Jesus Male Chauvanist? - a repost, note the question mark Leah

Simone de Beavvoir in The Second Sex, says, "How can a human being in woman's situation attain fulfillment? What roads are open to her? Which are blocked?" (xxix). This is not just a question spurred on in a post Feminine Mystique era; the position of women has been a source of debate for years, millennia in fact. Within this debate, Christianity, with its machismo undercurrents, has most often been labeled the enemy. The Church has often deserved this label, but does Jesus?

A look at the biblical Jesus reveals that his ministry, in its essence, affirms women. His actions and even the events surrounding his birth convey the significance and value of women, independent of men. God could have chosen any method for Jesus' arrival on this earth; despite societal disapproval, Mary was the choice. Even the genealogy accounted in Matthew prior to the announcement of Jesus' birth lists women. Jesus' choice to integrally involve women in his ministry demonstrates one of the key points of his message: that we can all come and be accepted as we are. His interaction with women: Mary Magdalene, the Samaritan woman, the sisters Mary and Martha, and his own mother, demonstrate his compassion for their situations and a desire to equip women like Mary Magdalene or the Samaritan woman to appropriately address their lives and change them. His actions, such as the defense of the adulteress woman, shows that he sought to eliminate the patriarchal interpretations of Old Testament law. As much as Jesus called people to holiness, his response to the woman caught in adultery is compassion and protection—a recognition of a system that unfairly condemns the woman and allows the man to go free (John 8).

Jesus' legacy of valuing women continues after his death and resurrection. In the early church leaders such as Priscilla are noted for their involvement and teaching (Acts 18). This movement towards equality despite societal structures is reiterated in Acts 2 with the arrival of the Holy Spirit, promised to all believers, and in Paul's letter to the Galatians: "There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male and female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus" (Galations 3:28, NLT).

In the end, it was because of his radical desire to change his society's view of women, orphans, widows, and the socially despised that He was crucified and we have freedom. Our salvation and worth are not determined by gender; women are free.

Well I don't know if I should glare at you or hug you Leah...

I've been confronted with the perfect situation and I'm paralyzed - seems to be happening a lot these days - this threshold is not being traversed about I'm about to go all Rosencrantz and Guildernstern but I can't and yet I am them... (*mumbles*). Leah has just informed me Geez is having a contest 30 Sermons You'd Never Hear in Church - it's the perfect situation, my chance to speak in public but not have to deal with all the stress and anguish of being in front of a group of people - in essence blog a sermon. But on what? Something relevant, yet not over discussed, something intriguing but not so out there that is has no commonality - what? Suggestions? My first thought was to go back to my piece for Jesus Week last year - Jesus: Male Chauvanist? But who wants to hear a feminist or even a piece that is in many respects common sense - then again - it is one of the hallmark arguments... Then I was thinking about the war - and pacifism, and then I started to think about the book Nobodies - and the issue of social conscience and slavery, or the Rape of Tamar... The catch to it is it is only 750 words - I've written enough 900 word essays in my 300 level classes to know that they are hard, really hard, worse than 15 page papers. Though if I am super eager I can submit more than one...

So in the spirit of days gone past (when I lived with Steve) - I propose the following: I will buy anyone interested a coffee - and you get to serve as a sounding board, someone to help me bring form to the fog. I'm also looking for an editor? Joel? Does a pecan pie or seafood lasagna sound like enough to tempt you into helping me.