I have studied the interactions between Jesus and women in the Bible for some years now. I have been moved by the way that the author shows Jesus reaching into deep areas of need and shifting hardened hearts. Lately, I have been awakened to the way that these interactions display Jesus as missional. I think that there are some vast lessons that we can grasp by leaning in and spending some time with the passages that Jesus engages with women.
One reason I want to wrestle with these passages is because of the view of women by the people of the Bible. I think that we would be wise to keep our chronology in order as we view these passages. There are many implications that Jesus' interactions with women would have had on society in the 1st century and we should remember how "counter-cultural" they would have been.
Another reason is a recent influx of "Jesus Feminist" claims. I want to show the way Jesus' interactions with women point us the the heart of the Gospel. Many claim to be "Jesus Feminist" yet do not understand or proclaim the Gospel. Without the Gospel you are just Feminist not Jesus Feminist. If you proclaim the Gospel then there is no need for a tag like "Jesus Feminist" you are simply a follower of Christ.
Finally I want to wrestle with the missional implications of these passages. Specifically, I would like to apply them to the "missional church". I will use rhythms and missional community as a mechanism of application. At the end of the day, the overall thrust is the way that God is a missional God that breaks through barriers beyond our capacity but we can join him there in his activity.
Some of the books that I will be interacting with are:
Women in the Genesis of Christianity Ben Witherington
Women, Class, and Society in Early Christianity James Arlandson
The Social World of Luke-Acts Jerome Neyrey, Editor
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