Determination

Women have been fighting for their rights as far back as the days of the Old Testament. Without brothers to inherit their father’s property, the Daughters of Zelophehad won ownership of the land that belonged to them, despite what the law said (Numbers 27:1-11). I imagine these five sisters standing shoulder to shoulder with fierce determination as they confronted the ruling power. In order to win, their stance was firm and grit was fierce. Women have been uniting behind the demand for equality unceasingly ever since.

Gender-based violence, child marriage, and withholding education for girls remains an ongoing problem around the world. While much of the fight for gender equality extends globally today, the work certainly isn’t finished here in our country. Women are still paid 25% less than men for comparable work. Within the U.S., human trafficking is an estimated $35 billion dollar industry. Without a doubt, there’s Christ-inspired work to be done.

We find hope in the countless examples of women who blazed a trail throughout our history. At the dawn of the women’s suffrage movement, Rev. Antoinette Brown Blackwell became the first female clergy in the U.S. in 1853. With a hurdle at every turn along her journey she writes, “There were angry men confronting me and I caught the flashing of defiant eyes, but above me and within me, there was a spirit stronger than them all.”

Like every historical figure, their positions were nuanced and complex. She struggled with her faith and its role within the women’s movement. For example, she left the movement because she disagreed with the idea of advocating for the right for women to divorce. Still, she spoke out strongly against slavery and fought vigorously for economic justice.

Beyond just the month of March, it’s important to acknowledge the powerful women that are too often overlooked. We must routinely take stock of where we are currently. It’s also important to examine how far we still have to go. The strive for equality among all God’s people is inseparable from the life that Christ models for us. Jesus restored the dignity of women in a society that had disregarded them. A disabled woman in Luke 13:10-7 rejoices when Jesus ignores the laws of Sabbath in order to bring her healing. We also read many accounts of Jesus fighting for the economic security of widows. In Luke 7: 11-17, Jesus brings a widow’s only son back to life so that she wouldn’t be forced into sexual exploitation in order to survive. This was the fate of many women in the ancient world without the economic opportunity only afforded to men. In actuality, the list of examples where Jesus advocates for women goes on and on.

So, how do we know who Jesus would advocate for today? Ask yourself, who are the poor? Who are the people that society ignores and neglects? By addressing who these folks are in today’s world, we make scripture’s prophetic message relevant. When we insert modern characters into the stories, it is as though Jesus is speaking directly to us. When we love and serve those without status, power, and wealth, we encounter the transformational teachings of Christ.

“Open our mouths, judge righteously, and defend the rights of the poor” (Proverbs 31:9).

Standing together,

Pr. Lucas