"Serving in the Shadows" COPY
Mt. 8:14-15
"When Jesus came into Peter’s house, he saw Peter’s mother-in-law lying in bed with a fever. He touched her hand and the fever left her, and she got up and began to wait on him."
(Also found in Mk. 1 and Lk. 4 - Mk. 1:29-31, As soon as they left the synagogue, they went with James and John to the home of Simon and Andrew. Simon’s mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they told Jesus about her. So he went to her, took her hand and helped her up. The fever left her and she began to wait on them. Lk. 4:38-39, Jesus left the synagogue and went to the home of Simon. Now Simon’s mother-in-law was suffering from a high fever, and they asked Jesus to help her. So he bent over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her. She got up at once and began to wait on them.)
1 Cor. 9:5
"Don’t we have the right to take a believing wife along with us, as do the other apostles and the Lord’s brothers and Cephas ?"
Intro:
Through the years I have often thought, as I am sure you have, of the influence wives have on their husbands. The old saying, ‘the hand that rocks the cradle rules the world’ is usually used in reference to mothers. But I don’t have to tell you that she also has a powerful, persuasive influence with her husband!
I have read quite a bit on the life of Abraham Lincoln. And it seems to be common consensus that had he not wed Mary Todd, he probably would not have become our 16th president. Her influence and ambition seem to have pushed him toward the presidency.
The Scriptures are also quite telling in regards to the influence a wife has with her husband. It’s not fair to only use the example of Eve, because although her influence was tremendous, it was negative.
But there are other wives in the Bible whose persuasions were brought to bear on their husbands.
Sarah had great influence with Abraham. We have often heard reference made to Peter’s statement that Sarah called Abraham "lord." But remember how persuasive she could be with her "lord."
And who can forget the wonderful way that beautiful, young Esther swayed her husband even though he was a powerful king? Her influence had an affect on the Persian empire and it saved her own people from extermination.
We even read that Pilate’s wife tried to influence her husband’s decision on the day of Jesus’ trial. Matthew says she, "... sent him this message: ‘Don’t have anything to do with that innocent man, for I have suffered a great deal today in a dream because of him.’" (Mt. 27:19)
But the woman I want to speak to you about Peter’s wife. The two passages we read earlier are the only references made to Peter’s wife in the New Testament. And they are so vague and sketchy that I call them "almost references" or "nearly references." Yet even with so little information, this first-century preacher’s wife offers a few lessons from which we may learn. I believe her nearly silent witness will be an encouragement to those of us who minister in circumstances similar to hers in the 21st century.
SERVING IN OBSCURITY
Notice first of all that she served in the shadow of obscurity.
Peter’s wife - I call her Mrs. Simon- (or, if you prefer, Mrs. Bar- Jonah, Mrs. Cephas, Mrs. Peter) lived in Capernaum, a city located on the Northwestern shore of the sea of Galilee. And although Capernaum is always referred to as a city in the New Testament, it doesn’t seem to have been a very large city. The city of Capernaum could boast a tax booth (which was for a time monitored by Matthew), it housed a regiment of Roman soldiers, and a synagogue. If Mrs. Simon’s home was like most of the houses in Capernaum, it would have been built of black basalt - a kind of dense, volcanic rock. And some of you thought your parsonage was hard to decorate!
(Though the houses in Capernaum were built of black basalt, the synagogue, which was built by a centurion of king Herod Antipas, was built of white marble. It was in the synagogue of Capernaum that Jesus preached His sermon on the Bread of Life in John 6.)
Maybe you noticed that the description I’ve given of Capernaum is not too different from the sort of description that could be given of the towns where many of you live. It sounds like any number of small places in rural or suburban America. We might say, "Our town has a post office, a National Guard armory, and a little white church on main street."
The average Assemblies of God pastor’s wife serves in a congregation of 100 or less and lives in less than a metropolis. It seems the majority of us live in out-of-the-way places. We don’t receive many visitors into our homes who "just happened to be in the neighborhood." Most of our guests are those who are passing through - or passing by. Either that or they have come out of their way especially to see us. That’s because people don’t usually come to most of our towns for something. They drive past our towns to get to the places that they believe "have something to offer."
Peter’s wife, like many of you, served in the shadow of obscurity.
SERVING IN ANONYMITY
The second observation I would like to make is that she also served in the shadow of anonymity. She serves in obscurity. And she serves in anonymity.
Her name isn’t even given in the Scriptures. In fact, she isn’t ever personally mentioned in the Bible. Not outright. The closest the Bible comes to making mention of her are the story of her mother’s healing and Paul’s question about the right to take a believing wife on ministry trips.
In this matter of anonymity it would seem from the story in the Gospels that Peter’s wife is even out-staged by her own mother. Her mother is given a clear mention in the Scriptures, yet she isn’t. Mom makes a brief appearance in one of the healing stories of Jesus in the Gospels. But nothing is said of her. In fact, at this point in the New Testament - when this story is told, we would not even know that Peter’s wife existed were it not for the phrase, "Peter’s mother-in-law" from which we infer that he must have been married. It’s the familiar cliche’ "pastors’ mother-in-law," rather than "Priscilla’s mother." (Or whatever her name might have been.)
Mrs. Simon served in the shadow of an illustrious husband. Simon Peter often appears in the Gospels as the spokesman for the disciples. We can find plenty of material about Peter. He is hot-headed. He is impatient and impetuous. He is vocal. And at times a bit uncouth. A bit rough around the edges. But there is no such information about his wife. She can only be referred to as "Peter’s wife." Which prompts me to ask a question of you ladies.
How many times have you been introduced as "our pastor’s wife?" Sometimes it seems the standard introduction for a couple in the ministry is, "This is Bro. So-and-so and his wife." Let me encourage you to remember this when you have an opportunity to introduce a ministry couple. Give both their names - his and hers. Then, if an explanation is needed, include a side note, "Bro. and Sis. So-and-so pastor 1st Assembly in such-and-such a town."
Last summer I had a fun opportunity to turn this shadow-of-the-spouse identity role around. One day when we were helping work on the motel at Fa-Ho-Lo I walked through the lobby. One of the women behind the desk had seen me pass through a few times and couldn’t place me. So she asked who I was. My wife has worked with the District Women’s Ministry for the past several years. And because of her work with the WM’s many of the ladies across the District are acquainted with her. So I playfully answered, "I’m Patti’s husband." It was an opportunity for me to step into the shadow of my wife’s identity.
Peter’s wife was familiar with the shadow of anonymity.
SERVING TOGETHER
I want to glean one more point from Paul’s mention of Mrs. Simon accompanying her husband on his travels. It is a small one, but I think it’s significant. The healing of Peter’s mother-in-law took place in the first year of Jesus’ ministry - somewhere between A.D. 27 and 30. Paul probably wrote First Corinthians in the mid-50’s. A quarter of a century or more separates these two accounts in the Scriptures. And yet we read that Peter still takes his wife with him on his jaunts around the country.
It isn’t always easy, nor is it always convenient to travel as a couple. It wasn’t in the first century, nor is it in the 21st century. The old saying is, "he who travels fastest, goes alone." We might amend it to also read, "he who travels cheapest goes alone." One person traveling is cheaper than two. Motels often advertise their singles rates and attach a small fee for each additional occupant. But it seems that Peter thought the advantages of having his wife along with him outweighed the disadvantages.
There were risks involved in traveling as a team. First century road hazards included things like bandits. Remember the traveler, in Jesus’ story of the good Samaritan, who fell among the thieves? And there was the frequent persecution of the Christian evangelists. Whether by Jews of the synagogues or pagans of the temples, the lives of Christian ministers have often been made difficult by those to whom they minister.
Mrs. Simon must have been a help and a comfort to her husband on their journeys. She was an encouragement to him. Otherwise, had the tension been too great between them, he may have found it easier to have gone solo. But instead he took her along with him. Despite the dangers, despite the expenses, and despite the inconveniences she must have made his trips a little less taxing than they would have been without her along. They were serving the Lord together.
Peter’s wife served along with her husband.
Close:
The application of all this is quite simple.
You may serve with your husband in the shadows of obscurity and anonymity but yours is not a role of insignificance. Back-woods and back-stage do not mean back-seat in the matter of Kingdom importance. Your name may not be recognized far and wide but your influence is felt where it is needed. The name of your town may not be readily recognized - even by others in your District - but you render untold services to the Lord as you serve along with your husband at his side.
Mrs. Simon must have endured many hardships through the years as she joined her husband on his travels. We aren’t told what they were, nor how many there were, but we know they faced them in the first century - just as we do in the 21st century. And we can be fairly certain her presence was a source of comfort and strength to her husband Peter. Her influence was a blessing and an encouragement to him.
Along with your husband, you have faced the hardships, and inconveniences, and the expenses of ministry. And, at times, your lives have been made difficult by those to whom you have ministered. You have drawn from your husband’s strength, and he has drawn from yours. The Lord, in His providence, and mercy, and grace, has placed the two of you together in the ministries to which He has called you. Together you are an enduring team. Press on!
I’d like to close by reading a poem that says much of what I have tried to say in my sermon. It is a piece called "The Pastor’s Wife." Unfortunately I don’t know the author as the only copy I have is unnamed. But I think you will identify with its message.
The Pastor’s Wife
There is one person in our church
Who knows our pastor’s life,
Who weeps and smiles and prays with him -
And that’s our pastor’s wife.
The crowd had seen him in his strength
When wielding God’s sharp sword,
As underneath God’s banner folds,
He faced the Devil’s horde.
But deep within her she knows
That scarce an hour before,
She helped him pray the glory down
Behind the closet door.
She’s heard him groaning in his soul,
When bitter raged the strife,
As hand in hand she knelt with him,
For she’s the pastor’s wife.
You tell your tales of prophets brave,
Who marched across the world
And changed the course of history
By burning words they hurled.
And I will tell how back of each
Some woman lived her life;
Who wept with him and smiled with him,
She was the pastor’s wife.
God bless you ladies.
God bless the pastor’s wife!
