Women, Paul and Jesus

        What are we to do when there is a seeming conspiracy to control women by use of errant Scripture translation? What seems so bad here is that this is coming from Paul. Things are not how they seem however since 'silence and submissive' could easily and likely mean listen/be still and be attentive to the will of God.  Then everyone can argue about what 'the will of God' is.

       We really have to be quite attentive to the writer, the exact ancient words, the recipient of the message, the times, the communities involved and finally, that this is Paul speaking. Paul, a human, with a background of his own and perhaps even an agenda of his own.

        What I think holds more weight is whether Jesus might have had something to say on the subject himself. It seems to me, His word would hold more weight.  Women in fact held  very responsible positions in the early church especially in the ministry of Jesus. While I do not want to paint the early church women as gossipy, they were far from silent in very important ways not the least of which was that women were the first to be witnesses to the Resurrection. Jesus speaking, conversing with a Samaritan woman at the well. Imagine that, a woman! And a Samaritan woman to boot!   The evidence suggests and the Scriptures speak loudly to women intimately involved in God's ministry in both Hebrew and Christian Scriptures.

       In today's passage we have an age old dilemma, one still being waged today. What is a woman's role?  What is anyone’s role? Is there a specific role? Are there limits to what God can do and whom God can call?   Martha was distracted by her many tasks. Men should listen well to Jesus' answer to Martha: Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her.’  Wow! Jesus has made that pretty clear. 

           To each is given gifts and tasks and it is not up to us to limit God's plans or God's designs for anyone.  We are not to hold anyone back from the sacred tasks gifted and entrusted to them, no matter who they are.
             

Luke 10:38-42

 Now as they went on their way, he entered a certain village, where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. She had a sister named Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to what he was saying. But Martha was distracted by her many tasks; so she came to him and asked, ‘Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her then to help me.’ But the Lord answered her, ‘Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; there is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her.’