Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction

“If It Wasn’t For The Women” by Rev. Dr. Cheryl Townsend Gilkes

Mentor & friend

John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Professor of Sociology and African American Studies at Colby College in Maine

Chapter 11- Ministry to Women: Hearing and Empowering “Poor” Black Women

“Christian ministry is defined ultimately by its service to, with, and on behalf of “the least of these.

In the context of the African-American community, women constitute ‘the least of these’ and the peculiarities of their situation has profound consequences for the entire community.”

“By ministry we mean not only that associated with pastoral vocation but also we point to the broad range of Christian service within and beyond church walls that is aimed at spiritual, physical, and social regeneration and transformation.”

“Any discussion of ministry or service to women must also be historical in nature.

In the African-American experience, women have been central to the emergence and development of religious traditions, congregations, and denominations.”

“African-American churches have not consistently empowered the voices of women”

Transition To Body

Body

When Jesus Is Present In The Place Of Woship

synagogues -place which Jewish worship took place and in which the Law was taught

And a place of teaching

Biblical Teaching Takes Place (even on Sunday)

Luke 10:1

Spiritually Disabled People Are Present

behold = look, see there was a woman

disabling spirit = incapacity to do or experience something, weakness, limitation

bent over = bend forwards, stoop, then of a fixed bent-over position, crippling position, bowed together, bent double

a deformed lower, rather than upper (cerebral), spinal column.

Sine there was nothing that could be done about the problem, and because the bent-over position could not be loosened up, the ill person was rendered unable to straighten up

unable to stand erect

unable to straighten herself

could not stand up straight any more

could not stand up straight at all

Spiritually Disabled People Are Seen

Spiritually Disabled People Are Delivered

Hebrews 4:14

God Is Given All The Glory

Luke 13:

Protocol Police Get Indignant

ruler of the synagogue = one who is the head of and who directs the affairs of a synagogue

Hebrews 3

Luke 13:14

ruler of the synagogue = one who is the head of and who directs the affairs of a synagogue

Hebrews 3:

Jesus’ Adversaries Are Put To Shame

Compassion Trumps Worship Service Protocol

Luke 13:15-

Luke 13:14

ruler of the synagogue = one who is the head of and who directs the affairs of a synagogue

1 Peter 5:6

behold = look, see there was a woman

disabling spirit = incapacity to do or experience something, weakness, limitation

bent over = bend forwards, stoop, then of a fixed bent-over position, crippling position, bowed together, bent double

a deformed lower, rather than upper (cerebral), spinal column.

Sine there was nothing that could be done about the problem, and because the bent-over position could not be loosened up, the ill person was rendered unable to straighten up

unable to stand erect

unable to straighten herself

could not stand up straight any more

could not stand up straight at all

ruler of the synagogue = one who is the head of and who directs the affairs of a synagogue

There were two of them: on the one hand, the woman had become, and remained, completely bent over.

“To stoop together, to bow toward each other, to be bent (over), to be stooped” in Greek is a compound verb, συγκύπτω.

Here it designates a deformed lower, rather than upper (cerebral), spinal column.

On the other hand, since there was nothing that could be done about the problem, and because the bent-over position could not be loosened up, the ill person was rendered unable to straighten up (ἀνακύπτω, “to stand erect,” to “straighten oneself”).

The adjective παντελής, -ές, means “completed,” “complete.”

The phrase εἰς τὸ παντελές must be translated as “completely,” “totally,” “absolutely,” “permanently.”

The expression can be attached to “incapable” in the sense of “completely unable”; or to “straighten up,” in the sense of “stand completely straight”; or, following a Lukan custom, to both at the same time.32

Personally, I would translate “not really able to stand up straight any more,” “could not stand up straight at all,” in order to make palpable the permanent incapacity to stand up completely straight.

What struck men and women in antiquity was the irremediable nature of an illness that did not kill but made it impossible to be in a vertical position.

Indeed, Jewish thought held that what distinguished human beings from animals, and brought them closer to angels, was the vertical position, speech, intelligence, and sight permitting foresight (see Gen. Rab.

8.11 on Gen 1:27).

But that mark of humanity had disappeared in this case.

And with it, the power to stand up straight in order to look up (the sursum of the Vulgate, of course, suggests the sursum corda, “Lift up your hearts,” of the liturgy).

The woman was thus deprived of a part of her humanity and the possibility of contact with the divine.

Added to her sentiment of incurability she must have felt a personal humiliation, social degradation, and physical pain, on which point the text is silent.

This woman symbolizes a human race characterized by the Fall (the good creation, “head held up high,” was readily contrasted with the result of the Fall, the birth of humans with their “head downwards”).

That reversal of up and down, as well as staring down at lower things on the earth, being unable to rise up toward heaven, could not have escaped the notice of readers in antiquity, who saw in this isolated creature a symbol of all of creation, or at least sinful humanity.

We have to admire this capacity of Jesus to express emotion, often discernible in his direct encounters with women.

This capacity underlies the criticisms he directed at those who interpreted the law in a restrictive manner.

The praising of God by the healed person is a motif not found in the similar stories in 6:10; 14:4, but is found in Acts 3:8f.; it may be due to Luke, but is entirely appropriate in the synagogue setting.

Jesus chose to rebuke the hypocrisy of this approach by pointing to the Jewish practice of looking after animals.

The rabbis were greatly concerned that animals be treated well.

On the sabbath, animals could be led out by a chain or the like as long as nothing was carried (Shabbath 5:1).

Water could be drawn for them and poured into a trough, though a man must not hold a bucket for the animal to drink from (Erubin 20b, 21a).

If animals may be cared for in such ways, much more may a daughter of Abraham be set free from Satan’s bondage on the sabbath.

In fact Jesus uses a strong term and says she ‘must’ (dei) be loosed.

The afflicting of the woman was due to Satanic activity and Satan must be overthrown.

This does not, of course, mean that the woman was wicked.

She was attending worship, and Jesus’ description of her seems to show that she was pious.

But her illness was evil.

Transition To Conclusion

John 10:

Conclusion

Nannie Helen Burroughs

Born May 2, 1879 to freed slaves, Burroughs grew-up to become a religious & civil rights activist & pioneering educator.

She became a powerful force for women in the National Baptist Convention.

With a startling address entitled, “How the Sisters Are Hindered from Helping” at the 1900 convention in Richmond, Virginia, Burroughs began the fight to gain greater recognition for women in church decision-making.

“We come not to usurp thrones nor to sow discord, but to so organize & systematize the work that each church may help through a Woman’s Missionary Society & not be made poorer thereby.

It is for the utilization f talent & the stimulation to Christian activity in our Baptist churches that prompt us to service.

We realize that to allow these gems to lie unpolished longer means a loss to the denomination.

For a number of years there has been a righteous discontent, a burning zeal to go forward in his name among the Baptist women of our churches..

We come now to the rescue.

We unfurl our banner upon which is inscribed this motto, “The World for Christ, Woman, Arise, He calleth for Thee.”

Will you as a pastor & friend of missions help by not hindering these women when they come among you to speak & to enlist women of your church?

It has never been from the time of Miriam, that most remarkable woman, the sister of Moses, that most remarkable man, down to the courageous women that in very recent years have carried the Gospel.”