Jesus' crucifixion

Midrashing Stations of the Cross, remembering those who suffer under oppression and rehearsing for change.

Monologues from Genesis 38

In May, we wrote several monologues from Tamar's story in Gensis 38.
 

Tamar’s monologue by TSW

This is a world of absurdity and the absurdity started with my farther-in-law. I never regard him as a respectable person. He could not teach his children well. My husband was not a nice son. His brother is also not a nice person. His brother dishonored me by spilling his semen on the floor. But instead of rebelling against it, I subscribed to it.  Why didn’t I defy? The system says I have to sleep with his brother, so that my husband would have descendants of his. What the heck! So my womb is a public vessel, or is it not? I didn’t even ask, could I say no? So I let his brother into me. It was strange. I felt being used. There was no passion in his touch. I was not punisthed, but was angry. He had to pay a high price for his meanness. The system regarded me, or my womb as a vessel belonging to the patriarchal line, vessel of property.

I was happy. My revenge worked. I respect the prostitute they acted in their own and live an independent life. Why not I be like them -an independent whore.

Perez’s Monologue by IVB

My family story is a story of apparent success that failed. My father, Judah, who should have been my grandfather, was “acquainted with grief” all of his life. He lived everyday watching his father mourn the loss of Uncle Joseph. My mother happily joined his family by marrying his oldest son, but he died and she grieved too, for a lost husband and no children.

Then Dad married his second son to my mother and lost him, too, and still had no grandchildren. He had even more to mourn. In his grief, he rejected my mother and sent her home. He was afraid he might lose his 3^rd son, if he gave my mom to him. A while later he lost his wife, so now his grief was terrible. Finally, he recovered and decided to work, herding and shearing sheep. The sight of a “prostitute” was too tempting after so much loss, so he paid her for her services with his ID.

Later he discovered that he had fathered me with Tamar. That grieved him more than anything because he had committed incest. His anger at my mother changed to anger with himself. He understood why my mother had acted when he had failed in his promise to her. He became a bitter person.

I admire my mother. As a young woman she obeyed her parents and community traditions. But Her father-in-law’s promises of children and family were not fulfilled. She decided to become proactive herself. I didn’t understand her motive for wanting to be pregnant by her father-in-law, unless my birth proved she was capable of bearing sons.  It also showed how selfish Judah always was about caring more for his bloodline than for her as a person. In the end, he did understand his passion for continuing his bloodline led him to commit incest, a grievous sin.

At our birth my brother tried to emerge first, but I succeeded in being the first-borne. The midwife said, “So this is how you have broken through.”  Somehow that statement resonated with Judah and Tamar, my parents, when they heard that Uncle Joseph had become famous and successful as a slave in Egypt.

I decided that even when we try, or someone else tries, to engineer our future and fail miserably, God can still show us how acting in our own behalf can be right or wrong. If we choose God’s way, we can live through all the consequences of the wrongs we choose into the future God sees for us.

Sermon on the Mount: Matthew 5:21-48

In March and April, we revisited Matthew 5:21-48, part of the Sermon on the Mount containing the sayings of Jesus, “You have heard it said…but I say to you.”  We asked how these statements correct the place of women and others in lower ranks of hierarchal systems.  In context, we assumed Jesus as realizing the Law, i.e. being whole as God intended and the Law encourages; as completing the Law, i.e., keeping the Law in the life-giving way intended; and as encouraging Jewish leaders and people toward a greater understanding of the Law.

We looked for androcentric presuppositions and patriarchal interests, considered the roles of women in Jesus’ and Matthew’s time and whether the message keeps women and others oppressed or liberates or empowers them.

Common traits of the passages are:  addressed to male disciples or inquirers of Jesus; uses male language and imagery; expands or challenges traditional understanding of the Law; focuses on internal changes versus external.  Some seem to be for elite men and to use humor to provoke Roman colonials.

Jesus’s words on anger tell us murder begins with mentally demonizing another, interferes with worship, and should be resolved quickly.

The adultery passage led us to discuss pornography and the use of erotica.  Again Jesus says that small decisions lead to a larger loss of self.

The divorce statements are often interpreted as whoever marries a divorced person sins.  Could it be that Jesus was saying the male initiator of divorce causes remarriage of his wife to be wrong?  Since divorce doesn’t remove their commitment, it causes the new male to partner with a “committed” woman, so the divorce is the sin.  The adultery exception agrees with one school of Jewish thought of the time, but Jesus had already addressed adultery.  Women would be more secure in marriage with only one acceptable reason for divorce.  Changing dowry laws and prenuptial agreements gave some women more financial power, and they also had the power to initiate divorce, but Jesus didn’t speak to women here.

Jesus emphasized a man’s personal integrity instead of oaths and God’s ownership of any potential collateral he might incorrectly swear by.  The passage does not correct anything about women and oaths, but it clearly supports honesty of disciples.

Jesus eliminates retaliation as a response to mistreatment and substitutes seemingly ludicrous over-responses of service.  Some think his suggestions might have been politically motivated to shame Roman oppressors.  And, telling oppressed persons to be more submissive and servile seems to support hierarchies.  Jesus again emphasizes the intended generous nature of a true follower.

Jesus presents love in the face of persecution as the true nature of God’s children.  His use of tax collectors and Gentiles as contrasting examples seems an unfortunate agreement with attitudes of his Jewish community.

To summarize, each disciple is to be complete as God is complete.

by Irene Vinyard Bennett

Proverbs 31

In November we composed our poems inspired by Proverbs 31 in our gathering.

It can be hard to find a good partner.
No riches can compare to the finding an understanding person.
She has the trust of those around her including her partner.
She does good not evil.
She works hard in all her endevours.
She attempts new things and is always learning.
She isn't afraid of change.
She cares for the needy.
She works alongside her partner to help care for her family.
Strength and dignity are her clothing.
She opens her mouth with wisdom.
Her children call her blessed.
Her partner loves her.
A woman who loves the Lord should be praised.
Give her credit for her hard work.

-DHL

A wife of noble character who can find?
She is worth far more than rubies.
Her husband has full confidence in her
and lacks nothing of value.
She brings him and herself good, not harm,
all the days of her life.
She distributes all her works to the right people and have enough food for herself
and all people who subordinate her.
She takes care of herself, and sleeps well at night.
She concerns the well being of the natural environment around her
and only seeks profit which is just enough.
She opens her arms to the poor and extends her hands to the needy.
She is clothed with strength and dignity.
She can laugh at the days to come.
She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue.
Her children arise and call her blessed.
Her husband also, and he praises her.
Give her of the fruit of her hands, and let her works praise her in the gates.

-TOF

A woman of noble character who can find?
She has full confidence in herslef and knows that she worths far more than diamonds and brands.
She works virgorously with integrity in the professional field that she has chosen.
She shares what she earns with the poor and spends time to be in solidarity with them.
She invests with discernment, creating value for herself and the society.
She delights in Sabbath and time alone with God.
She takes care of her body, excerising often and have a healthy diet.
She speaks with wisdom and acts in love.
Everyone call her blessed, because they see God alive in her.

-CKC

A Crippled Woman Healed on the Sabbath (Luke 13:10-17)

We started the night with the reading of the passage fom Luke 13:10-17, followed by a bibliodrama.

Reflecting our feelings or insights from the role play:

The role of Jesus:

• Feel for the bent woman
• Want her to be well
• Want to restore her to position in community
• Make people aware of the disabled
• Feel that Sabbath is fulfillment of God’s promise
• They (synagogue rulers) didn’t understand

The role of the woman:

• Felt discomfort
• Uncomfortable because can’t walk steady
• Hard to look upon other’s face
• Felt “abnormal”, in the minority
• Felt so good when I stood up straight, the uncomfortable feeling went away
• “liberated”
• Could move more easily

The role of the synagogue ruler:

• Like things orderly
• Like life orderly, follow rules
• Not pleased when Jesus stopped teaching and started healing—made me mad!
• Because then everyone wanted healing, disorderly!
• Didn’t like being called hypocrite, I was just doing my job
• Embarrassed when talking about animals
• Experienced “living Torah” as I realized Jesus was right

The crowd:

• Want to be healed also
• Why did the leader blame us?
• Who am I? If she is a daughter of Abraham…
• Cool!
• Saw Jesus as miracle worker

The questions raised by this passage:

• How to define work on the Sabbath?
• How do we respond to being shamed in public?
• Why characterize the woman’s disability as “being bound by Satan”?
• How do illness and bondage relate?
• Did they do something to be bound—victims of or participants in their binding?
• Why was the leader blaming the crowd and not Jesus?
• Why did the leader think they were coming to be cured?
• Why did Jesus address the woman as daughter of Abraham?
• Did Jesus intend to shame and humiliate?
• Can shame and humiliation lead us to repentance or redemption?
• How many people were there?
• Is physical healing equal to redemption?
• How visible are disabled people to us in our midst?
• How important is the Sabbath?
• Why doesn’t she have a name?
• Why doesn’t she speak?
• What is Jesus’ point?

Our study material was taken from Back to the Well: Women's Encounters With Jesus in the Gospels http://www.amazon.com/Back-Well-Womens-Encounters-Gospels/dp/0664227155
 
Meeting date: September 14, 2010.  Recorded by BL 

Bible Study on Sep 14, 2010 at 7.30pm

We are going to look at A Crippled Woman Healed on the Sabbath in Luke 13:10-17.

Martha and Mary (Luke 10:38-42)

We started the night with the reading of the passage from Luke 10:38-42, followed by a bibliodrama. We played roles or the narrator, Martha, Mary and Jesus once and then swapped roles. From the drama we performed, we had the following observations and questions:


Observations about Martha:

• Luke ignored the details, ignored the significance of her service

• Was stopped from continuing the conversation

• Jesus was unfair to take sides

• Why was Mary affirmed?

• What were the disciples doing?

• Feel devalued

• In previous story, it was ok for  the good Samaritian  (a male) to be serving.

Observations about Mary:

• Why didn’t I say a word? Why weren’t my words recorded?

• I adore Jesus.

• Outwitted by my sister

• I was the favored child

• My sister was jealous

• Why didn’t I support my sister?

Questions:

• What was the meaning and/or significance of “at the feet”?

• What was Martha actually busy on? Ministry vs. serving food?

• What didn’t Martha speak directly to Mary directly? Political appeal to greater authority?

• Family dynamics, Martha older/bossy

• What was Luke’s agenda?

• Seems to be a contradictory emphasis on hospitality by not affirming Martha; but listening to guests is also hospitality

• Jesus is unfair in this story

• Location unclear—is it literally the kitchen?

We also came up with some possible applications:

• Can relate this to my own life as I sometimes focus on minor things and lose sight of the bigger picture

• Duality should be avoided

• Allow different learning/ministry styles

Our study material was taken from Back to the Well: Women's Encounters With Jesus in the Gospels
http://www.amazon.com/Back-Well-Womens-Encounters-Gospels/dp/0664227155
 
Meeting date: August 17, 2010.  Recorded by BL