Jesus and the Women in the Gospels

Growing up in the church seeing only men in front preaching and only men leading, I believed the lie that I was less valuable because I was female. I would ask God, “What is wrong with me?”, “Why did you make me a girl/women?”, “Why did you make things this way?” My identity was not in Jesus; I was letting men dictate my self-worth. I wasn’t looking to the Bible to see what God thought about women; I believed my church leaders and what they taught. When I finally had the time to investigate what the Bible really had to say about women I felt liberated from this oppressive view of women. I had let myself be oppressed; do not make that same mistake. God loves women and values them just as much as men. This article is for any woman wondering if Jesus is for her or questioning whether the Bible is for women. If we want to know about God’s plans for women, it is only fitting that we turn to Jesus and how he treated women.

Jesus often spoke with women

In a society in which men did not often speak with women that were not their kin, Jesus regularly took the time to speak with them. The most prominent example is Jesus speaking with the Samaritan women at the well (John 4). It is argued that she was a social outcast because she was going to the well at the heat of the day, at noon ^[a]. If that was the case it is even more remarkable that Jesus took the time to speak with her. Even his disciples, when they came back from the town, were surprised to see him speaking with this woman. Jesus had a full-on theological discussion with her about living water leading to eternal life, and about worship no longer being associated with Jerusalem or mountains but in a place of Spirit and truth. Jesus even told her straight up that he was the Messiah! Needless to say that this brief interaction completely changed this woman’s life.

Jesus had many interactions with sinful women, but instead of judging them, he was gentle and loving. There was this one woman caught in adultery brought to Jesus by some Pharisees and teachers of the law. They wanted to see what Jesus would say about stoning such women to trap him^[b]. They thought he would condemn her. Instead, he turned to them and convicted them of their own sin; whereas he let her go without condemnation, but with gentle admonition.

When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.

At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”

 “No one, sir,” she said.

“Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.” 

(John 8:7-11, NIV)

We also have the story of Jesus letting a sinful woman touch him while he was at Simon the Pharisee’s house. She was pouring perfume on his feet along with her tears, wiping them with her hair, and kissing them (Lk 7:26-50). Simon was appalled that Jesus would let such a woman even touch him. But, in front of Simon, Jesus looked upon her and praised this incredible act of love and kindness. He spoke to her and told her that her sins were forgiven, that her faith had saved her, and to go in peace.

These acts show Jesus’s love and respect for the women he interacted with. 

Jesus’s female disciples

Jesus also had many female disciples. Several women are said to have followed Jesus and were called his disciples. Some of these women, being of prominence and means in society, provided financially for Jesus. It is usually men who are seen as financial providers, but Jesus was not below receiving financial support from women. A few of these women are even named, showing their importance for Jesus.

“After this, Jesus traveled about from one town and village to another, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God. The Twelve were with him, and also some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases: Mary (called Magdalene) from whom seven demons had come out; Joanna the wife of Chuza, the manager of Herod’s household; Susanna; and many others. These women were helping to support them out of their own means.” 

(Lk 8:1-3, NIV)

Notice that these women were traveling with Jesus; just like the twelve disciples. These were some of the same women that followed Jesus into Jerusalem before his death and were there at his crucifixion (Lk 23:49 ; Mt 27:55-56 ; Mk 15:40-41).

You could argue that these passages do not directly call these women his disciples, and that is true. However, let me bring you to the story of Jesus’s mother and brothers who were looking for him. He was surrounded by a huge crowd when it was related to him that his mother and brothers were looking for him. To which he responded: 

“Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” Pointing to his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”  

(Mt 12:48-50, NIV)

We see that among his disciples are does he calls mother and sister, implying that he indeed had female disciples.

It is also true that Jesus’s 12 main disciples were only males. It is an interesting question as to why that was, but the reality is that he had many female disciples, some of whom provided for him financially and were there to the very end.

Jesus healing women

Among the many women that Jesus interacted with are also does that he healed. Jesus healed so many people: both men and women, Jew and gentile, young and old. It is therefore not surprising that he did heal women. But we have their stories, and they show how much Jesus valued these women, such as Peter’s mother-in-law that he healed from a fever (Mt 8:14-15 ; Mk 1:30-31; Lk 4:38-39). 

As he healed these women, Jesus would often touch them or be touched by them. Such as the woman subjected to bleeding for twelve years; making her ritually impure. Yet, as she touched him, rather than Jesus becoming defiled by this action, he cleansed her of her illness (Mk 5:25-34). Similarly, he raised the daughter of Jairus, not concerned that touching her hand would defile him (Mk 5:35-43). 

Among others, Jesus also healed a woman crippled by an evil spirit for eighteen years on the Sabbath because he came to give us rest (Lk 13:10-17). And he healed the daughter of a Syrophoenician woman, a non-Jew, because of her faith (Mk 7:24-30 ; Mt 15:21-28).

We see from this that Jesus came to free both men and women from their afflictions and oppressions (Lk 4:18).

Parables of Women

Furthermore, it is of note that Jesus often used women as examples in his parables. I think he used women in these parables so that the women following him could more readily identify with the person in the parable, and understand at a much more personal level what he was teaching. 

For example, we have the parable of the ten virgins waiting for the bridegroom to come. Some of the virgins were prepared to greet him with their lit lamps, and the others, not having brought enough oil, missed his arrival (Mt 25:1-13). Thee is also the parable of the persistent widow, pestering the judge for justice until he caved to her demands so as to not be bothered by her anymore (Lk 18:1-8).

Luke even seems to have purposefully compared parables of men and women next to each other to address the same idea. For example, the parable of the woman and lost coin (Lk 15:8-10) that contrasts the parable of the man and his lost sheep (Lk 15:1-7); or the parable of the woman and leaven bread (Lk 13:20-21) that contrast with the parable of the man and the mustard seed (Lk 13:18-19).

Jesus was speaking to crowds filled with men, women, and children. It makes sense for him to communicate in such a matter that everyone could relate to what he was saying. Women must have felt seen by Jesus, perhaps explaining the huge number of women who followed him. 

Jesus and Gender norms

We can also see that Jesus was not impressed by the gender norms of that time. At that time, women were expected to show hospitality, cook, clean, and serve. These things have value, but Jesus told women that there are greater things available to them also. 

When Jesus went to Mary’s and Martha’s home, Mary stayed at Jesus’s feet learning from him as a disciple. As Martha was up and about, cooking and cleaning, she became frustrated that her sister was not helping her in what was expected of them socially (their gender roles in society). She asked Jesus to tell Mary to come and help her. Yet Jesus answered,

“Martha, Martha, you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.” 

(Lk 10:38-41, NIV)

Jesus was not going along with society’s gendered expectations of women, he was saying that it is a good thing, even for women, to want to learn about God. He was showing that he expects women to follow him and want to eagerly learn about God and his word. He is saying it is okay for women to set aside what society asks of them to do what God asks them to do. Have others Christians ever made you feel that, as a woman, you shouldn’t worry about all this theology stuff? Jesus would not stand for that. Learning and studying the scriptures is so important, it is a great thing, even for women.

Another example of Jesus’s disregard for society’s expectations of women is his interaction with a woman in one of the crowds he was teaching.

 “As Jesus was saying these things, a woman in the crowd called out, “Blessed is the mother who gave you birth and nursed you.” He replied, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.” 

(Lk 11:27-28, NIV)

I particularly love this interaction. Women at that time were valued as wives and mothers. It was a dishonor and shameful for a woman to be without children. Barren women were seen as a disgrace, as being out of God’s favor. This woman’s proclamation just illustrates how important it was for women in that culture. For sure Mary was blessed to be the mother of our savior, she was blessed for having given birth to and nursed Jesus. But this view of women being primarily child rearers is reductive. Jesus did not reinforce this gender norm. 

Jesus’s answer to this woman is so liberating and empowering to women. Whereas that woman was blessing Jesus’s mother, Jesus’s answer to her is that she may also be blessed if she hears the word of God and obeys it. Jesus is saying that a women’s worth lies not in her ability to have children, but in her decision to believe in God and obey him. This is for everyone, everyone may be counted as blessed in Jesus, even women! Even if this could be seen as a rebuke, he was offering her something much greater; he was showing her that her value lies not in her ability to have children but in following God.

The women at the resurrection

Moreover, after Jesus’s death and resurrection he appeared to women first (Mt 28:1-10); probably appearing to Mary Magdalene first of all (Mk 16:9-11 ; Jn 20:11-18). He instructed these women to go and tell the disciples what they have seen. They were to be Jesus’s first witnesses before their brothers in Christ; some have called them the apostles to the apostles. Jesus had to value the speech of women to do such a thing. At a time when the testimony of women was often disregarded, this was an incredible thing. I do not think this was an accident; women followed him to the very end; they didn’t abandon him in his last hours like most of his male disciples. Women were at the cross, at his burial, and at his tomb two days later to anoint his body with spices. Jesus first appeared to these women because they were fit for the task of proclaiming the most important news in human history.

To some this may seem obvious; of course Jesus loves women. But, to those who have felt disvalued by the church for being women, this is a great reminder that God cares for, values, and loves women. God also listens to women and values their speech. He does not pigeonhole us into society’s gendered expectations of us. He sees us as equally worthy of being his disciples and of proclaiming his message of truth and liberation.

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^[a]Neyrey, Jerome H., What’s Wrong With This Picture? John 4, Cultural Stereotypes of Women, and Public and Private Space, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, https://www3.nd.edu/~jneyrey1/picture.html

^[b] The law we have in the Torah mentions stoning both the man and the woman caught in adultery (Lv 20:10 ; Dt 22:22-24). Why did they bring only the woman? It takes two to tango… Jesus was possibly very annoyed by this, shown by his ignoring them and writing in the sand. I wonder what he wrote…