{"id":306876,"date":"2021-06-08T07:00:04","date_gmt":"2021-06-08T11:00:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/%series%\/how-jesus-viewed-women\/"},"modified":"2021-06-08T07:00:04","modified_gmt":"2021-06-08T11:00:04","slug":"how-jesus-viewed-women","status":"publish","type":"podcast","link":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/familylife-today\/how-jesus-viewed-women\/","title":{"rendered":"How Jesus Viewed Women"},"content":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>How did Jesus view women?  Taking the culture of Jesus&#8217; day, Kristi McLelland helps us better understand how Jesus values women through His interactions with women.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":91,"featured_media":294104,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","inline_featured_image":false,"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","episode_type":"","audio_file":"https:\/\/mp3.familylife.com\/fl2021-06-08.mp3","podmotor_file_id":"","podmotor_episode_id":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"00:32:18","filesize":"29.57M","filesize_raw":"31009179","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":""},"categories":[2822],"tags":[4299,4001],"podcast_series":[8447],"cwp_profile":[9713],"series":[2101],"class_list":["post-306876","podcast","type-podcast","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-growing-in-your-faith","tag-faith","tag-women","podcast_series-jesus-and-women","cwp_profile-kristi-mclelland","series-familylife-today"],"acf":[],"episode_featured_image":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1001\/2024\/09\/FLT-Podcast-Cover-2-508x508-3.jpg?w=508","episode_player_image":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1001\/2023\/02\/image-scaled.jpg","download_link":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast-download\/306876\/how-jesus-viewed-women","player_link":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast-player\/306876\/how-jesus-viewed-women","audio_player":null,"episode_data":{"playerMode":"light","subscribeUrls":{"apple_podcasts":{"key":"apple_podcasts","url":"https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/familylife-today\/id212174303?mt=2&app=podcast","label":"Apple Podcasts","class":"apple_podcasts","icon":"apple-podcasts.png"},"google_podcasts":{"key":"google_podcasts","url":"","label":"Google Podcasts","class":"google_podcasts","icon":"google-podcasts.png"},"spotify":{"key":"spotify","url":"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/0j5UaKdQOHQCuo1bt0ebEm","label":"Spotify","class":"spotify","icon":"spotify.png"},"youtube":{"key":"youtube","url":"","label":"YouTube","class":"youtube","icon":"youtube.png"}},"rssFeedUrl":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/feed\/podcast\/familylife-today","embedCode":"<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"k5uR18Y4Vh\"><a href=\"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/familylife-today\/how-jesus-viewed-women\/\">How Jesus Viewed Women<\/a><\/blockquote><iframe sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" src=\"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/familylife-today\/how-jesus-viewed-women\/embed\/#?secret=k5uR18Y4Vh\" width=\"500\" height=\"350\" title=\"&#8220;How Jesus Viewed Women&#8221; &#8212; FamilyLife\u00ae - A Cru Ministry\" data-secret=\"k5uR18Y4Vh\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" class=\"wp-embedded-content\"><\/iframe><script>\n\/*! This file is auto-generated *\/\n!function(d,l){\"use strict\";l.querySelector&&d.addEventListener&&\"undefined\"!=typeof URL&&(d.wp=d.wp||{},d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage||(d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage=function(e){var t=e.data;if((t||t.secret||t.message||t.value)&&!\/[^a-zA-Z0-9]\/.test(t.secret)){for(var s,r,n,a=l.querySelectorAll('iframe[data-secret=\"'+t.secret+'\"]'),o=l.querySelectorAll('blockquote[data-secret=\"'+t.secret+'\"]'),c=new RegExp(\"^https?:$\",\"i\"),i=0;i<o.length;i++)o[i].style.display=\"none\";for(i=0;i<a.length;i++)s=a[i],e.source===s.contentWindow&&(s.removeAttribute(\"style\"),\"height\"===t.message?(1e3<(r=parseInt(t.value,10))?r=1e3:~~r<200&&(r=200),s.height=r):\"link\"===t.message&&(r=new URL(s.getAttribute(\"src\")),n=new URL(t.value),c.test(n.protocol))&&n.host===r.host&&l.activeElement===s&&(d.top.location.href=t.value))}},d.addEventListener(\"message\",d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage,!1),l.addEventListener(\"DOMContentLoaded\",function(){for(var e,t,s=l.querySelectorAll(\"iframe.wp-embedded-content\"),r=0;r<s.length;r++)(t=(e=s[r]).getAttribute(\"data-secret\"))||(t=Math.random().toString(36).substring(2,12),e.src+=\"#?secret=\"+t,e.setAttribute(\"data-secret\",t)),e.contentWindow.postMessage({message:\"ready\",secret:t},\"*\")},!1)))}(window,document);\n\/\/# sourceURL=https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-includes\/js\/wp-embed.min.js\n<\/script>\n"},"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1001\/2024\/09\/FLT-Podcast-Cover-2-508x508-3.jpg",508,508,false]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"kfairris@familylife.com","author_link":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/author\/kfairrisfamilylife-com\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"How did Jesus view women? Taking the culture of Jesus' day, Kristi McLelland helps us better understand how Jesus values women through His interactions with women.","meta_box":{"show_notes":"","transcript_url":"https:\/\/transcript.familylife.com\/fl2021-06-08.pdf","transcript_content":"<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Kristi:<\/strong> Jesus didn\u2019t come, you know, to turn things upside down; He came to turn things right side up. It\u2019s back to that restoration, that repair, that renewal, that redemption. He\u2019s not okay with women being against a wall, and Luke 7 shows us that.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ann:<\/strong> That makes me cry, just that term: \u201cHe\u2019s not okay with women being against the wall.\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tWelcome to <em>FamilyLife Today, <\/em>where we want to help you pursue the relationships that matter most. I\u2019m Ann Wilson.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dave:<\/strong> And I\u2019m Dave Wilson, and you can find us at FamilyLifeToday.com or on our FamilyLife<sup>\u00ae<\/sup> app.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ann:<\/strong> This is <em>FamilyLife Today.<\/em>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dave:<\/strong> Alright, I\u2019ve got a question about SMASH. [Laughter] Our listeners don\u2019t know what SMASH is, but it\u2019s our women\u2019s retreat at our church called SMASH. I\u2019ll tell you in a minute what that means, but you\u2019ve led SMASH for decades.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ann:<\/strong> Yes.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dave:<\/strong> And something happens to women at SMASH. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ann:<\/strong> Yes.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dave:<\/strong> What happens?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ann:<\/strong> Well, I should probably first explain what that is. It really became a women\u2019s retreat, not just to go\u2014you know, it used to be we just went to do crafts and read the Bible a little bit\u2014every women\u2019s retreat is different, but they\u2019re super powerful. We decided to name it SMASH; because for 48 hours\u2014we call it SMASH 48\u2014we\u2019re smashing the paradigms of what a woman is. It\u2019s really teaching: \u201cThis is what a real woman looks like.\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tIt\u2019s my favorite thing that I do. I look at these women; and I sit there and think, \u201cLook at you!\u201d\u2014it\u2019s not a feminism thing; it\u2019s a God-thing\u2014it\u2019s a calling out of who they are\/how God sees them: their gifts\/their strengths. They\u2019re women of influence; they\u2019re so gifted and compassionate; strong leaders. They\u2019re so many things; and yet, I see that the enemy of our souls, Satan, has diminished them to a point, where all they\u2019re doing, sometimes, is comparing themselves to one another, feeling so lost and broken, and feeling like God can\u2019t use them.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tIt\u2019s a time\/and a weekend, that we say, \u201cWe see you! We see these gifts. We\u2019re going to call them out, because God has something for you to do! Maybe it\u2019s being married; maybe it\u2019s being single; maybe it\u2019s using your gifts to teach, or to serve, or to love.\u201d There are so many different things. It\u2019s so amazing!\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dave:<\/strong> All I know is\u2014you know, I\u2019m just one guy in our church\/a pastor at our church\u2014and I see these women come back\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ann:<\/strong> \u2014thousands of us!\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dave:<\/strong> \u2014thousands\u2014I mean, yes!\u2014a couple thousand a year, and they\u2019re alive!\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ann:<\/strong> Yes.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dave:<\/strong> There\u2019s an identity that they seem to have been transformed by. It\u2019s exciting. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tAs Ann\u2019s telling this, she\u2019s looking across the table at Kristi McLelland, who is leading and created a Bible study video curriculum called <em>Jesus and Women<\/em>. I know a lot of what happens at SMASH\u2014although I\u2019m never allowed to go, and I can\u2019t watch any of the tapes: no men allowed!\u2014is that it\u2019s sort of how Jesus elevates the identity of a woman. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tSo Kristi, thanks for being here.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ann:<\/strong> And welcome back!\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Kristi:<\/strong> Thank you for having me. I want to go to SMASH!\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ann:<\/strong> I know! And I\u2019m going to go with you to Israel!\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dave:<\/strong> You need to go speak at SMASH.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ann:<\/strong> Yes!\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dave:<\/strong> No question; this is an invitation, right here and right now.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ann:<\/strong> Well, Kristi is a speaker; she\u2019s a teacher; she\u2019s a college professor. What\u2019s your college that you\u2019re teaching [at]?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Kristi:<\/strong> Williamson College\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ann:<\/strong> That\u2019s right.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Kristi:<\/strong> \u2014middle Tennessee.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ann:<\/strong> You went to Dallas Theological Seminary; you\u2019ve written a lot. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tYou have this passion\u2014and that passion is, one, in the Middle East, walking where Jesus walked\u2014but more than that, explain what else that passion is.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Kristi:<\/strong> You know, it was in Israel that I learned a phrase that\u2019s changed my life; it goes like this: \u201cThe living God meets us exactly where we are; He never leaves us there.\u201d For the last 14 years, I\u2019ve been carrying that; because sometimes, I think here in the West, we can carry this idea of: \u201cI need to clean myself up. I need to get myself together!\u201d\u2014you know: \u201cGet back in church,\u201d or \u201cJust go to church more,\u201d \u2014just fill in the blank.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tBut the story of the Bible is not man going and looking for God. The story of the Bible is God in relentless pursuit of us. I <em>love<\/em> to talk about this very famous parable that we have in Luke 15. <em>We<\/em> call it the parable of the prodigal son; but in the Middle East, they call it something else. They call it the parable of the running father. [Laughter] The reason is: sometimes, here in the West, we read the Bible and ask, \u201cWhat does it teach me about me?\u201d In the Middle East, they read the Bible and ask, \u201cWhat does this teach me about who God is?\u201d If we read Luke 15, sometimes, we feel like we\u2019re the prodigal;\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dave:<\/strong> Right.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Kristi:<\/strong> \u2014so we call it the parable of the prodigal son; but for them, they call it the parable of the running father.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ann:<\/strong> Their focus is on the father\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Kristi:<\/strong> Yes!\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ann:<\/strong> \u2014more than the rebellion of the son,\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Kristi:<\/strong> Yes.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ann:<\/strong> \u2014which is completely different.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Kristi:<\/strong> Yes, completely different; and they would say that God is the point of every story in the Bible. He\u2019s the hero of every story; He\u2019s the pursuer. You know, you even look at Hosea 2, where the Lord says, \u201cI\u2019m going to allure her\u201d\u2014being Israel\u2014\u201cinto the wilderness, into the desert, and there I\u2019m going to speak tenderly to her.\u201d It\u2019s there in the wilderness. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tThink about the wilderness seasons of your life\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ann:<\/strong> Yes!\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Kristi:<\/strong> \u2014you didn\u2019t know what to do; life had broken you in half\u2014you were on the floor. You can\u2019t see tomorrow; you don\u2019t know how you\u2019re going to get through the next hour. It\u2019s in those wilderness seasons that the Lord comes close and says, \u201cI will speak tenderly to you.\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tHe goes on to say, in Hosea 2, \u201cYou will no longer call Me \u2018my Master.\u2019 You will now call me \u2018my Husband.\u2019\u201d You know, a rabbi once said, \u201cGod does some of His best work in the wilderness.\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ann:<\/strong> It\u2019s so true.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dave:<\/strong> Wow!\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ann:<\/strong> I love the Scriptures, too; because you <em>see<\/em> everything happening. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tNow, with that culture, too, it\u2019s very different than the culture of teaching we have today. Talk about that a little bit; because I think it\u2019s good, as parents, as we\u2019re teaching our kids the Bible. What\u2019s different?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Kristi:<\/strong> You know, I\u2019ll tell you a <em>great<\/em> story. In Psalm 19, it talks about that the Scriptures are \u201csweeter than honey, than honey from the honeycomb.\u201d I love honey!\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ann:<\/strong> Yes.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Kristi:<\/strong> Being a rural Mississippi girl, I like honey in the honeycomb as well. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tIn Israel, rabbis will visit little kindergarten classes\u2014little kindergarten <em>yeshivas<\/em>\u2014and they\u2019ll bring wax paper and honey in. They\u2019ll lay the wax paper down in front of the kindergarten students, and they\u2019ll pour some honey. They\u2019ll invite the little kindergarteners to dip their finger in it and taste it. While they\u2019re tasting it, the rabbi will say, \u201cThis is what the Word of God tastes like. It is good for you: eat it; take it in; it will do its work.\u201d\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI think there\u2019s a difference in reading the Bible and eating it. Sometimes, we read the Bible like an Aristotle, Socrates, or Plato\u2014you know, it\u2019s up to our intellect to understand it\u2014it\u2019s up to me to dig something out of the Word of God to feed myself today. But the posture of the Jewish people is that Scriptures are the Lord\u2019s, and He\u2019s the One who breaks them open, and breaks them down into bite-sized pieces, and is feeding it to us, so we can take it in; we can let it do its work. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\u201cWhere is the Word of the Lord?\u201d The Jewish people would say: \u201cIt\u2019s inside of you. We <em>carry<\/em> the Word of the Lord with us.\u201d\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ann:<\/strong> Well, I know, even the way I used to try to teach the boys, when they were younger: we would just sit down and read the Bible. I realized, as I was reading the Gospels, I thought, \u201cJesus just taught along the way.\u201d If He was in a field, He is talking about grain or the mustard seed. You can tell that He\u2019s talking about\/what He\u2019s <em>seeing<\/em> in the moment. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI remember like doing things\/we\u2019d have scavenger hunts, where I would hide\u2014I would take Scripture, and I would hide it\u2014but then, I would put a little prize with it. I remember saying, \u201cWhen you discover\/when you dig into God\u2019s Word, it will be like a prize. The more you dig, the more prizes you\u2019ll find. God\u2019s Word will start changing your life.\u201d\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tAnd I thought, \u201cMan! That way of teaching is so much better than just a classroom.\u201d I think that Hebrew culture has that kind of teaching. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Kristi:<\/strong> It\u2019s back to family. It\u2019s back to: if the Scriptures are like food\/if the Bible is like a great meal, great meals are best experienced with great people. Nobody goes to a really great restaurant to eat a really great meal all by themselves. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ann:<\/strong> You\u2019re right!\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Kristi:<\/strong> You want to do it with your people\/with your family. The families that go to Israel with me [and] I tell my students at the college: \u201cEat the Bible with your family.\u201d\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dave:<\/strong> In some ways, you\u2019re just showing us Deuteronomy 6. I\u2019d love to know how you approach that passage, the <em>Shema<\/em>.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ann:<\/strong> Yes.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dave:<\/strong> But I mean, it says, \u201cYou shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart.\u201d And then, here it is\u2014it\u2019s just what this family is doing\u2014you showed them: \u201cYou shall teach them diligently to your children and shall talk of them when you sit in the house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand.\u201d Talk about that: that\u2019s this beautiful picture of devouring Scripture in a community; specifically, in a family.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Kristi:<\/strong> Absolutely.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dave:<\/strong> Is there something that\u2019s in that passage that can form us?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Kristi:<\/strong> You know, the idea that the rabbis have given us\u2014in Hebrew\u2014is called <em>lasim lev. Lasim<\/em> means \u201cto set upon.\u201d <em>Lev<\/em> is \u201cheart\u201d in Hebrew. What it\u2019s talking about is\u2014as you go along the road, day in\/day out, the rabbis talk about we want to <em>lesim lev<\/em> the Scriptures\u2014\u201cWe want to set them upon our hearts.\u201d A student asked a rabbi: \u201cYou know, rabbi, I thought we wanted the Word <em>in <\/em>our hearts. David said, \u2018I have hidden your Word in my heart, that I might not sin against You.\u2019\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dave:<\/strong> Right.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Kristi:<\/strong> \u201cSo why don\u2019t you say, \u2018Let\u2019s hide the Word <em>in <\/em>our hearts?\u2019 Why do you say, \u2018<em>Lasim lev<\/em>\u2019?\u2014set it <em>upon <\/em>our hearts?\u201d The rabbi responded\/he said, \u201cMy son, the human heart can tend to be hard; but when life breaks it, if we have set the Word <em>on <\/em>our hearts, the words just fall in the cracks and take their place.\u201d [Laughter]\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ann:<\/strong> So cool.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dave:<\/strong> I mean, that is one of the things that struck me when I was in the Holy Land. I didn\u2019t appreciate or understand the visual of the Hebrew language and, really, the Hebrew people.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Kristi:<\/strong> That whole idea of <em>lasim lev<\/em>\u2014I think that\u2019s the repetitive\u2014nobody eats once and then never eat again. No family eats one meal and never eats again. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tIn the repetitive eating of the Word\u2014we\u2019re <em>lasim lev<\/em>-ing it\u2014we\u2019re setting it upon our hearts; so that, as life knocks us around\u2014and we\u2019ve all been knocked around; 2020 happened to all of us; we\u2019re trying to get a refund on 2020! [Laughter] COVID has just rearranged the world. I\u2019ve not been in Israel in 18 months, and I feel like I\u2019m living in exile here;\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dave:<\/strong> Yes.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Kristi:<\/strong> \u2014because that\u2019s home for me\u2014Jerusalem is home. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dave:<\/strong> We\u2019ve got to go back to women. I want to go back to\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ann:<\/strong> That\u2019s what I was going to say.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dave:<\/strong> I\u2019ve got to go back to something; because, you know, your video series is about that. There are so many stories in the New Testament.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ann:<\/strong> We already talked, earlier, about the woman at the well in John 4.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dave:<\/strong> I know Ann wants to go to a different place than I want to go. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tOne of the stories I <em>love<\/em>\u2014and that really, I think, gets at your justice of lifting a woman out of shame\u2014is Luke 7. I\u2019ve taught it many times; I\u2019m guessing I haven\u2019t mined out what\u2019s really in there\u2014but the sinful woman at Simon\u2019s house\u2014walk us through what Jesus did there. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Kristi:<\/strong> Man, that is a fascinating story! I like to call it: \u201cThe woman against a wall.\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ann:<\/strong> Why did you call it that?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Kristi:<\/strong> In the first-century world, we know, historically, that sometimes the wealthy are the wealthier\/those with means. Because there is <em>tzedakah<\/em>, back to righteousness and generosity, they\u2019ll invite their friends to come eat at their table. You also invite the poor and the marginalized to come to your home, but they sit against a wall. They get the leftovers. Historically, they get whatever\u2019s left over. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tWe think: \u201cWho would do that? How disrespectful! You\u2019re going to invite me to your house and tell me to sit against the wall?\u201d\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dave:<\/strong> Yes.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Kristi:<\/strong> But if you\u2019re hungry, you\u2019ll do whatever it takes\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ann:<\/strong> \u2014to get food.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Kristi:<\/strong> \u2014to get something to eat. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tThe fact that she\u2019s there\u2014and Jesus and the rabbis are sitting there\/the religious leaders\u2014at Simon\u2019s house. It\u2019s interesting: when we\u2019re sitting at a table, right now\u2014you can\u2019t see us\u2014but 2,000 years ago, when they were sharing a meal, they were on a pallet on the floor, always on their left elbow; because you eat with your right hand. Obviously, the head is close to the table; the feet are away from the table. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tNow, we understand why Jesus\u2019s feet were the closest thing to her. She\u2019s sitting against a wall, and she loses it on Jesus. I mean, when it says that she starts wiping His feet with her hair\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ann:<\/strong> \u2014and tears.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Kristi:<\/strong> \u2014and tears, this is a moment that\u2019s going down. I like to talk about Jesus rearranging that room. [Laughter] Because, by the end of it, she is <em>not <\/em>against that wall. He has brought her out of that shame; He\u2019s restored her; He sends her away. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI liken it to: \u201cSometimes, you don\u2019t want to fight in front of your kids.\u201d He completely brings restoration to her\/sends her away; and then He addresses Simon and starts talking about all of these norms of hospitality, that are honorable in an honor\/shame world, that: \u201cYou didn\u2019t do for Me.\u201d It\u2019s like, by the end of it\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ann:<\/strong> Go through some of those, Kristi.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Kristi:<\/strong> The kiss of welcome when they come in. Jesus mentions them: the washing of the feet;\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ann:<\/strong> Yes.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Kristi:<\/strong> \u2014they would give you olive oil, sort of like soap, to sanitize your hands\u2014different things like that. Apparently, Simon did not extend <em>any<\/em> of those to Jesus, which is him saying to Jesus in that world\u2014it\u2019s very disrespectful\u2014\u201cI\u2019m not going to honor You as an equal. You\u2019re kind of like a young pup coming up; You\u2019re a new rabbi.\u201d You know, Simon is probably much older.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tYou see Simon, in a hospitality world of honor and shame, acting very shamefully in not extending these things to Jesus that He lists in Luke 7. We see this woman\u2014and a lot of scholars think that what she\u2019s doing, in the anointing of the feet\u2014is she\u2019s trying to recover what Simon <em>wasn\u2019t <\/em>doing. She\u2019s trying to extend some of those hospitality virtues to Jesus in a very honorable way. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tIt\u2019s a great story! I always say, Jesus didn\u2019t come, you know, to turn things upside down; He came to turn things right side up. It\u2019s back to that restoration, that repair, that renewal, that redemption. He\u2019s not okay with women being against a wall, and Luke 7 shows us that.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dave: <\/strong>Again, you know\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ann:<\/strong> That makes me cry, just that term: \u201cHe\u2019s not okay with women being against the wall.\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dave:<\/strong> Why\u2019s that? What do you mean? What hits you?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ann:<\/strong> I think so many women <em>feel<\/em> like that: they feel powerless; they feel forgotten; they feel less than. The fact that Jesus lifts us up\u2014that He notices us, that He calls us out, and then sends us along the way\u2014I love that with John 4. You know, I just see that, when He renews someone, He offers their hope and their dignity back.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dave:<\/strong> I\u2019m sitting with two women, who might know a little bit of what it feels like to be the woman against the wall. What is that? What does that feel like, for a woman to feel that outcast?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ann:<\/strong> It\u2019s funny, when we were describing that, the first thought that came to my mind was my sister, who\u2019s <em>amazing<\/em>\u2014she led me and guided me into a relationship with Jesus\u2014but she was sexually abused for eight years. Marriage was really hard; she was bulimic; she was anorexic; and she was sitting against the wall, because she thought, \u201cI have nothing; I\u2019m broken. I must be shameful; I\u2019m unworthy. I\u2019m unworthy to be at the table; I\u2019m unworthy to be seen. If people really saw me, they would be disgusted.\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI\u2019ve had a lot of that myself. I cover it all up; you know, \u201cI\u2019m strong! I\u2019m...\u201d But honestly, that\u2019s that inward part of me, as a young teenager: \u201cI\u2019m trying to be loved, but I don\u2019t have anything in me that\u2019s lovely enough to be loved.\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI think there are so many of us!\u2014a broken marriage; someone who\u2019s been divorced; someone who\u2019s been abused; somebody who\u2019s been abandoned\u2014I think so many of us women are sitting against the wall. And Jesus sees her. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tWhat do you think, Kristi?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Kristi:<\/strong> You know, the first thing that came into my mind, when you asked the question, was just <em>anything<\/em> that diminishes us, weakens us\/comes against us. Two of my dearest friends in the world: both of them have buried sons in the last 18 months. I think of the loss\/the collective loss that we\u2019ve all experienced since 2020: loss of income, loss of community, loss of being able to go to church, broken relationships\/strained relationships.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ann:<\/strong> \u2014loss of hope!\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Kristi:<\/strong> \u2014loss of hope. I think all of those things make us feel like we\u2019re up against a wall. It\u2019s the things that tempt us to hopelessness; it\u2019s the things that tempt us to believe that God is not everything that He has said that He is. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI know the things in my own life. When I say the \u201cdiminishments,\u201d it was when life came at me so hard it just knocked the wind out of me. I think of my dad dying suddenly when I was 21 years old and a senior in college. I didn\u2019t even have the skills to really deal with that kind of trauma, and tragedy, and loss. I\u2019ve been to counseling now; I\u2019ve been through a few phases of therapy and counseling to seek after that wellness and to receive the wellness that the living God had for me.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tBut the interesting thing about the woman against a wall\u2014and it\u2019s part of why I think I call it that is, and I don\u2019t know if you would say this\u2014but I think every single woman, if you were to ask her that question, something would come up inside of her.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ann:<\/strong> Yes! I agree. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Kristi:<\/strong> I don\u2019t know of a woman\u2014that we would ask that question and she would say, \u201cYou know, life has just always gone my way! [Laughter] Everything always seems to work out for me!\u201d\u2014I don\u2019t know that woman; I don\u2019t think she exists. If she does, I\u2019m kind of jealous of her\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ann:<\/strong> Yes.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Kristi:<\/strong> \u2014right now; you know? I think it\u2019s universal.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ann:<\/strong> Yes.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Kristi:<\/strong> And since it\u2019s universal, I think it\u2019s men as well.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ann:<\/strong> Yes.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Kristi:<\/strong> You know, there are things that make a man feel like he\u2019s up against a wall.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dave:<\/strong> Sure.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Kristi:<\/strong> But yes, those are the first things that come to my mind. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tYou know, I think back to that story in Luke, Chapter 7. One of the things that Jesus says that\u2019s so powerful is\u2014He looks at Simon, who\u2019s the Pharisee and the host\u2014he\u2019s the religious guy, the scholar, the big wig, wearing the big britches in the moment. Jesus looks at the woman; and He says, \u201cSimon, do you see this woman?\u201d It\u2019s kind of a rhetorical question\u2014because Simon sees her sitting there\u2014but Simon doesn\u2019t <em>see <\/em>her.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ann:<\/strong> Yes.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Kristi:<\/strong> Jesus is the One who <em>sees <\/em>her <em>against <\/em>the wall, and has this sense of: \u201cI\u2019m not okay with this. I have come to bring things right side up. By the end of this story, you will be restored and sent away in <em>shalom<\/em>.\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ann:<\/strong> I think, too, as I read this story, I think that the woman really probably didn\u2019t have much; but she gave Him what she had. As women, we can feel like, \u201cI have nothing. I have nothing to offer You, Jesus.\u201d And we do! We can offer Him our lives\/our gifts. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI\u2019ve said that so many times. I was 18 years old the first time I said it: \u201cGod, I don\u2019t have much to give, but I give You all that I am. I give You my life. I don\u2019t know what You\u2019re going to do with it, Lord; but I\u2019ll go wherever You call me to go. I\u2019ll do whatever You call me to do.\u201d I could say that because I realized, \u201cOh, He\u2019s a good Father! Oh, He loves me!\u201d I used to think like, \u201cI\u2019m not doing that! Who <em>knows<\/em> what He\u2019ll do!\u201d But I\u2019ve come to realize, \u201cHe\u2019s such a good, good Father.\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tThis story, of seeing the woman at the wall, reminds us: \u201cHe sees us,\u201d \u201cHe knows us.\u201d What a sweet thing, and an offering for us, as women, to give Him whatever we have: our gifts, our passion, our dreams, our lives. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> In Galatians, Chapter 3, the Bible reminds us that, in the eyes of God, \u201cthere is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free; neither male nor female.\u201d Certainly, those distinctions continue to exist; but the Bible is telling us that, in God\u2019s eyes, all have value, and worth, and dignity. A great reminder today, as we\u2019ve been listening to Dave and Ann Wilson talk with Kristi McLelland. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tKristi is a Bible teacher, who has developed a video series called <em>Jesus and Women in the First Century and Now<\/em>. We have information about the video series available on our website at FamilyLifeToday.com. You can go to our website for more information about the <em>Jesus and Women<\/em> video series. Again, the website is FamilyLifeToday.com. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tYou know, what we\u2019ve listened to today is really a paradigm shift in how we ought to be thinking about our value, our worth, and our identity. David Robbins, who is the president of FamilyLife, is here with us. David, whether it\u2019s men or women, understanding our worth and value in God\u2019s eyes really is a game-changer; right?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>David:<\/strong> Absolutely! We <em>must<\/em> strive to see ourselves as God sees us. We live in a culture that is so quick to tie our value to our performance, or our title, or possessions, what we do or what we don\u2019t do; but we are created in His image, with ultimate value and dignity. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI\u2019ve loved the conversation today, talking about how women are created uniquely in His image. It reminded me of when I was in college. There was a game-changing kind of perspective that was offered up to me that continues to apply often in our home, as Meg and I live life out and seek to have a home that pursues Him. It\u2019s that, so often, we base our identity in <em>my<\/em> performance\u2014or dare I say, Meg\u2019s and my performance\u2014and others\u2019 opinion instead of putting our identity in Christ\u2019s performance and Christ\u2019s opinion.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tOur identity is rooted in Him; we are valued by Him. When we begin to live out of that security, it can really alter the way we go out and seek to be lights to a world and bring light into a dark world. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> Yes, that is good. Thank you, David, for that. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI want to encourage our listeners to be back with us, again, tomorrow. Have you, as a mom, ever had anyone look at you in the moment, with your young kids, and say, \u201cOh, these are such special days; you need to just enjoy every minute\u201d? And you think, \u201cYeah! You\u2019re not the one getting up at three in the morning when somebody\u2019s wet the bed!\u201d\u2014right? [Laughter]\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tTomorrow, Dave and Ann Wilson will talk with Becky Baudouin about some of the crazy things moms hear and how we can think, biblically, about the role of being a mom. I hope you can tune in for that.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tOn behalf of our hosts, Dave and Ann Wilson, I\u2019m Bob Lepine. Join us back tomorrow for another edition of <em>FamilyLife Today<\/em>. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<em>FamilyLife Today<\/em> is a production of FamilyLife; a Cru<sup>\u00ae <\/sup>Ministry. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tHelping you pursue the relationships that matter most.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tWe are so happy to provide these transcripts to you. However, there is a cost to produce them for our website. If you\u2019ve benefited from the broadcast transcripts, would you consider <a href=\"http:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/donate\">donating today<\/a> to help defray the costs?\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tCopyright <sup>\u00a9<\/sup> 2021 FamilyLife. 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