Gender equality

Year B – Sunday 27

Readings: Genesis 2: 18-24; Hebrews 2: 9-11; Mark 10: 2-16

Both the creation narrative and Jesus’ discourse on marriage and divorce indicate a deep respect for women and, in a certain sense, a defence of their dignity. The fashioning of Eve from Adam’s side is an ancient manner of speech which denotes equality. Gender inequality, so common to the Middle-Eastern mentality, was not part of God’s original plan.

Jesus opposes the practice of illegal separation. Apparently, it had become common that men sent their legally-wedded wives away, or simply abandoned them, without obtaining a divorce. This seems to have been done to avoid paying due forfeiture to her family as established in the marriage writ. Women were the worse for such an abuse, and Jesus denounces it in defense of abandoned women. Alternatively, he upholds the equal right of men and women to live a dignified life.

Jesus ― the one ‘crowned with glory and honor’, as the Epistle to the Hebrews says, and ‘the pioneer of [...] salvation’ ― considers himself a brother of all. By implication, we are all brothers and sisters with equal dignity amongst ourselves and before God.