EP 20: Influential Women

This week on the podcast, we are going to take a look at four influential and God-honoring women in the New Testament!

Women in the Word: Influential Women

Hello and welcome to the Daughter of Delight podcast! Whether you have been tuning in for a while or you are a new listener, I am so, so glad you are here. If you tuned in last week, we kicked off a fun little series on women in the Word. Last week, we talked about unlikely women in the Old Testament that God chose to use for His sovereign plan. It was such an interesting episode, so if you missed it be sure to check it out! This week, we are going to take a look at four influential women of the Lord in the New Testament. I’m really excited about this one and hope you have come ready to hear some really awesome stories of God-honoring women! 

Review of the Week

As always, though, let’s first take a look at this week’s review of the week. It comes from Flea03 and she says, “I absolutely love this podcast. Just being available to God allows so many doors to be opened. Keep up the amazing work, Elle! God bless!” First of all, I am so grateful and glad you love the podcast, Sister! And secondly, I couldn’t agree more. God will use us when and how He pleases, but it’s such a delight to be able to witness the doors that He opens for us when our eyes are set on Him, or to look back and see the doors that were opened for us when we didn’t even realize it. He is always moving! I’m so grateful you are a part of the Daughter of Delight community, Flea03. Thanks so much for your kind words! If you haven’t left a review for the podcast yet, would you? This is a very special way for us to partner together in helping to spread the news of what God is doing in and through the heart of Daughter of Delight. It would mean more than you know! Really and truly. Okay, let’s hop to the stories of influential women from the New Testament. Today, we will be talking about Lydia, Phoebe, Salome, and the bleeding woman- in exactly that order. So, let’s talk about Lydia!

Influential Women: Lydia

Oh, how I love the story of Lydia. Have you heard of her? Very little is said about her, but let me tell you- there is very much to take away from what we learn about her. We meet Lydia in Acts 16 on Paul’s second missionary journey. In fact, Acts 16 is the only place in Scripture where Lydia’s name is actually mentioned. If you have your Bible, go ahead and open up to Acts 16. Our focus verses for today are verses 11-15, and I will be reading from the ESV translation.

Acts 16:11-15

11 So, setting sail from Troas, we made a direct voyage to Samothrace, and the following day to Neapolis, 12 and from there to Philippi, which is a leading city of the[d] district of Macedonia and a Roman colony. We remained in this city some days. 13 And on the Sabbath day we went outside the gate to the riverside, where we supposed there was a place of prayer, and we sat down and spoke to the women who had come together. 14 One who heard us was a woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple goods, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul. 15 And after she was baptized, and her household as well, she urged us, saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay.” And she prevailed upon us.

What We Know

• She was originally from the city of Thyatira, but at this point in time lived in Philippi. Perhaps her trade is what brought her to Philippi. 
• She sold purple dyes, which her home city of Thyatira was well-known for. The fact that she sold purple dyes implies that she was a successful and wealthy businesswoman. The elite recognition of the color purple comes from the rarity and cost of the dye originally used to produce it. In fact, purple fabric used to be so expensive that only rulers could afford it.
• She was a worshiper of God. When Paul met her, Lydia was honoring the Sabbath which implies that she was Jewish. 
• God used Paul to open Lydia’s heart to the gospel, which resulted in her baptism 
• She desired to be hospitable. I love what she says to the missionaries in verse 15: “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay.” The missionaries judged her well and stayed at her home while they were in Philippi. 

Acts 16:9-10

And here’s a fun fact for you: Lydia’s conversion marks the first person to be saved in Europe. You see, Paul had originally planned to stay in Asia, but in Acts 16:6-10, we read of the Lord giving him the vision to go west to Macedonia. Verses 9-10 of Acts 16 tell us, 9 And a vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man of Macedonia was standing there, urging him and saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” 10 And when Paul[a] had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go on into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.During their travels to Macedonia, Paul and the missionaries stopped in Philippi. While they were there, they met Lydia and God used Paul to open her heart to the good news of the Lord Jesus Christ.

The Divine Dots of Intervention

Are you connecting the divine dots of intervention here, Sis?At the same time God rerouted Paul and friends on their missionary endeavors, He also made sure that Lydia would be in the right place at the right time to encounter them because He had plans to use Paul to open her heart to the good news. This story sums up the words of John 6:44 quite well, where Jesus says, “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them.”Lydia is such a beautiful example of the Lord’s providential care for His own. Let us delight in the truth that He is in every single detail; that He is always with us and at the same time He is always 10,000 steps ahead. Nothing happens outside of His will for us. I can’t imagine the joy that this special group of God’s beloveds shared with one another during their time together. I have no doubt that the joy flowed freely and this special season of life was filled with invaluable and unforgettable memories. Praise God from whom ALL blessings flow! Amen? He works in the most marvelous of all ways! 

Influential Women: Phoebe

Another influential women who is mentioned only once in the Bible is Phoebe. We meet her in the first two verses of Romans 16, which say,I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a deacon[a][b] of the church in Cenchreae. 2 I ask you to receive her in the Lord in a way worthy of his people and to give her any help she may need from you, for she has been the benefactor of many people, including me.Now, these words came from Paul. And, as you just heard, he spoke quite highly of Phoebe.Because Paul opened his letter to the Romans with an introduction of Phoebe, she was probably the one who delivered this letter to them firsthand. Either that, or she accompanied whoever it was that did. 

Phoebe Radiated Christ 

Here’s a fun little fact for you. Phoebe’s name means “pure or radiant as the moon”. From these few verses alone, it is quite obvious that Phoebe was a beacon of light. This had nothing to do with the moon, though. Rather, she was a light of Christ. 

What We Know

Reading these two verses, here is what we know about her:

• She was a deacon of the church in Cenchreae.

The Greek word that Paul uses to call Phoebe a deacon here is diakonos, which translates to servant. Phoebe was known as someone who served the Lord’s church fully and faithfully. She was very well respected and trusted by fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. 

• She was the benefactor of many people, including Paul.

The word ‘benefactor’ simply means helper. Phoebe delighted in being a reflection of Christ by helping those around her. It seems to me as if Phoebe went wherever she was needed, without a second thought about it. The Spirit guided to where she needed to be and who she needed to serve...and that was her ministry. She gave and did what she could with what she had, trusting that God would take care of the rest. 

Do What You Can with What You Have, Right Where You Are

I don’t know about you, but this comforts me greatly. I know I’m not the only one who wears too many hats. And I know I’m not the only one who struggles with feeling like I’m not doing enough, while at the same time feeling like I cannot keep up! It’s a vicious cycle and Phoebe’s story encourages me to be faithful to my Father with my focus. Meaning, instead of allowing myself to fall into the destructive thought pattern of constantly guilting myself while at the same time playing the victim, I simply need to do what I can with what I have and trust God to take care of the rest. I’m just not meant to do everything. None of us are. Let’s focus on letting God have His way in us, right where we are instead of focusing on where we should be and why we aren’t there yet. Let’s focus on receiving His grace in this very moment. His grace will make way for us to cultivate a heart of gratitude to be able to do what we can with what we have, while we’re here. 

Influential Women: Salome

Next up, we have a woman named Salome. There are actually two women in the Word named Salome. One is righteous and the other, well, not so much. You can read more about her in Mark 6. For today’s episode, we are going to talk about the righteous Salome- the follower of Christ. This Salome was the wife of a man named Zebedee and she was also the mother of two of the twelve disciples, James and John. We first meet her in Matthew 20:20-24, where she approached Jesus and requested a favor. It was quite a bold one to say the least! Let’s take a look at it.

Matthew 20:20-24

20 Then the mother of Zebedee’s sons came to Jesus with her sons and, kneeling down, asked a favor of him.21 “What is it you want?” he asked.She said, “Grant that one of these two sons of mine may sit at your right and the other at your left in your kingdom.”22 “You don’t know what you are asking,” Jesus said to them. “Can you drink the cup I am going to drink?”“We can,” they answered.23 Jesus said to them, “You will indeed drink from my cup, but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared by my Father.”24 When the ten heard about this, they were indignant with the two brothers.

The Sister of Mary?

Okay, before we dive in here, I want to point out something to keep in mind. Many scholars believe that Salome was one of Mary’s sisters. If this is true, it means that James and John were the cousins of Jesus. Not only is that super cool to consider, but it’s even better to think about when we read the story of Jesus gathering his disciples in Mark 1. Let’s take a look at verses 19-20 real quick.

Mark 1:19-20

19 And going on a little farther, he saw James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, who were in their boat mending the nets. 20 And immediately he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants and followed him.If James and John were the cousins of Christ, can you imagine what they may have felt when he called them to leave it all behind? I have no doubt that they were especially thrilled and so very ready to follow and serve their cousin, but most importantly, their Savior. Okay, with this in mind, let’s go back to Salome’s favor that she asks of Christ for her two boys. 

Salome's Request

Salome was certain that Jesus was the Son of God. Perhaps she felt like she could make such a request since she had most likely known Jesus his entire life and her boys had spent time with him growing up. Because that’s just what families do, right? So not only was she certain that Jesus was the true Son of God, but she was confident in her sons’ abilities to serve Christ well. She also knew that James and John were deeply loved by Jesus and part of the inner circle among the disciples.  But, as Jesus told her in verse 22, “You do not know what you are asking.” Here is what I especially love about his response to her request: He did not rebuke it. Rather, He corrected it! He was compassionate because he knew that Salome was ignorant of the weight of her words.Jesus goes on to ask James and John if they were prepared to drink the cup of martyrdom and implied that they would share His throne of suffering. And they did- James was the first apostle to be martyred and John was the last.

Salome's Ignorance

The honor that Salome sought after for her sons was one of physical recognition. She did not understand the true cost of Christ because she assumed He was in the process of establishing a physical kingdom. Thus, what she was asking was contrary to God’s story of redemption for the world. She wanted instant glory for her sons. But she would eventually come to learn just how ignorant that request was when she witnessed Christ on the cross and the deaths of her sons. Like Jesus teaches in Matthew 20:25-28, the greatest in the kingdom was not by appointment but by service.However, in losing their lives for the sake of Christ, James and John gained greater honor in heaven than Salome could even imagine. No earthly recognition could compare. Can you imagine the emotions that Salome’s momma heart must have felt after witnessing such a difficult but also beautiful journey that her sons walked alongside Christ? They all played a role in the greatest story of all, and she got to witness so much of it. Such hope this gave her for the true coming of Christ. 

Live Kingdom-Minded 

Although Salome’s request was ignorant, it symbolizes the desire all mothers have for their children: for them to be seen and for them to know that they matter. But these things do not find their fulfillment in anything this world has to offer. What this world offers is only temporary. And that’s not just a lesson for our kids, it’s a lesson for us, too. 

Compassion and Grace

Another lesson to glean from this story is that when we mess up, we are covered by the grace of God because of what the Son of God accomplished for us on the cross. God’s Spirit guides us, convicts us, and prunes us when needed so that we can live Kingdom-minded. Jesus took this opportunity with Salome to compassionately correct her. And He does the same for us.

Influential Women: The Woman with the Issue of Blood

We are going to wrap up today’s episode by talking about one of my favorite stories. The story of the woman with the issue of blood.Scripture does not tell us her name, but it does share two accounts of her, and we are going to take a look at the most detailed one found in Mark 5:25-34. To set the scene for you real quick, Jesus and his disciples were on the way to the house of Jairus, a synagogue leader, to heal his dying daughter, and the woman with the blood issue interrupted him on his way there.Let’s take a look at this woman’s story starting in Mark 5:25.

Mark 5:25-26

 25 And there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years, 26 and who had suffered much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was no better but rather grew worse.This woman bled for 12 years--that's 4,380 days of her life. Verse 26 tells us she tried everything she could and spent all she had in doing so, but it only resulted in her getting worse, not better. She had gone from one failure to the next and was desperate to be healed.Also, something important to note regarding the Jewish law is that excessive blood flow made a woman ceremonially unclean. This means she could not participate in Jewish ceremonies and anything or anyone she touched became unclean. In the eyes of her people, she was untouchable. So, she probably spent 12 years of her life in solitude as she fought to find answers and be healed. Can you imagine?But then she heard news of the power of Christ and tasted hope again! So much so that she traveled 30 miles--yep, 30 miles!--to where He would be in Capernaum. Perhaps, through Him, she could finally be healed. 

Mark 5:27-29

Take a look Mark 5:27-29 with me: 27 She had heard the reports about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his garment. 28 For she said, “If I touch even his garments, I will be made well.” 29 And immediately the flow of blood dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease.This woman was in the crowd pushing her way through until she could touch his garment. This means that each person who bumped into her would have become unclean--including Jesus! Can you sense her desperation here? This woman had suffered for 12 years of her life and she was ready for a miracle only Christ could give. I also love that she was quiet about this. Instead of throwing herself in His wake after traveling 30 miles to see Him, she simply goes up behind Him and touches His garment. Again, by law, her touch would have made him unclean. But by grace, the very opposite happened. Without a word from Jesus, this woman was made whole simply by believing he could heal her—and daring to act on that belief.And then Jesus says something! Let’s take a look starting in verse 30.

Mark 5:30-34

 30 And Jesus, perceiving in himself that power had gone out from him, immediately turned about in the crowd and said, “Who touched my garments?” 31 And his disciples said to him, “You see the crowd pressing around you, and yet you say, ‘Who touched me?’” 32 And he looked around to see who had done it. Jesus immediately sensed what had happened in the moment and stopped to ask who had touched him. On His way to heal the dying daughter of Jairus and in the middle of a crowd that was pushing their way into them, Jesus stopped right then and there in order to figure out who had touched his garment. Let’s look at verses 33-34:33 But the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling and fell down before him and told him the whole truth. 34 And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.

the Woman's Faith Healed Her

Now, at first glance, it appeared as if touching the garment of Christ is what gave the woman the power she needed to be healed. But Jesus took the time to clear up any confusion and clarify the reality of miracles like the woman’s right off the bat. She hadn’t stolen a miracle from Christ. Rather, the woman’s faith is what had healed her. Although the Lord was on His way to heal someone else, He was moved by this woman’s faith and the action that it led her to take. And her faith is what resulted in her miracle. Don’t you just love that?

The Lord Delighted in Her

Now, Jesus could have healed her without stopping in order to get to Jairus’ house on time. Had He done this, only He and the woman would have known what had occurred. Instead, though, He stopped what He was doing and took the time to delight in this woman’s faith and what it resulted in: complete healing! What this woman had spent 12 years searching for took place immediately. I don’t know about you, but I am so encouraged by her faith-fueled determination and what took place as a result of it. 

Faith Leads to Action

This woman didn’t care what other people thought at this point of her journey. I’m sure this was not always the case since she was considered socially unacceptable and probably really struggled with being alone, but none of that mattered to her. What mattered was her faith in Christ’s ability to heal her, and the bold action she took because of her belief in Him. 

Where Man Fails, Christ Succeeds

Where man failed this woman, Christ succeeded. And the same remains true today. We may not find physical healing in this life like the woman with blood issue did, but the most important healing that took place in this story wasn’t her physical healing. It was her spiritual healing. And the same is true for us. Christ is more than enough for us. Spiritual healing brings more freedom than physical healing ever will. And although we may not see physical healing in this life, we will surely see it in the next. Let us boldly approach God’s throne with the same type of faith the woman with the blood issue did. Let us trust that He will supply our every need.

Thank You!

Thanks so much for tuning in to today’s episode on influential women in the Word! I pray that it blessed, and encouraged, and challenged you to love loud and live Kingdom-minded. Next week, we will be wrapping up our short series on women in the Word by taking an in-depth look at the well-known woman of Proverbs 31. I hope that you will choose to join me! In the meantime, go and share the glorious gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. Talk soon, Sis!

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Did you enjoy today's episode on influential women of the New Testament? Check out last week's episode on unlikely women God used for His sovereign plan in the Old Testament here!Looking for more encouragement? Check out our Daily Delight, "Word Over World", right here!