i) In LUKE
“Women are a continuing theme and example used by Luke as he tries to teach the qualities of a true disciple – one who is loyal and faithful to Christ through trials and joy; and who witnesses to the person and work of Christ; one who serves the Lord and the brethren freely from their own means." J
Women are mentioned often in Luke and have an important part, which was socially progressive by New Testament standards.
In Luke 7:13 there are miracles for the sake of women. Luke 8:1ff, 10:38ff and in Acts 1:14 shows women’s admission to Jesus’ circle of friends and the priority of women at the resurrection.
The crippled woman is described as a ‘daughter of Abraham’ in Luke 13:16. ‘Son of Abraham’ was often used, especially if a man’s worth to the community was being emphasised. ‘Daughter of Abraham’ was virtually unknown, perhaps because women were thought of as related to their families rather than as citizens; Jesus was showing that he valued women.
Women were as much followers of Jesus as men were. Individuals were judged on faith rather than gender. The purity laws that prevented women from taking such a large role in their faith as men were criticised and removed. Jesus considered the person who suffered rather than whether they were male or female and without taking into account the repressive purity laws, hence he healed the woman with the flow of blood. All humans are seen as being in need of redemption equally. While courage has often been seen as a male virtue, the passion shows that women are not seen as merely anxious but as actually courageous and are then the first to receive the Easter message.
All are called to serve the community and that community is one of brothers and sisters. As followers are supposed to leave their family the debate over whether women’s place is in the home is meaningless. If the community were entirely celibate, then the problems of male desire for women and pregnancy are superfluous.
“The world of Jesus set out to protect women by secluding them, believing that sexual desire was uncontrollable”J Jesus’ statement in Matthew 5:28 “but I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart” – i.e. women were not a danger to men, needing to be removed from the public eye. For the Rabbis, women’s function was to be man’s sexual partner and therefore the automatic result of contact between the two was lust. Women are not just thought of as objects of man’s desire, but as people. Once women are recognised as being more than objects of desire, and lust is seen as sinful, then there is no longer any need for their segregation. “Jesus accepts women into the group of disciples because he expects his disciples to control their desires.”J
Jesus condemned looking at a woman lustfully and because of this and because of his teachings on divorce, women could mix with the disciples without being seen as immoral. Marcion’s addition to Luke 23:2 (Jesus’ association with women being part of the charges at his trial) is thought of by Mary Evans as part of a tradition that Marcion know of, shows Jesus’ views on women were a distinctive feature in his ministry. However, these charges were not taken seriously, as if there had been any hint of sexual misconduct, then Jesus’ ministry would have been discredited. Jesus, while teaching strictly on divorce and sexual matters, was unusual in that he still expected men and women to mix freely – he did not believe contact and lust were automatically linked. Jesus ignored rabbinic injunctions to ‘talk not much with women’ and had female disciples.
Jesus allowed women, even sinners, to touch him and showed it was possible for men and women to relate as humans. Jesus also allowed women to serve him, for example in Mk 14:1-11 where a woman poured ointment on him, for the rabbis disapproved of women even serving them at table.
Rabbinic parables avoided mentioning women, but Jesus told stories relating to the life of women – childbirth, weddings, housewives and widows. “He used pictures of women to illustrate themes of vigilance, of perseverance in prayer, of divine mercy and of the joy of God over the salvation of a lost sinner. The impression is gained that women were not, as the Rabbis seemed to imply, necessary but of only secondary significance; but rather that they were an integral part of creation, both necessary and significant; seen as having worth as persons in their own right and not simply in relation to men.”J
While Jesus’ approach was radical for its time, nowhere is there an idealised or romanticised ideal of women. Women are sinners needing forgiveness like men and are treated as such. . “It is true that there is no record in the gospels of any woman opposing Jesus, but woman is by no means idealised. She is rather seen as responsible and rational, able to make decisions and responsible for the consequences of any decisions that she might make.”J This can be seen in the episode of the woman taken in adultery as the hypocrisy of those who would stone her saves her life, but Jesus does not condone her sin, she is told to go and sin no more. In Luke 7:37 when the sinner anoints Jesus’ feet, he does not deny that she is a sinner but acknowledged it and dealt with the sin. Jesus cared for what women thought both generally and of him. In Luke11: 27-8 a woman blesses Jesus’ mother – “the words of the women in the crowd were a common form of extravagant compliment; but Jesus dismissed them as sheer sentimentality.”J Jesus was concerned with what she thought and therefore he commented on her action.
It is probable that the group around Jesus was unmarried, and we know for certain that St. Paul was not. Jesus taught against family groups, and in this may have been influenced by the Cynics, who did not marry and belief in the imminent Parousia made procreation unnecessary. However, Paul mentions Peter having a wife, as well as the ‘brothers of the Lord’, James, Joses, Judas, and Simon. However, these only married after Jesus’ death and married couples such as Prisca and Aquila only appear after the crucifixion. It was dangerous for relatives or friends of a political enemy of Rome to make themselves known as they (even women and children) could be crucified as well. This atmosphere would mean that early readers of the gospel would recognise the courage of the women in visiting the body of Jesus, and the courage of Mary Magdalene in being seen both by the cross and by the tomb. (It is noticeable that the male disciples and followers were in hiding in Jerusalem, although it was hardly less dangerous for the women to be seen.)
ii) THE ATTITUDE OF THE DISCIPLES
Moule points out that while the epistles have a new concern for women, Jesus’ attitude is not reproduced and “a measure of repressiveness and sometimes…an almost scornful attitude” has been adopted.J However, the gospels give us a picture of the disciples trying to move from a traditional Jewish perspective of women to a Christian one. While they rebuked women (for example the Syro-Phoenician woman and those bringing children to Jesus) the gospels were written with all those points included which shows they had reached a level of understanding.
Jesus viewed women in a radical way for his time, i.e. he viewed them as people. He gave little teaching on women specifically, but little on men either. All people are seen as sinners in need of forgiveness and both are capable of making decisions and understanding their significance. Both men and women could follow, serve, be friends with and love Jesus.
Paul talks about the Christian relationship involving mutuality – of responsibility, love and submission. However he has little to say about relationships between men and women as such. Ryder Smith mentions that both men and women in the New Testament are described as ‘persons’ rather than by sex. Paul saw the primary relation between man and women as their unity in Christ. Paul does not intend to obscure the difference between male and female in Galatians 3:28 as the people in Romans 1:26-7 did and were punished for.