Smoodock's Blog

It is difficult for us, today, to realize the impact Jesus’ words had upon women in ancient patriarchal societies. Imagine, as they listened to Jesus rebuke the Pharisees (Matthew 19:3-9), and then correct his disciples (Matthew 10-12), their value in society went from next to nothing to equality with men! Many may have lived in fear of divorce, if they didn’t completely agree with their husbands’ behavior. Yet, Jesus raised their status from being next to slaves in importance to being a necessary part in marriage, if her husband was to achieve his God-given goal in life, vis-à-vis to be an image of God, for such a status couldn’t be achieved alone. It can only be done by the male and the female (Genesis 1:27), united in one flesh (Genesis 2:24). The labor of the male was important (Genesis 1:28), but the labor of the female was of no less importance, because neither male nor female alone was an image of God, but what they did together in unity reflected the Godhead (Genesis 1:27, 31).

Understanding this removes the veil from Matthew 19:13, concerning why the women at this time brought their children to Jesus to be blessed. It was customary in ancient times for the male to seek out the prophet or the patriarch for a blessing (Genesis 48:8-9; cp. Numbers 22:6). A woman’s labor in the process was never openly regarded. However, when Jesus elevated the perspective of women in the marriage union, things naturally took a turn to unveil their labor in the process of becoming one flesh, permitting them to do what was normally done by their husbands. They brought their children to be blessed by Jesus, but they were rebuked by Jesus’ disciples (Matthew 19:13), who were still steeped in accepted patriarchal custom, which emphasized the role of the husband doing this work rather than the wife (cp. Luke 2:22).[1]

We need to keep in mind, at this point, what a patriarchal society was like, as that pertains to women:

MISHNAH: Rabbi Eliezer says: whoever teaches his daughter Torah teaches her obscenity. [Babylonian Talmud, Sotah 20a]

It was taught: R. Judah used to say, A man is bound to say the following three blessings daily: ‘[Blessed art thou…] who hast not made me a heathen’, ‘…who hast not made me a woman’; and ‘…who hast not made me a brutish man’. [Babylonian Talmud, Menachoth 43b (emphasis mine)]

Our Rabbis taught…‘To teach him Torah.’ How do we know it? — Because it is written. And ye shall teach them your sons…[2] How then do we know that others are not commanded to teach her? — Because it is written: ‘And ye shall teach them your sons’ — but not your daughters. [Babylonians Talmud, Kiddushin 29b]

Women simply were not permitted to take part in religious functions in a patriarchal society, except those involving uncleanness and purification. Most scholars teach that the disciples turned the children away (Matthew 19:13). However, that’s not entirely true. Elsewhere the text says they rebuked “those who brought them” (Mark 10:13). Moreover, I believe those who brought them were women, and the children would have been admitted, had their fathers brought them. Jesus’ current teaching concerned how women were demeaned in Jewish culture during the first century AD, and before. Having women bring children to be blessed was against ancient Jewish protocol. It was the father who blessed his children (Genesis 27:27-30), or brought them to the holy man to be blessed (Genesis 48:1, 9).

When Jesus knew what was being done, he rebuked his disciples and told them to allow the children to be brought to him (Matthew 19:14), because, just as he had taught them, when they were yet in Galilee: to be converted and become as a child was to be permitted entry into the Kingdom of Heaven (Matthew 18:3). ‘Therefore, permit these little ones to come to me’ (Matthew 19:14). When the children were brought to him, Jesus took them up in his arms (Mark 10:13), laid his hands upon them and blessed them (Matthew 19:15). Afterwards, he left the place, where he was staying, and journeyed to Jerusalem to celebrate the Feast of Purim.

[1] Presenting Jesus to the Lord for a blessing was, no doubt, done by the male. The wife waited apart for the ceremony of her purification (Luke 2:22; cp. 2:39).

[2] Cited from Deuteronomy 11:19.