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Jesus was a revolutionary on so many, many levels.
As you will hear in this PODCAST, Jesus was never afraid to break with convention and go with something that was totally counter-cultural to the times in which He lived, and to the religious tradition to which He belonged.
It is both my sincere hope and confident belief that you will find in this lesson much refreshment for your soul, especially if you are a female.
The time has come for us to — courtesy of Jesus — balance the books that have been so out of balance for so long in so much of our present-day Christian culture.
So, let’s start off by reading Luke 8:1-3 (CEV)
Soon after this, Jesus was going through towns and villages, telling the good news about God’s kingdom. His twelve apostles were with him, 2 and so were some women who had been healed of evil spirits and all sorts of diseases. One of the women was Mary Magdalene, who once had seven demons in her. 3 Joanna, Susanna, and many others had also used what they owned to help Jesus and his disciples. Joanna’s husband Chuza was one of Herod’s officials.
Now, before we begin to dive in to these verses, let me make the main point very clear:
God has dramatically used, God does presently use, and God will continue to use women to further His purposes on this planet, both inside and outside of the Church.
I know for many people, this isn’t an earth-shattering, mind-blowing statement. But for some, it may be; and if these words were written 2,000 years ago, it definitely would be.
For instance, one popular evangelical leader today, with tens of thousands of pastors around the world who look to him for sage advice wrote this in response to the question of women’s roles in the Church:
“…women have traditionally fulfilled supportive roles in serving the church and gained their greatest joy and sense of accomplishment from being wives and mothers… As persons, as spiritual beings standing before God, men and women are absolutely equal. Despite this equality, there is in Genesis 2 a more detailed account of the creation of the two human beings that reveals differences in their God-given functions and responsibilities. God did not create the man and the woman at the same time, but rather He created Adam first and Eve later for the specific purpose of being Adam’s helper. Eve was equal to Adam, but she was given the role and duty of submitting to him… the word “helper”…describes someone in a relationship of service to another. The responsibility of wives to submit to their husbands, then, was part of the plan from creation, even before the curse.”
Really? Where does that leave single women? Where does that leave childless women?
Now, admittedly, I am not a woman, but I would imagine that if I was, I would find that statement patronizing and demeaning in the extreme.
But, there you go, women. According to this Christian leader, your God-ordained role is four fold: 1) get married; 2) have babies; 3) serve and submit to your husband; and 4) maintain a “supportive role” to the men in the Church.
Sadly, there are far too many conservative Christian churches across our country today that view women in this light. For example, there have been many, many cases where a highly qualified woman will take a position in a church staff – a position previously held by a man who had the title “Pastor” on his business card – and she will not be allowed to be called a Pastor, but instead a Director.
Now, it’s absolutely true that the Bible says in Ephesians 5:
Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. 23 For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body. 24 Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything.
This is where a lot of Christians use as their springboard for their position on women’s roles in the Church. The problem is that the passage doesn’t end at verse 24. It goes on:
25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her
So, women are to submit, but men are to DIE for their wives. (if dying is not submission, could you tell me what is?) If I am to put my wife’s interests in front of my own and place what is best for her beyond what I want for me – even to the point of my own death – how is that not submission?
The submission is mutual.
Paul took this revolutionary perspective to a whole new level in Galatians 3:
28 There is [now no distinction] neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is not male and female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
So, if Paul instructed that there’s no separation, and Jesus practiced His ministry with women serving right alongside His disciples, how is it that so many churches maintain a different stance?
And just to further amplify the point, we see this fascinating scene at the foot of Jesus’ cross in Mark 15:
40 There were also women looking on from a distance, among whom were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joses, and Salome. 41 When he was in Galilee, they followed him and ministered to him, and there were also many other women who came up with him to Jerusalem.
So, you see, these women had been following Him, from long before He and His disciples entered Jerusalem for Passover, all the way to His crucifixion. This was totally and completely unusual in the first century, for one because rabbis NEVER had female disciples or followers, nor even considered it. It simply was not done.
All throughout the Roman Empire in Jesus’ time, women were considered, in many ways, not any better or more valuable than slaves. They were merely property – and not allowed to make any contribution to society other than to bare children and serve their husbands.
Until Jesus came along.
Jesus included several women in his inner circle of highly-esteemed and valued ministry partners. Not merely as supportive helpers.
So, if today (as Paul wrote), there is no distinction between men and women in God’s eyes; and if we, as Christ-followers should follow His example, then shouldn’t we esteem them with possibilities that would be available to any anointed and gifted child of God when it comes to serve, and even lead, in our work to expand God’s kingdom?
