Have you ever seen the movie Yentl? I have, about 15 years ago. It's a musical starring Barbara Streisand and the guy from The Princess Bride, you know the one who's seeking vengeance on the six fingered man who killed his father. Well Yentl is a Jewish girl who wants to go to school to learn the Torah. But she can't. Because she's a girl. So she cuts her hair and disguises herself as a guy and heads off to school. There's a lot more that happens along the way: love, confusion, jealousy, weddings, and lots of singing. It's a musical after all. But the point is that Yentl was a young woman who took a risk and gave up everything to follow God and learn His Word. I related to that. And I still do.
Like Yentl, I love to study God's Word. The Creator of the universe wrote down His Words and I (and you) get to read them! I can't think of anything more exciting than that. Poor Yentl didn't have a place to learn, not without disguising herself at least. But what about me? Do I have a place? Sometimes I think about how different my perspective is reading the Bible as a woman rather than a man. Men are all through the Bible. They're the main heroes -- Abraham, Joseph, Moses, Samson, David, Peter, Paul. Just to name a few. All men. That's okay. I like learning about those men of the Bible and I'm thankful for them. I even relate to them in some ways. And sure, there are women in the Old Testament too. Their names are forever written down in God's Holy Word and that's pretty amazing. But they were under the old covenant and it's sort of clear they had a certain place.
But Jesus came along and changed things for everyone, including women. Everything Jesus did and said was important because He's Jesus, the Son of God. But they're also important because His every word and action was establishing the new covenant, ushering in His kingdom, and gathering together His Church. Jesus didn't sin, so everything He said and did produced something good. So when Jesus took time to give living water to the woman at the well, to deliver Mary Magdalene, to rescue the woman caught in adultery, to heal the woman with the issue of blood, to honor the woman who anointed Him with perfume -- it meant something. He was giving women value, a voice, and a place in His kingdom. And when Mary chose to sit at Jesus' feet to listen and learn (which just like in "Yentl", was traditionally a privilege reserved just for men), Jesus didn't tell her to leave. And not only did He not rebuke her, but He said that she had chosen the better thing over her sister, Martha. And on the day of Pentecost, women were filled with the Holy Spirit along with the men. When the Church was born, women were a part of it. And because of Jesus, people like Mary, Yentl, me, and you can sit at His feet and learn. And we don't have to leave. We can be His disciples, too! So here I am -- sitting at the feet of Jesus, trying to find my voice so I can share what I learn. Thanks for listening.
"There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise."
Galatians 3:28-29
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