Jesus Always Granted Women Equality of Consideration

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Dear All,

 

Here is an article which shows that Jesus always granted women equality of

consideration.

 

Please enjoy!

 

violet

 

 

 

Jesus Always Granted Women Equality of Consideration

 

" Jesus always granted women equality of consideration. Despite the fact that in

first-century Jewish culture, as a general rule, women were subordinated to men,

we find virtually no trace of this in Jesus' attitude or teaching. He called

women as his disciples, he taught them and he died for them as well as for men.

He did not criticise the woman of Samaria when she preached about him to her men

kinsfolk (John 4), and after the resurrection he sent two women to proclaim the

news of his victory over the grave to the frightened male disciples (Matt.

28:10, John 20:17). Men of his day, as today, insisted that women should keep to

women's things, but not Jesus. He commended Mary for listening to his teaching

(usually a male preserve) and criticised Martha for her preoccupation with

domestic chores (Luke 10:38-42). The thought that woman's noblest calling was to

bear and care for children Jesus challenged by stating that hearing and obeying

his word must always come first. (Luke 11:27-28). It was the same for women and

men. As far as marriage was concerned, Jesus said not one word which would

suggest that he believed husbands had been set over wives. He saw the ideal

pattern in Genesis. Before sin entered the world man and woman were created as

personal equals. The goal of marriage was not an obedient servile wife but the

union of two persons. Both parties were equally responsible for the success or

failure of this God-initiated bond (Mark 10:6-12)

 

The one possible exception in Jesus' bestowal of equality upon women was his

choosing of the twelve apostles [disciples] who were all men. So much has been

made of this by opponents of women's ordination that one would think it was the

central point of Jesus' teaching about the sexes. Two weighty reasons and

numerous incidental ones can be given as to why Jesus did not include women

among the twelve. First, the twelve apostles symbolised the formation of the new

people of God, the new Israel. As the original twelve patriarchs had been men,

men needed to be chosen as the founding fathers of the new Israel if the twelve

apostles were to bear witness to the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. In

Jewish law a woman's testimony was of no value. As males alone could be

witnesses Jesus had to choose men. We might also remember that the twelve were

all Jews but we find no one arguing that all ministers should be converted Jews!

An isolated fact should, however, not be singled out. What is important is

Jesus' general attitude and his specific teaching.

 

This we suggest shows that Jesus gave no place to the thought that women should

be subordinated in the home or society but rather insisted that they should be

granted equality of consideration. But as he said nothing directly about the

structure of the Church or its ministry, it is only by inference that we can

draw him in to support equality of opportunity in ministry. Nevertheless I

believe this conclusion is the only one that follows naturally from the

evidence.

 

The Force of the Feminine

Margaret Ann Franklin - Allen & Unwin Australia Pty Ltd

North Sydney - Australia

ISBN 0 86861 914 0 (pbk.).

p.40