Narrative Lectionary Key Verse for Today
“But Saul was ravaging the church by entering house after house; dragging off both men and women, he committed them to prison.”
NL Daily Devotion for Saturday, April 27, 2024
by R. M. Fergus, Clergy Stuff
What jumps out of me the most is the phrase “both men and women.” Why be so specific as to name this if it’s not significant? I get the sense that women didn’t have much agency at the time, being entirely dependent on husbands or sons to support and protect them. Does that mean they weren’t held accountable for things? Would they not normally have been dragged off in a raid looking for rabble-rousers? I don’t know. But it does strike me that Saul was well aware the women knew what they were doing. They were choosing to follow in The Way of Jesus. Which makes me wonder about just how much freedom The Way granted to women. While it doesn’t come across that clearly in the gospels, Jesus’ words, actions, and choice of disciples indicated that he was quite a feminist. Possibly women flocked to be his followers because he treated them as equals. He spoke to Mary and Martha as friends. Mary Magdalene was among his closest disciples. Possibly that strong affinity for The Way by women continued as the church grew. The first European convert was Lydia, a wealthy, independent woman. Paul engaged several women to carry and interpret his letters to the early churches, and named them apostles. That this was stripped away as the church gained power is unfortunate. Just imagine how the world would be different if women had been equal in the church from then to now…
This is, of course, all speculation on my part. But scripture invites us to wonder. To ask questions. To be inspired. That’s one of the things that make it so amazing.
What jumps out at me in this passage and why?
