Mother's Day Rant
Motherhood is a tough gig. I mean, seriously! Women are expected to stay home with these little bundles of activity for many years and without any kind of fair compensation! What is a mother worth? A whole bunch! The expectation is that the women stay home with Jonny and Susie while the man goes off to work. Then when he comes home, what happens to those expectations? Generally nothing. Many men come home from work expecting food on the table, and then to be allowed to rest from their busy day...while the wife continues doing precisely what she has been doing all day long...taking care of the children! I have talked to so many women who just feel trapped in this cycle and what can they do? They don't see any point of trying to talk to their husbands about it...they get no where doing that.
You know why this is true? Because we have been fed a lie. Yes...we here in the church have been fed a lie. We've been told by the outspoken wing of the church that men are to rule over their wives. That men are the head of the household. That women are to submit and do exactly what their husbands say. But...are they? Is that what the Bible really teaches? Did God create women to be nothing more than household slaves...serving their lord husband? I think not.
I don't think that was God's intention at all. We're going to peruse the Bible looking to see if we can find a better concept of God's plan for women. Before we do that, let me say this: Motherhood is an honorable calling. It isn't a job. It isn't a career. It is a calling. Being a mother is special. I want to say that before anyone gets the idea that I'm belittling motherhood. I am most certainly not! But, I do want to put motherhood in perspective...as well as the concept of woman in general. God did not create slaves...that much should be obvious. And yet, in so many places around the world that is what women are...in some places slaves are better off. Even in America, Christian America that is, many women are held in very low esteem by the men who believe they have authority over them.
So, let's begin our little perusal in Genesis. A fitting place I think! Genesis One tells in a sweeping way of the creation of the earth out of chaos. God took chaos and organized it. He made it orderly. And when he got around to creating mankind, this is what we read:
So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.
What can we see here? First of all, that God created mankind in His image. This is repeated, so it's important. Then what? What did that image of God entail? That man be created “male and female.” In order for man to hold Gods' image...mankind had to be male and female. God's image is both masculine and feminine. There is no degree of separation here, no ranking of male over female, no “headship” of one over the other. There is simply the fact that for mankind to be made in God's image, mankind had to be made...with two genders.
Now, in chapter 2 of Genesis, we get a more detailed look at God creating Adam and Eve. Does God create Eve second? One can look at it that way. The other way one might look at it is that as the final act of God's creation...Eve was the pinnacle.
But for Adam no suitable helper was found. So the LORD God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man's ribs and closed up the place with flesh. Then the LORD God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man. The man said, "This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called 'woman,' for she was taken out of man." For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh. But for Adam no suitable helper was found. So the LORD God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man's ribs and closed up the place with flesh. Then the LORD God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man.
The man said, "This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called 'woman,' for she was taken out of man." For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh.
The idea of a suitable helper is often demeaned into something very much less than what it really is. It isn't a helper...but a soul mate, someone who is not subservient, but equal. Equally engaged in the task of ruling, having dominion over all of God's creation. This was never intended to be a one man show. It was intended to be a ruling council, a place of strength for one another.
Ah, but this all changed at the fall, you say! Well, it did indeed. But...when God says,
"I will greatly increase your pains in childbearing; with pain you will give birth to children. Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you."
he isn't saying that this is his desire...this is a consequence. The fall had consequences...for the serpent, for the woman and for the man. Mankind lost God's design at the fall.
And so women have lived over the millenia, subjected to men, ruled over by men, abused often times by men. And so it has been, even in the church for the most part (but not always!) Mankind, men and women, lived separated from their Creator. Male and female drifted along, fighting, cursing, submitting, not submitting...until one day..something happened. Jesus came to earth.
Jesus, born of a woman...is a woman subservient? Hardly...just as the woman can be understood to be the pinnacle of God's creation, so here we see woman as the very first one who knew the messiah had come! A woman, or a girl even, was the first one God told about His messiah.
And Jesus, when he begins his ministry...what does he do? He ignores cultural taboos and speaks with women. Many women followed him. A forgiven prostitute washes his feet with her tears and dries them with her hair...as a male Pharisee looks on in disgust. These are not minor things! We overlook them because we have a slightly different view of women today than in Jesus' day, but these are not to be overlooked. Jesus set a new direction for women...if men had allowed them to follow it. And indeed, early in the life of the church women did find more freedom. That is a discussion for perhaps another day.
My point here is this: Jesus came to restore creation to God's original purpose...one might say even to a more glorious purpose. One of the things restored...was women as being a part of the image of God. Women who are created, not to be subservient, but to be co-equal to men in God's plan.
Finally, Paul says some things about women that are difficult to understand precisely because of the cultural differences between his day and ours. But, I want to point out one statement he makes in Galatians 3:26-29,
You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.
Now here is a rally cry! We live in a time of tremendous divisions. We are divided by race, by sex, by social status, by sexual orientation, by disability, by...well just about anything someone wants to divide us by they can. Usually for the sake of nothing more than personal advancement, but there are incredible divides between us. Some use these divisions to divide and conquer. Others ignore them to their peril.
But, Jesus came to tear down barriers. He tore down the barrier between God and mankind. He tore down the barrier between Jew and Gentile. He tore down the wall between slave and free (rich and poor?). He tore down the wall between the genders...male and female. Think what you will of Paul, but he was not entirely a male chauvinist!
Paul says, “You are all sons of God...” You – Jew and Gentile, slave and free, male and female. All are heirs of God.... Women don't get to be heirs by the grace of men, but by the power of God through Jesus Christ restoring the created order. As Paul says in Romans 8:
I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God. We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.
All of creation awaits the glory to be revealed. The sons of God...male and female.
So...what can we take from this rambling?
First, women are not second class citizens. Women have a very important and honorable place in the church and in life.
Second, women have every right...and duty ... to fully pursue all that God has for them. Men have the obligation to move aside and allow women to function in the callings and giftings God has given them.
Third, the church could be a place of enormous blessing to women...could be. God created women to be held in high regard as are men. If the church were to hold women in that way...imagine the impact we could have on the world around us?
Finally, men, honor your wives, children honor your mothers, as gloriously created beings!
You know why this is true? Because we have been fed a lie. Yes...we here in the church have been fed a lie. We've been told by the outspoken wing of the church that men are to rule over their wives. That men are the head of the household. That women are to submit and do exactly what their husbands say. But...are they? Is that what the Bible really teaches? Did God create women to be nothing more than household slaves...serving their lord husband? I think not.
I don't think that was God's intention at all. We're going to peruse the Bible looking to see if we can find a better concept of God's plan for women. Before we do that, let me say this: Motherhood is an honorable calling. It isn't a job. It isn't a career. It is a calling. Being a mother is special. I want to say that before anyone gets the idea that I'm belittling motherhood. I am most certainly not! But, I do want to put motherhood in perspective...as well as the concept of woman in general. God did not create slaves...that much should be obvious. And yet, in so many places around the world that is what women are...in some places slaves are better off. Even in America, Christian America that is, many women are held in very low esteem by the men who believe they have authority over them.
So, let's begin our little perusal in Genesis. A fitting place I think! Genesis One tells in a sweeping way of the creation of the earth out of chaos. God took chaos and organized it. He made it orderly. And when he got around to creating mankind, this is what we read:
So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.
What can we see here? First of all, that God created mankind in His image. This is repeated, so it's important. Then what? What did that image of God entail? That man be created “male and female.” In order for man to hold Gods' image...mankind had to be male and female. God's image is both masculine and feminine. There is no degree of separation here, no ranking of male over female, no “headship” of one over the other. There is simply the fact that for mankind to be made in God's image, mankind had to be made...with two genders.
Now, in chapter 2 of Genesis, we get a more detailed look at God creating Adam and Eve. Does God create Eve second? One can look at it that way. The other way one might look at it is that as the final act of God's creation...Eve was the pinnacle.
But for Adam no suitable helper was found. So the LORD God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man's ribs and closed up the place with flesh. Then the LORD God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man. The man said, "This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called 'woman,' for she was taken out of man." For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh. But for Adam no suitable helper was found. So the LORD God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man's ribs and closed up the place with flesh. Then the LORD God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man.
The man said, "This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called 'woman,' for she was taken out of man." For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh.
The idea of a suitable helper is often demeaned into something very much less than what it really is. It isn't a helper...but a soul mate, someone who is not subservient, but equal. Equally engaged in the task of ruling, having dominion over all of God's creation. This was never intended to be a one man show. It was intended to be a ruling council, a place of strength for one another.
Ah, but this all changed at the fall, you say! Well, it did indeed. But...when God says,
"I will greatly increase your pains in childbearing; with pain you will give birth to children. Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you."
he isn't saying that this is his desire...this is a consequence. The fall had consequences...for the serpent, for the woman and for the man. Mankind lost God's design at the fall.
And so women have lived over the millenia, subjected to men, ruled over by men, abused often times by men. And so it has been, even in the church for the most part (but not always!) Mankind, men and women, lived separated from their Creator. Male and female drifted along, fighting, cursing, submitting, not submitting...until one day..something happened. Jesus came to earth.
Jesus, born of a woman...is a woman subservient? Hardly...just as the woman can be understood to be the pinnacle of God's creation, so here we see woman as the very first one who knew the messiah had come! A woman, or a girl even, was the first one God told about His messiah.
And Jesus, when he begins his ministry...what does he do? He ignores cultural taboos and speaks with women. Many women followed him. A forgiven prostitute washes his feet with her tears and dries them with her hair...as a male Pharisee looks on in disgust. These are not minor things! We overlook them because we have a slightly different view of women today than in Jesus' day, but these are not to be overlooked. Jesus set a new direction for women...if men had allowed them to follow it. And indeed, early in the life of the church women did find more freedom. That is a discussion for perhaps another day.
My point here is this: Jesus came to restore creation to God's original purpose...one might say even to a more glorious purpose. One of the things restored...was women as being a part of the image of God. Women who are created, not to be subservient, but to be co-equal to men in God's plan.
Finally, Paul says some things about women that are difficult to understand precisely because of the cultural differences between his day and ours. But, I want to point out one statement he makes in Galatians 3:26-29,
You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.
Now here is a rally cry! We live in a time of tremendous divisions. We are divided by race, by sex, by social status, by sexual orientation, by disability, by...well just about anything someone wants to divide us by they can. Usually for the sake of nothing more than personal advancement, but there are incredible divides between us. Some use these divisions to divide and conquer. Others ignore them to their peril.
But, Jesus came to tear down barriers. He tore down the barrier between God and mankind. He tore down the barrier between Jew and Gentile. He tore down the wall between slave and free (rich and poor?). He tore down the wall between the genders...male and female. Think what you will of Paul, but he was not entirely a male chauvinist!
Paul says, “You are all sons of God...” You – Jew and Gentile, slave and free, male and female. All are heirs of God.... Women don't get to be heirs by the grace of men, but by the power of God through Jesus Christ restoring the created order. As Paul says in Romans 8:
I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God. We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.
All of creation awaits the glory to be revealed. The sons of God...male and female.
So...what can we take from this rambling?
First, women are not second class citizens. Women have a very important and honorable place in the church and in life.
Second, women have every right...and duty ... to fully pursue all that God has for them. Men have the obligation to move aside and allow women to function in the callings and giftings God has given them.
Third, the church could be a place of enormous blessing to women...could be. God created women to be held in high regard as are men. If the church were to hold women in that way...imagine the impact we could have on the world around us?
Finally, men, honor your wives, children honor your mothers, as gloriously created beings!
Labels: Women
posted by Greg at 12:26 PM
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