Roles Of Women In The Gospel Of Luke

The roles of women in the church, home, and public have been debated over many centuries. However, Jesus does not exclude women from the Kingdom of God because he refers to them as “sisters” and includes them in his non-biological family and allows them the same opportunities of salvation that men have. It is more often emphasized in the Gospel of Luke that the role of women was very prominent within Jesus’s life, but that does not exclude the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and John from having significant roles filled by women. This paper is to outline the stories of Jesus’s interactions and relationships with women and deciphering why they may or may not have prominent roles in society that are mentioned within the gospels. Their roles within
The disciples had left Jesus while he was at Jacob’s well, and while they were gone, a Samarian woman came to draw water. Jesus asked for a drink, which is surprising since Jews and Samarians never communicate, and Jews never shared anything with Samarians. The woman is not named, and all the reader knows is that she is from Samaria. It is Jesus who sought the woman and began talking to her first; the woman has no idea who he is, only that he is a Jew and claims to be greater than her ancestor Jacob who had built the well. This opens the door for Jesus to mention that his water gives eternal life, whereas the water from Jacob’s well will only last a short time. She asks for this water, but Jesus asks to call her husband, to which she replies she has none. Jesus confirms this, and says that she has had five and the one she is living with is not her husband. She does not attempt to defend herself or come up with excuses as to why she is in this situation, but Jesus reveals that he is the Messiah, to which she embraces immediately. This unquestioning belief in Jesus is why her story is so significant. Her willingness to accept that Jesus is the Messiah excites her so much that she returns to the Samarians and tells them of Jesus, the Messiah, and she is possibly the first to evangelize to them of the good news. This woman may have been an outcast in her society as
“Like the Twelve, they left the comforts of the familiar and the security of the traditions.” The disciples knew that life would not be easier by following Jesus; it was quite the opposite, but they were still willing to stay with him, for they saw that he would bring the kingdom of God, and knew in their hearts that he was the promised Messiah. Even though the ministry of women is not seen as often in the Gospels, “it is no less ongoing and vital.” The whole point of Jesus coming was to be inclusive of all people, so that everyone, not only the Jews, could enter the kingdom of God. Jesus included everyone, men and women of different statuses in society of every age, and loved everyone as his family. It was no wonder that Jesus wanted to have a deep relationship with both men and women, as they were all created equally from the beginning of their