Jesus and Women

Most women have been hurt by a man. According to an Internet survey of almost 250 women across the United States, 60% said they had been hurt by their dad and 83% said they had been hurt by a man other than their dad.

The knife dug deep into many women leaving wounds time hasn’t healed. For others, the hurt was just an emotional scratch. And while a woman’s dad may have been the first man to hurt her, others followed . . . boyfriends, husbands, brothers, bosses, classmates, teammates, strangers and friends. Too often the very men she leaned on for protection hurt her the most.

As I was thinking about this it occurred to me that Jesus never hurt a woman. I don’t mean he never spoke disappointing and even painful words to them. He did. I mean he never hurt a woman by saying or doing something inappropriate or insensitive.

Just the other day Cindy came home as I was writing. She stuck her head in my office, smiled and said, “I’m back.”

I glanced at her and said “hi” and returned to my work.

She walked to the kitchen and a moment later returned. “What you said hurt me.”

“What did I say?”

“You said, ‘Hi.’” She laughed, realizing how silly her comment sounded. “It was the way you said it.”

“How’d I say it?”

“You said it like I was intruding. Like I annoyed you.”

“Ummm. I was working. You know, focused.”

“Well, I thought you should know it was the tone of your voice.”

She was right. But in that moment I had no way of knowing how I said, “Hi” would affect her. Just a slight change in vocal tone communicated indifference.

I know it’s a little thing. But Jesus never did that to a woman. No harsh or dismissive tone. No half-truths or lies. No broken promises. No inappropriate yelling. No drunken outbursts. No cutting sarcasm. No flirtatious looks. No defensiveness. Every interaction Jesus had with a woman expressed love. Every interaction brought them closer to God. To him.

_{Photo by u2tryololo, CC}