Grace Congregational UCC

“Those Weeping Widows”
John 10:22-30
Acts 9:36-43

April 29, 2007 - Kim M. Henning

My mother died in August of 1992. Death did not come unexpectedly. She had been diagnosed with cancer on Ash Wednesday. Doctors said that she had six months to live. August was the sixth month.

The day that my mother died, our family spent the afternoon together. Friends from church stopped over to express their condolences. We reminisced. We ate supper together and then one by one we took leave.

As I remember, the departure was the hardest part of the day. When we drove away from my parent’s home, Dad stood on the porch to wave good-bye as my Dad and Mom had always stood on the porch to wave good-bye. At that moment the realization took hold that Dad was now officially a widower. A new word entered our vocabulary. Widower. Mostly it hurt. Instead of two waving good-bye, there was now one. Instead of two passing the telephone back and forth when I would call on a Saturday evening, now it was just him alone. A widower.

We just read a story in the Bible about some widows. A beloved member of the church, Dorcas, had died—and some widows gather together to grieve her death. Dorcas was her Greek name. In the vernacular language of the community--Aramaic– she was known as Tabitha. That’s a beautiful name, isn’t it----Tabitha.

Tabitha died......and who should publicly her death but this community of widows. I’m not surprised. Each of those women had been to the cemetery once already in their lives. How could they ever again avoid the suffering of another human being? They’ve been there. They know how it hurts. They know how much one grieving person needs a second grieving person. They know—whether one’s rich or whether one’s poor; whether one’s famous or whether one’s not—the least we can do is to ‘be there.’

It is like.....that story in Sports Illustrated this week. A cross-country truck driver suffers an inordinate amount of grief since his 19 year old son–had been killed in an automobile accident. All he can think about, driving down the road, is his son’s death. When Sports Illustrated ran a special edition recognizing young promising athletes, this truck driver submitted the name of his son who had been an outstanding golfer. Sports Illustrated wrote just a short paragraph. And who should contact that truck driver by cell phone—on the road––but Tony Dungy, the coach of the Indianapolis Colts. Still grieving the death of his own son, Dungy contacted this father, this truck driver. They exchange cell phone number, and they occasionally call each other. One grieving father speaks to a second grieving father. How could they not?

These widows in today’s Bible story are the public grievers. Call them weeping widows. They know death hurts, and they weep. Isn’t that a beautiful gift for one human being to give to a second human being: tears?

And they’re not just going through the motions, either. When they widows weep today—they’re really weeping because as they story is told Tabitha’s death represents a huge loss to that community. Tabitha was not just another person passing along life’s way—Tabitha was renown, Tabitha was well-know for her good works and acts of charity. Her life made a difference. Her life increased the quality of life for others.

She appears to have been something like Dorothy Day, or maybe Harriet Tubman, or maybe Mother Teresa. Everyone knew Tabitha because of her good works and acts of charity. And when a human being like that dies—there is just this gaping hole in everyone’s heart.

Let’s talk about Tabitha—what little we know about her. I think if Tabitha walked into this room, the most striking thing about her would be the spirit of her personality. A person known for ‘good works and acts of charity’ was one whose spirit livened the community. Good morning. I’m so glad you’re here. She’s like my next door neighbor—who frequently appears on our doorstep with a loaf of bread or crescent rolls. She’s like that person....who never misses a CROP Walk for hunger and when she could not longer walk is on the telephone, ‘Can I support you?’ Tabitha’s like that person....who is always at Cooks Corner in December hour after hour ringing the bell for the Salvation Army. “Merry Christmas. Merry Christmas.” Someone has written, “When you were born, you were crying and everyone around you was smiling. Live your life so that when you die, you’re the one who is smiling and everyone around you is crying.” That is what is happening when Tabitha died.

She was devoted to good works and acts of charity. Talk about a life ‘well-lived.’ Those widows are grieving her death because Tabitha had somehow learned to get out of herself in order to bless the lives of others. That, in a nutshell, is what it means to be Christian. We give because Christ gives. We love because Christ loves. We sacrifice because Christ sacrificed. We anticipate the needs of others because Christ anticipated the needs of others. Christians....by virtue of baptism.....have this Jesus DNA inside them.

Not only that. Did you hear the opening line of this morning’s story? “Now in Joppa there was a disciple whose name was Tabitha.......” Does it jump? Did you catch it? There was a ....... disciple....... Tabitha is breaking ground. Tabitha is the only female in the Bible who is identified as a disciple. Her good words, her charity—put her alongside Thomas, Andrew, James, John, and the others. No wonder those widows are weeping. You don’t just confirm a young person into the Christian faith and replace a Tabitha.

When Tabitha dies, they wash her body and they laid her in a room upstairs. Using funeral home jargon, she is ‘laid-out’ and the disciples propose that Peter be summoned. The story does not allow us to read anything more into the summons of Peter. The Christian Community is suffering, Peter is called. And who should greet Peter but those widows who are weeping.

We don’t know if Peter knew Tabitha, but in short order they tell Peter. They show Peter the tunics Tabitha had made. They show Peter the clothing Tabitha had made. One piece of clothing after another piece of clothing......caressing it with their hands, they cannot help but weep—thinking reminiscing, remembering....

These were not family members grieving the death of a grandmother. These were not family members grieving the death of a mom. These were common Christians grieving the death of one who was devoted to good works and acts of charity.

I’d be interested to hear how you understand the conclusion of this story. The conclusion is almost anti-climatic—and I don’t think it was intended to be that way. The story concludes with the entry of Peter. Peter kneels beside her body. He prayed. Then he turned to the body and said, ‘Tabitha, get up.’ And she got up. Then he showed her to be alive to all the saints and widows. It was a resurrection in this season of resurrection.

But the truth be known, Tabitha will die again. Tabitha is mortal. Like you. Like me. She will die. Because this body was not meant for immortality. Perhaps her faith will be a bit stronger, having passed from this life, to life eternal. Perhaps the faith of that early church will be a bit stronger, having seen one who has passed from this life to life eternal and then back again. But for now, she will continue with her good works and acts of charity.

And we....we will continue.....our processions to the cemetery. That is how life ends....weeping. But you and I have this hope..... Because we have a story, another story of Jesus who on Good Friday was put to death, and on Easter was resurrected. On Easter, there were women weeping also.. And when Jesus appears to them he says, ‘do not be afraid.’

Jesus, the resurrected one, reminds us that you and I are not alone. Jesus, the resurrected one reminds us that death is conquered, eternity is already happening....