06: Women in the Ministry of Jesus – Thought Starters
Image © Steve Creitz from GoodSalt.com
[Thought questions for Women in the Ministry of Jesus May 5, 1015]
1. Neither male nor female. In your personal meditations, do you ever reflect on the awesome power of God? How does Christ’s treatment of women reflect that power? Can you imagine hearing a Christian in his evening prayer say, with deep feeling, “Oh, Lord, Thank you for not making me a woman”? Or a woman praying just as fervently, “Lord, deliver me from the persecution of being a woman”? Did Jesus work to turn the foolish concept of women as inferior on its head?
2. Mary, Elizabeth, Anna. What effect did Elizabeth’s words of greeting have on Mary the mother of Jesus? Does it seem to you that Mary’s words were the words of a song Mary formed in her heart? Where did Mary get the thoughts for her song? What was Anna’s role in the story of Jesus’ birth? What inspired her to tell everyone what she had observed?
3. Women and Jesus’ Healing Ministry. What had gone wrong in the life of the woman of Nain? How did the death of her son add to her loneliness and lack of money? How would you feel about a person like Jesus disregarding the cultural norms, pushing towards the coffin, touching it, and asking the young man to rise. Then there’s the story of the daughter of Jarius, who came back to life when Jesus commanded it. A young man, a young woman, two families–how did Jesus respond to the mental suffering of all of those affected by these two deaths?
4. Women of Gratitude and Faith. Simon was proud to be involved in the festivities, but what was his response to a sinful woman rushing in to rub the costly perfume on Jesus feet, washing them over and over? Didn’t Mary break standard customs? What was Jesus’ response to her brave manner? What about the woman suffering from a disease causing internal bleeding for twelve years? How did she know about Jesus? What did she do to claim His healing power?
5. The work of women. What was the work of women following the resurrection of Christ? Why was the resurrection more believable when reported by women? What would the people expect men to say about? Do you treat women with the respect that Jesus showed for them? Are there women in your church who show love and concern for others but are not treated with Christian love?
Suppose one of your colleagues make this statement about women “Yes Jesus knew how women can confuse a man , that is why He decided not to marry while on earth , otherwise the plan of salvation would have failed if He decided to marry. The typical example is that of Job’wife who said live God and die. Even Paul decided not to marry”. How can you respond to this statement? Answer “Jesus was 100% Divine and 100% human. Can you also help me with other answers.
To say that Jesus did not marry for that reason is speculation at best, and would reflect a degraded relationship between spouses. We know that His mission was to come and die for us after a relatively short, full-time ministry. So He simply had no time for romance and even less for being a parent, as His focus was to disciple the twelve for a mission spread the gospel to the world. As Paul said, “He who is unmarried cares for the things of the Lord — how he may please the Lord. But he who is married cares about the things of the world — how he may please his wife.” (1 Corinthians 7:32-33).
Jesuss came on earth to rescue us from the chains of the devil. He came to show us the way to heaven hence if He had married that would have stopped him from being God(He was 100% God)because all we know is that God does not have a wife.
If human mind is not curbed from canal thinking on and during spiritual lessons it can be degraded to the point of blspheming God because the agender of Emmauel is clearly stated in the old testament that one can not think of Jesus in those circles.His purpose was different from Adamic one of filling the world.