Abstract
Jesus and women.The patriarchal view of reality in first-century Mediterranean culture wasbased on a disparity between man and woman. It was a hierarchical system in which man was considered to be above woman, as God is above human beings. In the world of Jesus a woman would be represented before God by the patriarch. This article illustrates how Jesus' words and deeds did not mirror the values of his culture as far as the importance and role of the patriarchal family were concerned. Jesus, words and deeds were unconvenional within a strict purity system. Jesus used family imagery when speaking about the kingdom of God, but he meant a different type of family than the physical family according to cultural conventions. His non-patriarchal interaction with women was an example and a consequence of his culture critique.
Highlights
Jesus and women The patriarchal view of reality in first-century Medite"anean culture was based on a disparity between man and woman
It was a hierarchical system in which man was considered to be above woman, as God is above human beings
Jesus' words and deeds were unconventional within a strict purity system
Summary
Jesus and women The patriarchal view of reality in first-century Medite"anean culture was based on a disparity between man and woman. Heling het neergekom op resosialisering, dit wil se op akkommodering in die gesinslewe en daarom ook op toegang tot God. Anders as wat die geval was met die Fariseers, is dit duidelik dat hulpverlening aan ftsies gestremde mense vir Jesus belangriker was as die strenge nakoming van die reinheidsvoorskrifte. Jesus het egter geleer dat dit nie 'n mens se etniese oorsprong, ges1ag, natuur, siekte, kos of enige biologiese funksie van die menslike liggaam is wat toegang tot God versper nie (vgl Jacobs-Malina 1993:38). As 'n mens se gewete volgens hierdie 'beginsel' as gevolg van jou gelowige binding aan Christus verander, dan oordeel Paulus dat wat vroOOr onrein was, nou aanvaarbaar geword het; Die konsekwensie is dat 'n persoon wat teen sy of haar gewete ingaan, nie 'n reinheidsvoorskrif oortree nie, maar sonde doen In byvoorbeeld die tweede-eeuse Protevangelium van Jakobus is Maria se maagdelikheid 'n aanduiding van haar reinheid en ongeskondenheid, wat haar dus 'n bruikbare instrument maak vir hierdie groat werk van God (kyk Hock 1995:15)
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