Women-Lives Changed Forever

Many different groups in our world today continue to seek recognition. They still call out to be valued. It’s 2012 for Pete’s sake!! Why should ANY group need to fight for being counted worthy??!! But, alas! They do. And the world is fallen. It’s broken. Struggles still remain. If it’s not cultural or racial groups, it’s economic, or geographic, or intellectual, or sexual preference.  Sadly to say, for many, it’s still about gender. Women vs. men. I’m wondering why that struggle hasn’t stopped?

Truly (and sadly) injustice continues to confront our world.  In this post I seek to bring some light into the fight. To bring hope and maybe, just maybe, a different perspective to women.

For me, and for thousands, no, millions, of people, the fight is no longer about who’s numero uno…or who’s being treated equally…or who’s winning the recognition game…or ‘who’s on first?’ For many believers who are confident they are

forgiven, free from condemnation, and restored in God’s sight,

the fight is about conquering disbelief and the brokenness in the world, not choosing sides. It’s about working at being last to be first. And for humankind, that’s a battle to be fought daily; and hopefully to be won daily.

As we enter this amazing time of our year that headlines the most incredible battle ever fought, where the was victory won—

~ The Resurrection ~

I’d like to share what’s been stirring around in my mind for a week or two:

Christ changed women’s lives forever!

Let’s get something cleared up right away…when we (women) were created, we were created as unique, with well-designed characteristics, and with an equal calling beside man in the work of the Garden. When we (both man and woman) wanted to be like God, that’s when the war—the battle of the sexes began. It isn’t God’s Word or the Church that says women are a lower class, but human-kind throughout history has placed us there. Including the people in the Bible. Those people were broken, just like we are today.  I choose to deny human-kind’s rank and take my Creator’s status, thank you very much!

When Christ entered our lowly, pride-filled, arrogant world, men definitely had womankind just above children on all levels—social, economic, political, and spiritual levels. Women were definitely in the ranks of  ‘last’ when Jesus taught about The First Shall Be Last, and the Last Shall Be First.

If you read the the stories of His life while He was with us, it is very, very clear that He valued women as we were meant to be—the way we were created—loved, valued, called daughters of the living King! There are many accounts of Him reaching out to women, healing them, restoring them, placing them on a level of value with men. Woot!! Every time I read those words, those stories, I get so pumped and thrilled.

I am a woman, and Christ values us! Hallelujah!

There’s the old, wise woman who knew she was waiting for the Messiah, the woman who simply touched the hem of his robe to be healed of a ‘woman’s problem’ that made her ‘untouchable’,  the healing of Mary Magdalene (of major mental illness, not prostitution), the women who helped finance his ministry, the poor dear woman who was bent in half for 18 years, the woman from Samaria who just needed to be seen as OK, the woman who would have been stoned, the little girl who was raised from the dead, the women who were really good friends with Him (Mary and Martha), and my favorite, the woman who first saw Him as resurrected!

There is absolutely no where in the Word a statement or action from Christ that speaks of women as less than men!!! No Where!

Yet, what I find so amazing in the way God works is this fact:  He chose a woman (one who had a reputation as a whack-job) to be THE first witness to His amazing power as the resurrected Redeemer!! Whoa!

He knew women were not valued. He knew women were judged by an unfair standard. He knew women were struggling and downtrodden. He knew we were one of the groups that were LAST (along with children). We no longer live as second-rate people as the women of the Bible. Christ led the way. And slowly, surely, God’s work through people has moved hearts and minds closer and closer to where He wants us to be. Today when a girl is born in my beloved country, her chances to succeed are there. Women have done so much to partner with God in bettering our world.

“In time, the freedom and dignity that Christ bestowed on women continued to unfold in the Western world. Thus, one can unequivocally state that women have attained the greatest amount of freedom and dignity where Christianity has had the greatest presence, and they have attained the least freedom and dignity where Christianity has had little or no presence.” Alvin J. Schmidt, Ph.D. is Emeritus Professor of Sociology at Illinois College.

Whether you are a man or a woman, have you wondered why He chose Mary Magdalene to be the first to see Him restored and alive again? to be the first to share and spread the good news? “Mary, go tell the brothers, I am going back to my Father, your Father.” Why Mary?

I don’t think it was to put women at a higher level than man.

I don’t think He wanted to vindicate our woes from the beginning of time.

I do think He wanted Mary and all of us women who followed after that we are worthy to hear the Great News!

I do think He wanted to proclaim: the last shall be first!!!!

In His glorious, amazing, and loving design, Christ chose Mary

To teach us to pay attention to the people who are last!!!

Our work as people here on earth is this:  to value those who our fallen world, has put last. Find a way.

Jesus Was a Feminist  from God's Word to Women