Jesus and Women Bible Study

Let’s talk Bible studies. Have you ever done a Bible study that shocks you to the core? Have you ever done a study that makes you realize that maybe you have missed things or even misunderstood what you were reading in the Bible?

I can’t honestly say now I have. This fall, I’ve been doing several Bible studies. One has been with the Sisterhood women’s group at my church called Relax. It’s about trusting God, and while it’s been a wonderful study, I’ve struggled to maintain my focus on it, because it’s things that, for the most part, I am already doing. That doesn’t mean I haven’t learned important information, because I have, but what I’m saying is that it’s not hitting me like other studies have. Overall, it’s a wonderful study, really, and if you are struggling with trusting God, I really recommend it.

Which brings me to the second study I’m doing. It’s called “Jesus and Women: In the First Century and Now” by Kristi McLelland, and that one…now that one is knocking me off my feet!! That is the one that has me on the edge of my seat!! You see, for the last two years (since my head injury at work) I’ve been looking at the Bible differently. I’ve been trying to explore and understand it from the view of the culture and how life was in Jesus’s time. It’s been a slow process, but it’s one that I’ve been wanting to do. As a result, I’ve come to new understandings, and I’ve started seeing the Bible in a much different way than we view it here in the West.

Interesting enough, Kristi takes you on a walk doing just that. The first thing she tells you in the Jesus and women Bible study is that this isn’t a Bible study; it’s a feast. We are feasting on the Bible and taking it in differently than we are accustomed. She brings up a verse in session three. It’s Psalm 1:1-2, and in that verse, it talks about meditating on the law. It’s here that she introduces us to a Hebrew word for meditate called Hagah, which she explains means to “devour like a lion.” You don’t realize how powerful that is until you read the verse with that word in place of “meditate.” Here, take a closer look and see what I mean.

Blessed is the man    

who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,

nor stands in the way of sinners,    

nor sits in the seat of scoffers; 

but his delight is in the law of the Lord,    

and on his law he meditates day and night.

Psalms 1:1-2

Now read it like this:

Blessed is the man    

who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,

nor stands in the way of sinners,    

nor sits in the seat of scoffers; 

but his delight is in the law of the Lord,    

and on his law he hagahs day and night. 

Psalms 1:1-2

Did you notice how that just changed the whole understanding of the verse? I did, and boy, that was super powerful! Kristi does this in each session. She introduces you to Hebrew words and meanings. She explains why things are the way they are and what they really mean. In the first week, she talks about seeing the Bible through a Western lens and a Middle Eastern lens. Why? Because the Bible was written in the Middle East, in a culture that is different compared to ours. Here are a few examples from the book:

How we view and approach the Bible in the West:

We ask How? How did it happen?

Understand to Believe

We see it as laws, rules, principles

What does this teach me about me?

How the Middle East views and approaches the Bible:

They ask Why? WHY would God do that?

Believe to Understand.

Story, Narrative

What does this teach me about God?

These are just some differences. Plus, she goes over the culture of the Middle East to help us better understand how the culture operated and why things were written the way they were.

For instance, in Jesus’s time the culture was (and still is):

1. Honor and Shame System: Only someone who is honorable can pull someone from their shame and restore their honor.

Justice and Righteousness: is about honor and generosity (or to have a good eye is to be generous) It’s not a right and wrong culture like in our society, it’s all about honor and shame.

2. Hospitality: is one of the highest virtues of honor. The more hospitable you are, the more honor you have. If you aren’t hospitable, then you are seen as shameful.

Table Fellowship: who you eat with, you welcome, you embrace and how you accept them. How you set the table and how you welcome guests says how honorable or shameful you are.

3. Communal: it’s about we for them, Family, Village, Tribe, Community. Example: here we might get upset if our neighbor doesn’t mow their yard, but in the Middle East, they will mow it for them.

Kristi goes over all of this; she brings up verses that connect everything to each other. She also mentions how women were seen in a place of honor in the Old Testament, but by the time Jesus shows up, women were seen as “shameful.”

Why? Because before Jesus appeared, it was being taught that women were the cause of evil and sin in the world. If a man gives a woman anything, he was told to keep a record of what he gave her, because women couldn’t be trusted. Men weren’t supposed to talk to women. Men’s spite was better than a woman’s kindness. If you didn’t like your wife, you didn’t have to trust her. Men were instructed not to deed property to women and not to let women support them. Men could even divorce a woman over burning bread. Women went from a place of honor to a place of shame.

So when Jesus enters the world, he does something very important. He lifts women up and restores their honor. He sees women as God intended them to be seen. Plus, the things that Jesus does in his time here and the things that he says all have a different meaning from how we understand.

You see this as she walks us through the study. The Bible, the language, the actions that take place during Jesus’s interactions all look different. The words we read end up clearer, and you realize how powerful those interactions were and as well as the words that were said.

Kristi walks us through several stories:

The Unclean Woman

The Woman who washes Jesus’s feet.

The Samaritan Woman

Women in Parables and the significance.

The Adulteress

Mary – Miriam: the mother of Jesus and Mary and Martha

She breaks down each story, not just from a Biblical standpoint, but from a cultural standpoint. That cultural piece is significant, and as a result, it changes the understanding of the verses, the understanding of the words, and the understanding of Jesus’s teachings.

This study has been an amazing view of how God sees us. It gives us a different, beautiful view of what Jesus taught and the level of importance of those teachings. As you move through this study, and you begin to see this yourself and it will blow your mind.

I hope to share what I learn with you as I get through each session, where I can break down the story, and how the culture plays its role in understanding the context. But if I can be honest here…I won’t touch on all the important pieces you need to know. So, I would encourage you to go purchase the Bible study, watch the videos, listen and learn. In fact, I’ll make it easy for you and give you the link. No, I am not being paid to do this; this is my choice to write these blogs, and it is my choice to share and recommend. But trust me, if you go through this study yourself, you will understand why. You will find the link at the end for easy access.

Once you get it, let your heart and mind be open and see what beautiful world you step into with the new understanding you will receive. It’s worth it. Not only will it change how you see and understand the Bible, but it will change the understanding of your relationship with our Savior.

What a beautiful gift we have been given. What a beautiful love we have been shown. What a beautiful meaning of Jesus’s words and teaching. It’s time to feast. It’s time to devour the Bible in a way that you never have before and believe it’s worth the journey.

God Bless!

K. M. Leffler

P.S. Here is the link to both studies, incase you are interested in either. Happy Bible Studying!

The Jesus and Women Study.

Relaxed