Portrayals of Women in the New Testament - Essay Example

Portrayals of women in the New Testament The incidents of the New Testament occurred during an era when Jewish society was still largely chauvinistic and where the role of women remained confined to home and hearth. However, Jesus’ relationship with the women in the New Testament reveals a more progressive role for women, which is implicit in that they were the disciples who stayed staunchly loyal and faithful during his crucifixion. It was not the male disciples but the female disciples who first saw Jesus after his resurrection, because it was the women who were rewarded for their loyalty and faith during a time when the men disciples lost their faith and ran away out of fear of the Romans. The portrayal of women in the New Testament therefore reveals the new role of equality that Jesus endowed upon women, demonstrating that in the kingdom of Heaven, both men and women had equal access – a message that was in contradiction to the existing Jewish tradition that placed men in a superior position in matters concerning the spirit. The New Testament therefore offers a picture of the egalitarian principles of the new Kingdom of God. As opposed to a largely male dominated spiritual history that is contained in the Old testament of the Bible where women play only a peripheral role, the New Testament reveals the importance Jesus accorded to women and therefore provides inspiring spiritual food for women in today’s age, allowing them to identify with the faith, courage and loyalty of the women disciples of Jesus who stayed with him right up to the bitter end. The message offered by the New testament is one against oppression and persecution in any form. Jesus elevated the status of women in the new kingdom of God by ascribing a more important role to them and providing them release from their oppression and suffering. Weems(2005) examines the inter relationship among the women, in order to demonstrate how a common thread of scared female experiences serves to bind all women together, irrespective of their caste or creed. Such a common bond is largely the result of their common bond of suffering that unites them, and the same core of understanding provides relief and comfort to these women as they strengthen and support each other. This is especially in evidence during the crucifixion where the women gathered together in a group, huddling at the foot of the cross, sharing their common grief and deriving strength and hope after the resurrection of Jesus. One of the most important female characters in the New Testament is Mary Magdalene, who was possessed by a demon and was set free by Jesus. She later becomes his most faithful disciple and is privileged enough to be one of the first to see Jesus in his risen body.(John 20: 16-18) “When Jesus rose early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had driven seven demons. She went and told those who had been with him and who were mourning and weeping.” (Mark 16:9-10) One of the most significant aspects of Mary Magdalene’s presence in the New testament is the demonstration of the love and tenderness that characterized Jesus’ relationship with women and particularly with Mary Magdalene (Moltmann-Wendel, 61-90). The fact that the New testament shows the faithful women disciples gathered around the foot of the Cross while the men disciples had scattered and it was the women who met the risen Lord first, reveals the new and important role ascribed to women. Several incidents concerning women in the Bible also reveals that they appeared to share a greater inner wisdom and perception concerning the divinity and ministry of Jesus, despite their own oppressed position in society. One example that may be cited here is the case of the woman who anointed Jesus’ head with a bottle of expensive perfume before he entered Jerusalem for the last time. (Mark 14:3-9). While the male disciples rebuked her for wasting such an expensive perfume which could have been used to benefit the poor, Jesus clarified that the woman was in fact preparing him for burial. She had a deeper, instinctive and spiritual understanding of the fact that Jesus would not be with them for long and that he was soon to leave them. A similar perception also exists in the case of the woman who suffered from the incessant flow of blood and sought to be healed. Not wanting to impose upon Jesus or his time, she is the very epitome of humility as she seeks to touch his robe and finds healing in the touch.(Mark 5: 25-30). This is an example of the deep faith that this woman had in Jesus, because she had been suffering for a long time and had almost given up hope of ever being healed. It is only her deep faith that drives her to brave the crowds and seek Jesus. Moreover, she was a truly spiritual woman because she was unconsciously aware of the humility that is a necessary trait in a child of God. Tolbert (1992) has analyzed the portrayal of women in the Gospel of Mark and she points out that the depiction of women is overwhelmingly positive, with the exception of Herodias and her daughter Salome – “the Christian community reflected by Mark’s Gospel must have contained strong women leaders and role models.”(Tolbert 263). A similar view is expressed by Miller(2004) who has highlighted the underlying significance of Jesus’ healing of Peter’s mother in law. (Mark 1:29-31). The event occurred on a Sabbath and Miller states: “The healing of this woman on the Sabbath, then foreshadows the new creation, which Jesus inaugurates as the Son of God.” (Miller 29) Moreover the fact that the woman was not only healed of her sickness but then goes on to serve a meal is another indication of the new era to come, where new hope will dawn for all humanity. “Her service of a meal is proleptic of the victory banquet of the new creation.” (Miller 29). This woman therefore occupies a very important place in the New testament and the message of hope, healing and victory that it carries especially for women. The fact that women are accorded a more important role in the New Testament as compared to the Old testament is also like a silent message being conveyed on behalf of the oppressed women of Old Testament times, who had very little voice in spiritual affairs. As Castelli argues, “[Texts]…speak for history and ideology….they can also speak for some of the silenced women of history.” The New Testament reflects the changing position of women in the history of religion. While Paul’s influence on the Church has meant that the progression of women has been slower than might have been expected, nevertheless, there is a clear message in the New Testament that the Gospel is concerned with equality of all peoples, whether male or female. The representation of women in the New testament is therefore witness to their growing importance in spiritual matters and the present day status of women and their acceptance as pastors may well be the result of the fruition of the seeds of the messages planted throughout the New Testament in the attitude that Jesus displayed towards women and the love, compassion and tenderness he had for them. References: * Castelli, Elisabeth, 1999. “Paul on women and gender” IN “Women and Christian Origins” (D’Angelo, Mary R and Kraemer, Ross S, edn), pp 221-35 * Miller, Susan, 2004.“Women in Mark’s Gospel.” London: T &T Clark * Moltmann-Wendel, Elisabeth, 1982. “The Women around Jesus.” The Crossroad Publishing Company, Inc. * Tolbert, Mary Ann, 1992. “Mark” IN “The Women’s Bible Commentary” (Newsom, C.A. and Ringe, S.H. edn) London: SPCK * Weems, Renita J, 2005. “Just a sister away (A womanist vision of women’s relationships in the Bible.” Hushion Press Read More