A common disagreement in Christian circles today is whether or not women should be allowed to be called Pastors. In the Old Testament there are examples of women in prominent places such as a woman named Deborah, who was a Judge over Israel in Judges Chapter 4 and the very next Chapter in its entirety is dedicated to a woman named Ruth who found so much favor with God that even though she was a Moabite by birth she was honored by being included in the blood line of David and ultimately the bloodline of Christ. A common place for those against to start is Timothy 2:12 where the Apostle Paul writes in a direct letter to his apprentice Timothy about him not permitting women to teach or have authority over a man. This scripture actually has weighed on my decision whether or not to start this blog. I certainly don’t want to go against God, I am very serious about pleasing God and not man.  I decided that I would look to Jesus for inspiration. If you have seen Him, you have seen the Father. How did he interact with women in the Gospel? I have picked out a handful of scriptures that seem to show the heart of the Father for women:

1. His mother –The first recorded miracle in the book of John is at the wedding in Cana (Chapter 2.)  Here we see that Jesus, because of His mother has been invited along with His disciples to attend a wedding feast. During the feast they ran out of wine for the party. Jesus’ mother came to Him and told Him of their need. His response was that His time had not yet come, but upon the urging of His mother, he proceeded to turn vessels full of water into fine wine for the guests to consume.
2. The Samaritan Woman at the Well – This is a story that I just can’t get enough of. I probably overuse it. In this story we find Jesus in John Chapter 4 going out of His way to take a trip to Samaria. Samaria was one of those places that Jews wouldn’t be caught dead in. The bible said Jesus needed to go through Samaria. During this trip, He encounters a Samaritan woman who is an outcast and looked down upon because of her promiscuity. Instead of condemning her for Her actions, He offers salvation to her. Not only does Jesus see her for who she truly is, but he went far out of his way to find her. . Interestingly, Jesus never says that He forgives her sins but she went throughout her town declaring Him and witnessing about Him and many believed in Him because of her. Surely, that does sound like preaching the Gospel.
3. The Adulterous Woman – Jesus was always in some sort of debate with the religious folks or Pharisees. In John Chapter 8 they bring Him a woman who had been caught in the act of adultery. These religious types brought her to Jesus trying to set a trap for Him. The law of Moses says that she must be put to death. Upon persistence from these men Jesus told them to have whoever is without sin cast the first stone at her. As we would all surmise, there is no one but Jesus without sin and her accusers left. Instead of condemning her Jesus showed her God’s grace and mercy by saying “Go and sin no more”
4. Mary Magdalene – You would think that after all of the time Jesus spent travelling with His disciples that when He was resurrected, He would immediately pick up where He left off with His friends. Further on in the Book of John Chapter 10, We find Mary Magdalene, friend of Jesus weeping over His loss. Not just in life, but also that His body was not in the tomb where He was supposed to be. In a touching exchange Jesus reveals Himself to Mary and she is the one to go and tell His disciples that He lives! Another instance I believe a woman was indeed sharing the gospel.

I am certainly not a theologian, but I am led by the Holy Spirit as one who had accepted Christ as my Lord and Savior. If Jesus told us the harvest is plentiful and the workers are few, I just don’t see real value is discounting a large swath of people just because they have two “X” chromosomes. I don’t necessarily believe that I am called in this way, but if I did feel promptings that it was God’s will for me, I certainly wouldn’t allow one verse taken out of context to hinder my obedience to God. Timothy I and II are the only letters Paul had written addressed to a specific person not a church or region. I encourage everyone to really get into the Word and start to develop your personal relationship with Him. I don’t want anyone believing with second-hand faith. The more you invest in a personal relationship with Him, the more will be revealed and you could have a better understanding of who He created you to be. What kind of wonderful miracles can He do through you if you would only let Him in.