WOMEN IN MARKS GOSPEL

1. THE ROLE OF JEWISH WOMEN AT JESUS TIME

Jewish women were not allowed to participate in public life: When leaving the house, they had to cover their heads with a long veil in order to avoid being recognized by people passing by. If a woman did not cover her face, the husband could divorce her without paying the amount of money agreed at the time of marriage. It was also forbidden for a man to talk to a woman alone, to look at a married woman, or to greet a woman on the streets. In the country side, their customs were not so strict especially because women had to help their husbands in many matters. The situation of Jewish women in the house: They were taught to be a good housewife by taking good care of the husband: cooking, cleaning, washing, weaving, and looking after the small brothers and sisters They did not receive any part of the inheritance of the family, unless the family had no sons. The daughters of the family belonged to the father until the age of marriage (twelve and a half years old): they have no rights and the father makes the decisions for them. He can arrange their marriage with whoever he wants or he can sell them to be slaves. Women were the servants of the husbands family: Whatever they have or earn belongs to their husband. They had to obey the husband in everything, like their owner. The children of the family had to show more respect for their father than for their mother. In a dangerous situation, the husband had to be saved first. Women depended completely on their husbands: a) Polygamy was allowed: Wives had to accept and share their husbands with other women. b) Only men could divorce their wives, not the other way around. It was very easy to get divorced at that time. c) A widow depended on the husbands family if he died without children (Levirate law: Deuteronomy 25:5-10): she had to marry one of her husbands brothers to give him descendants; if they did not want to marry her, then she could leave the family and marry someone else.

Girls did not go to school, only boys. Women could not mix with men in the Temple; they had to stay in the court of the women or of the gentiles. In the synagogues they had a special place for women as well. It was forbidden to teach a woman. At home, women could not say the blessing after meals. Women could not be witnesses in a trial; their testimony was only accepted in special circumstances. The birth of a boy was an occasion for joy; the birth of a girl was a reason for indifference or sadness. However, if we pay attention to the Old Testament, there are some women who did great things for Israel: 1. Deborah (Judges 4-5): She was a prophetess and the only female judge (administrator of justice) of Israel before the monarchy. 2. Judith: She was a widow who used her charms to become a close friend of Holofernes, the commander of the Assyrian army, and behead him in order to save Israel from being destroyed. 3. Esther: She was a Jewish queen of the Persian king Ahasuerus who saved the Jews living in that country from being exterminated by one of the kings governors. In order to understand Jesus view of women, we need to take in consideration all the things we have said in this chapter.

2. WOMEN IN MARKS GOSPEL

The term woman (gyn) appears 16 times in Marks gospel. In other texts this term does not appear, but it refers to women anyway. Let us make a list of the most important passages connected with women. 1. The healing of Simons mother-in-Law (1:29-31) 2. Jesus new family (3:20-21.31-35) 3. The healing of a woman with a hemorrhage (5:25-34) 4. The raising of Jairus daughter (5:21-24.35-43) 5. Jesus family in Nazareth (6:1-6) 6. Herodias and her daughter (6:14-29) 7. The Syrophoenician woman and her daughter (7:24-30) 8. Marriage and divorce (10:1-12) 9. Resurrection and marriage (12:18-27) 10. The poor widow (12:41-44) 11. The woman who anointed Jesus (14:3-9)

12. Women at the crucifixion and the burial of Jesus (15:4041.47) 13. Women at the tomb (16:1-8)

3. WOMEN AS MODELS OF DISCIPLESHIP

3.1. JESUS CALLS WOMEN TO DISCIPLESHIP In Marks gospel we observe that Jesus calls to discipleship not only men, but also women. Even though the gospel only narrates the vocation and election of men to become Jesus disciples, we still know that Jesus invitation was opened to both men and women. Lets see some passages that confirm this idea: The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is close at hand. Repent, and believe the gospel (1:15). The disciples said: Everybody is looking for you (1:37). Anyone who does the will of God, that person is my brother and sister and mother (3:35). When he was alone, the Twelve, together with the others who formed his company, asked what the parables meant (4:10). If anyone wants to be a follower of mine, let him renounce himself and take up his cross and follow me (8:34). Many people spread their cloaks on the road, and others greenery which they had cut in the fields. And those who went in front and those who followed were all shouting: Hosanna! Blessed is he who is coming in the name of the Lord! (11:8-9).

When talking about the crowds that follow Jesus and receive his teachings, Mark is also thinking about all the women included in that group of people. These women may not have names, but still are really important to Jesus. 3.2. JESUS HEALS WOMEN A. Jesus heals Simons mother-in-Law (1:31): He went in to her, took her by the hand and helped her up. And the fever left her and she began to serve them. 3

She is the first woman that appears in Marks gospel and the first woman to be healed by Jesus. She shows her gratefulness by serving (diakoneo) Jesus and the other disciples. Therefore, she became also the first woman disciple in Jesus community: a model of service. The essence of Christian discipleship is the attitude of service: - If anyone wants to be first, he must make himself last of all and servant of all (9:35; 10:43-44). - For the Son of man himself came not to be served but to serve, and give his life as a ransom for many (10:45).

B. Jesus heals a woman with a hemorrhage (5:25-34): If I can just touch his clothes, I shall be saved Who touched my clothes? She fell at his feet and told him the whole truth. My daughter, he said, your faith has restored you to health; go in peace and be free of your complaint. This woman is a model of faith: She spent all her money in doctors and medicines with negative results: her sickness is incurable. Now, she puts her faith and trust in Jesus, her last hope, and she is cured. At this point, her faith is still fearful or magical because she touches Jesus from behind. This woman is a model of truth: By telling the truth about her healing openly, in front of everyone, she also reveals her faith and Jesus confirms its authenticity. Then, personal faith in Jesus cannot be hidden or fearful, it must be proclaimed publicly for the crowds to hear.

C. The raising of Jairus daughter (5:21-24.35-43): And taking the child by the hand he said to her: Little girl, I tell you to get up. The little girl got up at once and began to walk about, for she was twelve years old, and told them to give her something to eat. Jairus, the father of the little girl, is a model of faith that intercedes for other peoples needs: He is aware of the serious condition of his daughter (dangerous sickness and small in age) and begs Jesus for her life (he fell at his feet): Jesus is his only hope. However, Jairus faith will be tested in three different ways: a) Jesus stops to solve the problem of the woman who touched his cloak (delay of healing); b) the news of his daughters death (believe that Jesus can bring her back to life); c) Jesus being laughed at by the people at his house (mockery or ridicule). He overcame this faith crisis by trusting Jesus and he got the miracle he wished for.

D. The Syrophoenician woman and her daughter (7:24-30): At once a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit heard about him and came and fell at his feet. Now this woman was a gentile, by birth a Syro-Phoenician, and she begged him to drive the devil out of her daughter. And he said to her: The children should be fed first, because it is not fair to take the children's food and throw it to little dogs. But she spoke up: Ah yes, sir, she replied, but little dogs under the table eat the scraps from the children. And he said to her: For saying this you may go home happy; the devil has gone out of your daughter. So she went off home and found the child lying on the bed and the devil gone. Jesus enters in a house in gentile territory (the region of Tyre). A woman came and begged him (fell at his feet) to drive out an unclean spirit from her (only?) daughter. They have been the enemies of Israel for centuries and fought many wars against them. Jesus opens a dialogue: The children should be fed first, because it is not fair to take the children's food and throw it to little dogs. The woman thinks that Jesus is rejecting her petition because she is a gentile. That is not correct! Jesus says that Gods salvation (food) must be offered to the Jews first (Gods holy people) and later to the gentiles. The Bible often talks about the Jews as children or sons of God; therefore, the expression little dogs refers to the gentiles who are not part of Gods family. The reaction of the woman: Ah yes, sir, but little dogs under the table eat the scraps from the children. She accepts Jesus words, but finds a clever way to solve the question: At Gods table there is plenty of bread for everybody: children and little dogs. There is no need to wait until the people of Israel are completely satisfied; the gentiles can also benefit from it right now if they show their faith in him, just like the dogs eat the scraps that fall from the table of the children. Jesus response: For saying this you may go home happy; the devil has gone out of your daughter. The woman showed a great faith in Jesus power to save her daughter and because of that faith without doubt her daughter has been freed from the unclean spirit. This gentile woman becomes the model of faith of the gentiles who accept and welcome the gospel of Jesus, while the Jews, the sons of God, reject its message and the person of Jesus as the Messiah as well.

3.3. WOMEN AS MODELS OF SACRIFICE A. The poor widow (12:41-44): He sat down opposite the treasury and watched the people putting money into the treasury, and many of the rich put in a great deal. A poor widow came and put in two small coins, the equivalent of a penny. Then he called his disciples and said to them, In truth I tell you, this poor widow has put more in than all who have contributed to the treasury; for they have all put in money they could spare, but she in her poverty has put in everything she possessed, all she had to live on. The poor widow is the representative of the poor in Marks gospel. She is the model of trust and confidence in Gods protection and providence. Her attitude towards God should be imitated by the rich and the disciples. When everybody looks at the rich, Jesus looks at the poor widow. She is the true model of discipleship because she does not give God the leftovers, but everything she had. What a faith!

B. The woman who anointed Jesus (14:3-9): He was at Bethany in the house of Simon, a man who had suffered from a virulent skindisease; he was at table when a woman came in with an alabaster jar of very costly ointment, pure nard. She broke the jar and poured the ointment on his head Leave her alone. Why are you upsetting her? What she has done for me is a good work she has anointed my body beforehand for its burial. In truth I tell you, wherever throughout all the world the gospel is proclaimed, what she has done will be told as well, in remembrance of her. This woman brought an expensive perfume of pure nard (over 300 denarii = the yearly salary of a normal person) and poured it on Jesus head. She probably thinks that Jesus is the KingMessiah they are waiting for (see 1 Samuel 10:1; 16:13). Some people criticized the woman for wasting the perfume: the best choice was to sell it and give the money to the poor. However, for Jesus, she has done a good action and made the right choice: it predicts the coming death of Jesus and anticipates the anointment of his body at the time of his burial. Because of her sacrifice for Jesus (expensive perfume), her action (anointing of his body before the burial) will be remembered everywhere. 3.4. WOMEN AT THE PASSION AND RESURRECTION

A. Women at the crucifixion (15:40-41.47): There were some women watching from a distance. Among them were Mary of Magdala, Mary who was the mother of James the younger and Joset, and Salome. These used to follow him and look after him when he was in Galilee. And many other women were there who had come up to Jerusalem with him Mary of Magdala and Mary the mother of Joset took note of where he was laid. At the crucifixion, Jesus is not alone: some women have believed in him, served him, and followed him to Jerusalem. Where the disciples have failed (sold him for money, denied him, and abandoned him), the women have succeeded: they are the sign of the true Church formed by those who follow and serve Jesus through the way to the cross. They are the big surprise of Marks gospel. They never appeared before in the gospel, but now they do it to show who the true disciples of Jesus are. Mark tells us the name of three women who are the representative of all the women who came from Galilee: a) Mary of Magdala; b) Mary, the mother of James the younger and Joset; c) Salome (probably the mother of the Zebedees sons, James and John). Why are they the models of discipleship? For three reasons: a) they followed Jesus: they listened to his call and followed him all the way to the cross, not like the other disciples and the twelve; b) They served Jesus: they have fulfilled the essence of discipleship: service; they have served him always and now they are willing to offer him their last service: the anointing of his dead body; c) They came up to Jerusalem with Jesus: they have remained faithful to the end, not like the male disciples; they are his new family.

B. Women at the tomb (16:1-8): When the Sabbath was over, Mary of Magdala, Mary the mother of James, and Salome, bought spices with which to go and anoint him And the women came out and ran away from the tomb because they were frightened out of their wits; and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid. Only the three women mentioned at the crucifixion went to the tomb to anoint Jesus body with perfume; they want to perform the last act of love and service of family members for the dead person. They want the body to smell good and pray for him. In this way, they behave like the true family of Jesus and show their love and faithfulness to him. The disciples, on the other hand, are still hidden somewhere in Jerusalem or going back to their previous life in Galilee. They do

4. WOMEN AS NEGATIVE EXAMPLES OF DISCIPLESHIP

Herodias and her daughter (6:14-29)

not appear in the crucifixion and they do not appear in the tomb; they are too scared of the Jews and probably also disappointed that Jesus was not the Messiah they were expecting. They think everything is over, it was a good dream, but now it is time to go home. These women were thinking about finding Jesus dead body in the tomb, but instead they found the stone removed and the Jesus body gone. The only person in the tomb is a young man wearing a white robe (an angel?) who announces them that Jesus is risen; they must bring a message to Peter and the other disciples: Jesus is risen and is going to Galilee where they will see him alive again (v. 7). These women, since they have been faithful to Jesus until his death on the cross, are now the first witnesses of his resurrection; they also became the messengers of the good news about Jesus resurrection and his reappearance in Galilee where all his disciples will see him alive again. Galilee was the place where he began to preach the gospel; Jerusalem was the place of his death; now, Galilee represents the new beginning for Jesus and for his disciples. From Galilee the disciples will be sent to the whole world to preach the gospel of Jesus. Womens response to the words of the angel: a) they ran away from the tomb; b) they did not say anything to anyone; c) they did all this because they were filled with fear or completely frightened. These words show that the faith of these women is still weak and small: they are incapable to communicate the good news of the resurrection of Jesus. However, the final verse of the gospel (16:8) is also the way used by Mark to tell his readers that they have to make their own decision: Believe in Jesus resurrection and become his followers or reject it and abandon Jesus.

Herodias was Philips wife. She left him and married Herod, Philips brother and the tetrarch of Galilee and Perea. John the Baptist was put in prison for accusing Herod of breaking the Jewish law [adultery and incest (his brothers wife should be like Herods sister) see Leviticus 18:16; 20:21] by marrying Herodias, his brothers wife. Herodias desires this marriage with Herod, but she will not be completely safe until the accuser, John the Baptist, is dead. Her hatred and resentment is so strong that she will do anything to kill John. Herod is the only obstacle in her way: he protects John and likes conversing with him.

Herods birthday was the perfect occasion for getting rid of John. Herodias sent her little daughter to dance for him and he was so pleased with her performance that he promised to give her even half of his kingdom. The girl, after talking with her mother, asked for the head of John the Baptist on a plate. Herod could not break his promise in front of his guests and therefore he asked the soldiers to bring the head of John the Baptist. When Herodias saw the head of John, he felt safe and the winner of the quarrel. He will not bother her and Herod anymore about the legality of their marriage. Herodias represents all the women who are willing to do everything in the power to fulfill their evil plans: the killing of the innocent and the righteous.

5. MARY AND THE FAMILY OF JESUS

Marks gospel tells us very little about Mary and the family of Jesus: Jesus new family (3:20-21.31-35) and Jesus family in Nazareth (6:1-6). The gospel begins when Jesus is already an adult, so we do not know anything his birth, childhood, and youth (the opposite of Matthew and Luke). A. The new family of Jesus (3:21.31-35): When his relations heard of this, they set out to take charge of him; they said: He is out of his mind Now his mother and his brothers arrived and, standing outside, sent in a message asking for him. A crowd was sitting round him at the time the message was passed to him: Look, your mother and brothers and sisters are outside asking for you. He replied: Who are my mother and my brothers? And looking at those sitting in a circle round him, he said: Here are my mother and my brothers. Anyone who does the will of God, that person is my brother and sister and mother. Jesus is in Capernaum (Simons house). His relatives (his mother, his brothers, and his sisters in 3:31) want to take him home because they think he is crazy or out of his mind: heals people on the Sabbath day; eats with sinners and forgives their sins; touches lepers; exorcisms of people with unclean spirits; no fasting Furthermore, the religious leaders also believed that he is possessed by the devil and acts with his evil power (3:22.30). For that reason, his close family came to take him home: with his words and actions, he is destroying the good name of the family. Here, Mark talks about the mother of Jesus without using her name. She arrived with the family to the house where Jesus was with the crowd, but stayed outside and sent people to call him.

Here we can see clearly the differences between the crowd and the family of Jesus: - The crowd is inside the house, sitting around Jesus and listening to his preaching: this is the attitude of the true follower of Jesus. - The family is outside and sends a messenger to inform Jesus of their presence outside the house: they do not want to listen to Jesus teachings and reject his activity. They just want to stop his activity and bring him home: he brings shame to the family. Because his natural family is against him and rejects his activity, now Jesus will give birth to a new family: those who do the will of God are his mother, his brothers, and his sisters.

B. The family of Jesus in Nazareth (6:1-6): Leaving that district, he went to his home town, and his disciples accompanied him. With the coming of the Sabbath he began teaching in the synagogue, and most of them were astonished when they heard him. They said, Where did the man get all this? What is this wisdom that has been granted him, and these miracles that are worked through him? This is the carpenter, surely, the son of Mary, the brother of James and Joset and Jude and Simon? His sisters, too, are they not here with us? And they would not accept him. And Jesus said to them: A prophet is despised only in his own country, among his own relations and in his own house. This is the only place in the gospel where the name of Mary appears; she does not play an important role in the episode, she is just one of the people of Nazareth. The people of Nazareth do not call Jesus by name, but they use the word this which has a negative meaning. They call him the son of Mary (not his fathers name) and refuse to accept him because they question the authenticity of his words and actions. In this situation, Jesus gives them a final response: he calls himself a prophet and identify three groups that reject him and his message: - The people of Nazareth: they know who he is from his childhood and refuse to believe his words and actions. - His relatives: the large family of Jesus (cousins, uncles, aunts, nephews, nieces). - His house (oika = family; home): it means his close family (mother, father, brothers, and sisters).

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This is all the information we have in Marks gospel about Mary and the family of Jesus. Mary does not appear at the last moments of his life: passion, death, and resurrection. Mary is not one of the women who see the crucifixion from the distance or go to the tomb to anoint his body.

6. FAMILY: MARRIAGE AND DIVORCE

A. Marriage and divorce (10:1-12): Some Pharisees asked him: Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife? They were putting him to the test. Moses allowed them to divorce (Deuteronomy 24:1) because of the hardness of their hearts (mans power and dominion over woman), but in Gods original project, at the time of creation, it was forbidden to divorce (Genesis 2:23-24 = freedom and love). Jesus goes even further: to divorce is forbidden; if anyone divorces and marries again, commits adultery. Therefore, men and women are equal and their relationship should be based on love.

B. Resurrection and marriage (12:18-27): Then some Sadducees who deny that there is resurrection came to him and they put this question to him: Master, Moses prescribed for us that if a mans brother dies leaving a wife but no child, the man must marry the widow to raise up children for his brother. There were seven brothers none of them left any children. Last of all, the woman herself died. Now at the resurrection, when they rise again, whose wife will she be, since she had been married to all the seven? The Sadducees pretend to ridicule the idea of the resurrection by using the Law of Moses about the levirate marriage (Deuteronomy 25:5-10): the brother of a deceased man is obliged to marry his brothers widow in order to give him descendants. Jesus accuses them of ignoring the meaning of the Scriptures as well as the power of God. In the resurrection, there is not marriage, they will be like angels in heaven; furthermore, God said to Moses that he is the God of the living, not of the dead: Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob have died, but they live with God forever (Ex 3:6). In other words, they do not know anything about the resurrection.

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7. FINAL CONCLUSIONS
1. Jesus heals women: they are the symbol of the Jews and gentiles who await the coming of the Messiah. 2. Women are models of discipleship: a) Models of service. b) Models of faith and truth. c) Models of sacrifice. 3. Men and women are equal in the new family of Jesus: brothers and sisters; husbands and wives. 4. Women follow Jesus to the cross and become the first witnesses of the resurrection; however, they failed to communicate the good news to the disciples because they were filled with fear and frightened.

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