Here is the first in a series of stories I'm writing. I am in no way claiming these stories to be true, I am simply imagining biblical stories from these individual's perspectives, who knows what their narratives were; we'll have to wait till glory to find that out.
The Woman in the Crowd
I had been wanting to see this Jesus person for some time but with all the coming and going in the house and my sisters children being sick it was next to impossible to find any time for myself. Then one day on my way back from the market I saw him. I knew I may get beaten if I wasn’t home quickly enough but I couldn’t miss this opportunity, so I hurried over.
Jesus was praying for someone I had once played with as a child. Wow! what a beating I took for that. I had snuck out of the house one evening to hunt for grasshoppers among the long grass. There I meet him a small boy, totally mute. He smiled at me, such an enormous smile that I burst out laughing. We had a glorious half hour catching insects before a giant hand came down through the grass and court me up by my hair.
Suddenly this man spoke, I couldn’t believe it, he had always been mute, everyone knew him, though no one seemed to know his name. Then I saw him break out into that same enormous smile. I could feel my heart racing, who was this Jesus? The crowd became hostile, their anger was palpable, there was an outbreak of arguing, with some even saying that it was by Beelzebul that he drove out demons. I couldn’t understand why the disliked him so much, could they not see he had just healed someone.
Jesus began to speak again, he spoke with such authority that the moment he opened his mouth the crowd fell silent. As I listened I was overwhelmed by his goodness and love. His mother must be so proud. My son would have been the same age as him if he had been born and not miscarried. I got pregnant almost as soon as I had married. I was so excited. I was determined to be a brilliant mother, finally something my father could be proud of and I knew that a son was the best gift I could offer my husband. I have relived the day I lost him almost every day since. Three years after that when I still had not fallen pregnant again my husband divorced me.
As Jesus finished the crowed began to murmur again and before I could stop myself I called out “Blessed is the mother who gave you birth and nursed you.” Words I had imagined people saying about my son in the days were I still had hope for children. He turned and looked at me, I had never seen such a face, his eyes were equally full of sorrow, joy, pain and hope, and there was the faintest smile traced across his lips, that though small conveyed infinite amounts of love, his look said he cared about me.
“Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.”
He addressed everyone but it felt like he was just speaking to me. He continued talking but I couldn’t listen that phrase just went round and round in my head. How could he suggest that his mother was blessed for any other reason than giving him birth? What could she possibly do better for God’s people than bear children? And was he seriously suggesting that women should hear the word of God, we did not need to be taught surely that was for our fathers and husbands. But he spoke with such authority and truth that I had to conclude that he meant what he said and that he meant it for me.
That encounter changed my life. I took every opportunity after that to seek Jesus out and to listen to his teaching, and saw him heal and respond to many hurting women. I am not a barren woman, I am full, full of love, full of hope, full of faith, full of power, full of creativity, full of purpose, full of truth. I matter.
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