Women of the Bible

[NormanStewart]

The Pittsburgh Press (March 9, 1946)

Women of the Bible, No. 21 –
Mary and Martha story recorded by Luke

By the Religious News Service

Mary and Martha, the two sisters of Bethany, have had for ages a name and a living power in the Church. By some, Martha is viewed as the secular Christian, serving God in and through the channels of worldly business, and Mary as the more peculiarly religious person, devoted to a life of holy meditation and the researches of heavenly truth.

Luke records the manner in which the first acquaintance with this family was formed: “And a certain woman named Martha received him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus’ feet, and heard his word. But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me. And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things; But one thing is needful; and Mary hath chosen that good part which shall not be taken away from her.”

It was not the Saviour’s intention to encourage and defend in Mary a selfish, sentimental indulgence in her own cherished emotions and affections, leaving the burden of necessary care on a sister who would have been equally glad to sit at Jesus’ feet. Instead, he sought to point out that Martha, engrossed in a thousand cares, burdened herself with a weight of perplexities of which there was no need, and found no time and had no heart to come to him and speak of the only, the one thing that endures beyond the present world.

The subsequent story shows that Martha was a brave, sincere, good woman, capable of yielding to reproof and acknowledging a fault. In the scene in which Christ raises Lazarus from the dead, the dignity and worth of Martha’s character is revealed.

Martha had grown more spiritual by intercourse with the Master, and as she falls at Jesus’ feet, the half-complaint which her sorrow wrings from her is merged in the expression of her faith.

“Lord, if thou hadst been here my brother had not died; but I know that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it to thee. Jesus saith unto her, Thy brother shall rise again.”

[NormanStewart]

The Pittsburgh Press (March 16, 1946)

Women of the Bible, No. 22 –
Mary Magdalene redeemed because of her love

By the Religious News Service

Mary Magdalene was of the class of erring women who are redeemed through their capacity for utter self-sacrificing love.

The story of her redemption, vividly told in Luke 7:36-50, stresses Christ’s practical and authoritative assertion of the principle that fallen woman is as capable of restoration through penitence as fallen man, and that repentance should do for a fallen woman whatever it might do for a fallen man.

Mary Magdalene became eventually a prominent figure in the legends of medieval mythology, a long history of missionary labors and enthusiastic preaching of the gospel in distant regions of the earth is ascribed to her. Churches arose that bore her name, hymns were addressed to her and frequent pictures of her have been painted by noted artists.

Mary Magdalene is not met again until we find her at the foot of the cross, sharing the last anguish of the Lord and His mother. We find her watching the sepulcher preparing sweet spices for embalming. In the dim gray of the resurrection morning, she is there again, only to find the sepulcher open and the beloved form gone.

Everything in this last scene is consistent with the idea of the passionate self-devotion of a nature whose sole life is in its love. The disciples, when they found not the body, went away; but Mary stood without at the sepulcher weeping, and as she wept, she stooped down and looked into the tomb.

The angels said to her, “Woman, why weepest thou?” She answered, “Because they have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid him.” She then turns and see through her tears dimly the form of a man standing there.

Jesus saith unto her, “Woman, why weepest thou? whom seekest thou?” She, supposing him to be the gardener, saith unto him, “Sir, if thou hast borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will go and take him away.” Jesus saith unto her, “Mary!” She turned herself and said unto him, “Rabboni – Master!”

[NormanStewart]

The Pittsburgh Press (March 23, 1946)

Women of the Bible, No. 23 –
Salome, the dancing girl, demanded great price

By the Religious News Service

A mother and daughter brought about the death of John the Baptist. It was Herodias, the mother, who desired the head of the prophet, but it was through Salome, her dancing daughter, that her wicked craving for revenge was fulfilled.

Salome, whose name in Hebrew means “peace,” was probably still in her teens when her mother deserted Herod Philip and took Salome to Rome. There she became the wife of Herod Antipas, half-brother to Philip, and the same Herod who condemned Christ.

John the Baptist earned Herodias’ undying enmity when he publicly scorned her because she had become the wife of her first husband’s brother, a marriage contrary to Hebraic Jews. Mark relates the story in the sixth chapter of his gospel:

“And when a convenient day was come, that Herod on his birthday made a supper to his lords, high captains, and chief estates of Galilee; and when the daughter of the said Herodias came in, and danced, and pleased Herod and them that sat with him, the king said unto the damsel, Ask of me whatsoever thou wilt, and I will give it thee. And he sware unto her, Whatsoever thou shalt ask of me, I will give it thee, unto the half of my kingdom.

“And she went forth, and said unto her mother, What shall I ask? And she said, The head of John the Baptist. And she came in straightway with haste unto the king, and asked, saying, I will that thou give me by and by in a charger the head of John the Baptist. And the king was exceeding sorry; yet for his oath’s sake, and for their sakes which sat with him, he would not reject her. And immediately the king sent an executioner, and commanded his head to be brought: and he went and beheaded him in the prison. And brought his head in a charger, and gave it to the damsel; and the damsel gave it to her mother.”

[NormanStewart]

The Pittsburgh Press (March 30, 1946)

Women of the Bible –
Mother of Maccabees possessed true courage

By the Religious News Service

When Antiochus Eupater was master of Jerusalem, and Judas Maccabeus lay concealed in the mountains, it was the ruler’s desire to introduce the heathen worship into Judea. The Jews, therefore, were commanded to abandon the observance of their law, and to eat swine’s flesh as a test of obedience to Eupater.

Among the noble army of martyrs who suffered death rather than transgress the law was the Mother of the Maccabees, her name unknown, but wearing the martyr’s crown in unsullied splendor, and enjoying an immortal memory.

As one by one, her seven sons were tormented with the most terrible cruelty and put to death, the mother exhorted them to die for the law. When only the youngest son remained, Antiochus offered to bestow on him the richest rewards if he would turn from the law of his fathers, but the young man refused.

The king then called the mother, and exhorted her to counsel the young man to save his life. With remarkable courage and fortitude, she faced the trying occasion. Before her lay the mangled corpses of her sons, whom she had seen expire in unspeakable agony. and he, the last and youngest, was now to die this awful death.

Not for an instant, however, did her resolution falter. Laughing the tyrant to scorn, she besought her son to fear not the tormentor, but to be worthy of his brethren. So the son, putting his whole trust in the Lord, died undefiled. And last of all, after the sons, the mother died.