As I make my way though the stories of Jesus's life, I am struck by the wide variety in
the stories. So far, I am all the way though Matthew, Mark, and Luke (as well as part of the way through John) and I am surprised at the wide variation in the Jesus narrative. Take the Birth of Jesus for instance. This event is covered only in two Gospels (Matthew and Luke), but that is about all these gospels have in common. For example, "where were Joseph and Mary from? Luke says Nazaeth and they went to Bethlehem to register for a Roman census and Jesus happened to be born while they were there, but Matthew has them living in a house in Bethlehem. And Jesus is two years old when the wise men visit him at their house. "* These kinds of little inconsistencies are consistent in the bible, from the conception to the resurrection. And while the resurrection happens in all four Gospels, the accounts of the events that follow vary wildly. All of these, that is, except for one important point. In all four narratives, it is the women who are first entrusted with the good news of Christ's resurrection. As the story goes, Mary Magdalene , Mary the mother of James, and Salome went to the tomb to anoint the body of Christ. What they found, shocked and terrified them. Instead of the darkness of death, they were met with an empty tomb and an angel explaining to them that the man they loved and followed was risen. These women were instructed to share this good news with the disciples in the first sharing of the good news. And what makes this story even more miraculous to me is the marginalized status women had in the time of Jesus. And yet, it is with these women that God entrusted this sacred mission. I am joyful that I worship a God who can use all kinds of people for his wonderful purposes. The God I worship is a God of the powerless of the oppressed. He loves all, and cares not for your status or your position in society; he calls to all regardless. And as you can imagine, the 12 disciples who had been there to witness all of Jesus's miracles and teachings , did not believe these women sent by God to share the good news. There are several takeaways that I find important and contemporary. The first is that this seems to me to be one of just many examples of scripture that support women's role in the priesthood. I grew up with a openly gay female priest, and I would listen to her impassioned sermons every Sunday growing up. She was a remarkable woman of true faith, and an inspiration on how to walk with Christ. God has used women for extremely important tasks throughout scripture, and it is a shame to me that there are denominations of Christianity that still deny this position to women who would like it. When reading these teachings, I am also reminded of the recent tension in our society. How different groups of people are reaching out and attempting to share how they feel in this great country. These people are trying to show us what it is like to be oppressed in this nation, and what it is like to be forgotten; a feeling I am sure that the Mary's knew well. I am able to imagine the frustration these women felt while trying to share a story they know as truth, and having it fall on deaf ears. To me, these verses challenge me to listen. To hear Gods truth from all places. From the pulpits, on the streets, in the classrooms, and even on the sidelines of football fields. It is my job to listen for God's own people crying out against injustice in this world, and recognize that I serve a god who uses all of creation to achieve his kingdom on earth. It was Gods will that these people pass along his good news, and may we all be so willing to answer the call. *http://www.cnjonlinehosting.com/historyandspirituality/2007/12/22/two-different-stories-of-jesus-birth/
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