In Jesus’ day, like today, there was a sharp demarcation of the powerful elite and the vast unwashed of powerless people. How amazing to walk with the Master and see how He treated these kinds of people. The lame and sick, little children, outcasts like Samaritans and convicted thieves – and women.
Do you feel powerless today? Overlooked? Stereotyped? Jesus knows you as you are regardless of where you are in societal strata. The Holy Spirit fills each life directed to the Son. Find your value in Him – watch His earthly example.
“Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?’ ‘No one sir,’ she said. ‘Then neither do I condemn you,’ Jesus declared. ‘Go now and leave your life of sin” John 8:10,11.
In Jesus’ day, like today, there was a sharp demarcation of the powerful elite and the vast unwashed of powerless people. How amazing to walk with the Master and see how He treated these kinds of people. The lame and sick, little children, outcasts like Samaritans and convicted thieves – and women.
While teaching on the Temple Mount, religious leaders threw a disgraced woman at his feet demanding a judicious answer. She was caught in the act of adultery which according to Leviticus 20:10 and Deuteronomy 22:22 was punishable by death. What these men didn’t acknowledge was that BOTH the man and woman were punishable by death but notably they failed to bring the man, which would have been just as easy. They were callous toward her – because she was powerless.
In this context, how amazing to see how Jesus included women in His teaching (the woman and the lost coin, two women grinding grain at his second coming, the lilies of the field don’t spin – which is woman’s work). He fed 5000 men plus women and children in Matthew 14.
We also see how Jesus spoke to women, treating them nobly. Rabbis of the day were not even to greet their wife publicly, but we see Jesus speaking to a Samaritan woman at a well, to a woman with an issue of blood, and raising a young 12 year old girl. Two of His best friends were sisters Mary and Martha.
Invariably when a cult leader gets into power, the women under him suffer – usually through sexual issues. But Jesus saw women for the people they were – He looked beyond their traditional societal role and gave them the same intrinsic value He gave to men.
As a result, women followed Jesus. They were moved by His teaching, they anointed him with perfume, and we see faithful women standing at the cross and coming to anoint his body.
Yes, Jesus recognized gender roles – all of the 12 were men, for example. My point in this little blog is not to define gender roles in the church but to point out that Jesus saw value in everyone, whether they had earthly power or not. And the greatest way that He showed this was by bearing all of their sins upon Himself at the cross.
Do you feel powerless today? Overlooked? Stereotyped? Jesus knows you as you are regardless of where you are in societal strata. The Holy Spirit fills each life directed to the Son. Find your value in Him – watch His earthly example.
“There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise” Galatians 3:28, 29.
Pastor Leon Throness
p.s. Mark your calendars for April 22. We have a special day planned for you with the Kinnenburg’s. We will be taking a closer look at Life in the Spirit. We do hope you will make plans to join us. More details coming soon.
