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Joe’s parents believe women should work only at home, so his father worked long hours at his job while his mother did all the housework. Susan’s parents shared housekeeping tasks because they both worked outside the home much of her growing-up years. Susan thought it normal that husbands do a fair share of work at home.

After their wedding, Susan sought a job to help with college loans and a down payment on their house. Recognizing their need for the money, Joe did not complain. But when he came home from work, he assumed his wife would do all the house work just as his mother had. Susan, however, believed that a husband who really loved his wife would not just “bring home the bacon” but would also “help fry it.”

Having seen these patterns all their lives, Joe and Susan each felt their way was right. Joe felt indignant that Susan expected him to do “women’s work”; Susan felt frustrated at being asked to carry a disproportionate load at home.

As their friend, you must help mediate the quarrel. What moral principles should Joe and Susan consider in resolving this dilemma and to what extent is this a cultural problem? What should they expect from each other? Is either one using a biblical model of gender relationships?

** The author is doing research on this subject so would appreciate comments from a variety of sources and hopefully different countries.

Just thinking about the way God chose to come to earth to begin the huge task of reconciling the world to himself. No wonder the religious leaders of the day had trouble recognising the Messiah as they expected a huge fanfare at his arrival. Not only did God not choose to announce his coming to the teachers of the law, but he chose to send an angel to the woman who was to bear the child Jesus. Not to her father or even her fiance, but to Mary first and while she was alone.

Unlike  some other recipients of angelic messages, Mary accepted what was told to her, even though she questioned how it might happen. After the angel explained the supernatural way in which she would become pregnant, there was no more questioning…Mary accepted what the angel had said and replied that she was ready to be the Lord’s servant. Not only that, but she rushed off to visit her cousin Elizabeth to share the good news and rejoice with Elizabeth who was also expecting a child, even though she was thought to be too old to bear children.

Can you imagine these two women, bound together by the excitement of both expecting babies which were miracles of conception. Why, even the baby in Elizabeth’s womb jumped for joy at Mary’s arrival and Elizabeth said of Mary “Blessed woman, who believed what God said, believed every word would come true.”  And in reply, Mary said “I’m bursting with God-news; I’m dancing the song of my Saviour God. What God has done for me will never be forgotten. It is exactly what he promised, beginning with Abraham and right up to now”  What a wonderful 3 months they would have had together before Mary returned to her home.

Both these women believed what God had said would happen and could see it was all part of God’s great plan of redemption. Amazing, since they were not skilled in the law as that was reserved for Jewish men and there is no mention of their needing anyone to interpret the meaning of these events. God planned from the beginning of time to reveal himself in this way, to these women at this most momentous time in history – the God who never makes mistakes and who does everything at just the right time through the people he chooses. This should encourage every one of us to listen out for God’s voice in our hearts.

(Bible references from Luke in ‘The Message’)

Galatians 3:26-4:7

Have you ever wondered what it means to reign with Christ?

Scripture tells us that those who have been purchased with Christ’s blood have also been adopted into God’s family (2 Tim. 2:10-12). As family members with Jesus, we are also heirs together with Jesus—inheriting all that God extends to the Son. Because we are heirs of God through Christ, both men and women are also said to reign with Christ. In Revelation 5:10 we learn that, through Christ, God acquired “members of every tribe and language and people and nation,” making them a “kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth.”

The word “reign” here means to hold dominion, influence, or sway such as a monarch’s rule. To reign is ipso facto to hold authority, and Scripture teaches that those bought with Christ’s blood will exercise authority not only over human affairs, but also over the cosmic realm. As joint-heirs, reigning with Christ, Christian women and men are to judge not only the world (1 Cor. 6:2), but as heirs of Christ’s kingdom, reigning beside our Lord, we will also judge the angels (1 Cor. 6:3). If we judge the angels, Paul asks, “How much more the things of this life!” (1 Cor. 6:3).

While some churches teach that women are not given authority over men, Scripture teaches that as joint-heirs with Christ, women and men will judge and reign not only over human affairs, but also over the angelic realm. This imparts not only earthly authority to women, but also grants them cosmic authority as joint-heirs with Jesus. Women do exercise authority because women, like men, have been purchased with the blood of Jesus.

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