These Words Seemed to them an Idle Tale

But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared. And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they went in they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.  While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men stood by them in dazzling apparel. And as they were frightened and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead?  He is not here, but has risen. Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and on the third day rise.” And they remembered his words,  and returning from the tomb they told all these things to the eleven and to all the rest.  Now it was Mary Magdalene and Joanna and Mary the mother of James and the other women with them who told these things to the apostles,  but these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them.  ~ Luke 24, ESV

Discouraged was the word that described my feelings.  There were words and ideas being thrown around that exposed their devaluation of women.  We are all such sinful beings who need a holy savior.  There are times when our friends become our enemies, and they may not even realize it.

Among believers there are at least two ditches that we can fall into:  Some believers will extend the admonition for women to be orderly in church, and ask their husbands questions at home, to all areas of life.  By doing so, they silence half the Christian world, making them irrelevant and causing division.  Why would I, a woman, stick around to be dismissed?

The second ditch women endure is to be disrespected by bawdy views and voices.  With this view they think our mouths are shut because we have become objects.  So we are also viewed in this ditch as being idle tale bearers, good only for the selfish purposes of another person.

Am I offended?  Yes.  Are these men and women forgiven in Christ Jesus?  Yes.  Do I wish they would see women differently?  Yes. Will I forgive and repent over my being offended?  With Jesus' help, yes.

Thankfully,  Jesus sees women wholly.

"These Words Seemed to them an Idle Tale" is what scripture tells us about the apostles when Mary, Joanna, and another Mary report the news that Jesus is risen.  I took great delight in reading that in Luke 24 today.  We live under the curse of the fall, and the tower of babel.  The fall brought in sin, and placed a wedge between women and men; and the tower of babel put communication breakdown among all of us.

Here is why I took great delight in those words ... these words seemed to them an idle tale ... it is a misperception, a miscommunication, a result of the fall.  Those women took the news to others.  The others dismissed the good news that Mary, Mary and Joanna brought, and struggled with Jesus' death and resurrection for a longer time.  The women already faithed!  Jesus gave the lowly-valued "idle tale bearers" the gift of faith first because He loves us.

The good news is that Jesus sees men wholly, too.  And my ranting does not diminish His love and forgiveness for you.