Every Role Matters: A Mother's Day sermon

What?

Patriarcy vs. Matrilineal

Why?

Coequal in Power and Glory

From Genesis, ...

Genesis 1:26–28 CSB

Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, according to our likeness. They will rule the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, the livestock, the whole earth, and the creatures that crawl on the earth.” So God created man in his own image; he created him in the image of God; he created them male and female. God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth, and subdue it. Rule the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, and every creature that crawls on the earth.”

God created humankind and both genders comprise his image.

To both genders is given equally the Cultural Mandate to fill the earth and care for it.

Genesis 2:15–25 CSB

The Lord God took the man and placed him in the garden of Eden to work it and watch over it. And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree of the garden, but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for on the day you eat from it, you will certainly die.” Then the Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper corresponding to him.” The Lord God formed out of the ground every wild animal and every bird of the sky, and brought each to the man to see what he would call it. And whatever the man called a living creature, that was its name. The man gave names to all the livestock, to the birds of the sky, and to every wild animal; but for the man no helper was found corresponding to him. So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to come over the man, and he slept. God took one of his ribs and closed the flesh at that place. Then the Lord God made the rib he had taken from the man into a woman and brought her to the man. And the man said: This one, at last, is bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh; this one will be called “woman,” for she was taken from man. This is why a man leaves his father and mother and bonds with his wife, and they become one flesh. Both the man and his wife were naked, yet felt no shame.

In this creation account, it is clear men are not at their best when alone —and that’s the truth! The man is allowed to take the initiative in choosing a suitable helper (see God as helper in Ps 121:1-2), yet this is about more than procreation for, in the process, they become “one”.

That the man comes to rule over the woman is a consequence of sin (Gen 3:9). It was certainly not God’s intention and ultimately thwarted God’s eternal Purpose.

Our call as God’s creation is to fill the earth (procreation) within the bond of marriage (oneness). It is in our productive union that God is imaged to the world.

A Suitable Helper

What would a suitable helper look like?

From the Genesis creation accounts, we would be excused for thinking Adam spotted Eve and thought to himself, “Wow! She’s hot”. Clearly, God had a better idea in mind for how men and women would work together to realise his eternal Purpose.

From Proverbs 31,

Proverbs 31:10–11 CSB

Who can find a wife of noble character? She is far more precious than jewels. The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he will not lack anything good.

The description of the wife of noble character in the book of Proverbs is notorious. When taken in isolation, there is good reason for women to criticise the apparent objectification. However, when considered in light of the whole of Proverbs, an image of men and women working together to form and maintain a household arises.

Every human needs wisdom for living, and every healthy society hands its wisdom on to the next generation. Proverbs is a literary anthology of Israel’s traditional wisdom, gathered from diverse spheres of life. The book’s purpose is to help people become wise and godly (Pr 1:2–7), especially those on the verge of adulthood and marriage. More specifically, the book of Proverbs was written by a teacher to men or by a parent to a man being trained as a justice or administrator.

Proverbs 1:7 CSB

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and discipline.

As the book progresses, the trainee is encouraged to value wisdom above all else, in his work and in his life.

This wisdom ends by describing the wife of noble character (Pr 31:10-31). Like wisdom itself, one is to make a wise choice in marriage, to value, love and respect one’s spouse.

While many critics take this passage to be misogynistic, it is only so when applied inappropriately.

Proverbs 31:16–17 CSB

She evaluates a field and buys it; she plants a vineyard with her earnings. She draws on her strength and reveals that her arms are strong.

The wife described is contributing to the family and household. Many of the images are themselves masculine (e.g Pr 31:17).

Proverbs 31:28–29 CSB

Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also praises her: “Many women have done noble deeds, but you surpass them all!”

If a man has found such a wife, should he not praise her work and success? Should a wife not praise her husband for his work and success? While the social and historical context is not our own, the sentiments still very much ring true.

Proverbs 31:23 CSB

Her husband is known at the city gates, where he sits among the elders of the land.

If the man has taken the advice and wisdom described in chapters 1-30, then he will be a good man, husband, father and be successful in his career as a judge/administrator. Thereby he contributes to his own household, in that social and historical context. Both husband and wife are one, they are partners in raising a family and maintaining a household. How each one does so is not prescribed by this passage.

The book of Proverbs describes a man who is a suitable helper for his wife and this passage describes a woman who is a suitable helper for her husband. Should we not all aspire to be such or are we consumed by a struggle for control over one another?

A Reflection of Christ and His Church

Another notorious passage is found in the letter to the Ephesians,

Conclusion