Conversations at Midnight: #3m Mom, Where are the Female Voices?

Devotional readings convinced my daughters that their rights to speak, write, lead, and influence were restricted. They had a point: Scripture names 1181 males versus 180 females, less than 15%! Biblical writers were male; Paul told women to be silent; Peter told wives to obey…these are just a few examples that messed with my daughters’ heads. 

Was God in agreement? Scripture seemed to shout yes. The ancient documents often read like a news flash, writers narrating without elaborating. Could stone tablets have caused the lack of detail in Israel's oldest records?

In the New Testament, Jesus filled in the cracks with masterful storytelling. He modelled the culture he wanted to create. By getting up close and personal, he led us back to the One who inspired the scripture: If you’ve seen me, then you’ve seen the Father. (John 14:9)   

While observing Jewish law, Jesus clarified its intention. Buried underneath centuries of legalism, he unmasked the tender, yet tough-as-nails love that wrote the Torah. In one instance, he reduced 613 civic and moral laws to two simple phrases: You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: Love your neighbor as yourself. The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments. (‌Matthew 22:37-39)

Jesus' inclusion of women in his stories and sermons taught his followers important lessons. These weren’t just cool characters; they reflected the very person he sought to describe—the Heavenly Father! 

A few examples include: The Prodigal Son and The Lost Coins.

The father's character in the first tale mirrors God's maternal qualities. When seeing his son returning home after a long absence, he rushed to meet him. With tears of joy, he wraps him in his arms, burying his face in his neck. Afterward, he invited the neighbours to an opulent feast. This lavish show of affection was for a younger son who had squandered his inheritance on strong drink and lewd living.  

In the second parable, The Lost Coins, a woman turned her house upside down, ‌searching for some lost coins. When she recovered the coins, she threw a block party, inviting all her neighbours. Her joyful celebration, once again, symbolizes God's delight in finding a lost child. 

Considering women's emotions were the butt of jokes in Jesus' day, these character choices command our attention. His mission to reunite humanity with the Father included reinstating women as God's image bearers, their emotions included. Remarkable details within the Gospels provide the answers we need regarding the value of women in the Bible: 

1. Women surrounded Jesus as part of his traveling company.

2. Women funded his ministry.

3. Jesus served them, regardless of the inconvenience. Examples include: The Woman With the Demon-Possessed Daughter; The Woman at the Well; The Woman with the Issue of Blood; The Woman Going to Bury Her Son‌.

4. Upon Lazarus’ death, Jesus traveled a long way to visit Martha and Mary, attuning to their grief before performing one of his greatest miracles.

5. Although people thought this role was exclusive to men, Jesus welcomed Mary to sit at his feet and learn as a disciple.

6. Jesus performed the miracle of changing water into wine to honour his mother’s request, even though the timing didn't agree with his schedule.

7. Positioning himself by the temple coffers, Jesus declared a widow’s small offering as more generous than the sizable sums offered by the rich.

8. Jesus, armed only with wisdom and wit, bravely rescued a woman surrounded by an angry mob ready to stone her.

9. He replied to women's questions, even if they were ill-timed or inappropriate. Examples include: James and John’s mother when she asked if her sons could sit on his right and left hand; Martha when she complained her sister was hanging with the men instead of helping her; the Canaanite Woman begging for Jesus to deliver her demon-possessed daughter. He used these as teaching moments, and people recorded them for all posterity.

10. In The Woman with the Vial of Perfume, Jesus defends a woman's lavish gift.

11. Even though people considered women's testimony half as valuable as men's, the Gospels still named women as the first witnesses to Jesus' death and resurrection. For a movement tasked with spreading its message worldwide, this was an unprecedented occurrence.

12. The Gospel of John describes a profoundly moving and honorable expression of love at the time of Jesus' death. Through extreme suffering he gasped, “John, take care of my ma!”

Let's explore how female voices from the Bible reshaped the world.