John 15:4-5 “Remain in me, as I remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. I m the true vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”
There are many who say they follow Jesus of Nazareth but few who are disciples. This may sound strange but the words of John 15:4-5 are clear. The disciple is intimately connected with Jesus of Nazareth and therefore bears much fruit. The disciple just doesn’t know Jesus as dictated by the institutions of church and state. As an image manufactured to support the norms of society, they know Jesus for themselves. It is because they know Jesus of Nazareth for themselves, the one who broke the norms of society, that the soul of the disciple is nourished.
Many of the disciples of Jesus were women such as Mary Magdalene, Martha, and the Samaritan Woman at the well, who, in their time broke societal norms. Women were in ministry with Jesus of Nazareth. They were the disciples who met Jesus after he had risen from the dead. They were that disciple who bore much good fruit. They were the disciples even the leaders who were at his state execution.
As we celebrate International Women’s Day we remember today’s women disciples, who, like Mary, Martha and the Samaritan Women at the Well, have a tenacious faith, who continue to stand up, break norms and celebrate women from all walks of life.
