Let Them Come

Mark 10:13-16 MSG

In order to effectively understand the scripture with the disciples, Jesus, and the children we need to know more about the 1st Century culture. Men dominated the culture, but not just men the oldest man in the entire family was in charge of finances and decisions.

When a woman gave birth it was important that “she” had a son. The male head of the family had the right to choose to keep the child or to give up the child. In Roman life if the head of the family chose not to accept the child (usually because there was a birth defect) the child would be placed outside the door. The abandoned baby could be picked up and raised by another family or taken to be a slave.

The mother could not intervene. The oldest male member of the family had the final decision. By the time Jesus made his ministry public Joseph was not mentioned which made Jesus the oldest male member of his family. Jesus was also called Rabbi and that title carried ‘weight’ in the 1st Century.

So we are told in Mark 10:13-16, “The people brought children to Jesus, hoping he might touch them. The disciples shooed them off. But Jesus was irate and let them know it: “Don’t push these children away. Don’t ever get between them and me. These children are at the very center of life in the kingdom. Mark this: Unless you accept God’s kingdom in the simplicity of a child, you’ll never get in.” Then, gathering the children up in his arms, he laid his hands of blessing on them.”

It’s difficult for women today to imagine what it felt like to give birth knowing the oldest male member of the family would have the final right to decide the fate of the child. If the oldest male member decided there was a deformity he could set the child outside.

If the child was a female and the family did not need another woman to care for the family (cook, clean, or care for the children) she could be placed outside. If the child was a boy who had a deformity he could be placed outside. As I understand it that deformity could have been something minor like a birthmark. If the family already had several boys or girl children, boys or girls could be placed outside. The mother had no rights.

So, even though Jesus was a famous Rabbi the very thought of the Mothers of the children bringing their children publicly to Jesus was shocking!

Jesus’ disciples were only doing what the culture practiced and had accepted as normative cultural behavior for years. As far back as the time of Moses we have record that Hebrew babies had been ordered by the Pharaoh to be killed at birth. When Moses’ mother decided to place her son in a basket and put him in the Nile River it was her last chance to hope God could save her son. If she kept him he would certainly have been killed.

The practice of women not having the right to decide about the fate of her child was normative cultural behavior.

The thought of that is difficult for us to understand, but even in modern times there remains a hidden truth of that in many (if not most) societies. However, with each generation I’ve known in my family from women born around 1875 to 1900 to 1925 to 1950 to 1975 to 2000, there are differences. My great-grandmother was a strong woman who world on the farm mostly in the kitchen and my granddaughter is highly educated and she is fearless.

Every mother I’ve known well in my life had/has been allowed to make choices in their life. The women in Jesus’ time had limited rights. While that would have been difficult, when Jesus came every woman was given a voice. Jesus didn’t just love men. Jesus loved women and children. That changed everything.

Through God, Deborah/acrazyjourney.com

*https://www.pbs.org/empires/romans/empire/family.html