A WOMAN NAMED DAMARIS: A word with the obscure
by C H SpurgeonFROM SWORD & TROWEL 2000 No
4
‘If plants live through the winter . . . ’
WE MAY READ the opening address of Paul to the philosophers on Mars Hill (Acts 17), but we cannot read the discourse itself, for
that was never delivered. When Paul reached his subject, his congregation would listen no longer. They had gratified their curiosity, and once he had made his bold declaration concerning Jesus and the resurrection, they would hear no more, and the meeting broke up. Paul, no doubt, had high hopes as to the result of his reasoning with the
men of Areopagus. It was like preaching in a duke’s drawing-room to the leading spirits
of society, and it was an opportunity none could despise. One would say to himself,
‘What a great occasion! God grant that much may come of it!’ The results, however, were
very small. Paul gathered fewer converts out of councillors, philosophers, and judges than
he did out of the common people.
Three results followed his fragment of speech. Some mocked: these were
the very learned ones, who had been pleased when he quoted one of their poets, and when
he spoke of man as the offspring of God, but they had been irritated by what they
considered as a ridiculous idea - the resurrection of the dead. Plato had spoken of the
immortality of the soul, and on that point there was room for profound thought, but the
theory of the raising of the body was beyond endurance.
When Paul spoke of a certain despised person as having risen from the
dead, and asserted that this man would judge mankind, they laughed at the idea as
preposterous. We hear their sarcastic words, and see their contemptuous looks, and
perceive that Paul has made no impression upon them. No audience under Heaven is less
likely to receive the Word than an assembly of philosophers. These receive not the
wisdom of God, for they are wise in their own esteem.
A second sort did not laugh. These did not care about the matter one way
or the other. As men of broad views, they were courteous, and replied to the preacher,
‘We will hear thee again of this,’ but most of them were probably of the same spirit as
flippant Felix, who said, ‘When I have a convenient season, I will call for thee.’ Of this
second class we have always more than of the first. They do not oppose us with mockery,
but they repulse us by indifference.
Still a little handful remained to make up a third class. Paul must have
greatly prized each one of that small company, and Luke, who wrote the account of the
whole affair, was careful to make a full report. He mentions Dionysius the Areopagite,
one of those who had made up the council before whom Paul pleaded; and he does not
overlook ‘a woman named Damaris’.
Who she was, where she came from, and what she was like, we do not
know, nor can anybody inform us; but she came forward with the few who believed, and
therefore her name is written in this honourable list.
There were others; and although they were very few, a church was
founded, which in due course became a power in the city, so that Paul had not laboured in
vain. Thank God we are not accountable for results. If our efforts are honest and faithful,
the Lord accepts them. Paul, with a heavy heart, departed from among them, but the few
cheered him, and, among the rest, ‘a woman named Damaris’ threw in her portion of
consolation. We, too, may derive benefit from her at this time.
My first observation is, that converts are very precious in evil
times. Luke notes them particularly, as if they were jewels. Here is one, a man;
yonder is another, a woman; and there are two or three others who are counted, though
not named. In the day of mockery every convert was worth a Jew’s eye; and this ‘woman
named Damaris’, who might not have been remembered had she been one among the
thousands of Pentecost, is specially noted among the few of Athens. Converts who dare to
believe in Christ when the great mass of people reject Him are among the excellent of the
earth.
Usually they are persons of a solid sort. My eyes twinkle as I
read this verse - ‘Howbeit certain men clave unto him, and believed: among
the which was Dionysius the Areopagite, and a woman named Damaris.’ She acted upon
the inspiring exhortation, ‘Quit you like men, be strong!’ She is, therefore, put down
among men.
Those who follow Christ when the narrow way seems altogether deserted,
are people of metal. If they can go contrary to the stream they are worthy to be reckoned
among true men-of-arms and choice spirits. Our converts that come to us when there is a
widespread religious movement need to be watched with great care lest they should be
carried off when the stream flows in the opposite direction. This ‘woman named
Damaris’ was genuine, for she was not ashamed of the apostle when the great ones
around her made him the subject of their ridicule.
People who dare to confess Christ in evil times are pretty sure to be
genuine converts. A certain class will always be mean enough to join a Christian
church if they think they can get something material out of it. I have never tried to catch
men with loaves and fishes, because such bait only attracts frogs, and not fish. Those who
can be bought for church or chapel are not worth a farthing. These are not
lovers of Christ’s cross, but of Christ’s moneybag. The ‘woman named Damaris’ had
nothing to gain by siding with Paul. Doubtless she ran the risk of persecution. This is the
style of convert we covet.
The preacher was called a fool and a babbler; but she sided with him
nonetheless, and therefore she showed herself to be of that race which may be crushed,
but cannot be conquered. We read of Jabez that he was more honourable than his brethren
because his mother bore him with sorrow; and I believe that the converts born to the
church in days of persecution are more honourable and more reliable than others.
If plants live through the winter they will not die in the spring and
summer. If men and women can bear the sharp frosts of early ridicule and slander, they
will easily put up with later opposition, and will endure even to the end. It is very
important that all additions to our church should be of the right kind. I try to exercise,
together with my elders, as great caution as is consistent with charity; but do what we
may we are deceived by those who say that they are Christ’s, and are not. I feel, however,
pretty sure of those who come to us in the teeth of opposition.
Such persons as this ‘woman named Damaris’ are specially valuable,
because they are generally people of vigorous spiritual life. Paul had only
two or three converts at Athens, but he might well have taken comfort from the old Greek
fable of the fox and the lioness. The fox boasted of the number of her cubs, and taunted
the lioness because she had but one. ‘Yes,’ said the lioness, ‘but that one is a lion.’
I venture to believe that the very fact that Damaris is here recorded implies
that she was well known in those days. It was impossible to omit her name as she had
written it too clearly upon the hearts of the saints. I am certain that those who come to
Christ when few are coming, and confess the faith in the midst of opposition, are the
people who will leave deep footprints, whose influence will abide.
This little note which constitutes my text also shows me that
converts are all valued by the Holy Spirit, and by the church of God.
Observe that we have here the honourable name of ‘Dionysius the Areopagite’. There are
many legends about him, none of which I believe, and therefore I shall not repeat them,
but he was evidently a man of consequence, for he was one of the notable council of
Areopagus. But, strangely, next to him is ‘a woman named Damaris’ of whom the best
biblical dictionaries say, ‘Nothing whatever is known of this person.’ Her name, however,
is not left out, but recorded alongside noble Dionysius. Grace creates true ‘liberty,
equality, and fraternity’.
Saints are individually chosen, beloved, redeemed; called by the Spirit of
God, put into the family of love, made joint-heirs with Jesus, and they shall all reign with
Him for ever and ever. All are equally written in the Lamb’s book of life.
Observe that sex is no detriment. How greatly God has
blessed women in the midst of His Church! They have been highly favoured in their
happy and holy experiences. If they were first in the transgression, they were last at the
cross, and first at the sepulchre; and no woman ever betrayed her Lord, or even denied
Him, these latter disgraces being left for men. I know of no wrong of such a kind that is
recorded of the female discipleship in the New Testament.
There are sinners mentioned whom Christ made His disciples, but these
loved much, and were the companions of those who ministered to Him of their substance.
Woman is raised to her right place by the tender hand of Him Who was ‘born of a
woman’.
Obscurity also does not diminish the value of a believer.
What if we know nothing about ‘a woman named Damaris’? The Lord will still have her
name emblazoned in the roll of His chosen. My dear friend! You may have very little
talent, scant wealth, and no fame - hidden away among the masses - but if you are a
believer, you are on the roll of the armies of the Lord, and in that great day your name
shall not be missed at the final muster.
No sort of singularity shall make the believer of any less
value. I do not know that there is much in it, but the woman’s name, according to
Cruden, means ‘little woman’. Read for Damaris, ‘little lady’. I have known, in the
church of God, little men like Zacchaeus, and little women like Damaris, and yet they
have been great in the kingdom of Heaven.
I have known persons physically impaired, who were spiritually beautiful.
They were the very life of the meetings for prayer - diligent as Dorcas, loving as Lydia,
holy as Hannah, mothers in Israel like Deborah. Many a minister has said, ‘I do not know
what we should do without that little woman.’ So, too, many a brother who has been lame
or blind has, despite his infirmity, been a man of great mind, and God has greatly blessed
him. Dr Isaac Watts, the poet of the sanctuary, was a little man; and when he was spoken
of in slighting terms, he said -
|
