Sue J Love
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- Mar 27, 2015
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I am reading in Luke 7:36-50 NKJV (one of my favorite Bible stories) about a woman who had a reputation of being a sinner. Upon hearing that Jesus was eating at the home of a Pharisee, she went to his house, and she
37“brought an alabaster flask of fragrant oil, 38and stood at His feet behind Him weeping; and she began to wash His feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head; and she kissed His feet and anointed them with the fragrant oil.”
She, thus, demonstrated her repentance of her sin and her heartfelt worship of our Lord Jesus and her desire to be forgiven and to change her life course.
But Simon, the Pharisee, did not see her through the eyes of Jesus, and he hypocritically judged her because of her reputation. He, thus, showed no compassion towards her whatsoever, but he saw her as a “throw away.” And so Jesus told him a parable to show him the love that the woman had for Jesus. And then he turned to the woman and he said to Simon:
44“Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave Me no water for My feet, but she has washed My feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head. 45You gave Me no kiss, but this woman has not ceased to kiss My feet since the time I came in. 46You did not anoint My head with oil, but this woman has anointed My feet with fragrant oil. 47Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little.”
My whole life of 76 years I have seen many women being treated as though they are less than men, as though men are to rule over them in such an authoritative manner that they should be regarded as slaves to order around and to use and abuse. They were not given the same rights as men, nor were they paid equally as men for the same amount of work. And they were not given the same amount of respect and honor as many men received, either, even if they earned it and they deserved it. But some things have changed. Some things have gotten better. But not all; not by everyone.
But if you read the teachings of the Scriptures you can see that is not how Jesus treated women. There was one case where Jesus tested the faith of a woman who was not a Jew, and she passed the test, and Jesus honored her for her faith. Some might think he was unkind to the woman, but Jesus treated women with honor and with respect. He valued women enough, in fact, to lead one to share the gospel with the people of her city, to direct others to share the good news of his resurrection with his men disciples, and to forgive one who had been caught in adultery and to spare her from death.
See: [Matthew 26:6-13; Matthew 28:1-10; Mark 5:25-34; Mark 16:1-8; Luke 2:36-38; Luke 7:36-50; Luke 10:38-42; Luke 24:1-12; John 2:1-11; John 4:1-42; John 8:1-11; John 20:1-18; Acts 2:17-18; Acts 21:9; 1 Corinthians 11:5]
And then if you read the teachings on marriage in the Scriptures, women are not treated there as though they are slaves and less than men and people to be stomped on and used and abused, either. We read in the Scriptures:
“Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.” (Genesis 2:24 KJV)
“For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior.” “Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her.. husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself” (see Ephesians 5:3,15-33 to get the whole context).
“Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives, and do not be harsh with them.” (Colossians 3:18-19 ESV)
“Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous.” (Hebrews 13:4 ESV)
“Likewise, husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel, since they are heirs with you of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered.” (1 Peter 3:1-7 ESV)
The husband being the head, thus, does not mean that he is to dominate his wife, mistreat her, treat her as though she is less, or as though she is his slave. He is supposed to be one flesh with her, united with her in love, giving her honor and respect, treating her with value, loving her as Christ loves the church, and as husbands love their own bodies. And they are not to be harsh with their wives, nor adulterous, but making certain the marriage bed remains undefiled by remaining faithful and pure always. And they are to live with their wives in an understanding way, showing honor to their wives.
See: [Genesis 2:24; Matthew 5:28; Matthew 15:19-20; Matthew 19:4-9; Mark 7:20-23; Mark 10:6-9; Romans 13:9; 1 Corinthians 5:1-13; 1 Corinthians 6:9-20; Galatians 5:13-24; Ephesians 5:22-33; Colossians 3:18-19; 1 Thessalonians 4:3-8; Titus 2:3-5; Hebrews 13:4; James 4:4; 1 Peter 3:1-7; 2 Peter 2:13-19]
So, in the church, we are to give women the same honor as Jesus gave them, and that he instructed their husbands to give to them. And we must realize that, although generally speaking men are to be the spiritual leaders in the church, that Jesus will use women in his service, instead of men, if women are willing and spiritually fit while men are spiritually AWOL (like the example given us in Luke 7:36-50). And he will send women out to the mission field (in person or on the internet) in place of men if the women are spiritually equipped while the men are “dropping the ball” because of sin.
And this is not to be taken as an attack on men or on women, but to share the critical importance of treating our women with honor, value, and respect, and to not treat them as though they are less just because they are women. And on the day of Pentecost, there were both men and women who were speaking to the people, and the people were hearing them in their own language. And it does not say that the men were in one room and the women in another. And Peter quoted Joel by stating that in the last days God’s daughters and sons will prophesy (preach, proclaim the gospel).
As the Deer
By Martin J. Nystrom
Based off Psalm 42:1
As the deer panteth for the water
So my soul longeth after You
You alone are my heart's desire
And I long to worship You
You alone are my strength, my shield
To You alone may my spirit yield
You alone are my heart's desire
And I long to worship You
Caution: This link may contain ads
How Jesus Regarded Women
An Original Work / May 12, 2026
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love
37“brought an alabaster flask of fragrant oil, 38and stood at His feet behind Him weeping; and she began to wash His feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head; and she kissed His feet and anointed them with the fragrant oil.”
She, thus, demonstrated her repentance of her sin and her heartfelt worship of our Lord Jesus and her desire to be forgiven and to change her life course.
But Simon, the Pharisee, did not see her through the eyes of Jesus, and he hypocritically judged her because of her reputation. He, thus, showed no compassion towards her whatsoever, but he saw her as a “throw away.” And so Jesus told him a parable to show him the love that the woman had for Jesus. And then he turned to the woman and he said to Simon:
44“Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave Me no water for My feet, but she has washed My feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head. 45You gave Me no kiss, but this woman has not ceased to kiss My feet since the time I came in. 46You did not anoint My head with oil, but this woman has anointed My feet with fragrant oil. 47Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little.”
My whole life of 76 years I have seen many women being treated as though they are less than men, as though men are to rule over them in such an authoritative manner that they should be regarded as slaves to order around and to use and abuse. They were not given the same rights as men, nor were they paid equally as men for the same amount of work. And they were not given the same amount of respect and honor as many men received, either, even if they earned it and they deserved it. But some things have changed. Some things have gotten better. But not all; not by everyone.
But if you read the teachings of the Scriptures you can see that is not how Jesus treated women. There was one case where Jesus tested the faith of a woman who was not a Jew, and she passed the test, and Jesus honored her for her faith. Some might think he was unkind to the woman, but Jesus treated women with honor and with respect. He valued women enough, in fact, to lead one to share the gospel with the people of her city, to direct others to share the good news of his resurrection with his men disciples, and to forgive one who had been caught in adultery and to spare her from death.
See: [Matthew 26:6-13; Matthew 28:1-10; Mark 5:25-34; Mark 16:1-8; Luke 2:36-38; Luke 7:36-50; Luke 10:38-42; Luke 24:1-12; John 2:1-11; John 4:1-42; John 8:1-11; John 20:1-18; Acts 2:17-18; Acts 21:9; 1 Corinthians 11:5]
And then if you read the teachings on marriage in the Scriptures, women are not treated there as though they are slaves and less than men and people to be stomped on and used and abused, either. We read in the Scriptures:
“Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.” (Genesis 2:24 KJV)
“For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior.” “Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her.. husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself” (see Ephesians 5:3,15-33 to get the whole context).
“Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives, and do not be harsh with them.” (Colossians 3:18-19 ESV)
“Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous.” (Hebrews 13:4 ESV)
“Likewise, husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel, since they are heirs with you of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered.” (1 Peter 3:1-7 ESV)
The husband being the head, thus, does not mean that he is to dominate his wife, mistreat her, treat her as though she is less, or as though she is his slave. He is supposed to be one flesh with her, united with her in love, giving her honor and respect, treating her with value, loving her as Christ loves the church, and as husbands love their own bodies. And they are not to be harsh with their wives, nor adulterous, but making certain the marriage bed remains undefiled by remaining faithful and pure always. And they are to live with their wives in an understanding way, showing honor to their wives.
See: [Genesis 2:24; Matthew 5:28; Matthew 15:19-20; Matthew 19:4-9; Mark 7:20-23; Mark 10:6-9; Romans 13:9; 1 Corinthians 5:1-13; 1 Corinthians 6:9-20; Galatians 5:13-24; Ephesians 5:22-33; Colossians 3:18-19; 1 Thessalonians 4:3-8; Titus 2:3-5; Hebrews 13:4; James 4:4; 1 Peter 3:1-7; 2 Peter 2:13-19]
So, in the church, we are to give women the same honor as Jesus gave them, and that he instructed their husbands to give to them. And we must realize that, although generally speaking men are to be the spiritual leaders in the church, that Jesus will use women in his service, instead of men, if women are willing and spiritually fit while men are spiritually AWOL (like the example given us in Luke 7:36-50). And he will send women out to the mission field (in person or on the internet) in place of men if the women are spiritually equipped while the men are “dropping the ball” because of sin.
And this is not to be taken as an attack on men or on women, but to share the critical importance of treating our women with honor, value, and respect, and to not treat them as though they are less just because they are women. And on the day of Pentecost, there were both men and women who were speaking to the people, and the people were hearing them in their own language. And it does not say that the men were in one room and the women in another. And Peter quoted Joel by stating that in the last days God’s daughters and sons will prophesy (preach, proclaim the gospel).
As the Deer
By Martin J. Nystrom
Based off Psalm 42:1
As the deer panteth for the water
So my soul longeth after You
You alone are my heart's desire
And I long to worship You
You alone are my strength, my shield
To You alone may my spirit yield
You alone are my heart's desire
And I long to worship You
Caution: This link may contain ads
How Jesus Regarded Women
An Original Work / May 12, 2026
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love
