Dorcas: Inspired people to labour hard in love
and to meet human needs
Elizabeth Leelavathi Manasseh
As the clock struck midnight, Susan woke up from sleep and knelt down to pray. She wrestled with the Lord about the poor, the needy ard the widowed. About ten years ago, when the Lord called her husband home, the Lord had reminded her of Dorcas who set out to work doing what she could, to meet the needs of people in her generation testifies Susan, a teacher in Bangalore. Susan delights In labouring hard in love for her nursery students-laying the foundation for right values and principled, through life-related educational approaches. Recently, she met with an accident and could not go to schoo1 for about a month. She received phone calls after phone calls -from the parents of her students saying. 'Children are missing you. They are crying and praying to God to heal you and bring you back to school soon'. As a young widow and a mother of daughter, Susan delights in investing her life in shaping children's lives, praying and working for the poor and needy. Dorcas of the Bible has been a great inspiration to Susan.
Dorcas is the most outstanding example of an individual who was concerned about the poor and needy in the New Testament. She was also known as Tabitha (Acts 9:10). Scholars say that Tabitha is an Aramaic word which means antelope Of gazelle and Dorcas is the Greek form of the same name. Bible scholars tell us that she lived at Joppa, a Mediterranean seaport town about thirty-eight miles northwest of Jerusalem. This city had a large population which depended upon the sea for daily bread. In those days, due to poor equipment and rough seas, fishing was a treacherous business. Men drowned in the sea. Therefore, there were many widows and fatherless children living in and around Joppa. Dorcas responded to the needs of these people. How did she respond to human needs?
1. She had compassion on them: Day by day, Dorcas may have watched from her home high upon the rocky ledge above the shore the widows and their children picking up bits of clothing and other useful items cast ashore by the sea. Her heart was moved with compassion. One of the most Christ like virtues which can be manifested by a Christian is a compassionate heart. As Dorcas prayed for these people, the Lord would have increased her compassion for them.
2. She set to work: Her compassion for them led her to work. Perhaps she knew the teaching found in Mattnevs 25:40 well and delighted in applying it to her daily life. Dorcas used her time, treasure (money) and her talents in order to make garments for the needy people. In those days there were no sewing machines, so every garment had to be made by hand. She was constantly on the job. We do not know whether she was a wealthy woman but we do know that she worked hard and gave generously in order to meet human needs.
3. She made an impact for Jesus Christ: She lived a life worthy of her calling to Godliness. She put her faith in the Lord into action. James 1:27 became part of her daily life. Remember one day she became ill and died suddenly. Had not Dorcas been loved in the church, the disciples never would have sent for Peter to walk a distance of twelve miles to comfort them in their sorrow at her death. When Peter reached Joppa, he went immediately to the upper chamber where she was placed for burial. There were the widows standing by, weeping and showing the various garments Dorcas had made for them. This indicates that Dorcas had a great impact on Joppa because of her Christlike response to human needs. Peter asked them all to leave the room, He prayed for her and said "Tabitba, arise" (Acts 9:40). She opened her eyes and sat up. Peter took her by the hand and presented her alive to the people who had gathered there. It was the first of its kind perfomed by the disciples!
It was known throughout all Joppa and many believed in the Lord" (Acts 9:42). We are encouraged to believe that she was an influential woman in the community.
Our compassion for people should enable us to respond to their needs-physical, mental, social, emotional (psychological) and spiritual. Dorcas inspires us to labour hard in love in order to meet human needs with the transforming love of Jesus Christ!
Aim, May 2004 |
