A boy about ten years old was sitting and scrolling through his mother’s smartphone. His elder sister was studying and doing her homework. He called his sister and demanded drinking water. She said, I am studying, you are grown up, go drink water on your own. ” He said, “I am a boy, you are a girl, so bring water for me.” Mother stepped in and asked: “Who said that if you are a boy, you will not fetch water, only girls should bring?” The boy said, “All my classmates do that in their homes.” Sadly, people are under cultural bondage, that gives inferiority status to girls and discriminates against them.
Not inferior: In many cultures, women are considered inferior humans. Some equate women with animals and even consider them of lesser value than animals. God created the first female, Eve, from the rib of Adam. (Genesis 2:21-22) Neither created from the head to dominate man, nor from the feet to be the footstool of man.
Spiritual being: Women are spiritual beings, created in the image of God. They can become disciples of the Lord like Joanna, Susanna, and Mary Magdalene. (Luke 8:1-3) Women, including Mary, the mother of Jesus, were present in the one-hundred-twenty gathered in the Upper Room waiting to be filled with the Holy Spirit. (Acts 1:13-15)
Change agents: God wanted to intervene in the history of Israel. In depressing times of the Judges, God chose a woman, Hannah. Samuel, her son, became the King Maker of Israel.
Deacons and leaders: Phoebe was a deacon in the church at Cenchrae, and probably delivered the letter to Romans to the church. (Romans 16:1) Mary Magdalene was the first person to witness the resurrected Christ. (John 20: 14-17) And she was entrusted with the glorious message to other Apostles, including Peter.
No Hierarchy: “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” (Galatians 3:28) All are equal sinners before God, need His grace, and by faith could receive salvation, forgiveness of sins, and reconciliation with God.
Do I discriminate and allow discrimination of women in my context?