Originally published 8th March 2021
Jesus is a Feminist.
It amazes me the controversy this statement creates.
Of course Jesus is a feminist. A Feminist, in the words of Gloria Steinem “is anyone who recognises the equality and full humanity of women and men”
Did Jesus view women and men as full equals?
Of course he did
And that was pretty radical in the first century.
Jesus wasn’t just a feminist.
He was a radical, counter cultural, feminist.
He showed us this, not only in his teachings, but in his behaviour. Want to know how a male feminist should behave? How a man should treat a woman? You only need to look to what Jesus did, here’s a few examples:
JESUS EMPOWERED WOMEN AND GAVE THEM CREDIT
When Jesus was touched by a woman who had had a menstrual problem as he was on his way to the house of a rich man who needed him to heal his sick child Jesus should have been annoyed; it was forbidden for a menstruating woman to touch a man and this act would have left him ritually unclean, he was also rather busy with an important man.
But Jesus stopped, he made time for the woman, putting her needs first before that of the man. He ignored silly sexist cultural rules and then importantly he declared, in front of a crowd that the woman was healed, and not only healed, but healed because of her own faith. This would have restored her social standing. Her problem would have been seen as a punishment for sin, but Jesus declared that her problem had gone, so she was not ritually clean and could re-join her community, and he credited her with her own healing, through her faith, so she would be accepted. Jesus never made it about him, but about her. (Luke 8:43-48)
JESUS CREATED SPACE FOR WOMEN AND MEN TO HAVE EQUAL ROLES IN HIS MINISTRY.
Jesus ministry was funded by women (luke 8:3)
Women were present in his intimate circle of friends (Luke 8: 1-3)
Women led the church in Acts directly after Jesus resurrection (Lydia, Priscilla, the daughters of Philip, Phoebe, Junia)
Jesus chose to appear to women first directly after his ministry and send them ahead to tell others about his resurrection (Luke 24)
HE DIDN’T HOLD WOMEN ACCOUNTABLE FOR MEN’S INABILITY TO CONTROL THEMSELVES.
Jesus never told women to cover up so they didn’t tempt their brothers in Christ. He did however tell men that if they couldn’t help but look lustfully at women they should gouge out their eyes, if they couldn’t help but grope women they should hack off their hands (Matthew 5:27-30)
HE CHALLENGED THE SEXUAL DOUBLE STANDARD
Jesus was asked to join in stoning a woman who was being slut shamed for adultery, whilst the man involved was nowhere to be seen. Jesus pointed out to the men that they had all been doing exactly the same thing, he told them that anyone who hadn’t themselves committed the exact same sin could stone her- he shamed them right back. Although he then told the woman to “go and sin no more” he made of point of telling her that he did not condemn her. (John 8:1-11)
HE SPOKE OUT AGAINST ‘SLUT SHAMING’ AND DEFENDED WOMEN.
A woman with a “bad reputation” once followed Jesus into the home of a Pharisee where she anointed him with oil out of devotion to him. The men around were unimpressed, saying ‘doesn’t he know what kind of woman she is? She’s a sinful woman and he’s letting her touch him’ and so on. Imagine how horrible that poor woman must have felt, all these men pointing fingers at her and telling her she wasn’t good enough to worship Jesus just because she didn’t meet their expectations of “ladylike”(religious types haven’t changed much have they)
Jesus however was having none of it. He commended her faith, saying ‘just look at this woman, look what she’s done for me, you’ve done nothing’ He wasn’t interested in what so called sin they were saying she had committed, he was interested in the contents of her heart. (Luke 7:36-50)
JESUS PROTECTED WOMEN
Not just from physical stoning but from ruin. Abusers love to use Jesus words about divorce as a way to stop victims from leaving, but Jesus words weren’t aimed at woman, they were aimed at men. Jesus told men they weren’t allowed to just divorce their wives because they felt like it, because they wanted a “younger model.” Not only is this treating women like posessions but in the first century it would lead to utter ruin for women. Women had no means of supporting themselves in those days and divorced women ended up destitute. In telling men not to divorce their wives he was protecting women form destitution (Matthew 19:9)
HE DIDN’T BELIEVE A WOMAN’S PLACE WAS IN THE KITCHEN
(Luke 10:38-42) When Martha got upset with her sister Mary for sitting listening to Jesus instead of helping in the kitchen Jesus defended Mary and her right to choose.
JESUS TREATED WOMEN WITH RESPECT EVEN THOUGH HIS FRIENDS CRITICISED HIM FOR IT.
Not only was she female, she was Samaritan (the jews did not like the Samaritans)
Not only was she Samaritan, she had had five husbands and was now living with a man she wasn’t married to. Women get grief for that now (Boris Johnson doesn’t though notice!) imagine the attitudes towards her then!
Jesus asked her for a drink of water. He drank from the same cup as her and talked to her like he would anyone else. He treated her with dignity and respect. As an equal. (John 4)
JESUS WAS EVEN PRO CHOICE……
Jesus wasn’t foisted on Mary against her will. Luke 1:38 tells us that Mary said “yes” to God, she had a choice, she was not forced to carry Jesus to term against her will.
Can you think of any other examples of Jesus Feminism?
