Rejoice, Ye Daughters

Consider the radical feminist nature of God and of Christ:

Christ was descended from - among other women - Ruth, a Moabite [Obed, her son by Boaz: Luke 3:32], and Rahab, a reformed prostitute [Joshua 2 and 6, Matthew 1:5 - note Rahab is the mother of Boaz, whom Ruth the Moabite married].

His first revelation of His Messianic nature was to a Samaritan woman, living 'in sin', in her sixth relationship [John 4:7-26].

There were women among His disciples [Luke 24:22 - 24, as one example].

The disciple who first discovered His empty tomb, after the Resurrection, was Mary Magdalene, yet another reformed prostitute [John 20:1 - 18; see also Luke 24:22 - 24];

and lest we forget... his mother was as yet unmarried when she conceived him.

We easily forget that small detail, so easily forget just how much really was asked of her. Give up your reputation, child; risk not merely the scorn and rejection of your fiance, the pity and condemnation of your family and friends, but even risk being put to death, to bear this Gift.

-- Mary said Yes to the angel.

-- Rahab said Yes on the walls of Jericho.

-- Ruth said Yes to Naomi, and Yes to Boaz.

-- the Samaritan woman said Yes to Christ.

-- Magdalene said Yes to God.

They all said Yes to God.

These were human women, women of flesh and blood, women who were, or were willing to be seen as, different; foreign; alien; other; "less than", to the eyes of the world.

They were not the choices of a fusty, dusty God, but of a Lord filled with love and light and wry laughter, glad to be eating and drinking with publicans and sinners [Matthew 9: 10 - 11, Matthew 11:19; Mark 2:15 - 16, Luke 5:30, 7:34, 15:1].

He holds out His hands to all of us, to every woman everywhere, mocking our pretensions as He teaches us that the greatest virtue is not Virtue, but a heart that is willing to follow where He leads, a mind and a strength sufficient to allow Him to turn us from dross into gold.

Rejoice, ye Daughters!