JESUS' POINT OF
VIEW
In
Jesus' times and culture, people had funny ideas
about women. People thought, for example, that it
was a bad idea to be born a woman. Each day a
Jewish man was expected to say the following
prayer: "Dear God, thank-you for not letting
me to born a heathen, an ignoramus or a woman."
A rabbi (Jewish religious teacher) would not
greet a woman on the street -- not even his own
sister or mother. There was a saying: "It is
better to take scriptures and burn them than to
give them to a woman to read." A rabbi was
not permitted to teach a woman about God. I think
this will help us understand the background of
Luke 10: 38-42.
At
first Mary stood in the doorway of the kitchen.
But she couldn't hear the words of Jesus very
well so she slipped in and sat at Jesus' feet.
Now remember according to Jewish culture, a rabbi
was not permitted to teach women. It was common
knowledge that women couldn't understand God's
word. It would be an insult for a rabbi like
Jesus to try to explain Holy Scripture to women.
Of
course, Jesus loved his Jewish culture and
religious traditions. But he also recognized that
"evil" culture and "evil"
religion could be used to manipulate people and
stifle their God-given gifts. He liked to do the
very opposite of what "evil" culture
said good people should do. That is why got Jesus
in so much trouble.
Martha
knew she was woman. She knew "her place"
was in the kitchen. She knew it was not
culturally and religiously acceptable for her to
act like a disciple and sit at Jesus' feet. She
was upset because she had to do all the work
while her sister sat at Jesus feet. Mary was
taking on the airs of a male. "WHO DOES MARY
THINK SHE IS?"
When
Martha served tea she said to Jesus in a loud
whisper: "Lord, do you not care that my
sister is leaving me to do the serving all by
myself. Please order her to help me." And
Jesus replied: "It is Mary who has chosen
the better part [to which she has a right!]; it
is not to be taken from her." [You and no
one else has a right to steal this God given
right away from her -- just because she is a
woman.]
I
don't know what happened afterwards. But I hope
Martha realized that she had been like the bird
that didn't realize it was an eagle.
Analysis:
So what happened?
Martha -- a woman,
scolded Mary -- also a woman
for exercising her God-given right as a
human being
viz. the right to hear God's word and act
accordingly
Jesus scolded Martha
for collaborating with a cultural evil
and imposing this evil way of thinking on
Mary.
Jesus scolded Martha because she left the
responsibility of "thinking" to
the males of her age. Martha didn't
appreciate her dignity as a woman.
Martha, unwittingly, became an instrument
of oppression. Jesus was irritated
because God had made Martha an eagle and
she acted like a chicken.
TIDBITS
| Experience:
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When I first came to Hong Kong
there was a saying: "Giving birth to
a girl is like pouring water into the
ground." Some twenty-years ago when
I was at Christ the Worker parish, we had
a Summer Program for the secondary school
students in the area. A number of
teenagers signed up. But on the first day
only the boys came. But not one girl! All
the girls had to work during the vacation.
And some had to quit school altogether
and begin their working life. |
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| Data:
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"In the Philippines alone,
there is now more than 400,000 women
involved in the sex industry. As of 1998,
some 100,000 children were likewise
prostituted, double the number registered
in 1992." [Carmencita Karagdag,
"Theological Reflection on Women and
Globalization," Praxis, No. 3. (September-December,
2000), p. 14.] |
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| Data:
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In the United States, "The
past twenty years [written in 1986] have
witnessed a dramatic increase in the
number of women in poverty. This includes
women raising children alone as well as
women with inadequate income following
divorce, widowhood, or retirement." [U.S.
Bishops: Pastoral Letter Nov. 1986:
Economic Justice for All] "Wage
discrimination against women is a major
factor... Women who work outside their
homes full-time and year-round earn only
61 percent of what men earn." [Ibid.]
***
Would these United States trends also be
true of Hong Kong women? Asian women?
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| Data:
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"According to the Bureau of
Labor Statistics, 80 percent of employed
women work in only 20 out of 420
occupations listed. These are
predominantly what have traditionally
been called 'women's occupations' --
secretary, nurse, teacher, retail clerk
-- and tend to be at the lower end of the
pay scale. Thus women are typically paid
less than men in any job category, at any
educational level, and in any age group."
[Walter L. Owensby, Economics for
Prophets, (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B.
Eerdmans, 1988), p.50.] *** Would
these United States trends also be true
of Hong Kong women? Asian women?
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ACTIVITY
Take
today's newspaper. Draw a four column table.
In the first column list the
first ten women referred to in the
newspaper.
In the second column list each
of their occupations.
In the third column list the
reason why they made the news.
In fourth column write your
reflection.
Eg. How is this woman typical or
atypical?
Eg. Would you be surprised if this was a
man instead of a woman? Why?
Eg. What is the role of gender in this
news account?
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