WOMEN ARE NOT CONFINED TO THE KITCHEN.

Yes! Jesus was indeed radical in His teachings—and in His teaching about womanhood! We see this again when He visits the home of Mary and Martha (Luke 10:38-42). In this visit, He really upsets things. He praises Mary for being His disciple and sitting at His feet while He teaches her the Scriptures, a thing prohibited by the oral law. At the same time, He seems to withhold praise from Martha who is busy doing what needs to be done, and in this case, we could say, she was busy doing ‚women’s work.‛ It has been pointed out by scholars that Jesus’ was showing respect for Mary, first as a person. He was not relating to her on the basis of gender. In relating to her as a person, He was highlighting her ability to choose how she would spend her time,rather than being controlled by the expectations attached to a socially-determined, female role. He allowed her to set her own priorities in life. Her choice was to ‚sit at Jesus’ feet,‛ an expression meaning that she was a student or disciple. This expression is used by Paul to say he had been a disciple of Gamaliel (Acts 22:3). This discipleship status was a privilege that only men were allowed, yet here was Mary, sitting and learning ‚theology.‛ And Jesus encouraged her in this! He even commended her, saying, she had chosen the better part. (Someone has suggested that perhaps this made Him a greater sinner or lawbreaker than Mary.) On the other hand, Jesus did not commend Martha for faithfully fulfilling the social expectations and obvious needs of her guests. She was properly submissive to expectations of culture, but Jesus did not side with her in her choice. In fact, when Martha complained, He said,‚Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her‛ (v. 42). Jesus did not condemn Martha, but He did highlight that Mary’s choice was more in line with the Heart of God. His response in this situation seems to coincide with His admonition to seek first God’s priorities, ways and means, and then all of life would line up with God’s highest and best (author’s loose paraphrase of Mt. 6:33). How many women have opted to be ‚good Christians‛ by doing what they have learned is their role as women? Women, like men, are to sit at Jesus’ feet and simply let Him unfold their lives like beautiful flowers or mighty oaks. But how many faithful Marthas are sad, unfulfilled, disillusioned and codependant? The answer? Sit at Jesus’ feet. Men, too, come under heaviness by conforming to the expectations of culture and religion. And Jesus’ call goes out to all who are thus burdened by religion, ‚Come to Me … and you will find rest for your souls…. (Mt. 11:28-30). Sit at My feet! There is nothing wrong with mundane work! Some people enjoy the kitchen! What is wrong is to impose roles, jobs, and obligations based on gender, rather than to allow relationship with Jesus to determine how, when, and where a person’s God-given gifts are to function and fit into His scheme of things.