Jesus Loves Women

Happy first Sunday of Advent!

Today we are going to talk about women. That's right, women: the role they play in the birth narrative of Jesus and the significance of their inclusion.

This is a topic near and dear to my heart, if you have not already figured that out.
So much so that this semester I wrote a paper entitled:

Jesus and Feminism:

Putting Women in Their Place

(I hope you can appreciate the note of sarcasm.)

In this paper I conducted a close exegesis of four passages throughout the Gospels that recount interactions Jesus had with women. In noting the cultural significance, I argued Jesus was in fact a feminist. Yay! 

DISCLAIMER: Everyone in the world has different experiences with feminism: some good, some not so good. So when I say "Jesus was a feminist," I am using the following definition from Sandra M. Schneiders:

A comprehensive ideology, rooted in women's experience of sexually-based oppression,

that engages in a critique of patriarchy as an essentially dysfunctional system,

embraces an alternative vision for humanity and the earth,

and actively seeks to bring this vision to realization.

Not all feminists are angry women who burn bras, just like not all Christians are conservative racists who love guns. 

(Stereotypes, am I right?)

So, for this post, and for posts to follow, please read with an open mind. Who knows, perhaps you might even learn something! 

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  O N  T H E  I N C A R N A T I O N

Ah yes, the incarnation. What does this intricate concept mean? Well, as always, let's begin with the dictionary definition.

In-car-na-tion:

noun

a person who embodies the flesh of a deity, spirit, or abstract quality.

Thanks again, Google. We could not do this without you.

In the context of Christian faith, this word incarnation bears great significance. From the reign of King David around 1000 BCE, Israel expectantly awaited a king to reign forever, a Messiah.

When your time comes and you rest with your fathers, I will raise up after you your descendant, 

who will come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. 

He will build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. 

I will be a father to him, and he will be a son to Me...

Your house and kingdom will endure before Me forever, 

and your throne will be established forever. 

II Samuel 7:12-14; 16

Then a shoot will grow from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots will bear fruit. 

The Spirit of the LORD will rest on Him–

He will judge the poor righteously and execute justice for the oppressed of the land...

On that day the root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the peoples. 

The nations will seek Him, and His resting place will be glorious.

Isaiah 11:1-2; 4; 10

After centuries of awaiting the Messiah, the incarnation of the God of Israel is easily the pinnacle of Christian history. Yet instead of being born into riches and power, like most rulers of that time who claimed divinity, YHWH takes on flesh in a most scandalous way: through a poor teenage girl.

 Rejoice, favored woman! The Lord is with you...Do not be afraid Mary...

You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will call his name Jesus. 

He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High,

and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David.

He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end.

Luke 1:28, 30, 31-33 

The Son of the Most High chose a lowly, humble birth through a young, unmarried woman. The all powerful God could have chosen any other miraculous way to enter the earth, yet God chose vulnerability through a messy and risky birth.

God became entirely dependent upon a WOMAN for life.

And this woman, Mary, responded with exuberant gratitude:

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior,

because He has looked with favor on the humble condition of His servant. 

Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed

because the Mighty One has done great things for me, 

and His name is holy.

Luke 2:46-49 

In a religious society that hinges on honor and shame, this was a bold act by Mary. She viewed the cultural shame that would be placed upon her and her family as far less than the honor of this invitation to participate in God's mission of redemption.

Because she was already in a position of powerlessness, she was more willing to accept the honor of carrying the Messiah. And by choosing natural birth through a woman, God chose humility so that all women may be dignified as worthy of inclusion.

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T H E  S I G N I F I C A N C E

Often the incarnation has been used to argue that God is a male, thankfully that is hardly the case! 

Jesus took on the male gender not to reveal the sex of God, 

rather to subvert the patriarchy and heal the divide 

between men and women. 

Within a patriarchal society, a man is granted greater privilege, authority, and opportunity than a woman. Knowing this, God took on the male gender as the most effective denunciation of justice.

Unfortunately, if Jesus came as a WOMAN, she would not have been taken seriously and perhaps her ministry might not have been as effective. Not because God is limited, but because of the confines of a fallen human society. 

If we look at the ministry of Jesus, he continually went out of his way to include the marginalized and lay down his privilege to the lift up the oppressed. 

He humanized the Samaritan woman by giving her a voice and credibility to testify.
He humanized the woman caught in adultery and treated her equal to the religious leaders. 
He humanized the hemorrhaging woman by seeing her not as "unclean," rather as a human in need healing.  

The list could go on! Each and every way Jesus includes women in his narrative speaks not only to God’s heart for the marginalized, but the necessity for women and men to fight for gender equality together. 

For all of humanity was created in the image of God: male and female. Therefore, humanity is not whole if one oppresses the other. Rather, we must learn to lift up, respect, and encourage one another.

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T H E  T A K E A W A Y 

It cannot be one sex versus the other. 

Those who benefit from an oppressive system must lay down their privilege to 

provide opportunities for those whom the system oppresses. 

Men and women need to work together.

Man cannot seek justice without woman, 

just as woman cannot seek justice without man. 

May we humble ourselves to say to the other, I need you as my equal partner. 

And may we see the other as created in the image of God. 

Together, woman and man reflect the likeness of God. 

Thank you for reading, and as always, I would love to engage in conversation if you have any questions on this topic. 

- - O V E R  A N D  O U T .

Jesus Loves the Marginalized

Turn on any news channel or social media feed and see the inescapable aches and pains of this world. Mothers losing daughters, fathers losing sons, peaceful protestors maced and attacked. Thousands of lives lost this week.

Our brothers and sisters in this world are being murdered, oppressed, and marginalized, and what are we light-skinned, privileged humans doing about it?

Themes of justice and equality have weighed heavily on heart as lately I have been coming to terms with my privileges and biases. I watch my brothers and sisters endure so much heartache and pain from the oppressors of this world and I only wonder what I can do to help.

For starters, be an advocate. 

I am slowly and humbly learning how to be a voice for those whose voices are ignored or silenced. In this day of technology and social media this presents an incredible opportunity.

As many of you know already, this blog was created for the intent of making a woman's voice and experience known as I journeyed through seminary. But I feel it is time to broaden the horizon.

I have recently changed programs, from Old Testament to Justice and Mission– for the reasons stated above. And as the next three years of my life will be focused on pursuing, knowing, and doing justice, I figured it would be appropriate (and necessary) to broaden the voices heard through this blog.

And what a brilliant way to kick off this new chapter with Advent beginning next week.

For those who do not know, Advent is part of the Christian tradition. It includes the four weeks leading up to Christmas and is meant to create space to contemplate the Divine, recount the birth narrative of the Messiah, and wait expectantly for the Deliverer of Justice.

As our friend Google defines it:

Ad-vent:

noun

the arrival of a notable person, thing, or event.

The reality is, Jesus entered into a violent world not as a privileged king, but as a lowly Jewish boy born to lowly Jewish parents.

We can learn so much of the heart and character of God through the narrative of the incarnation. So as the season of Advent begins next Sunday, I am beginning a series which focus on a different marginalized groups Jesus chose to include in his birth.

This series is entitled:

Jesus Loves the Marginalized

Jesus loves the marginalized, the oppressed, the refugees, the outcasts, and the privileged. And I hope this study will help us all to love each other a little bit more, and grow in compassion for those in need.

Come thou long expected Jesus

Born to set thy people free

From our fears and sins release us

Let us find our rest in thee

Born thy people to deliver

Born a child and yet a king

Born to reign forever

Now thy gracious kingdom bring

UNTIL NEXT SUNDAY

- - O V E R  A N D  O U T .