Today, March 29, is very precious to me. It was on this exact date in 1970 that I preached my first sermon after surrendering to the call of God on my life, thirty-two years ago. It was Easter. I’ll never forget the symbolism of it all: resurrection, new life, and on that day, the rest of my life given in full time service for the Risen King.
Thirty-two years later finds me getting ready for Easter. In the midst of getting ready for Easter, I was informed that today, Good Friday, is also Faye Townsend’s eighty-sixth birthday. Grandma Pope and Mrs. Esther Havey met me at the home where Mrs. Townsend is staying and we celebrated her birthday.
As I stood there surrounded by three outstanding ladies of faith, I raced back to the cross of our Lord who, when most of the men had forsaken Him, was surrounded by dedicated ladies. John 19:25 reads, “Now there stood by the cross of Jesus his mother, and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene.” There they were faithful until the end. When the men had promised to be there until the end, they did not all make it, but we see women standing ground. Notice the wording, “Now there stood by the cross of Jesus….” Christian women know how to stand in the “now.” When the battle is raging and after the smoke clears, there they are: “And when Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and laid it in his own new tomb. And there was Mary Magdalene, and the other Mary, sitting over against the sepulchre” (Matt. 27:59a, 61).
Allow me a few minutes of your time to talk about the good women of Good Friday, 2002. First of all, we concur with the Scripture that says, “They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one” (Romans 3:12). We also concur with the Scripture that says of Barnabas, “For he was a good man, and full of the Holy Ghost and of faith: and much people was added unto the Lord” (Acts 11:24). The secret to being good is that in and of ourselves we cannot be; we can when we are full of God and He is controlling our lives; then we can operate in His imputed goodness. Please observe:
I. A Good Woman Standing In Habit. I am referring to my mother, Evelyn Pope. Although time has taken her husband and impacted her lifestyle, we find old habits are hard to break. For her entire adult life she has done the duty of a missionary’s wife. One of the duties was to help Dad with the visits. Dad was into church planting, so when he started a church from ground level, he did not have the blessing of always having an associate. Because he spent most of his life starting churches, he rarely had the needed help of other men. There was one person he did have whenever he moved on to a new field – he had Mom. God was good to give them a girl first. My older sister Judy would help chorale two rambunctious boys while Mom was out in the field with Dad.
The years have come and gone. Mother is not as able to keep up the pace she used to, but when God affords her the opportunity, she jumps at the chance. Well, maybe she doesn’t jump like she used to, but she can still rise to the occasion and walk to the opportunity. As we stood by Mrs. Townsend, Mom was rattling away, giving the “spiel.” It’s like she goes into automatic drive. I can hear her from my youth, “Hello dear, my husband and I are burdened for you and wanted to come pay you a visit. By the way we have something for you….” I can hear her speech interspersed with “bless your heart,” “God loves you,” and “we’re praying for you.”
The Bible says, “The aged women likewise, that they be in behavior as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things” (Titus 2:3). In the Bible days, they did not have refrigeration, so in case some of the fruit of the vine began to age to the point of mild intoxication, God is warning the aged women, don’t drink too much, in case it holds the qualities of intoxication and you become out of control. As age begins to take your closest friends, it could be easy to desire an escape from this world, so God says, “Don’t bale out!” He is saying, “Keep your stance and teach others to stand in the gap, as one generation passes and another takes their place.” “Now also when I am old and grayheaded, O God, forsake me not; until I have shewed thy strength unto this generation, and thy power to every one that is to come” (Psalm 71:18).
II. A Good Woman Standing in Health. Esther Havey bears the name of a biblical queen, just as royal, just as good. As she was whirling around, setting everything up for Sister Faye, I was marveling at her energy and good health. My mind went back to a visit in the hospital, when after having just undergone serious cancer surgery, Mrs. Havey had a smile on her face, betraying the dizzying pain of all she was going through. Some of you are familiar with the jargon that goes with this kind of surgery, such as, “Did they get it all; what’s the next step: chemotherapy or radiation or both?” Well, we heard all that too as the husband and love of her life, Al, stood by holding her hand, praying the prayer of faith. What a testimony of love Christians have; the bond is permanent!
Now her majesty, Mrs. Havey, was bearing witness to the goodness of God years later – the healed helping the sick. When one has a reprieve on life, they look at the remainder as a mission granted to them by Almighty God. Wouldn’t Mr. Chairman be a mess if not for Queen Esther? “... for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God” (Psalm 42:11).
III. A Good Woman Standing in Heart. Most of you probably know that for the past few years, Faye Townsend has eclipsed into Alzheimer’s. I remember the visits we had, especially after Tom passed away and she began her “long good-bye” to this old world.
When we saw her this past Good Friday, she was not able to stand. She had lost considerable weight, and the last couple of years had not been as kind as we would prefer. It was a joy to visit with her again. Though some of the things we said didn’t ring any bells, every now and then we would say something that would strike a chord. Mrs. Havey suggested that I give her a Happy Birthday greeting such as Tom used to give everyone on the church roll, and her eyes sparkled and she smiled. On a few other notes her countenance lifted.
In my mind, I see her in her wheelchair, but in her good heart, she is still standing for her faith and those she loved. As this world fades from her view, there is something that most people in our church did not know about Faye. When she was a young mother (and what an excellent mother) she gave birth to a little girl who was greatly afflicted and died young. Although the little girl’s years were short on this earth, there was a deep pain in Faye’s heart that she shall take to her grave. I remember several years ago mentioning her name and there at the dinner table she broke down. Another time upon the mention of her name, Faye had to leave the room. What love a mother shares for her child! But she’ll see her soon!
As our Lord hung upon the cross, there was Mary. Remember the prophecy of Simeon, “Yea, a sword shall pierce through thy own soul also, that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed” (Luke 2: 35).
Now Faye sits in her greatly disabled state, faithful in love to her God and her family, sitting down, but standing up in her heart – a good woman who gave her all! If you ever meet her son, Milton, you will see that same smile and hear, although in a man’s voice, the same sweetness that is still in Faye. I had to bend down to hear her faint voice, but the sweetness is still there.
Thank God for the good women of Good Friday! God looked through the council halls of eternity and when Calvary was in the making, I hear the voice of our Father inquiring, “And who shall be with my Son when He must die?” I can imagine the Father declaring to the archangel nearby, “When I must turn my back, make sure these ladies are there.”
These were the ones with Jesus as He died, the good ladies of good Friday. You know, they are still here.
-Pastor Pope-