After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb. Matthew 28:1
When we think of people doing extraordinary things in the Bible, we usually think of persons like Moses, Esther, John or Priscilla. Whoever it is, we know who they are. We know what they did. And we’re amazed by their faith and how God used them. They are our heroes.
All of this is understandable, of course. God did use them to do extraordinary things, and we should be grateful for them. However, there is a subtle and unintended downside to this. If we aren’t careful, we might conclude that in order to be of any real value to God’s kingdom, we have to be like one of these heroes. We have to stand out in the crowd and do great things for God. If we don’t, we may conclude that we have disappointed God and been less than we should have been.
The truth, however, is very different. Take the story of the women who went to the tomb who were the first witnesses to the resurrection of Jesus. One of them is simply referred to as the “other Mary.” Thankfully, the other gospels give us some clues as to who this “other Mary” is, but the point still stands. Despite the pivotal role she played in sharing the wonderful news of the resurrection, she is often treated as little more than a footnote in the history of the faith. It’s Peter and John who get all the attention not the other Mary.
A few of us may actually reach the notoriety of some of the famous people we read about in the Bible. Most of us, however, we be like the other Mary or even more like the countless unnamed people in the Bible whose faithfulness served God well. The impact of their lives continues to spread even to our day.
I think of my paternal grandmother, Verna Lee. I never met her. She died in her early 50’s before my parents even met. I have only one picture of her. It’s a fuzzy photo of her and my dad when he was about six years old. I have no letter that she wrote or specific information of what she did in life. But what I do know shows just how extraordinary she was. From my dad’s account of her, my grandma Lee was a wonderful wife, devoted mother and a dedicated follower of Jesus.
Her influence made a profound and positive impact on my dad who in turn impacted my life in so many wonderful ways. I’d like to think that I have passed some of this very same blessing on to my two sons. And now my two grandchildren are benefitting from her legacy. I think that is extraordinary.
You may feel like you’ve not done much with your life. You never made the headlines in the news or achieved any accolades for the things you accomplished. So you’re not like Paul or Mary the mother of Jesus. You’re more like the “other Mary.” You go about your ordinary life doing ordinary things. But despite how ordinary it may seem, your life can still be quite extraordinary when it’s used to impact others with the life of God in you.
Your faithfulness to provide for your family. Your dependability before your children. Your loyalty to your spouse. Your commitment to be a good worker. Your service as a member of a local church. These are the things God uses to impact people in extraordinary ways. And the ripple effect spreads for eternity.
So let me affirm you today – you and all the “other Marys” out there. You matter supremely in the eyes of God. And believe it or not, you matter supremely in the eyes of those who know you and are blessed by every God infused action that flows from your heart. So keep up the ordinary, good things you are doing. For they really are extraordinary.