Remember those “He man” bubble gum comics back in the day? For those of you asking what is bubble gum, just try to humor an old man. Way back in the 1950’s version of America, when men were men, and women were … let’s just be kind and say the object of men’s affection. Yes, we all know they were considerably more than that, I’ll get there. The comic strip of the day pictures a 90lb weakling, who goes to the beach and gets sand thrown in his face, by the big muscular strapping “He” man of the day. Should you identify with the 90lb weakling, all you needed to do, was respond through correspondence (yes, snail mail, it was a thing), and the company who created this awesome advertisement, would send you a gallon of it’s patented muscle growth formula which you could presumably add to your diet. The results, as also pictured in the comic strip, would be that you would now be bigger than the other guy, get the girl, and live happily ever after. And yes, all this was packaged with huge chunks of bubble gum with certainly enough sugar to cause an elephant really nasty weight gain. Just about everything you need to know about the perfect vision of America in the 50’s can be summarized through this ad. Easy to see, it was wrong about nearly everything.
For starters, my wife married me for my brains. I had hoped it was for my sense of humor, but she has none, so that makes sense. If it had been for my body, she got “JIPPED” (another ancient word meaning she suffered a huge disappointment in expectations, it was a thing.) My body went from bone skinny, eat 3 large pan pizza’s at Pizza Hut and not gain an ounce, literally – to – eat water, gain 20 pounds. Look at a candy bar, gain 20 more. You get the idea. Right now I am proud to say I maintain my weight within a 10 pound range, I am considerably less proud to let you know the baseline of my scale before we start talking about the 10 pounds. So why does she continue to stay with me after three plus decades and counting? You could be cynical and say it is for my money. To which, I would fall on the floor laughing, asking what money? Yes I have been a millionaire before, and yes, I have been bankrupt before too. I have had long stints of executive work, and few fairly long stints trying to create my own business that just never got anywhere (turns out I am not a sales man). So if my wife expected me to be rich, or to be a “He” man, she never came close to getting either. So much for why women choose men, and even more a mystery, why they stay with them.
Given how much I love my wife today, you could say that is the reason. You would be right … today. But for as much as I love her now, I have wounded her far greater in those three decades. She swallows her pain, forgives me, moves on, finds herself on her knees with Jesus – and is now living with those answered prayers. Who has the strength to do that? Not men. We throw in the towel the minute the going gets rough. We don’t have the stamina to deal with pain that lasts for years, let alone months, or days. Sure men can gut it out, man up, and face a lot of mess. But most of the mess we face, is the mess we make. To have the iron will to forgive, to choose to forgive, to live without the past clogging your every day of the present – that takes strength. Inner core strength. Not the kind that nets you a six-pack abs, but the kind that nets you answers to prayers you pray for as long as the pain lasts. That is nothing like a “He” man at all.
One part of that ad that was so mistaken, is that the girl does not go home with you because you are bigger than the next guy. If she does, brace yourself, she will be moving on inevitably, because there is always another guy bigger than you. She might just as willingly have gone home with you, when you were the 90lb weakling who put his faith in God, and bases his commitments in the concrete of faith, rather than the strength of will that is defeated in the moment. That kind of strength in commitment, to follow Jesus, not to try to lead Him, is a strength we all need. But I find women have it. Men are still looking for it. Here is a case in point. Matthew records the aftermath of the death of Christ in his gospel in chapter 27. There are almost no men mentioned, one or two at most. Keep in mind Jesus had 12 male followers at the time. One hung himself, so down to eleven. One in extreme grief for letting faith go, when challenged by a mere servant girl, who accused him of nothing more than association with Jesus. Three times he denied that. He is now consumed by shame, not showing an ounce of strength. And he was supposed to be the little rock.
Matthew does not record it, but John the beloved was there through all of this. And Joseph, a member of the Sanhedrin would play a role. But the ones with cast iron faith, were the women. These women risked their own lives, and virtue, just by being at this scene facing all of these cruel men who raped women without even a second thought. It was part of their training, and expected of them when they conquered a people. There was no respect of women. Women were objects at best. They could be bought or sold, raped or forced into marriage, no choices left to them of any kind. This was their lives at the time. Yet their faith in Jesus was so strong, their love for Him so unmutable, that they refused to be anywhere else. Now I ask you, who is the stronger sex? The one who can defeat you at arm wrestling, or the one who can love you when everything else in your life fails, and fails again. These women remained in place with Jesus AFTER He has died. He was dead. No arguing it.
Matthew picks up in verse 55 saying … “And many women were there beholding afar off, which followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering unto him: [verse 56] Among which was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of Zebedee's children.” Notice Matthews carefully chosen wording, he states, “many” women were there watching from afar. Many, is a whole lot more than you can say for the men, down to John, possibly Matthew as he is writing this. How many women does it take to outnumber the 12 minus one? And if they did outnumber the men, are we certain we give the fairer sex its due for being the stronger sex? And look at what Matthew casually weaves into his description of these “many” women. That they ALL ministered unto Jesus, and you can imagine the rest of His followers as well. These women, the many, were all silent disciples already playing a ministering role, that is a supportive role, to the best of their abilities while all the events of Jesus’ life played out. They followed Him. They believed in Him. They were forgiven and set free by Him.
Mary Magdalene probably was forgiven the most by Jesus. Jesus removed demons from her seven times. She was the known prostitute who was prostitute no longer. Mary the mother of James and John, had once asked Jesus for primary positions for her sons. Jesus had to defer those positions to the will of His Father. But she felt comfortable enough with Jesus to make the ask. And Jesus loved her enough to share the Truth with her in His answer. Jesus’ mother was also there. Likely His sisters as well. Then there was Mary and Martha, the sisters of Lazarus who of the women there, likely had the most hope in what would take place. For they had seen the words I am the Resurrection and the Life, play out in the raising of their dead brother Lazarus. Probably also in that crowd was the woman at the well in Samaria, who became the first notable evangelist, converting nearly her entire region by pointing them to Jesus. By contrast was the woman who had hemophilia and merely touched the hem of His garment. No one had ever tried that kind of crazy thing before but it worked. And from then on, everyone lined the roads, doing it as well, and finding the same positive results. These were women of cast iron faith.
They were there because of the Day of Atonement. They had traveled to Jerusalem in part for tradition and in part to see Jesus be crowned king as everyone was sure would happen. But alas, a twist of events brought on by the betrayal of Judas, and the hatred of the men who were religious leaders, and now they were there to witness the object of their divine love up on a Roman cross. And now dead. But these women had what men do not. They were not alone. They drew strength and encouragement from each other, even though their hearts were breaking. Tears flowed, yet strength remained. Jesus was dead, yet still they persisted. Men did not. Men were logical, once death sets in, the story was over. But women were strong enough to peer through the tears and wonder with hope “if” the story was truly over. Mary and Martha had seen it keep going. It is certain they shared that hope with the others.
But to avoid being eaten by dogs, which is what happens to bodies after their crucifixion, logistics must now be made most important. Matthew continues in verse 57 saying … “When the even was come, there came a rich man of Arimathaea, named Joseph, who also himself was Jesus' disciple: [verse 58] He went to Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded the body to be delivered.” Christ would not be eaten by dogs in a mass grave. He would be buried because of the humility and courage of Joseph, who would make no profit from this. Joseph was a member of the Sanhedrin. His money would buy him a certain degree of favor with greedy men. But to align himself with Jesus would make him an immediate outcast with them. Further, Joseph’s act of kindness, would continue to fulfill prophecy, so Joseph would be even less popular with religious leadership now. And Pilate, who could not wash the guilt from his mind and soul, consented knowing it would anger the priests. Pilate being blissfully unaware he too was helping to fulfill prophecy about the burial of Jesus.
Matthew continues in verse 59 saying … “And when Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, [verse 60] And laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock: and he rolled a great stone to the door of the sepulchre, and departed. [verse 61] And there was Mary Magdalene, and the other Mary, sitting over against the sepulchre.” Matthew talks about Joseph wrapping the body of Jesus in a clean linen cloth. But to do that, the body would have to be wiped away of all the blood first. The crown of thorns would have to be removed. The cross taken down, and spikes removed from His hands and feet. Any ropes untied. And hardest of all, His back which had so many chunks of meat removed from it by the cat-of-nine-tails whip with the glass shards tied in the ends would have to be carefully wrapped to try to keep what was left of Jesus in place. Joseph was one man. He likely had servants to help. But the other hands that helped in this horrific process were the hands of the “many” women who were there with tears flowing.
Cast iron faith that can prepare the body of Jesus for burial. They were burying their Messiah. There would be NO Roman overthrow, as all this blood was witness to. Their own persecution was to continue throughout the days of their lives. Lost hope. Lost dreams. Yet still, love demanded they be here, and do what must be done, to give honor and love to their Lord. If you ask me, it is these women who have earned the place on the right and left hands of Jesus in His Kingdom when it comes. They did the hardest work anyone will ever have to do. They did it with broken hearts. And they did it with love, because of love, because love can make cast iron faith in a woman, if she lets it. The body is then carried to a new tomb that has never been used before. Another detail of the prophecy. Jesus is carefully laid inside, and then a large stone is rolled in front as the door. The women are there the entire time. They have seen and helped with every detail.
By contrast, witness the groveling of men at the time. Matthew continues in verse 62 saying … “Now the next day, that followed the day of the preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees came together unto Pilate, [verse 63] Saying, Sir, we remember that that deceiver said, while he was yet alive, After three days I will rise again. [verse 64] Command therefore that the sepulchre be made sure until the third day, lest his disciples come by night, and steal him away, and say unto the people, He is risen from the dead: so the last error shall be worse than the first. [verse 65] Pilate said unto them, Ye have a watch: go your way, make it as sure as ye can. [verse 66] So they went, and made the sepulchre sure, sealing the stone, and setting a watch.” First, Friday the day is over, and Sabbath is here, it will continue until sundown. Priests had made a ton of rules about what can and cannot be done on Sabbath. They include rules about how many steps can be taken, as well as million other harsh and stupid regulations none of them based in any kind of love for God, or man.
Yet against their own statutes the Priests go to Pilate and beg for a Roman seal, and a Roman guard to watch over the dead body of Jesus. Only now do they fear the disciples might regain enough courage to steal the dead body of Jesus and try to make up a lie about it. So Pilate grants them a Centurion, likely the same one who was there at the moment of Christ’s death. But there is more here than may at first meet the eye. Centurion is not just a rank, it is an indicator of how many men are under his command. Chances are good there were a hundred men assigned to this grave guarding duty. After all, it would be a good break from all the other ugly things Roman soldiers are assigned to do. There would be only as many as 12 men in opposition, unarmed men, who generally were fishermen and tax collectors, so the odds would be highly in the Romans favor. Romans would not just send 5 or 6 guys to face 12. They would send 100 to overwhelm 12 should a skirmish take place. And with that many, it would be a cake walk. You could effectively relax for a Saturday and Sunday (the weekend as we know it). Not likely to be fighting. Not likely to be facing anything unusual. Even if Jesus was the Son of God, He was dead now.
But who was there intermingled with these wicked soldiers? Mary Magdelene and the other Mary, sitting against the grave. Mary Magdelene was likely not afraid of men like this. She had seen and serviced her fair share in the past. She may even know some of these men personally. Romans did have coin after all. But neither she nor the other Mary who had always minded her virtue were inclined to forfeit any of it now. They remained heart broken. But somehow unable to leave the scene of the continuing crime. Women with cast iron faith, who even now, had the courage and strength to be in a place long abandoned by male disciples. Those male disciples would not risk getting anywhere near a Roman soldier as they were paranoid and sure they would be arrested and killed just like their Master, maybe even worse. Yet the women who faced the same risk, made entirely different choices. Choices steeped in love. Love that built a cast iron faith, that could not be shaken by Roman cruelty, or Roman steel.
Who then, by far, is the stronger sex? And if we can recognize this, it does not diminish our masculinity. It informs and educates it. We can cloak our masculinity in the same love, that builds the same faith it does in women. Our strength can be measured in our commitments made in the concrete of faith, rather than the quicksand of our will. Our love can be measured as the only yardstick worthy to be used, never again to use the number of pounds we benchpress in a gym. Our bodies to be given in service of others, not the vanity of self. And what will emerge is not a confusion of the sexes, or the roles of our sex, but the unity in which both of us come to the cross, do what must be done, in spite of broken hearts and lost dreams. Yet still in the back of our minds, a nagging hope, of knowing what the words “I am the Resurrection and the Life” mean.
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