Dare to be a Dorcas
At Joppa there was a certain disciple named Tabitha, which is translated Dorcas. This woman was full of good works and charitable deeds which she did (Acts 9:36).
Acts 9 begins with the conversion of Saul of Tarsus and leads on to a remarkable work of God in the extending of the Gospel and the growth of Christian assemblies. The chapter ends with the only mention of a woman called Tabitha. This was her Aramaic name, and we know her better as Dorcas, the Greek translation of her name, which means “gazelle”. There is a small, beautiful gazelle called the dorcas gazelle (ariel gazelle). Its population is decreasing and it is classed as vulnerable in conservation terms.
Dorcas loved, and was loved. She teaches us about a ministry which has always characterised faithful Christian service. It is the ministry of doing good! We are told that her life was full of good works and charitable deeds. June often tells me, when I am driving, that her driving instructor said to her that every time we drive a car we should be kind to another motorist. She also reminds me she has been driving longer than me, so I should listen to her! Dorcas didn’t just do a good deed for the day; she was full of good works and acts of love. For her, it was a way of life. She was following her Saviour. In the very next chapter, in the house of Cornelius, Peter speaks of how “God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him” (Acts 10:38).
Dorcas had a particular and practical gift: she made clothes. When she died, the loss was felt so deeply that the brethren sent for Peter. When he met the widows who mourned her loss, they showed him the clothes she made. In the resurrection of Dorcas, Peter shows us how he had learned from his experience with the Lord Jesus in the house of Jairus (compare Mark 5). The Lord is always our model in service, whether we are making clothes or undertaking, as Peter was, extraordinary service for Him. The good works of Dorcas and her resurrection were both influential in leading people to the Lord (v. 42).
Dorcas had a heart for the Lord. She had a gift and the faith and determination to use it in His service. Dorcas didn’t wait for an organisation or the support of others: she just got on with it. She served in love and followed the Saviour’s example. Each of us has a gift from God, and we are not to neglect it: “Do not neglect the gift that is in you” (1 Timothy 4:14).
At the beginning of Acts 9, Saul of Tarsus, overwhelmed by the Lord’s presence, said, “Lord, what do You want me to do?” (vv. 5-6, see also Acts 22:10). It was a question he would ask throughout his life as he sought the Lord’s guidance. I think it was a question Dorcas asked and, most importantly, I think it is a question the Lord wants us to ask. The dorcas gazelle is a small, beautiful gazelle whose population is decreasing: we don’t want this to happen amongst the people of God. Dare to be a Dorcas!
