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36 Now in Joppa there was a disciple
whose name was Tabitha, which in Greek is Dorcas. She was devoted
to good works and acts of charity. 37 At that time she became
ill and died.
Tabitha is one of the
few females featured in the New Testament as a disciple. A disciple
is a person who follows the moral teachings of another. Tabitha’s
life and her death glorified God and we can reflect on many lessons
from this passage.
In the New Testament account, she is described very
briefly. She was “always doing good and helping the poor.” She led
a ministry of compassion and sought to help the marginalized
population in her society. Tabitha surrendered her life to help the
poor and was useful to her community. She bloomed where she was
planted. She was a source of hope for the hopeless. Think of our
life today! If someone had to describe our legacy in one or two
sentences, what would they say?
Tabitha’s life gave
glory to God and she was a blessing to her community. Though
Tabitha was a good woman, she suffered and eventually passed away
due to some illness. When she died, the Christian community
experienced grief and recognized a huge loss in their community.
They felt compelled to call Peter and see if anything could be done
to save her. Do our works bless our community? Are we filling a
void or creating one?
Peter comes to see Tabitha, prays and then
miraculously raises her from the dead. We are reminded of Lazurus
and how Jesus raised him-- so that people may know that God has
power over death. This miracle encourages the early church and is a
pivotal moment in Peter’s ministry. Even in her death, Tabitha is
an instrument in God’s hands that encourages and uplifts others in
faith.
Peter not only raised
her physical body to life but also restored her place in her
community to continue being a witness to God for as long as she
lived. Today, many charities have taken on the name “Tabitha” and
taken on her cause of sewing garments and helping the poor. It is a
legacy that continues to uplift communities. Take it as a
challenge: What will our legacy be?
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