered his eyes in resignation to the fact that this meal would not mark the turning point of Jesus’ ministry that he had envisioned. His disappointment turned to shame as Jesus compared the hearts and actions of the Pharisee and his uninvited guest. He knew that rebuke was not intended for one set of ears, and he wondered if he would ever see people the way that Jesus saw them.
“She has given more.…”
A different time and place, a different woman… In their travels, Simon had witnessed many encounters between Jesus and the people who surrounded him. He heard Jesus speak the same words, tell the same stories, and rebuke the same thoughts and attitudes on countless occasions. The twelve who followed him were not the same foolish men they had been at the beginning of this journey. Jesus had even trusted them to go out in groups of two, sharing his message of the kingdom with all who would receive it. After all these experiences, Simon felt he understood the point Jesus wanted to make when he directed their attention to the impoverished woman in the temple. She was not insignificant, and neither were those two small coins that she dropped into the temple treasury. He had seen the mixture of sadness and anger on the face of his teacher many times. It was an expression he often wore when he looked at the destitute crowds. She was beautiful; her circumstances were tragic. The coins testified not only on behalf of the widow but against the system that failed her. Among God’s people, a widow should never have walked away with nothing left to sustain her life, yet it was a common occurrence. Jesus spoke of building his church, and he wanted people like her to be seen, valued, and supported. Simon thought he was perceptive in grasping the larger picture behind Jesus’ words. He had so much yet to learn.
“Do not delay in coming to us!”
He was now known to the crowds as Peter, the apostle who boldly testified of Jesus’ resurrection, cast out demons, and healed people of disease and disability. In Jerusalem, people crowded the streets, waiting for him to pass by and hoping that even his shadow would fall on them. In cities like Lydda, his reputation followed him. But in private moments, he was just Simon, the disciple who once arrogantly thought himself to be the greatest among Jesus’ followers; Simon, who when put to the test, failed miserably. Simon the coward! In times of self-doubt, he often recalled those two women who were not defined by what they had done or how much they had to offer.
But Peter had not been summoned to Joppa to heal the sick. He stood alone in a room staring down at a dead woman. And what a remarkable woman she was! Jesus would have described her as a shepherdess. On the other side of the door were her sheep – the widows of Joppa, whom she loved and provided for. They were grief-stricken, terrified, and looking at him with pleading eyes—sheep without a shepherd.
Peter turned his attention back to the dead woman. He could feel the Spirit prompting him to speak, and he had no doubts that her life would be restored. Yet, he could not bring himself to utter the words. They were expecting too much of him. Jesus had restored only a few people to life, and none of the disciples had done such a thing. Why him? Was his presence even necessary!
“Oh, Jesus!” he cried as he fell to his knees in the silent room. “How I wish you were here! I am not worthy of this!”
It had been years since Jesus returned to His Father and the Holy Spirit descended upon the disciples, yet there were still moments that he wavered between the man that he had once been and the one that Jesus declared him to be. How could he be Peter, the Rock, when he so often felt and acted like Simon, the fisherman from Capernaum who had denied his Lord?
Maybe it was the ministry of the Spirit through the use of memory and imagination; perhaps it was more. Simon was still discovering the many ways that the Spirit worked. But as he raised his eyes toward heaven in despair, two women appeared at his side, one with an alabaster jar and one holding two coins. This time, it was they who were gazing at him, encouraging him to rise above his failure and insufficiency and humbly give what little he had to offer.
“I have prayed for you, Peter, that your faith may not fail.”
His heart skipped a beat at the sound of his Lord’s voice speaking familiar words. The assurance that Jesus once offered Simon the Fisherman, he now gave to Peter, the Rock.
“And when you have turned back, strengthen your sister.”
The room was bathed in peaceful silence, the two women faded from view, and Peter again found himself alone with the dead woman, yet he was not alone. His accuser had been silenced through the intercession of Jesus, the comfort and guidance of the Holy Spirit, and the testimony of the faithful!
“Truly I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do. And he will do even greater works than these because I am going to the Father.”
Belief in Jesus! Some expressed it by pouring out a jar of perfume or surrendering a few simple coins, and others did so by caring for his sheep – just like this woman who currently shared the room with him… just like he had been charged to do. Suddenly he realized that restoring Tabitha to life was not just a blessing to the community of believers in Joppa; it was also a gift to him. She was a partner in fulfilling his mission, and he needed her in Joppa! The Spirit had already released the power of resurrection within him, and he needed to stop fighting against it.
With newfound courage, Peter stood and faced Tabitha, the shepherdess of Joppa. Like the women who inspired him, he offered all he had to give, confident that Jesus would find it sufficient. As he spoke the simplest of words, the Spirit unleashed into them the same power that raised Jesus from the dead, defeated the schemes of his adversary, and made ‘More’ out of what appeared to be the lowliest of offerings!
“Tabitha, Get up!”
“She opened her eyes and seeing Peter she sat up. He took her by the hand and helped her to her feet. Then he called for the believers, especially the widows, and presented her to them alive. This became known all over Joppa, and many people believed in the Lord. Peter stayed in Joppa for some time with a tanner named Simon.”
(Scriptural Inspiration: Luke 7:36-50; Mark 12:41-44; Luke 21:1-4; Acts 9:32-43; Luke 22:32; John 14:12; John 21:15-17)
Featured Image by Thomas B. from Pixabay
