DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- MINISTER'S WIVES

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – MINISTERS' WIVES

"Now when Jesus had come into Peter's house, He saw his wife's mother lying sick with a fever. So He touched her hand, and the fever left her. And she arose and served them." (Matthew 8:14-15)

The Bible is filled with the names of godly women in both the Old Testament and New Testament. Women have played a huge part in the fulfillment of God's great plan, from Rahab the prostitute who was a progenitoress the Lord Jesus, to Abigail and Bathsheba, wives of David, to New Testament women such as Dorcas, and Lydia, and Priscilla and a host of other ladies who labored in the work of the Gospel.

But I have often wondered why there is nary a word in the inspired Word of God about the wives of the Apostles. Perhaps some Apostles were not married, but we do know from this text that Peter was married. Why is there no mention of the Apostles' wives? Did they support their husbands as the men left their homes and their livelihoods to follow an itinerant preacher? Or did they give up on their husbands and go their own way? Apparently at this point, Peter's marriage was still intact.

I do know that wives can be a powerful force in the lives of God's ministers. The great preacher and founder of Methodism, John Wesley and his wife had a miserable, rocky marriage, and eventually she left him. She did not appreciate John's absence from home since he traveled a lot in his ministry. It is reported that one time she entered a room and drug her husband by his hair across the room. Another story is that she threw tomatoes at him while he was preaching.

We do not have any knowledge of the state of the Apostles' marriages. It is apparent that they were so dedicated to Christ that they were willing to follow Him no matter the cost. Jesus said whoever would be His disciple, would have to put father and mother and wife and family lower on his love-list (Luke 14:26). There is a cost for both spouses when a person dedicates his life to ministry.

The fact remains that following Jesus is an individual matter. Commitment to God's callings for both the husband and wife is an absolute necessity. Evangelist Billy Graham's marriage was a model. He was absent a lot of the time as he traveled the world to hold crusades while his wife was committed to staying at home to keep the family together. Each was following God's calling for their lives.

Praise God for ministers' wives. They have a special calling. Often it is an unsung and unappreciated ministry that is out of the limelight while the husband gets all the attention. I think that God will have a special reward for ministers' wives.

Love, Dad