Sunday, December 20, 2009

The Jewish Jesus Forgives Women

Young girls, women, and widows all find themselves at sometime in their life as sinners. Because they are tender hearted and this allows for weakness of their flesh, they are often looked upon with harsh judgmental eyes. While men of the same sins are not looked upon very badly at all. In the Bible it is clear that girls and women have not been treated fairly in times of sexual immorality. As in all such cases where there is a sinful woman there is a sinful man.

Sexual immorality is a sin that is connected to love. It is this one thing that gives immoral sexuality a bad reputation. Girls are to love one man for her husband, not many men who use her for a sexual garbage can. When a girl makes herself a garbage can we tend to look at her like she is trash. Our concept of girls are that they should be holy and pure and not involve themselves in immoral conduct. We raise them to avoid showing themselves and to be modest. But when a society breaks down all of these moral guides and allows girls from an early age to expose their body, to present themselves as sexual objects, we can expect for them to follow through and do what the big girls are doing. And that is to drink, smoke, do drugs, curse, and be involved with lovers and prostitution. Modern society has cursed the female sex with permissiveness that destroys them via television, movies, music, that are saturated with immoral women. Women who do not care if they are used for intertainment. For these, the Jewish Jesus is rejected. These are those who think not of hell. They delight in attention shown to them because of their body. And perhaps as many as 99% of them will never be saved. They are so bold to boast they do not care if they go to hell. So, for the 1% or less who can escape the perversion of mind and body, the Jewish Jesus offers forgiveness, help, and hope.

We think a girl or woman should be pure in moral matters and keep herself for her husband. And because we think of marriage and conjugal union as the only right way for these acts of love, we tend to look down on those who sin and are not married. We believe this hurts their character and name. And we are all ready to make sure we are part of those ready to hurt them. After all, if they do the sin they should be treated bad and hurt.

The Jewish Jesus did not live in a world where there was no sexual immorality. It was all about him. He saw fornication and adultery as sin. He saw them both as great sins. And he saw how those accused of these sins were treated wrongly. In Bible days a girl or woman caught in the act of these sins were stonned and killed. The rock pile was always available to kill any girl or woman found guilty. I do not recall any rock piles for men involved in these same sins.

The Jewish Jesus was friends with women who had been guilty of these sins. This angered the Pharisees.

One of the women whom Jesus forgave was Mary Magdalene. She was demon possessed and had seven devils in her (Mark 16:9, Luke 8:2). We do not know a lot about this woman but it appears she was involved in sin. The beautiful thing is she discovered in Jesus a man acquainted with sorrow. When she met Jesus she turned from her sin. Jesus cast the devils out of her and gave her a new life. She remained faithful and was there at the Cross and at the tomb on the morning of the Resurrection. A forgiven woman who found no welcome at the Temple was among the holy and righteous who did find welcome from the Jewish Jesus.

Another woman who became a special friend of Jesus was Mary the sister or Lazarus whom Jesus raised from the dead. This woman appears to have been a prostitute. She is also the one who came to the feet of Jesus and washed them with tears and dried them with her long beautiful hair. She also appears to be the woman who took precious costly ointment and poured it upon the feet of Jesus. She also found a welcome from Jesus who found no welcome at the Temple. The Temple which was supposed to be a place for sinners to come and find forgiveness had become a place of self-righteous hypocaust's where women such as Mary found no place of compassion. The Jewish Jesus had such love for sinners that he would even die for them on the Cross. Yes, I can see that the drunkard wants Calvary for a place of forgiveness. Even the liar, murderer, thief, and those who do not honor their parents want Calvary as a place for their forgiveness. But let a woman who has been foolish with her life come to the Church to find forgiveness from God and many members want her thrown out. They forget, that if it was not for the mercy and grace of God, many would be just as she and needing compassion. Mary was a special woman also who appears to have been at the crucifixion and may have been with Mary Magdalene at the resurrection. A woman forgiven and who has had her life turned around can become one of the most wonderful sisters of the Church congregation.

There is the event at the well of Jacob near Samaria. There the Jewish Jesus sat one day desiring a cool drink. They disciples had nothing to draw out the water because the well was very deep. As they hanged around, a woman appeared. She came and saw the group of men gathered but thought nothing of it. She came to get water early in the morning. She appears to have been the first woman that day at the well. When she arrived Jesus ask her to get him a drink. She observed quickly that she was in the presence of Jews and she a Samaritan was forbidden by Pharisee religious laws not to have anything to do with Jews. Jesus and the disciples were also under that same religious dictate. Jews were to have no dealings with Samaritans. But Jesus had asked her for a drink. As she delayed making the decision what to do the Jewish Jesus spoke to her. He talked to her about the living water he would give her. Now the living water he spoke about was the Holy Ghost baptism. She responded to Jesus: "evermore give me this water." Then the Jewish Jesus ask about her husband. She replied she had no husband. Jesus answered and told her she had had five husbands and was living with a man then who was not her husband. Knowing this, Jesus had still promised her living water, the baptism of the Holy Ghost. Now isn't this odd, that the Jewish Jesus would offer a woman living in adultery the baptism of the Holy Ghost. What would most preachers do today if a woman came in and said she had been married five times and was shacking up. I am sure he would not tell her the Holy Ghost was available for her. What he most likely would do is tell the other girls and women not to have anything to do with her because she might be a bad influence. Some do not know that a woman such as this who finds forgiveness and the love of God can be a holy prayer warrior and a righteous woman. But with the Jewish Jesus he knows that even harlots and prostitutes, other immoral women can turn their lives around and be welcome in the Church.

I guess no other event of love and mercy from the Jewish Jesus can compare to the woman caught in the very act of adultery. She was with a man who was not her husband. She was captured and on her way to the rock pile. Along the way to her death the Pharisee religious mob came across Jesus. They decided to have some religious fun. So they took the woman in her shame and openly shoved her before him. One of the proud religious leaders then announced to all present that this woman was guilty of adultery. They wanted Jesus to authorize her pending death by stoning. They wanted someone to justify their rock pile religion. But when they presented this poor guilty woman to him, he looked at her. She had no religion. She had no God. She was a sinner. She was not a good woman. She apparently was guilty and caught in the act. And so far as the law of Moses was concerned she should had died for her sins. But Jesus stooped down and wrote in the sand. When he arose he said: "let him who is without sin cast the first stone." From the least to the greatest of them, they each turned and went away. Not one of them was without sin. Not one of them was holy or righteous. Not one of them qualified to put her to death. And thus, for Christians they know not one of them have the right to condemn anyone to death for their sins. When they had all disappeared, he turned to the woman and said: "neither do I condemn thee, go and sin no more."

I know it may not be understood by many why the Jewish Jesus would even want such women in the Church. They may not see any value in these women who were foolish and stupid. They may not observe or be able to see the heart of such a woman that is tender and with love. Yes, women of sin do hurt. They do cry. Sometimes they do things that were wrong. And some of them waste many years in their evils. But if they can get near the Jewish Jesus. If they can somehow find a place where they can pray and seek God, they can also find forgiveness. They can turn their life around. They can go to their water baptism and have their sins and the guilt of them washed away by the blood of Jesus. Now this is the perfect forgiveness of God.

The Jewish Jesus is the Savior of foolish women. He can forgive their immoral conduct. He can turn their life around. They can become a new creation. Old things can pass away and behold all things can become new. A life of purity can be manifest in a life once filled with sin and shame. Yes, a woman who needs forgiveness can find it from the Jewish Jesus.

Today, there are millions like Mary Magdalenes, there are millions of Samaritan women at the well. There are millions who have committed adultery. And all of them deserve to burn in hell for their sins. But, thank God for Calvary. Where each of these foolish women can find forgiveness and a Jewish Jesus who said:

Father forgive them for they know not what they do....

Yes, if you are or were a foolish woman, you can have the living water. You can be saved. You can turn your life around. You can find a place among the people of God. There, you will not be judged but you will find forgiveness.

The Jewish Jesus forgives women and so will real Christians.

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