In our last study, we looked at four of the unnamed women of the New Testament. Each represents an example to enrich our lives in service to God. Today, we will look at three more women who show remarkable faith.

The first is the woman at the well in Samaria. We find this story in John 4 as Jesus has left Judea and travelled to Galilee. He and His disciples stopped at Jacob’s well in the land of Samaria. The disciples left to go into the city to find food, and they left Jesus alone. A woman came to draw water, and Jesus entered into a conversation with her. She was surprised that a Jewish man would even speak to a Samaritan, much less a Samaritan woman.

Jesus used this opportunity to talk to her about her adulterous life, having had five husbands and now living with another man who was not her husband. He shared with her the coming of the kingdom (the church) and His instructions about worship. “God is a spirit, and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.”

When the disciples returned, she ran into the city and told everyone that would listen about the man that told her everything she had ever done. They responded by rushing to the well, begging Him to return to the city with them. Many of them believed, and Jesus stayed with them for two days.

John later records the story of the woman caught in adultery. John 8 reveals that the Lord had been sitting in the temple teaching the people. The scribes and the Pharisees brought in a woman they said who had caught in the act of adultery. They showed off their knowledge of the Law by telling Jesus that she should be put to death. They were trying to put Jesus in an impossible situation. If He said to let her go, they could say He was violating the Law. If He said to stone her, everything He stood for would be in jeopardy. As usual, Jesus didn’t say either yes or no. He simply dropped to the ground and wrote in the dirt. Finally, He gave the matter over to them. He said, “He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.” They were convicted in their own accusations. No one is without sin, and they had no choice but to disappear. One by one they left, leaving the woman standing alone.

Jesus did not condone the woman’s sin. He told her to “Go, and sin no more.” It was her choice. She could continue in this lifestyle or make a change.
Mark 12 presents a story of a woman that needed no healing, had not suffered a personal loss, or was guilty of adultery. She was, however, a poor widow. Jesus sat in front of the place where the Jews put their contributions. He could see as one by one they approached where the money was placed. These were likely voluntary contributions toward the incense and the sacrifices.

From Jesus’ vantage point, He could observe the number of coins the Jews placed in the contribution. Scripture says, “Many rich people put in large sums.” Among the contributors was a poor widow who dropped in two small copper coins. It appears that Jesus had made no comment so far; but when He saw the widow place her money in the collection, He said, “Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the offering box. For they contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.”

There is no record that any comment was made either by the Jews or by Jesus’ disciples. His statement said it all.

There are lessons to be learned in these stories, lessons that will fill our lives with right attitudes and righteous living. Though we may not be guilty of adultery or ever live in poverty, these women represent all women.

The woman at the well seemed to be isolated from the other women because she came to the well at a time when other women were not there. She extended herself to give a drink to a man she did not know, one who by the fact that He was a Jew should have sent her running back into the city. She ventured into a conversation with Him and learned some valuable lessons. She acknowledged her sin, enthusiastically affirmed Him to the whole city, and watched while her neighbors accepted this Jewish man and His teachings. We learn from her not to be afraid of someone who is different, and we learn from Jesus to accept people where they are.

The woman caught in adultery was a victim of the Jewish rulers trying to trick Jesus. They were not so concerned with her adultery as putting Jesus in an awkward position. Her sin was real, and Jesus did not ignore it; but there was also sin on the part of the rulers. We need to acknowledge our own sin before we condemn others. We need to condemn the sin, not the person. Jesus also teaches us through this woman that we don’t always need to be on the defensive. Sometimes it is enough to keep silent, consider the situation, and let the truth find its own way.

The poor widow is not about us giving everything we have in the bank to the church. It is about giving from the heart, not to be seen of men, but because we love God and want to obey Him. In her poverty, she still went to the temple; she still participated in her responsibility to give; and she did not use her poverty as an excuse.

May God help us to learn these lessons from these unnamed women of the Bible.

Sandra Oliver