Memory Text: Luke 1:38 NRSV “Then Mary said, "Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word." Then the angel departed from her.”

Sunday – Be It Unto Me
Luke 1:26-38 20th Century NT “26 ¶ Six months later the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, 27 To a maiden there who was betrothed to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. Her name was Mary. 28 Gabriel came into her presence and said: "Hail, you who have been highly favored! The Lord is with you." 29 Mary was much disturbed at his words, and was wondering to herself what such a greeting could mean, 30 When the angel spoke again: "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And now, you shall be with child and give birth to a son, and you shall give him the name Jesus. 32 The child shall be great and shall be called ‘Son of the Most High,’ and the Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David, 33 And he shall reign over the descendants of Jacob for ever; And to his kingdom there shall be no end." 34 "How can this be?" Mary asked the angel. "For I have no husband." 35 "The Holy Spirit shall descend upon you," answered the angel, "and the Power of the Most High shall overshadow you; and therefore the child will be called ‘holy,’ and ‘Son of God.’ 36 And Elizabeth, your cousin, is herself also expecting a son in her old age; and it is now the sixth month with her, though she is called barren; 37 For no promise from God shall fail to be fulfilled." 38 "I am the servant of the Lord," exclaimed Mary; "let it be with me as you have said." Then the angel left her.”
Luke 1:34 COMMENTARY BY ADAM CLARKE As she was only contracted to Joseph, and not as yet married, she knew that this conception could not have yet taken place; and she modestly inquires by what means the promise of the angel is to be fulfilled in order to regulate her conduct accordingly.

Monday – Female Followers of Jesus
Luke 8:1-3 NLT “1 ¶ Not long afterward Jesus began a tour of the nearby cities and villages to announce the Good News concerning the Kingdom of God. He took his twelve disciples with him, 2 along with some women he had healed and from whom he had cast out evil spirits. Among them were Mary Magdalene, from whom he had cast out seven demons; 3 Joanna, the wife of Chuza, Herod’s business manager; Susanna; and many others who were contributing from their own resources to support Jesus and his disciples.”
Luke 8:2 PEOPLE’S NT COMMENTARY That these women should attend the footsteps of Christ was opposed to the custom of Palestine. The admixture of the sexes was not common. The rabbis held that the law should not be taught to women.
Luke 8:3 COMMENTARY ROBERTSON’S NT WORD PICTURES The very fact that Jesus now had twelve men going with him called for help from others and the women of means responded to the demand…This is the first woman's missionary society for the support of missionaries of the Gospel. They had difficulties in their way, but they overcame these, so great was their gratitude and zeal.
Matthew 27:55-56 Moffatt NT “55 There were also a number of women there looking on from a distance, women who had followed Jesus from Galilee and waited on him, 56 including Mary of Magdala, Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of the sons of Zebedaeus.”
Matthew 27:56 COMMENTARY BY BARNES Mary Magdalene. Mary of Magdala. She had peculiar cause of attachment to the Saviour, having been relieved by him of a most dreadful calamity, and restored to her right mind, after being possessed by seven devils, Mr 16:9. And the mother of Zebedee's children. That is, of James and John, Mt 10:2. Her name was Salome, Mr 15:40.
Mark 15:40-41 Moffatt NT “40 There were some women also watching at a distance, among them Mary of Magdala, Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joses, and Salome, 41 women who had followed him when he was in Galilee and waited on him, besides a number of other women who had accompanied him to Jerusalem.”
Galatians 3:28 KJ21 “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female; for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.”

Tuesday – If I May Touch His Clothes
Mark 5:25-34 Holman “25 A woman suffering from bleeding for 12 years 26 had endured much under many doctors. She had spent everything she had and was not helped at all. On the contrary, she became worse. 27 Having heard about Jesus, she came behind Him in the crowd and touched His robe. 28 For she said, “If I can just touch His robes, I’ll be made well!” 29 Instantly her flow of blood ceased, and she sensed in her body that she was cured of her affliction. 30 At once Jesus realized in Himself that power had gone out from Him. He turned around in the crowd and said, “Who touched My robes?” 31 His disciples said to Him, “You see the crowd pressing against You, and You say, ‘Who touched Me?’” 32 So He was looking around to see who had done this. 33 Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came with fear and trembling, fell down before Him, and told Him the whole truth. 34 “Daughter,” He said to her, “your faith has made you well. Go in peace and be free from your affliction.””
Mark 5:22-23 Holman “22 One of the synagogue leaders, named Jairus, came, and when he saw Jesus, he fell at His feet 23 and kept begging Him, “My little daughter is at death’s door. Come and lay Your hands on her so she can get well and live.””

Wednesday – Mary and Martha
Luke 10:38-42 God’s Word to the Nations “38 ¶ As they were traveling along, Jesus went into a village. A woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. 39 She had a sister named Mary. Mary sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to him talk. 40 But Martha was upset about all the work she had to do. So she asked, "Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work all by myself? Tell her to help me." 41 The Lord answered her, "Martha, Martha! You worry and fuss about a lot of things. 42 There’s only one thing you need. Mary has made the right choice, and that one thing will not be taken away from her."
Luke 10:40 COMMENTARY BY ALBERT BARNES It should be said here that there is no evidence that Martha had a worldly or covetous disposition. Her anxiety was to pro- vide suitable entertainment for the Lord Jesus. As mistress of the family, this care properly devolved on her; and the only fault which can be charged on her was too earnest a desire to make such entertainment, when she might have sat with Mary at his feet, and, perhaps, too much haste and fretfulness in speaking to Jesus about Mary.

Thursday – The Woman at the Well
John 4:4-30 NLT “4 ¶ He had to go through Samaria on the way. 5 Eventually he came to the Samaritan village of Sychar, near the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. 6 Jacob’s well was there; and Jesus, tired from the long walk, sat wearily beside the well about noontime. 7 Soon a Samaritan woman came to draw water, and Jesus said to her, "Please give me a drink." 8 He was alone at the time because his disciples had gone into the village to buy some food. 9 The woman was surprised, for Jews refuse to have anything to do with Samaritans. She said to Jesus, "You are a Jew, and I am a Samaritan woman. Why are you asking me for a drink?" 10 Jesus replied, "If you only knew the gift God has for you and who I am, you would ask me, and I would give you living water." 11 "But sir, you don’t have a rope or a bucket," she said, "and this is a very deep well. Where would you get this living water? 12 And besides, are you greater than our ancestor Jacob who gave us this well? How can you offer better water than he and his sons and his cattle enjoyed?" 13 Jesus replied, "People soon become thirsty again after drinking this water. 14 But the water I give them takes away thirst altogether. It becomes a perpetual spring within them, giving them eternal life." 15 "Please, sir," the woman said, "give me some of that water! Then I’ll never be thirsty again, and I won’t have to come here to haul water." 16 "Go and get your husband," Jesus told her. 17 "I don’t have a husband," the woman replied. Jesus said, "You’re right! You don’t have a husband— 18 for you have had five husbands, and you aren’t even married to the man you’re living with now." 19 "Sir," the woman said, "you must be a prophet. 20 So tell me, why is it that you Jews insist that Jerusalem is the only place of worship, while we Samaritans claim it is here at Mount Gerizim, where our ancestors worshiped?" 21 Jesus replied, "Believe me, the time is coming when it will no longer matter whether you worship the Father here or in Jerusalem. 22 You Samaritans know so little about the one you worship, while we Jews know all about him, for salvation comes through the Jews. 23 But the time is coming and is already here when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for anyone who will worship him that way. 24 For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth." 25 The woman said, "I know the Messiah will come—the one who is called Christ. When he comes, he will explain everything to us." 26 Then Jesus told her, "I am the Messiah!" 27 ¶ Just then his disciples arrived. They were astonished to find him talking to a woman, but none of them asked him why he was doing it or what they had been discussing. 28 The woman left her water jar beside the well and went back to the village and told everyone, 29 "Come and meet a man who told me everything I ever did! Can this be the Messiah?" 30 So the people came streaming from the village to see him.”
John 4:7 COMMENTARY BY BARNES This was in the heat of the day, and when Jesus was weary with his journey. The request was also made that it might give him occasion to discourse with her on the subject of religion, and in this instance we have a specimen of the remarkably happy manner in which he could lead on a conversation so as to introduce the subject of religion.
John 4:18 PEOPLE’S NT COMMENTARY She had been married five times; the easy divorce laws of the age, permitting a "divorce for any cause", would allow many changes without the death of either party. Some of her husbands may have died; a part were almost certainly divorced. Her sixth alliance did not have even the apology of such a marriage.
John 4:29, 39 NRSV “29 Come and see a man who told me everything I have ever done! He cannot be the Messiah, can he? 39 Many Samaritans from that city believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, "He told me everything I have ever done.”
John 4:29 COMMENTARY BY ADAM CLARKE The Jews believed that one essential characteristic of the Messiah would be, that he should be able to tell the secrets of all hearts.
John 4:29 COMMENTARY THE FOURFOLD GOSPEL On second thought her statement is not so much of an exaggeration as it at first appears. Her five marriages and present state covered the whole period of her maturer life, and the way in which Jesus had disclosed it all convinced her that every detail of it was spread out before him.