Fifth insight: Telling an alternate story changes the culture
I'm suggesting again that the placement of the Martha and Mary story is significant. In the first part of Luke 10, Jesus explains the principles of church planting. Then, in v. 38-42, those principles come to life. And, in this real-life example, the "man of peace" is a woman/women.
I'm suggesting again that the placement of the Martha and Mary story is significant. In the first part of Luke 10, Jesus explains the principles of church planting. Then, in v. 38-42, those principles come to life. And, in this real-life example, the "man of peace" is a woman/women.
The Martha and Mary story also sets the tone for what will follow in the growth of the early church. The role of women as "people of peace" and even house church leaders is one of the major themes woven throughout the account of Luke, the historian (see Lk. 1:1-4).
Keep Lk. 10:38-42 (and the picture above) in mind as you read these observations from Roger Gehring about the story of Lydia in Acts 16.
Luke also portrays Lydia as the first Christian in Macedonia. Can we elevate her to leader of the church in her house on this basis alone? It is a very real possibility... we need to recognized that with his report Luke also wants to say that, in spite of his Jewish training, Paul is willing to establish a church with a group of women. By implying that, in contrast to the synagogue, women alone were allowed to found a Christian church, Luke indirectly points to a difference in the status of women in the two religious groups at that time. House Church and Mission, p. 212
So, in giving the account of Martha and Mary and later, Lydia and others*, Luke is his changing culture by telling an alternate story/stories. Perhaps this is a key for changing our culture as well. Your thoughts on this?
John
*Approximately one-fourth of the coworkers mentioned in the Pauline Epistles are women. If we add Nympha, mentioned in Colossians, and Lydia, in Acts there are a total of twelve women: Eudodia, Julia, Junia, Lydia, Mary, Nympha, Persis, Phoebe, Prisca, Syntyche, Tryphaena, and Tryphosa. Gehring, p. 211.
Is this why television, which tells stories, changes culture so easily? People produce films about the way things should be, to explain them, but it is when there is a story film that it begins to affect how people "see" things that way.
ReplyDeleteGreat insight, Carolyn! I think you are exactly right
ReplyDeleteI think this conversation is helpful because it pushes us to see how large a step Luke (and Jesus) is taking (and as you mention Paul) to live and tell the story this way considering the cultural expectations.
ReplyDeleteA push to redefine leadership and open eyes to possibilities that were unseen before.
I'm thinking of one of the communities in Guadalajara that has struggled for years because male spiritual leadership would not arise in their group. Good things would happen as long as a male harvest worker stayed closely connected...facilitating things.
This year, Nancy and I knew we were in our last months there so we refused to step into a void left by other harvest workers.
Tough conversations. Refusal to step in and fix things. Feelings of abandonment.
We stayed connected. But refused to "take charge."
Then something began to happen. A couple of sisters (moms) moved past the cultural stories and just took care of the family, began to live as a family of Jesus--even without the male leadership they thought they needed. So many things are finally being "got." The group is flourishing. And even some of the men seem to be growing.
The leadership is female. And I think its important to note that this is not a female doing what a male leader usually does. Instead the leader(s) are women who are being moms leading out of their relationship with God and out of their unique design.
And I think there is still value in this group's life for the presence of male harvest workers coming in and out of the group--providing the uniquely male elements that the group needs as well.
Their story is important--for sure in Mexican culture.
Great story, Chadd! It's important in American culture also.
ReplyDeleteChadd, I think you hit on a very important truth that took me YEARS to figure out. God has a very unique leadership style offered by women that is not leading as a man would lead, but out of our own specific characteristics that only a woman possesses. When we as women invite and encourage the men to step into their leadership style, and the men invite and encourage women to lead in the way that God has created them, we have the perfect example that I believe God intended even from the first man and woman, Adam & Eve. It isn't one above the other or one without the other, but working in harmony with the gifts and strengths that each offers, and warring for and with each other. I think of Paul's example to the Philippians in 1 Thess 2:5-8 and 2:10-12. Mothers and fathers each have strengths in leading our children. We can model those best as we live out who God intended us to be, especially in leadership in the church.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your post.