 |
 |
 |
|
|
|---|
|
When
we try to reconstruct Jesus’ attitude to women, we detect an awareness of
their presence among his audience. Jesus draws his examples from the life of
women, no less than from the life of men. He knows that women keep their
treasures in boxes, and that they light a lamp at dusk (Matthew 6,19-21;
5,15-16). He speaks of children playing in the market place and of girls
waiting for the bridegroom at a wedding (Matthew 11,16-19; 25,1-13). He
often tells his parables in pairs, with a story about a woman running parallel
to a story about a man:
- the housewife who mixes leaven in the dough/ the farmer who plants a
mustard seed;
- the woman who lost a coin/ the shepherd who lost a sheep;
- the widow pestering the judge/ the friend waking up his neighbour at
night.
Luke 13,18-21; 15,3-10; 11,5-13 and 18,1-8.
We
can be sure that Mary, Jesus’ mother, had a great influence on him. Jesus
learned many of his ideals from her. She must have encouraged him when he began
his public ministry. A trace of this has been recorded in the Gospel of John.
During the wedding at Cana it was Mary who urged him to perform his first
miracle. ‘My hour has not yet come’, Jesus protested. But when she
quietly insisted, he changed his mind and ushered in the messianic era by
turning water into wine John 2,1-12).
At
various crucial stages in his own development Jesus gained insighst and was
prompted to action through encounters with women.
*
When the woman who suffered of a flow of blood touched Jesus from behind,
‘he perceived in himself that power had gone forth from him’.
Perhaps, Jesus’ healing ministry took its beginning from such encounters
(Mark 5,21-43).
*
The Syro-Phoenician woman pleaded with Jesus to drive the demon from her
daughter. Jesus refused because he felt his mission was restricted to his own
people. However, the woman argues with him; and Jesus gives in, thus making a
first step on the way to his universal mission (Mark 7,24-30).
*
In the house of Mary and Martha Jesus meets, perhaps for the first time, a
woman who, like the men who sit at his feet, wants to be a disciple. Jesus is
impressed by this and encourages her ‘discipleship’ even if it runs
counter to conventional expectations of a woman’s role (Luke 10,38-42; see
also 8,1-3).
Jesus
also responded to the silent gestures of women: the repentant prostitute who
poured ointment on his feet, the widow of Nain who walked behind the bier of
her dead son, the woman who was bent double with arthritis, the widow in the
Temple who put two small coins in the offering box, and the women of Jerusalem
who wept as they saw Jesus carrying his cross (Luke 7,36-50; 7,11-17;
13,10-17; 21,1-4 and 23,27-31).
From
all these and other texts we can be sure that the historical Jesus was very
much aware of the concerns of women. He cared about them. He learned from them.
He recognised in their needs, and their suggestions, promptings by the Spirit.
The forgiveness and reconciliation he brought from his Father, were as much for
women as for men.
For
an analysis of such Gospel passages, read: Elisabeth MOLTMANN-WENDEL, The
Women around Jesus, London 1982; A Land Flowing with Milk and Honey,
London 1986, pp. 137-148; Mary GREY, Redeeeming the Dream: feminism,
redemption and Christian tradition, London 1989, esp. pp. 95-103.
Jesus Christ liberates
We
could now proceed to a deeper level and ask: What use has Jesus’ concern
been to women? Has it actually resulted in facts of liberation? Has the Risen
Christ proved as effective for women as the promise held out by Jesus of
Nazareth?
The
answer is: yes! The position of women in religion changed dramatically with the
coming of Christ. Whereas she had only belonged indirectly to the covenant of
Moses, woman was now made a child of God on an equal footing with man.
In
the Old Testament, it was only the men who were the immediate bearers of the
covenant. It was the male children who were circumcised when they were eight
days old (Genesis 17,9-14). The covenant, therefore, was concluded
directly with the men. Women belonged to it only through men - first as
daughters of their fathers, then as wives of their husbands.
It
was the men who were expected to offer sacrifices in the Temple. Three times a
year, at the three major feasts, all the menfolk were to appear before
Yahweh’s face (Exodus 23,17). The women could come along and take
part in the sacrificial meal, as did children, slaves and guests. But it was
not really their own sacrifice. The principal reason (rationalisation!)
was that the wife, like children, slaves and cattle were, in fact, owned by the
husband (see Exodus 20,17). ‘A good wife is the best of
possessions’ (Sirach 26,3; see also Proverbs 31,10). The
husband could practically divorce his wife at will, she could not divorce him
(Deuteronomy 24,1-4). A religious vow by a woman was only valid if it
was ratified by her father or husband (Numbers 30,2-17).
In
the Temple at Jerusalem, Jewish women could enter inside the wall of separation
into the court of women. They were not allowed to proceed further.
The
men, on the other hand, could enter the court of Israel. It was this court that
faced the altar of holocausts and it was there that the priests accepted the
gifts for the sacrifice. When Mary and Joseph presented Jesus in the Temple,
Mary had to stay back in the court of women, while Joseph carried the child
Jesus and the turtle doves into the court of Israel. It was there, in the
women’s enclosure, that they met Simeon and Anna (Luke 2,22-38).
Also
in traditional Judaism the same distinction persisted. It was the men who were
required to recite the regular prayers. Men had the principal seats in the
synagogues. Men could read from the Torah. Only males, ten of them, could form
the quorum, minyan, required for public prayers. At the age of 13, boys
were initiated into their adult religious duties by the Bar Mitzvah ceremony.
No such thing existed for girls.1
Only
since 1810 AD, in socalled Reform Judaism, has more attention been given to
women. A Bar Mitzvahceremony for women is now common. For an orthodox
explanation of women’s duties in Judaism, read D.EISENBERG, A Guide for
the Jewish Woman and Girl, Brooklyn 1986. A feminist approach to modern
questions is presented by the liberal rabbi Julia NEUBERGER in
Whatever’s happening to Women?, London 1991.
It is
with this background in mind that we can appreciate the revolutionary change
brought by Christ. For both men and women are initiated into the new covenant
by one and the same rite, namely baptism. We have already seen above that in
baptism we die with Jesus and rise with Jesus. Both men and women undergo this
transformation and come out as ‘a new creation’.
On
account of this, both men and women share equally in the eucharistic meal and
have equal religious duties. These are factual changes with enormous
consequences.
Let us
listen to Paul:
All of you are children of God
through faith in Christ
Jesus.
All of you who have been baptized in Christ,
have clothed yourselves in Christ.
Thus there is no longer Jew nor
Greek,
free nor slave,
male nor female.
For you are all one in Christ Jesus.
Galatians 3,27-28
Notice the revolutionary changes Christ has brought about in the
factuality of human relationships to God. But this religious factuality
still needed, and needs, translation into social and ecclesial factuality.
The
Catholic Church is still discussing all the consequences. It took the Church
more than 19 centuries to publicly accept that slavery is incompatible with
God's design and against the mind of Christ (Vatican II, Gaudium et Spes
no 29). Now Rome is still resisting the admission of women to the sacramental
priesthood. We can be sure that ultimately this question will be resolved on
the basis of the fundamental equality established by Christ.
John Wijngaards
Follow @JohnWijngaards
Join our Women Priests' Mailing List
for occasional newsletters:
An email will be immediately sent to you
requesting your confirmation.
Please, credit this document
as published by www.womenpriests.org!