Last week I shared a guest post from my friend Lisa, who has been struggling with her identity as a Christian wife and mother. I mentioned in my summary that some of us hold a misconception about wife/mother/homemaker being the role God most wants for women.
This picture of a women’s “place” seems to be based primarily on some statements in Paul’s New Testament writings, such as I Timothy 5:14 and Titus 2:4-5.
These statements certainly describe some responsibilities for women (specifically, “younger” ones), but read out of context and alone they present an incomplete picture. A fuller image comes into focus when we consider what the Gospels say on the subject. In the Gospels we learn about what Jesus said to and about women. If we believe that Jesus was God in the flesh and the perfect representation of His being, then we must believe that Jesus’ attitudes toward women reflect those of His Father.
Here are some interesting facts to consider:
- Jesus called women to serve him, not only to serve their families as proxies for him. He didn’t call all women disciples to leave their homes, but he did call some women to do that. Women both traveled with him in his ministry and helped support him financially (Luke 8:1-3, Matthew 27:55-56). Some of these women were identified as being married while others were mothers (probably of grown children) and others were neither wives nor mothers. Interestingly, Jesus didn’t send any of the married women home to focus on their families nor did he advise the single women to try to find husbands. (Read More)
