How Important Women Were for Jesus'

A. With reference to 3 conversations, explain how important women were for Jesus’ ministry(14 marks)

I will seek to sustain that women featured strongly throughout Jesus’ ministry especially in the fourth gospel. They are shown positively and appear in many sections throughout Johns gospel. Throughout this question I am going to refer to the ‘Samaritan woman at the well’, ‘the woman caught in adultery’ and finally the ‘raising of Lazarus’.

I will attempt to argue that Jesus’ women played a crucial part in Jesus’ ministry. The message of the gospel is addressed to the women as well as the men. Throughout the fourth gospel the women are always portrayed in a positive light. It is presumed by most that the men were the most important throughout the gospels, when in effect the women play a very important role throughout the narratives as well as the men. The women appear in many different areas of John’s gospel and appear in a number of guises. We know from our own knowledge that Jesus chose 12 male disciples, this immediately gives us the impression that the males were chosen for a reason, because they were more important, however this is not the case. Here I will examine the attitude that Jesus showed towards women in the first gospel and I will delve deeper into the 3 incidents.

The Samaritan woman is a prototype of the ideal disciple to Jesus because she first had no real faith, but after her theological discussion with Jesus, she believed him and understood his message and spread the word to other Samaritans, who then as a result of her- believed in him. She is honest and listens to Jesus. Samaritans were scornfully categorised by the Jews as ‘menstruants from the cradle’ in other words that they were always dirty and unclean and should be avoided. Samaritans were also hated because they broke away from Judaism. Not only in this sign is the person Jesus talks to a woman but she is also a Samaritan. Showing again that Jesus’ work is universal, for everyone. Not just Jews. Furthermore it is showing that Jesus accepts women into his ministry. This is an important aspect of Jesus that needs to be shown and a woman highlights this. This is significant. The Samaritan woman represents a race that was the traditional enemy of the Jews. The story culminates in the disclosure of Jesus’ messiahship.

It shows that his attitude towards women is completely different to that of the average Palestinian at this time and that despite there low status in society Jesus makes them an important part of his ministry. It is interesting that the woman is alone in the well in the midday heat, symbolising that the other women do not associate with her and she is left to get her own water. She is sitting at the Jacobs well which is significant as he was the founder of Israel.

The woman may also be alone at the well because she has a reputation; she has been married to 5 men