 In the Name of  much more beautiful. I know two women who are named after this very GODLY ENCOURAGEMENT FROM Dorcas—both women are delightful reminders of this wonderful follower of Do you know what we need for today’s Jesus in our text. sermon? We need a sermon text that reminds us of Jesus’ , It used to be that most churches had because we’re still in the Easter season. women’s organizations like our Ladies We also need a text that ties in with Aid. Many still do. Some of these Mother’s Day, because this is the women’s organizations have interesting second Sunday in May. And we need names. For example, the women’s encouragement for our daily walk with group at a named “King of Jesus, our Savior from sin. The Lord Kings” was called “Daughters of the has provided just what we need. King.” At Faith Lutheran Church it was “Women of Faith.” When I was Let me introduce you to a remarkable growing up my mother joined the follower of Jesus. Her story appears in “Mary Circle”: this name 36 . In the town of Joppa there reminded them of the sisters of Lazarus: was a named Tabitha (which, Mary who put ‘listening to Jesus’ above when translated, is Dorcas), who was housework, and Martha who threw always doing good and helping the herself into chores so she could provide poor. Dorcas. Just saying her name room and board to her Lord Jesus. In a can bring a smile to many faces, and not few of our churches the women wanted necessarily for the right reasons. Her their group named after the faithful and name, Dorcas, is not related to the mean kind woman in our text. So they called label “dork”—you know, someone who themselves the “Dorcas Society.” In the looks odd or uncool, a term which was Dorcas was always doing good apparently coined only 60 years ago, and helping the poor—just what Jesus and meant something else at first. wants all his followers to do. “Dorcas” is the Greek version of her name. The Jews who interacted with We don’t know if this Dorcas was her locally in Joppa probably called her single, married, or widowed, and that’s “Tabitha,” the version of her probably good because then everyone name. In English we would call her can identify with her. We don’t know if “Gazelle,” you know, those graceful she had any children of her own, but she deer from other continents we see sure was like a mother to many. Dorcas running and leaping in videos. cared for people. She was the kind of Suddenly the name Dorcas seems so strong woman repeatedly held up in the

09 May 2021 Easter 6- B Acts 9:36-42 S-1721.1387 St John Lake City Pastor N Cordes Page 1 Bible as virtuous, God-pleasing, you. Then you will be ready to give a someone to emulate, a cheerful servant, nice donation for our Last Sunday highly respected. Dorcas was a kind of Offerings in January and in June when everyday heroine, the kind of woman we gather funds for helping those in found managing so many homes in so need locally, or for helping those who many places during so many centuries experience a tragedy like the recent of human existence. Usually called earthquakes and flooding. “Mom” or “Grandma,” their names were probably known only to their The Bible describes Dorcas as “always families and their neighbors—and most doing good.” Peter uses this same importantly to the Lord who redeemed phrase in :38 to describe the them from all sin. God knew we would earthly ministry of Jesus! So Dorcas need people in our lives as caring and was like Jesus. And why not? He compassionate as he himself is. Dorcas loved her enough to die on the cross for was the kind of woman people would her, redeeming her from all sin. And want as their mom, the kind of person then he was alive, watching over her many a Christian mother has tried to be from heaven, preparing a place for her, like. and protecting her from harm. Dorcas knew that Jesus wanted her to witness We don’t know if Dorcas was a woman about him. She did so by her actions, of means and this was why she could be and maybe also by her words. so generous, or if she was just average and intentionally lived on less so she But then sadness happened. 37About could be generous. Either way she was that time she became sick and died, and 36“always helping the poor.” The Holy her body was washed and placed in an Spirit had worked in her the spiritual upstairs room. Normally Jews were gifts of generosity and showing mercy. buried on the same day as they died. So She decided that she had enough to feed why put her body in an upstairs room? and clothe herself, and some to spare We’re not sure. Maybe they were for others. What a great example! We trying to show that her soul was now are all people of means here. I’m not way up there with Jesus. Maybe, while saying we’re in the top 10% or even the she was sick and dying, they already top 50%. But all of us have enough to had planned to do what we hear about take care of our own needs and some to next. spare for others—thanks be to God! I encourage you to set aside one dollar The town of 38Lydda was near Joppa, for those in need from every 100 only 10 to 12 miles away. You could dollars of income the Lord provides walk there in three to four hours. Why

09 May 2021 Easter 6- B Acts 9:36-42 S-1721.1387 St John Lake City Pastor N Cordes Page 2 is this important? In the verses before that one of the widows showed Peter the our text begins, we learn that Peter was garments she was right then wearing on allowed to heal a man in Lydda who her body? “Dorcas made me this had been paralyzed for eight years. So garment, the kind that everyone wears when the disciples in Joppa with Dorcas close to their body. She made me this heard that Peter was in Lydda, they sent outer garment that everyone wears to two men to him and urged him, “Please protect themselves from the sun and come at once!” Why ask Peter to come from the cold.” And then the next at once? Did they want Peter to preach widow showed Peter the garments the good news to all the mourners at Dorcas gave her. And then the next Dorcas’ funeral? “Peter, tell us about widow, and the next, until they had all how Jesus rose from the dead, and how demonstrated how Dorcas had poured he promised to raise everyone from the her love into actions that they could dead on the Last Day, and how he will wear. See how much they all loved and give eternal life to all believers. We lost appreciated and respected Dorcas? See our loved one, and we want to be how grateful to God they were for her? reminded that we will see her again.” Was that it? Or did they hope that Peter 40Peter sent them all out of the room, would ask Jesus to raise Dorcas from just like when Jesus was about to raise the dead that same day? the daughter of Jairus. Peter had also been present when Jesus raised two We don’t know, but they asked Peter to other dead people, as reported in the come. 39Peter went with them, and . Jesus didn’t raise all the dead when he arrived, after a three to four he encountered—only three of them. hour walk back to Joppa, he was taken Was Jesus willing to raise Dorcas from upstairs to the room. All the widows the dead today? Peter was about to find stood around him, crying and showing out. him the robes and other clothing that Dorcas had made while she was still 40Then he got down on his knees and with them. prayed. Peter knew where the power would come from to raise the dead— How do you picture this scene? I used from God, not from him. After saying to imagine the widows standing by a his prayers, turning toward the dead pile of garments that Dorcas had woman, he said, “Tabitha, get up.” already made but had not yet Notice that Peter uses her Aramaic distributed, holding up one garment name. Did he speak to her in Aramaic? after another as they worked their way We don’t know. But if he did, his down the pile. But it’s also possible words sounded almost like the words

09 May 2021 Easter 6- B Acts 9:36-42 S-1721.1387 St John Lake City Pastor N Cordes Page 3 that Jesus had spoken to Jairus’ believed in the Lord. That’s what daughter? Remember what Jesus had miracles do. They are like signs, said? “Talitha koum!” which means, pointing to the Lord, the one who loved “Little girl, I say to you, get up” (Mark us enough to create us and sustain us, 5:41). In Aramaic Peter’s words would the one who redeemed us by his blood, have sounded just like “Talitha koum.” the one who made us spiritually alive so Only one letter different: “Tabitha we can serve. Miracles say, “You can koum,” which means, “Tabitha, I say to trust Jesus for everything, even eternal you, get up.” life. Listen to Jesus.”

It was indeed God’s will to restore life What better way to celebrate Mother’s to Dorcas’ dead body that day. She Day than to glorify God by becoming opened her eyes, and seeing Peter she more and more like Dorcas! It doesn’t sat up. 41He took her by the hand and matter if you’re female or male—we helped her to her feet. Then he called can all serve by doing good and helping the believers and the widows and the poor. Let’s help as believers in presented her to them alive. Wouldn’t Jesus our Redeemer. Let’s think about it have been great to celebrate Dorcas’ what Jesus’s death and his resurrection resurrection and God’s power with the mean, and let’s show their meaning in believers in Joppa that day? how we live, just like Dorcas: compassionate, busy for the Lord, Wouldn’t it be great if God would allow caring for others even as we meet our us to raise the dead today? They could own needs. If we use ourselves up tell us what it’s like to die and what helping others, and in the process get heaven is like—if they even sick and die, no worries. The Lord can remembered or were allowed to tell. Of raise us from the dead on the same day course, God’s usual way is to wait until we die. And if he chooses not to do so the Last Day. Then he will raise all the on that day, he’ll just wait until the Last dead, and he will give eternal life to all Day, when he will raise our dead dust believers in . No believer will from the grave, along with Dorcas’ dead ever have to die again. As far as we dust for a second time. know, Dorcas later died a second time.

But for now she was alive, back from the dead, able to serve the Lord and his people with that kind of joy and peace only Jesus gives. 42This became known all over Joppa, and many people

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