Women in the Life of Christ
This piece has been cross-published from the Blogger of Jared, where it is part of the current “Life of Christ” theme going on there now where there have been several excellent submissions. We highly recommend that you check it out.
Looking at the Life of Christ as reported in the four Gospels of the New Testament, we see that his behavior towards and teachings about women were profoundly, revolutionarily loving in a way that we, in our current state of gender equality (relatively speaking) might take for granted, to the point that we are in danger of losing their impact. Christ’s respectful treatment of women was socially radical to say the least, which lends added strength to the messages inherent in those moments.
In Mark 10:7-9, the Lord says “For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife; And they twain shall be one flesh: so then they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder. ” True to this teaching, this sense of unity between the genders, there is a marked balance to all of Christ’s teachings:
The care with which Jesus provides stories and images that hearken to the experiences of both sexes has to be deliberate
His actions were also similarly balanced. In the twelfth chapter of Luke, Jesus is shown teaching a man, answering his question with the parable of the good Samaritan. Immediately following that, he enters Mary and Martha’s house and encourages Mary to sit at his feet and learn. Later he heals first a woman and then a man on the Sabbath (Luke 13:10-16 and 14:2-6). Then he healed a Gentile’s daughter, followed by a deaf man (Mark 7:24-30 and 31-37). Still later, he healed a woman, raised Jairus’s daughter from the dead, and then healed two blind men (Matt. 9:20-22, 23-26, and 27-34). Another time he healed the centurion’s servant and immediately afterward raised the widow of Nain’s son.
At times, Jesus described himself using feminine images…[which] was something that his contemporary rabbis would never have done.
(Leaven: 150 women in scripture whose lives lift ours, by Jerrie Hurd, published by Aspen Books; pp. 39-40)
Not just his imagery, but even Christ’s treatment of women was downright revolutionary. Sister Hurd continues:
In fact, tradition was for a man to speak to a woman only through her father or husband. A widow spoke through her son. Jesus is never shown doing that. He speaks directly to women, inviting them to respond directly. There is no intermediary.
(Leaven; p. 40)
Christ’s words, for all that they came forth from a patriarchal society are for all, for men and women, brothers and sisters. Let us examine what messages He brought forth in such a revolutionary way—actions and expressions so simple and yet so important, delivered in such a way as to highlight that importance.
Upon entering their home, the Savior sees that Simon-Peter’s mother-in-law (his “wife’s mother,” as it is written) is sick of a fever and promptly heals her (Matt. 8:14-15, Mark 1:30-31, Luke 4:38-39). In every one of these accounts, she is said to have risen and ministered unto them. Her service, her act of gratitude was not taken for granted and forgotten, but rather was deemed worthy to record. That may seem inconsequential, but in light of what John writes in ending his Gospel, “And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written,” (John 21:25) we understand that there have been omissions, and yet, receiving service given Him by this woman made it in. It not only made it in, but was recoded in three of the four gospels. Issues of historicity and harmony aside, and accepting the hand of the Lord in the crafting of the scriptures as we have them, there is a special emphasis inherent in the repeated recording of an event. What expression of love is there in the simple ministrations of a meal and other home comforts. Time and again we are given her for an example, to show us that such humble service expresses love and gratitude so eloquently that such expression is worthy, even of the Savior.
In each of the three Gospels where their stories appear, the accounts of the raising of Jairus’s daughter and healing of the woman afflicted with a 12-year issue of blood are always intertwined. First, we see that Christ is leaving to go to Jairus’s daughter (Matt. 9:18-19, Mark 5:22-24, Luke 8:41-42). In both Mark’s and Luke’s accounts, we are told that she is but 12 years old. In days before modern medicine, and even centuries more recently than the times recorded in the New Testament, we must remember that many children simply did die long before adulthood, and yet, the Lord values even the life of a girl enough to arise and go to her.
On His way to the girl, as the crowds were thronging him, the woman who had been afflicted with the 12-year issue of blood, who “had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse” (Mark 5:26) and who believed that if she could but touch the hem of his garment that she would be healed, approached as part of the crowd, humbly and quietly doing just as she had planned, catching brief hold of the Lord’s hem. The Lord is instantly aware of the miracle that transpired, halts, and asks “Who touched my clothes?” (Mark 5:30, see also Luke 8:45). What a question to ask as the multitudes were all about him. Who close in among them had not touched him? His disciples are somewhat baffled by the question saying “Thou seest the multitude thronging thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me?” (Mark 5:31, see also Luke 8:45) It was not an ordinary touch that he had felt, but a touch of faith. Christ immediately began to look around the crowd for her. He could easily have known that she was healed in body and gone on, yet He sought her out to heal her spirit as well. Despite the Mosaic prohibition forbidding a Hebrew man to touch a woman during menstruation, she receives no rebuke, only affirmation that it was her own faith that healed her (Matt. 9:22, Mark 5:32-34, Luke 8:47-48).
As they resume their way to Jairus’s house, they receive word that the girl has died (Mark 5:35, Luke 8:49), but Jesus perseveres, telling Jairus to “[f]ear not: believe only, and she shall be made whole” (Luke 8:50, see also Mark 5:36). In all three accounts, the Lord goes in to raise her despite the “scorn” of those in the house (Matt. 9:24, Mark 5:40, Luke 8:53). As if restoring her life were not mercy enough, the Lord takes a moment to even command that she be given something to eat. Like Peter’s mother-in-law, Christ shows love and concern through temporal ministration. (Mark 5:43, Luke 8:55)
In these same two stories, we have some beautiful examples of Christ’s kind words, which he does speak directly to the woman and the girl. As we look at the woman with the issue of blood, let us again draw attention to the custom of the day, wherein a man spoke to a woman through a male relative. Here she is, in the public square, in a state considered unclean, having violated Mosaic law by touching a man. She had hoped her infraction would go unnoticed, but “he looked round about to see her that had done this thing, But the woman fearing and trembling, knowing what was done in her, came and fell down before him, and told him all the truth.” (Mark 5:32-33) The Lord answers her fear with such touching words, repeated again and again in the three retellings: “Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole. (Matt. 9:22, see also Mark 5:34 and Luke 8:48) Moments later, Christ addresses Jairus’s daughter, calling her “Talitha” (damsel) in one account (Mark 5:41) and “Maid” in another (Luke 8:54). Coupling such an address with his considerate call of food for her and we see a truly tender heart in the Lord. What precious gentleness He shows towards these sisters! Regardless of social custom, he sees and knows and acts according to their eternal worth as daughters of God.
Christ not only gave women the respect of speaking to them, but he even would honor their words. In the account of the woman with the daughter with an unclean spirit, the Lord rewards the mother’s reasoning by granting the healing requested (Matt. 15:22-28 and Mark 7:25-29). When she first approaches, the disciples seek to have her sent away (Matt. 15:23), but as she presents herself again, the Lord hears her out, even though she is one of “the lost sheep of the house of Israel” (Matt. 15:24). When the Lord tells her that “it is not meet to take the children’s bread, and to cast it unto the dogs,” (Mark 7:27, see also Matthew 15:26) she cleverly turns the Lord’s analogy around, saying that “yet the dogs under the table eat of the children’s crumbs” (Mark 7:28, see also Matthew 15:27). Acknowledging in one account the faith inherent in the request and, in the other, the logic of her argument, the Lord honors her words saying “O woman, great is thy faith” (Matt. 15:28) and “[f]or this saying go thy way; the devil is gone out of thy daughter” (Mark 7:29, emphasis mine).
In the interest of time and length, unfortunately, I have to leave off there. This is but a scant handful of the beautiful, meaningful interactions between the Savior and the women in and around His mortal life, not to mention the profound honor of his interactions with sisters in his resurrected form. I hope that even these few examples can stir in your heart a desire to read the Gospels with eyes to see how Christ valued us as women, sisters, and daughters well beyond the customs of his mortal day. We are beloved spirit daughters of our Heavenly Father, and Christ led out in example of that; may we open ourselves, our hearts to be touched by that love, and may it change us, enrich us, uplift us, and edify us against whatever human imperfections remain in this world. As we all seek to be more Christlike ourselves, may we also seek to see the world with eyes like his, eyes that saw both sister and brother with love.
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