What Makes a Woman

by Teodora "Dory" Dotusme 

Text: Mark 14:3-9

Theme: International Women’s Day /Lenten Season

It was around this year 7 years ago when I decided to be a pastor. Yes, you heard me right, I did not say I wanted to study pastoral ministry but I decided right away that I would become a pastor, I was that confident that I will become one and still am today.

Let us pray, May the guidance of your Holy Spirit enable us to understand your word and meditate in our heart so that we may delight you in our action. Amen.

The Chapel of the Evangel’s pulpit gives off the vibe of both anxiety and excitement –for the students. We fear it but we look forward to it, so this ODL thing doesn't just stop us from seeing each other face to face but also robs us of that opportunity. But then to be able to deliver a sermon not just for DS hearers but to a countless of hearts that could possibly get to hear this, that is more than just an opportunity – it is a blessing.

Good Morning Philippines. Good afternoon and good evening to the other side of the planet who are with us in our worship today. In observance of the Lenten Season, let us also celebrate the International Women’s Week by giving the limelight to our chosen text. In the gospel according to Mark 14:3-9, we can take notice to an unnamed woman. Mark’s account of this incident is quite different from that of the other gospels which also narrated somewhat the same story. She is Mary of Bethany in the account of John and a sinful Woman in Luke’s. But let us journey the text of this unnamed woman from Mark and find out what leads her to do a commendable deed. Did she do it because she is a friend? or because she is a sinful woman who seeks forgiveness? Or maybe because she is a woman! So, what makes a woman?

What is a woman? Let’s say, a woman is a female, a grown-up one. But did you know that a woman or being a woman is more than a gender, genitalia, or XX chromosomes?

You are a woman because you have that good intuition and the awareness of what is happening around you.  A woman is a symbol of mindfulness because a woman listens. Notice what Jesus said to the people at the table in verse 8, “She has done what she could; she has anointed my body beforehand for its burial.” The gospel of Mark suggests that the woman planned the whole thing beforehand. It could be spontaneous but it was planned. She used an expensive perfume made from the essence of nard preserve in a beautiful alabaster jar. A detailed description of what the perfume was made of and its vessel shows that the said perfume was hard to come by. Some even suggest that it was a family heirloom that passed on from one generation to another. So signifying the act as out of a woman’s whim is not acceptable. This unnamed woman listens to Jesus' teachings and instructions. She heard when Jesus said that he will be delivered into the hands of wicked men and mocked and scourged and crucified, she got all that. It did not escape from her ears, it went straight to her heart and said to herself “My Jesus is about to suffer what can I do for him”. This unnamed woman’s intuition is of the other level. While the disciples were in denial of what’s looming, Peter even talked Jesus out of it, this woman already planned and prepared everything. “She has done what she could; to prepare me” that is what Jesus said.

Our teachers have been guiding us for years. They mentor us, teach and give us instruction, they prepare us and give us hints of what is looming and waiting for us outside the comfort of our school. And most of the time we are like these people at the table, people close to Jesus, but they were not mindful and attentive, or maybe they chose not to because it is not what they were expecting.

When we enter the Divinity School, one of the first things that we learned was to unlearn. When  we were confronted with things that we thought we knew it shattered our expectations. but it also opens the door of many possibilities. If we are woman enough to have good intuition, if we just listen, we can grasp the entire meaning of the message, we received so much from our school, we can either choose to be a sanctimonious person like these people at the table or we can choose to be a woman and do commendable deeds for the ministry.

You are a woman because you are thoughtful, you are loving, you are devoted. Observe how this woman adores Jesus. She broke open the jar and poured the perfume on Jesus' head. She broke open the jar! She poured the whole perfume on Jesus' head! I mean, she could have just opened the jar like how we normally do. Why does she have to break it? She could have just applied the perfume and smeared it on Jesus' skin like what we traditionally do. Why does she have to pour everything on Jesus' head? Why did she have to go to such length? Did she do that to impress the people at the table, no. absolutely not. She was not bragging; in fact she was quiet the whole time. She did not do it to look good, she did that because if she will not who will? She knows Jesus will face something terrible. She might not exactly know what, but she knows they will humiliate him because Jesus said so, she heard that. The woman understood it, the people at the table didn’t. So she has to ignore those indignant looks and comments because she has to do what needs to be done. Jesus will be facing betrayal by his own disciple and we know how painful that is, being betrayed by someone close to you. The woman’s apparent devotion is remarkable. When she broke open the jar and poured the perfume on Jesus head, it was more like emptying oneself to God. Others might see it as being wasteful and look at it as uncalled for but for that woman, it was her whole being, her love, so she needs to pour everything out because it was for Jesus. The perfume represents her emotion, her devotion to Jesus that she poured out unto Jesus’ head until its last drop, she won't hesitate or feel wasteful because it was meant for Jesus and it’s all worth it. If Jesus will face such death then bring my devotion with you. I can only guess that it must have uplifted Jesus' morale (mood). A woman’s love does not come cheap afterall.

We love because God first loved us, we serve because God first served us, and we give because Jesus poured his blood for us, Jesus gave everything, should not we do the same? Can we be a woman and serve? Lately, because of the pandemic crisis, our self-serving attitude is coming forward, it’s getting obvious as time passes. “This is okay as long as it benefits me”. Taking advantage of the suffering of the people.  In COVID-19 pandemic, what do countries with the best responses have in common? Women leaders. Female leaders have been praised for their tremendous effort in handling covid-19 crisis and that’s what is being celebrated in the International Women’s Day (IWD). “Women in leadership: Achieving an equal future in a COVID-19 world” is the theme of IWD 2021.  Women react quickly but thoughtfully to what is at hand that is why women are being labeled impulsive. (but there is a study for impulsive action that male individuals are more impulsive).

So the women responded quickly to pressing needs. We sit at the table convincing ourselves we are in the right place because we are sitting at the table with Jesus. And because we are too comfortable we overlooked the pressing matters. We are too fixated on what to do next to be able to sit in the same table we did not notice what Jesus needs. We forgot to look out for the needs of others. We forgot to express our love and that we care. And so, we began to criticize people who are doing what we are supposed to be doing. We call out women for being a woman. We judge one’s action for being “womanly” and condemn the female population when it should not be about gender.  Having good intuition, expressing emotion, attending to the needs of others - these are what humans are supposed to do. But since we fear criticism, we don’t have the courage to go against societal norms.

And this is what makes that woman commendable. the woman did not ask the opinion of the people at the table. She rose up above such idle dependence upon man’s opinion. Here we can witness another example of woman’s bravery. The table is important for us especially our dining table because in the dining table we share stories and the likes. Dining table also has a deep-rooted tradition, each culture or family has their own practice that they follow: respect to the table, no unnecessary action, no arguments, we can only start eating if we are complete, you can’t leave the table until everyone is done eating, act and dress modestly, etc. In our dining table with my mother, you are not allowed to sing. You are not respecting the food if you sing. So, in our text, it could be possible that the reason they were being hard on the woman was because what the woman did was not appropriate for a dining table etiquette. They were eating and this woman interrupted them with her perfume, and we all know that the strong smell of a perfume can ruin our taste and lose our appetite. And these people could be annoyed for ruining their meal or they are just so keen in observing their customary tradition. The woman was not afraid to break and go against the tradition if it meant attending to the need of Jesus. She did not hesitate to make the people at the table uncomfortable because of what she was doing. The International Women’s Day 2021 campaign theme is #ChooseToChallenge and this is exactly what that woman did. Let us challenge these people sitting comfortably at the table, let us make them uncomfortable. Let us challenge ourselves to be brave, to step forward, to go against a tradition if it meant attending the needs of the most vulnerable. We can be criticized sharply, some would consider our deeds as wasteful, and they will only look for what is being used but not to whom we used it to.

The people at the table desired to have a dignified place and position in what they thought of the kingdom, they longed for power, but not this unnamed woman, what she longed for is serving and loving Jesus. This woman thinks of the most creative way to show her love for Christ, and that’s what makes her a woman. We don’t need to be given instructions on what to do, we invent something to show that we thought of it, because that is the best part of it. Doing something great without telling you to do it.

Thankfully, our theological formation center is training us just like that. You cannot imagine how creative we can be. Our professors would be telling us, “be creative.”. At first we complained like, “unsaon?” “tah di ta kabalo” “di ko creative”. But now, when they said, “class, be creative” and we like ‘Ma’am/sir, creative you say? Are you sure?’

The senior class of 2021 is a women-oriented class not because correct me if wrong coz I haven’t finished my research about it, our class have the most number of women in the history of the Divinity School, Initially we were 12 in the class 7 female and 5 male and we called ourselves the 12 disciples of Sir Dennis Solon because he was our adviser for 2 years. Now in our last year, we are 13 in the class, 7 female and 6 male. But only 12 of us are going to leave the halls of Silliman (if makapasar).

So what makes this class women-oriented? The male; si Joshua, Mannix, Japhet, Alry, Ganevar, Rex can be thoughtful and loving. The same goes to the female; mahal, Cynthia, janeene, erica, Beverly, Shaira and of course Richelle, they are ideal of being intuitive and thoughtful. Sure, they’re far from perfect, they are flawed alright, but they are real. They are devoted, passionate, determined. Yes, maybe they are irritating, because really, they are, there’s never a month passed by I won’t get mad, they can get into your nerve, but they listen, they are mindful, they empathize and when they know they’re doing something good, they put their heart into it without fear.

The Divinity School opens its arms for us, cradles us, supports us, for 6 or 4 years. They opened our hearts and minds, developing our awareness of the situation of our societies. They taught us to be considerate, and loving, and caring, by showing us those. They worried about us and treated us like their own children. They never failed to show us to be courageous in the face of great challenge. As a Koinonia, we are in the ministry because we responded to the call. Maybe we are sitting at the table but do not sit comfortably, Choose To Challenge. Be mindful (awareness), be thoughtful and loving, and be courageous because that’s What Makes A woman. 

(Delivered last March 10, 2021 during the SUDS Virtual Chapel Service with Communion in celebration of the International Women's Day)