Today in Lent Madness, we head back to the Biblical quadrant as Joanna the Myrrhbearer takes on Bartimaeus. The winner will face Joseph in the Elate Eight. Should Joanna have brought gold or frankincense instead? We'll soon find out.
Yesterday Harriet Tubman swept past James Solomon Russell 75% to 25%. She'll lock horns with Herman of Alaska in the Elate Eight.
Joanna the Myrrhbearer
“Hardly anyone knows Joanna,” Elisabeth Moltmanm-Wendel writes in “The Women Around Jesus.”
Theologians largely have ignored Joanna’s presence in the biblical texts, according to Moltmann-Wendel. So have many authors writing about the women of the Bible. And a journalist reviewing a modern biography of Jesus (not this journalist) once mocked the “fabrication” of a character named Joanna.
Joanna is named just twice in Luke’s Gospel: first, among the female disciples who followed Jesus and bankrolled his ministry, and then among the women who came to prepare Jesus’ body for burial (hence the myrrh) and found his tomb empty.
But legend and scholarship fill in many of the blanks in Joanna’s story.
Most colorfully, Orthodox tradition has Joanna chasing down John the Baptist’s head.
Luke identifies Joanna’s husband as Chuza, the manager of Herod’s household, which must’ve been awkward when Chuza’s boss had Jesus’ cousin John the Baptist beheaded. The Gospels tell us that John’s body was retrieved by his followers, and tradition, that his head was tossed in an unclean place.
Joanna, perhaps thumbing her nose, went after John’s head and gave it an honorable burial — on Herod’s estate.
Scholar Richard Bauckham, in his book “Gospel Women,” fills in Joanna’s Jewish background, how lavish her life would have been as a member of the Herodian court, the freedom that would have allowed her to give generously to Jesus’ ministry, how wide a gulf she crossed in following Jesus to the margins.
Bauckham writes that she could have remained a "sympathizer with Jesus’ movement without leaving her home and social location.” “But Joanna took the step of discipleship, for her a step across the whole of the social gulf that separated the Tiberian elite from the ordinary people, not to mention the beggars, the prostitutes, and other outcasts with whom Jesus habitually associated,” he said.
She may even have been one of Luke’s sources for his Gospel.
John Bunyan also writes in “The Pilgrim’s Progress” about Joanna and the female disciples: “I read not, that ever any many did give unto Christ so much as one groat; but the women followed him, and ministered to him of their substance.”
And were you hoping to see Joanna’s Round of 32 opponent Junia in the Saintly 16, I bring you good news of great joy: Some believe Joanna is the same person as Junia, identified as “outstanding among the apostles” in Paul’s letter to the Romans.
Everybody won that round. And everybody wins for Joanna’s contributions to Jesus’ ministry and to the early church.
Bartimaeus
Bartimaeus the beggar made the plea
“Son of David, please have mercy on me!”
Drawn to what he deemed right
In his faith he gained sight;
May that blind man’s gift of light come to me. (Lent Madness limerick by John Cabot)
Bartimaeus’ simple prayer, “Jesus, son of David, have mercy on me!” has been prayed by many people throughout time. This prayer has been used in sermons and bible studies and healing services and some even attribute it as being the basis of The Jesus Prayer, “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me." Some recite the Jesus Prayer and include a last part, “a sinner” to show repentance. The Jesus prayer is used widely throughout the Orthodox Church and many other Christian denominations.
Both prayers are said to be used as mantras (or, repetitive prayers) that heal, restore, ground, and balance and are powerful especially because they invoke the name of Jesus and demonstrate our need of saving. The prayers can be used in monastic life and in everyday life and are usually said using a prayer rope. They can also be used in combination with breathing techniques such as invoking the name of Jesus while inhaling and asking Jesus to have mercy on us while exhaling.
Another way of approaching Bartimaeus’ story is by focusing on the conversation he had with Jesus and using that as a catalyst for personal conversations with Jesus. “What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asks Bartimaeus and everyone. As this prayerful conversation starts, each person can start by taking deep breaths and thinking about the question and specific answers in their hearts. It did not take Bartimaeus long to answer but it could be because he had been waiting for years to be near Jesus and have Jesus’ undivided attention. It may take others a long time to believe that Jesus is asking them that question.
Oh that we may be as bold as Bartimaeus, to stand up, be loud, not give up, and ask for what we want.
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96 comments on “Joanna the Myrrhbearer vs. Bartimaeus”
I have an Episcopalian granddaughter whose second name is Johanna. I love the Episcopalian way of doing titles..."chalice-bearer" "torch-bearer", and now, here,"myrrh-bearer." Joanna has my vote. I'm an ELCA Lutheran who worshiped as an Anglican, calling my Vicar "pastor" with his permission, for nearly 10 years in England.
I am in the position of Bartemaeus, needing the healing power of Jesus.
I am puzzled that so many women are winning the choices, especially when they are running against a male. Perhaps next year, it might be wise/helpful to compare women to women and men to men to reflect the gender neutrality that doesn't appear to be happening very often. If you think I'm exaggerating, just look at the current record.
Again, a man is trying to tell us how/why we are doing things and further more how and why it is wrong. Perhaps the women are "winning" as you say, but just maybe that's because we wish to vote for that person who just happens to be a woman? What a thought. Women have minds with which to think--all by themselves. That's one of the main reasons I am an Episcopalian--I am encouraged to use my mind. Please don't try to tell me why I voted for a particular candidate. By-the-way I voted for Bartimaeus today.
Actually, Gene has a valid point, and he simply states it. It is not really that controversial. Women in the comments quite often state that they do exactly what Gene says they do. I've seen it a number of times, and you have too, most likely.
And you know what? That's okay. We all have the right to vote as we wish to. And people like Gene have the perfect right to point it out, as he has politely done. And THAT is why I am an Episcopalian. You make your choices, and then you accept the consequences. And we certainly don't have to agree.
As is noted by another reply, there has been an enormous amount of injustice leveled toward women for -- well, literally thousands of years -- so if someone gives preference to women, maybe that's a tiny smidgeon of a push toward trying to level things out?
I would just say that if someone has a preference for pretty much any woman over pretty much any man, that's their prerogative. Voting here is about preference, after all. But if someone points it out, maybe that's their prerogative too.
Yes, Sir. So sorry, Sir.
I noticed this too and worried I picked more women just for the fact of their gender. However I believe it is more the nature of the women's response to God's call. Many of the women here actively responded to a great need in their communities. That brings very relevant today as many of us noted already. Our bodies and spirits are built for action in a crisis. In this crisis we must stay at home and not share the comfort of handshakes and hugs with our beloved. This is a time for contemplation and prayer, fasting and almsgiving. Soon enough there will be much action needed by all of us.
Men have historically gotten the bulk of the attention in Church history and study. We could have majority women LM advancers for years and still not make things equal.
I already pointed out the fallacy of such a theory in the first round by referring to the results.
If the entire first round was woman-woman and man-man, eventually we would still have man-woman matchups. Besides, sorting the first round by gender would disable the current groupings, i.e. monastics and martyrs, Biblical, mainly modern, and miscellaneous.
Personally, when I vote, I look at the person's achievements and saintliness, not their gender.
This will probably be my only response this year. I simply repeat what I said last year. I wish that in 2021 all the choices be male. And in 2022, all be female. Or just the opposite. But that would take the male vs. female issue away for at least one year.
Rose Mahan--interesting idea.
Not a bad idea. Nonetheless, I think the bias is toward more recent saints: because we can have both more confidence in their stories, and draw more lessons for ourselves from them. Just wait until the SEC relents and allows Mr Rogers in. There’s a man who could win. He just needs to get on someone’s calendar.
I want to vote for Joanna, because I can relate to having too much and still wanting to follow Christ. But the call for mercy.... We need a lot of mercy right now. Lord have mercy on us.
It might be that Bartimaeus was indirectly a recipient of the generosity, courage and the searching faith of Joanna that sought out Jesus. At least am willing to think so in order to tip the scale toward her.
Actually, Donna, I voted for Joanna myself. Relax. Not every comment by someone is a "let's put down women." It might just be a question based on what appears to be happening and a way to remove that as a possibility.
I'm relaxed. Seems as though others have a "thing" about assigning reasons for the way a vote goes.
After much back-and-forth--voted for Bartimaeus and Junia in the last round, Joanna was ready to perform burial rites for Jesus, a possibly dangerous thing for the wife of a member of Herod's household --I went with Joanna. It was as brave a thing to do as Bartimaeus calling out to Jesus for help. Plus, one of my favorite Hymnal 1982 hymns is "The First One Ever"; Joanna is mentioned in that hymn as one of "the first ones ever" to know of Jesus' resurrection.
Lent Madness is just what I needed after listening to my governor talk about the pandemic and medical supplies. Thank you, Karen for describing the prayer. I certainly will use it throughout this trying time in the world.
I love the stories about the women who followed Jesus. Especially, risking a lot to do it.
I am going to read "The women around Jesus".
"Gospel Women" is a fascinating read, too. Thanks to whoever recommended that over on Facebook!
Like the World Cup? Women's one year, men's another?
I am sad that my local library has disabled the "hold" feature until the libraries are open again. I've resorted to making a list of books I want to put on hold. "Gospel Women" is one of them.
I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!
I think there may be a typo in the hagiography of Joanna.
Surely:
“I read not, that ever any many did give unto Christ so much as one groat;”
should be
“ever any MAN did give”
You are correct — thanks for catching that!
I wish I could understand all this concern about women winning versus men and men winning versus women. Perhaps it's a desire for some perfectly balanced world where 8 men and 8 women would advance to the saintly sixteen, four men and four women to the elate eight, etc. I think people are expecting too much from Lent Madness.
Frankly, 50 years ago our brackets would have been filled with "white" male saints (since Jesus and his apostles were all considered to be white back then). For me, Lent Madness is a vehicle for learning about the saints and trying to figure out how people are going to vote so I can put together a decent bracket. I work for a Catholic mission organization and have set up an in-house competition, and I can tell you my Catholic friends are dumbfounded that Patrick lost in the first round and have suggested it's an Anglican conspiracy.
So relax, and enjoy the game! Is it really so terrible that there are more women than men in the Elate Eight?
It was only 10 years ago that LM had 28 men and 4 women.
Thanks, Tessa. I wasn't part of it back then. So it's good news to me how far Lent Madness has progressed.
As I said last time, I hope to hear the strength as well as the faith to utter with my dying breath this holiest of prayers of Bartimaeus: “Jesus, son of David, have mercy on me!” as has been prayed by many people throughout time. I'm sorry to see that he is behind in the voting.
Having learned about the Myrrh-Bearers for the first time this past summer, I have to vote for Joanna. Spent a week amongst the Eastern Orthodox in Ukraine in late July, visiting Myrrh-Bearer churches in Kyiv & Kharkiv. Beautiful, spirit-filled places.
It interests me that modern or fairly modern saints far outnumber Biblical and medieval figures in the Golden Halo winners.
Two from the Bible: Mary Magdalene and Martha of Bethany.
One 13th century: Francis of Assisi.
One 17th century: George Herbert.
One 18th century: Charles Wesley.
Two 19th century: Anna Alexander and Florence Nightingale.
Three 20th century: C.S. Lewis, Frances Perkins, and Dietrich Bonhoeffer.
And I suspect the majority of bracket completers have Harriet Tubman going all the way to the Golden Halo, given our (small) sample at St. Stephen's Santa Clarita in which 5 of 6 people who posted their picks on the wall have Harriet as the eventual winner. Another 19th-century saint.
Bias against the historical figures? Or a strong streak of skepticism, trusting in more recently recorded achievements and sayings rather than "legend has it that..."?
You have a point. I can imagine that
1. some folks don't much care what time the saint was from, and
2. some tend to dismiss earlier saints because of the real probability that the stories about them were invented or really pumped up. However, I seriously doubt that
3. there are many who only care about the first- or second- or third-century saints, and dismiss all the later ones. If there are some, they most likely are a small number.
That would just lead to a subtle bias in favor of the modern personalities.
Oh I am SO sorry Bartimaeus (great name--three vowels in a row) is losing. To me he personifies absolute submission, simplicity and openness to Jesus. I love uppity Joanna burying John's head on Herod's property (wonder if she considered putting it in his bed?) But I'd like to see Bartimaeus and his journey from darkness to light win.
I was going to vote for Bartimaeus because of how his cry resonates in me and his example of faith and persistence. Ironically he, a blind man, is the one who recognizes Jesus for who He is while the sighted, even including the Disciples, keep getting it wrong.
But as I’ve reflected over the course of the day the importance of Joanna’s witness, and especially her inclusion In Jesus’s inner circle, have inclined me more and more to vote for her instead; and that is what I am going to do.
I had to vote for Bartimaeus. Reason 1: my eyes are bad; everything that can go wrong with them has. I have gone to an ophthalmologist for 30+ years. Reason 2: It took me until I was 50 in order to become like Bartimaeus - Oh that we may be as bold as Bartimaeus, to stand up, be loud, not give up, and ask for what we want. I was going to vote for Joanna until I read Sandra's last sentence. God's Peace to all!
I was really torn over this one so decided to go with whom I thought would be the underdog. Imagine my surprise when I saw Joanna significantly ahead of Bartimaeus.
I feel strongly that a vote for Joanna is one way to push back against the historical opposition to woman as leaders in the Christian church. Women like Joanna give lie to the prejudice that only men were ft for ministry and positions of responsibility in the church - we see (if we have eyes to see) that woman were pillars of the church from the vey beginning.
This takes nothing away from good Bartimaeus - we've had a day of contemplating two wonderful saintly lives.
Too bad Thomas 'the protestant-burner' More wasn't matched with a female saint in the first bracket; maybe he wouldn't have got out of the gate...
For me, Joanna represents a more historical act of faith. What she did was courageous, noble, and downright dangerous. I admire her greatly and voted for her first round. However, Bartimaemus' relationship with Jesus seems more intensely personal somehow. He knew in his heart he was in the presence of holiness, and he cried out for God's light. He gets my vote today. BTW, how interesting is it that many witnesses didn't even recognize that Bart was the same beggar they knew from before. Hm. Could be another ...? Clueless.
Having choreographed mime and dance for the story of Bartimaeus over a few liturgical cycles, but also choreographed a liturgical dance for the Easter story of the women going to the tomb I am pulled in each direction. When you choreograph and dance a story you embody it along with other participants. In the end, with my nickname of Myrrh, I had to go with Joanna.
Joanna has my vote today!