The women who had come with him from Galilee followed and saw the tomb and how his body was laid. – Luke 23:55
All these with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers. – Acts 1:14
An ongoing issue in many churches is the minimizing and dismissing of the value of women within the functioning of the church. Sometimes it is obvious. Other times it is more subtle but from my experience there is often an unspoken understanding that women are to take a backseat when it comes to ministering within the church. The intent of this blog is not to wade into the egalitarian vs. complementarian debate but instead to look at the example of Jesus and discover how He made it a point to emphasize the value of women in a culture that disdained them.
Let’s take a journey back to ancient Israel, long before Jesus walked the earth. Women were not seen as equals. They were not allowed to receive an education, and their only training revolved around raising children and keeping house. Their voices were silenced, their freedoms restricted, and their worth diminished.
Even in worship, women were kept at a distance. In Herod’s temple, the outermost court was for Gentiles—foreigners who could come no further. Five steps above that was the court for Jewish women. That was their boundary. They could get no closer. But Jewish men ascended fifteen more steps to their own court. They were given privileges in worship that women could not access.
Marriage was no different. A woman had no say in whom she married, when she married, or why she married because her father chose for her. Once she was bound in marriage, there was no escape. A man could divorce his wife for nearly any reason, but a woman had no such right.
Women were to be seen as little as possible in public. A man speaking to a woman outside his home was considered shameful. So most women stayed tucked away in the shadows of society. They were often regarded as property. Every morning, Jewish men would pray a standard prayer of thanksgiving:
“Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, who has not made me a Gentile.”
“Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, who has not made me a woman.”
“Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, who has not made me an ignorant man.”
Then Jesus came.
Jesus Christ, the Son of God, showed us the true value and worth of women. He shattered social norms. He rejected the oppressive customs of His day. He saw women, spoke to them, defended them, and honored them.
Jesus entered this world through a woman. He placed His own divine life in the womb of Mary.
Throughout His ministry, Jesus tore down the walls built against women. A woman caught in adultery was dragged before Him, humiliated and awaiting death. He became her advocate, her defender. He saved her life.
Jesus sat and spoke with a Samaritan woman, a scandal in itself. Not only was she a woman, but a divorcee, an adulteress, and a despised Samaritan. She had three strikes against her in the eyes of Jewish men. But Jesus saw her. He spoke to her. He forgave her.
Jesus made women the heroes of His parables. He praised the persistence of a widow. He honored the woman who searched tirelessly for a lost coin. He exalted the poor widow who gave her last two coins in an act of radical trust.
Once, while dining with a Pharisee, Jesus was approached by a prostitute. In front of the religious elite, she unbound her hair, wept, and anointed His feet with perfume. She touched Him, a scandalous act. The Pharisees were disgusted. They doubted Jesus could be a prophet, let alone the Messiah. But Jesus saw her. He forgave her.
A woman suffering from years of bleeding, a condition that made her unclean and untouchable, reached out and touched the hem of His garment. And Jesus turned to her, not in anger, but in praise. “Daughter, your faith has made you well.”
A Canaanite woman, someone whom Jewish men considered a “dog”, came to Jesus, pleading for her daughter. Jesus marveled at her faith and gave her one of the highest compliments in all of Scripture: “O woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you as you desire.”
In Jesus’ final days before the cross, He chose to stay in Bethany, in the home of Mary and Martha. These women were His friends. They sat at His feet as disciples which was an honor unheard of for women in His day.
When Luke wrote his Gospel, he spoke of “the Twelve”, the twelve male disciples who followed Jesus. But he also made a startling addition: “And also some women.” Women followed Jesus, supported His ministry, and were counted among His disciples.
When the moment came for Christ to be crucified, where were the men? Most had fled. But the women? They stayed. They stood at the foot of the cross.
And on that resurrection morning, when the tomb was empty, who were the first to see the risen Lord? Women. They were the first entrusted with the message of the Gospel.
The church has too often mirrored the world in its treatment of women. But Jesus has shown us a different way. He shattered barriers. He restored dignity. He demonstrated the value and worth of women.
The church must ensure that it is aligned with Christ, and not with traditions or even the culture. The church needs to embrace the great worth of women and remember that in God’s eyes, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” (Galatians 3:28)
Written by Sam McKeen
