Jesus' View of Woman
Lifted Her Up

by Max Patterson

When Jesus came into the world, He faced a very sorry group of men who had a very low view of women. In fact, the Jewish men thought so low of women that they had a morning prayer in which they gave thanks to God that He had not made them "a Gentile, a slave, or a woman." One of the problems here is the fact that Jewish custom did not consider a woman a person, but a thing. She had no legal rights; she belonged to her husband to do as he willed.

The followers of I-Iillel, the liberals of Jesus' day, taught that a man might divorce his wife for most any reason -- if she spoiled his dinner by putting too much salt in his food, or if she walked out in public with her head uncovered, or if she talked to men in the streets, etc. One Rabbi interpreted the phrase "if she find no favor in his sight" as meaning a husband could divorce his wife if he found one that he considered more attractive. Many men liked this kind of interpretation. (Not much has changed in twenty centuries.)

Jesus lifted up the status of women. He taught that a man and a woman who were married were "glued together" as with a glue which could not be taken apart. What God joined together in this manner, man has not the right to separate. Jesus taught that men could not have mistresses, or visit the sacred prostitutes in the temples. He taught our commitment is to one another, and that it is for life.

Paul taught that men were to love their wives as their own bodies. No one would abuse their own body, unless they were "off' mentally. This love, said Paul, is to be like Jesus had for the church. He gave Himself for it. Husbands need to give themselves, if necessary, for their wives. If they are not ready for this kind of sacrifice, they are not ready for marriage.

Indeed Jesus and Paul, rather than being "dogmatic male chauvinists," lifted woman up to be where God intended for her to be -- equal with man. When Jesus and Paul taught the various roles of men and women, particularly in the church worship, this is not inequality, nor saying one is better than the other. Rather, it's an organized, God-ordained manner of carrying out the various duties of marriage within a context of the greatest happiness, and where the marriage runs smoothly because it is greased with love and respect.

Rather than running Jesus and Paul down, we really need to thank them and express appreciation to them for what they have done for women (and marriage and the family).

Max Patterson

Bulletin Digest - P.O. Box 575, Cisco, Texas 76437