More and Less

One of the things I love about Bible Study is the opportunity to read one book, one chapter at a time and focus on what it says, rather than looking for themes between several different pericopes (a fancy, academic word meaning “selection”) like we do with the Sunday Lectionary.  As I read Chapters 6-9 of Luke’s Gospel this week I was struck by the numerous accounts of Jesus’s interaction with women and the lack of information about John’s the Baptist’s death. 

The Gospel according to John, Chapter 4 has Jesus’s longest recorded interaction with a woman, specifically the Samaritan woman at the well.  However, Luke’s Gospel has more references to women, starting with Elizabeth, Mary and Anna, all the way to Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James and other women who went to the tomb on Easter morning. While a woman is not listed as one of Jesus’s 12 apostles, it is presumed that there were many women who were Jesus’s disciples and followed that motley crew around Israel during their ministry, supporting the men (as women do!) so they could do their work.

The historical context for women in Biblical times is much different than it is today, at least in America for those privileged to have access to education and opportunity.  For the most part, 2000 years ago women were property of their fathers or husbands and needed to have sons in order to be taken care of in their old age.  In Chapter 7 Jesus resuscitates a man from the town of Nain, whose widowed mother was lamenting the death of her only son.  Not only does Jesus restore health to the son, but he also saves the woman from a life of poverty.

Later in the same chapter, at the house of a Pharisee, a sinful woman bathes Jesus’s feet with her tears and anoints them with ointment.  The Pharisee is appalled by her behavior, but Jesus commends her action of penance while rebuking the Pharisee for his lack of hospitality.  More importantly Jesus offers her forgiveness of her sins, which will once again put Jesus at odds with the Culture of Power.

In Chapter 8 we hear the double healing story of Jairus’s daughter and the hemorrhaging woman.  Both Jairus and the woman show tremendous faith in Jesus and his ability to offer healing.  While Jarius’s status in the community enables him to approach Jesus outright, the woman sneaks up behind Jesus to just touch the fringe of his clothes.  Perhaps she did not feel worthy of Jesus’s attention or was embarrassed by her condition or didn’t want to bother him – regardless Jesus knew immediately that the healing power had gone out of him.  The woman did not remain anonymous and in fact was called “daughter!” Going from being invisible to a beloved member of the family is radical.

I also found it fascinating that for as much detail as Luke gives about John the Baptist’s birth, there is only a passing reference to his death in Chapter 9. While this seems odd, it in fact follows the narrative that Luke establishes about John’s purpose of pointing to Jesus. In Chapter 7, John even sends his disciples to Jesus to ask if he was who they were waiting for.  Jesus recounts all that he and his disciples had done and asks them to make a choice.  I think it was John’s way of getting his disciples to understand who Jesus was while he faded away.  His ignominious death at the hands of Herod takes him out of the story, save for Herod’s paranoia that Jesus was John coming back from the death to haunt him.  I think that is rather telling of Herod’s mental state!

As we continue our journey through Luke, pay attention to the presence of women and what stories are and are NOT included.  Too often we conflate the 4 Gospels into one, but each does have a distinct point of view and intention.  Luke does focus on health and salvation as hallmarks for the presence of God in our lives.  Where to you see that or the need of that in your life?

With Lenten Blessings,

Rev. Valerie+