It seems that often when the Bible speaks of women, it mentions them for the good deeds they had done. Rahab saved the spies, and the widow of Zerephath gave away her last meal. Aged Anna fasted and prayed for others, and Mary Magdalene remained faithful to the Savior. And how can we neglect dear Martha, the princess of hospitality? Each of these ladies is remembered for her sacrificial giving. Each provided a great example for us to follow.
There seems, however, to be one woman who stands above the rest. Some churches even use her name as the title for their caring group of ladies: the Dorcas Society.
Dorcas gets very little space in the book of Acts, yet in the seven verses that mention her, we learn that she was a special person who used the ordinary to perform the extraordinary.
As with so many of God’s heroes and heroines, we know very little of Dorcas’ past. Her entire biography is covered in one verse: “In Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha (which, when translated, is Dorcas), who was always doing good and helping the poor” (Acts 9:36). Her biography may have been brief, but her life was far from insignificant. Perhaps Dorcas wasn’t a battle warrior, nor did she ask the sun to stand still. She didn’t preach to the crowds or impress the royalty of her day. Yet it is within the things that she did do that we discover the beauty of Dorcas and every other silent Christian like her. Dorcas never wondered how to make her mark on the early church. Rather, her days were filled with silent chores like sewing, helping, and providing for the poor. Although she spent her time doing the “insignificant” things of the day, her life was no less busy, no less tiring, and no less important than the great church leaders. By no means was Dorcas inferior to those who were in the spotlights and got the headlines. Saints aren’t judged by popularity or status.
Dorcas died, and she was missed, sorely missed. The work she did was noticed, and the church was left with a vacancy that Dorcas once filled. That’s why when Peter heard the news, he hurried off to Joppa. Peter wanted to be there. Can you imagine Peter’s reaction when he saw “the robes and other clothing that Dorcas had made while she was still with them?” (9:39). Therein was her legacy.
Each stitch in those robes was a part of Dorcas’ speechless sermons. Each tailored masterpiece was a tribute to God’s grace and mercy, and it was by that grace of God that Peter took Dorcas by the hand and helped her sit up from her brief sleep. Dorcas was alive. Her earthly labors were not yet finished.
What a wonderful miracle! Can’t you just see her looking at the crowd of mourners, pointing her thimbled finger and saying, “Enough standing around. We have work to do!”
Do you know a Dorcas? That question may be difficult to answer since a Dorcas isn’t always easily seen. You can sometimes tell a Dorcas by his or her quiet actions:
A Dorcas takes his or her responsibility very seriously.
A Dorcas never complains, and never boasts.
A Dorcas always sees to it that the job is done well.
A Dorcas never looks for compliments.
Here is a faithful woman who could teach us all a lesson in the art of humble Christian service.
If you cannot preach like Peter,
If you cannot pray like Paul,
You can tell the love of Jesus
You can say He died for all!
(from “Hark! The Voice of Jesus Crying”)