Jesus celebrated women. It was the women whom he first appeared to once he had risen from the dead and entrusted the good news to; he consistently treated women with dignity, respect and compassion, and he accepted women as disciples, encouraging Mary and Martha to listen to his teachings rather than doing the housework.
There are so many examples I could have picked for this article. While thinking about what to write, I came across this passage from Luke 13:
Jesus Heals a Crippled Woman on the Sabbath
10 On a Sabbath Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues, 11 and a woman was there who had been crippled by a spirit for eighteen years. She was bent over and could not straighten up at all. 12 When Jesus saw her, he called her forward and said to her, “Woman, you are set free from your infirmity.” 13 Then he put his hands on her, and immediately she straightened up and praised God.
14 Indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, the synagogue leader said to the people, “There are six days for work. So come and be healed on those days, not on the Sabbath.”
15 The Lord answered him, “You hypocrites! Doesn’t each of you on the Sabbath untie your ox or donkey from the stall and lead it out to give it water? 16 Then should not this woman, a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has kept bound for eighteen long years, be set free on the Sabbath day from what bound her?”17 When he said this, all his opponents were humiliated, but the people were delighted with all the wonderful things he was doing.
First of all, we have the fact that Jesus healed this woman and set her free from her infirmity. That Jesus saw this woman’s suffering and healed her, no questions asked and no regard for how it would be perceived, is incredible. This woman did not come begging to be healed; she had been crippled for 18 years and at this point probably accepted her fate. Yet, she did not despair or hide away from the world, she still came to the synagogue to pray and worship. Jesus saw this, he saw her faith, and chose to heal her.
But this example goes further than other examples of Jesus healing women because he is then challenged by the synagogue leader for healing on the Sabbath, and his response is to support the woman. In this extremely patriarchal society where the synagogue leader’s word held great weight, the fact that Jesus defends his decision to heal the woman is significant, especially in how he refers to her. Although being a “son of Abraham” was a common term to refer to a man being bound by covenant to God, the same was not true for women being known as a “daughter of Abraham”. This verse is the only time it is used in the Bible. By using this expression, Jesus is lifting her up and showing that she is beloved and worthy, despite having been crippled for 18 years. The term puts the woman on an equal standing with any other man. Jesus recognises this woman as a daughter of Abraham, and a child of God.
Whatever you have been through or are going through, you are still a beloved child of God. Jesus does not just recognise the “sons of Abraham” but the “daughters of Abraham” too.
Women are important to God.
Women are loved by God.
Women are a child of God.
Happy international women day to all you wonderful daughters of Abraham.
