I may not be the best person to write this blog post but nevertheless it’s on my mind to do it. I’ve always admired the way Jesus treated women.
I was raised by a strong woman who was a bit ahead of her time. She made sure that I knew how to do “women’s work” as well as the work I learned from my dad. She knew I would need those skills when I moved out on my own and she wanted to instill in me that idea that women and men, as much as they may be different at times, are indeed equal.
Flash forward a few years and I am married to a strong woman as well. She balances career and home life in a way that is rarely matched and I admire her for this. And it doesn’t take long to know that my daughter is also growing into a strong woman – world watch out!
This is not a politically feminist post but it is a post of admiration for women and the hardships they have had to overcome and are overcoming.
First of all, when it comes to understanding Jesus’ interactions with women, we must also understand the overwhelmingly patriarchal time and place in which He lived. His actions and words were often revolutionary in the society of his time. Here are 5 examples of women who crossed paths with Jesus Christ:
#1 The Woman At the Well
"A woman from Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give me a drink.” (For his disciples had gone away into the city to buy food.) The Samaritan woman said to him, “How is it that you, a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a woman of Samaria?” (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.) Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.” John 4:7-10
For a first century Jewish man it was unheard of to talk to a women alone. Then there is the fact that she is a Samaritan woman and the Jews had no use for the Samaritans. Add to that the fact that we later learn that she had a rather dubious reputation when it came to relationships.
All of this information helps us to grasp what a revolutionary action this was by our Saviour. The Samaritan woman went on to believe that Jesus indeed had the “living water” and she became a missionary to her town and the whole area.
#2 The Woman Caught in Adultery
"The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery, and placing her in the midst they said to him, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of adultery. Now in the Law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?”
…And as they continued to ask him, he stood up and said to them, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.”
Jesus stood up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.”]] John 8:3-5, 7, 10-11
If you’re wondering “Where was the man who had participated in this act of adultery?” - you would be in good company. These “religious” men had no real concern for the Law of God. They simply wanted to trap Jesus and they victimized a woman in the process.
Jesus’ answer left them stunned and ashamed as they walked away from the woman. Jesus saved her from the masses and did not condemn her. He did, however, instruct her to stay away from such destructive behavior in the future (apparently this was a consensual act).
#3 The Woman With the Alabaster Box
"But Jesus, aware of this, said to them, “Why do you trouble the woman? For she has done a beautiful thing to me. For you always have the poor with you, but you will not always have me. In pouring this ointment on my body, she has done it to prepare me for burial. Truly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will also be told in memory of her.” Matthew 26: 10-13
A woman (perhaps Mary, Lazarus’ sister) had crashed the party and began to break a flask of alabaster and anoint Jesus with it. Judas, knowing this ointment was worth about a year’s wages, was indignant and asked why it wasn’t sold and given to the poor (Judas conveniently had access to the funds given to the poor).
Remarkably, Jesus commends this culturally unusual act and rebukes His disciples. He goes even further saying, to everyone’s amazement, that her “beautiful” act would be recalled whenever the Gospel was preached throughout space and time.
#4 Mary, Jesus’ Mother, at the Cross
“When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son!” Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home.” John 19:26-27
It seems Jesus’ mother, Mary, had been widowed by this point and widows were amongst the most marginalized of people at that time. In the midst of unimaginable suffering while on the cross, Jesus thinks of His mother and makes sure that she will be taken care of after his imminent death. What a tender loving heart!
#5 The Women Witnesses of the Empty Tomb
But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared. And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they went in they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.
While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men stood by them in dazzling apparel. And as they were frightened and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen.” Luke 14:1-6
“They” were a group of women which included Mary Magdalene. Again to understand the culture is so important. In first century Palestine women were not considered credible witnesses. In that context, the fact that Jesus Christ chose these women to discover his empty tomb and be the very first witnesses to His resurrection is mind boggling.
For the Gospel writers to record it is also amazing. A first century writer would never use female witnesses if they wanted to truly establish something. Ironically this has become a convincing element in the belief of the resurrection.
As we can see in these five examples (and there are more) Jesus had a tender heart towards women of all backgrounds. He treated them with the dignity they deserved despite the cultural backlash He received at the time.
