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Women Touching Jesus of Nazareth - 6/24/2008 12:22:00 PM
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CherishedbyGod
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I feel silly asking this, however...
Were women not supposed to touch the Rabbis of the day? I think of how Simon murmered to himself when the woman who was a sinner touched Him. And the woman with the issue of blood would only touch the hem of His garment.
I imagine sinners definitely were not supposed to touch Him and vaguely something about women that were bleeding...
Were no women supposed to touch the Rabbis? How big of a deal was it in those days?
What about when Mary of Bethany anointed His head with oil?
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~I would love for you to come and learn about Jesus of Nazareth with me in the Writer's Roundtable Folder~
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RE: Women Touching Jesus of Nazareth - 6/24/2008 2:12:49 PM
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BerianAardvark
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quote:
ORIGINAL: CherishedbyGod
I feel silly asking this, however...
Were women not supposed to touch the Rabbis of the day? I think of how Simon murmered to himself when the woman who was a sinner touched Him. And the woman with the issue of blood would only touch the hem of His garment.
I imagine sinners definitely were not supposed to touch Him and vaguely something about women that were bleeding...
Were no women supposed to touch the Rabbis? How big of a deal was it in those days?
What about when Mary of Bethany anointed His head with oil?
There actually was a sect of Pharisees who every time they saw a woman walking down the street would close their eyes lest they be tempted by adulterous thoughts. Their habit of walking so much with their eyes closed lead to the name of their sect which was something like the bruise and bloodied (can't recall exactly at the moment). But I doubt that this was the case in the examples you mentioned.
In most cases when people were specifically referred to as sinners, it meant that they were notorious sinners....above (or is it below) average on any moral scale
And behold, a woman of the town who was an especially wicked sinner, when she learned that He was reclining at table in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster flask of ointment (perfume). And standing behind Him at His feet weeping, she began to wet His feet with [her] tears; and she wiped them with the hair of her head and kissed His feet [affectionately] and anointed them with the ointment (perfume). Now when the Pharisee who had invited Him saw it, he said to himself, If this Man were a prophet, He would surely know who and what sort of woman this is who is touching Him--for she is a notorious sinner (a social outcast, devoted to sin). (Luke 7:37-39 AMPLIFIED BIBLE)
Sinners were considered unclean as were women who had a discharge, and Gentiles, and any of a whole list of people to be touched by them would make the one touched unclean.
Mary of Bethany wasn’t a particularly notorious sinner, and she, her sister Martha and Lazarus were all good friends of Jesus.
Tim
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The Law is for the proud and the Gospel for the brokenhearted - Martin Luther
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RE: Women Touching Jesus of Nazareth - 6/24/2008 2:15:46 PM
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GroupW
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For a rabbi of the time, being touched in this way as mentioned above would have made him ritually unclean. This is no small deal since this would have interfered with his ability to go to the temple, teach, etc. It would have interfered with his profession or calling. The fact that Christ responds with grace in dealing with what other rabbis would have considered an afront and personal offense is an integral part of the story.
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RE: Women Touching Jesus of Nazareth - 6/24/2008 4:17:56 PM
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Bluethread
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There are commandents regarding bodily fluids. If one emits bodily fluids, blood or reproductive, one is to bath oneself and then will remain unclean until evening. Such an one is not to touch another while unclean or that person will also be unclean. This, of course, would keep someone from coming in contact with anything holy. This would be a great concern to one who wants access to the Temple or the community for that matter. Regarding a woman with a bad reputation, there is no law regarding that. It is just similar to a mothers advice, "Don't touch that. You don't know where it has been!"
Since, Ha Torah was written for man and no man created for Ha Torah, Yeshua chose in both of these cases to forgo His own benefit and do a mitzvat(good deed) for these women.
< Message edited by Bluethread -- 6/24/2008 4:24:26 PM >
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"Show me wherein I have errored and I will hold my tongue." Iyov(Job)
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RE: Women Touching Jesus of Nazareth - 6/24/2008 4:21:44 PM
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GroupW
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See? Not such a silly question. Getting the cultural context behind a passage really makes it come alive, don't you think? I wish more people asked those kinds of silly questions!
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RE: Women Touching Jesus of Nazareth - 6/24/2008 4:37:13 PM
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BerianAardvark
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quote:
ORIGINAL: Bluethread
Regarding a woman with a bad reputation, there is no law regarding that. It is just similar to a mothers advice, "Don't touch that. You don't know where it has been!"
I never thought of it that way. Haven't had that good a laugh in ages.
Thanks Bluethread.
Tim
_____________________________
The Law is for the proud and the Gospel for the brokenhearted - Martin Luther
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RE: Women Touching Jesus of Nazareth - 6/24/2008 4:45:40 PM
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CherishedbyGod
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quote:
ORIGINAL: GroupW
See? Not such a silly question. Getting the cultural context behind a passage really makes it come alive, don't you think? I wish more people asked those kinds of silly questions!
Oh, yes, I totally agree! It really does make these (true) stories come alive and I just love it.
I feel silly asking some things for it seems I should know these things since I have been a Christian quite awhile...
When you all say it made the Rabbi, unclean, would it mean unclean in the same respect as a leper was considered?
I love all your answers! Thank you, so much!
_____________________________
~I would love for you to come and learn about Jesus of Nazareth with me in the Writer's Roundtable Folder~
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RE: Women Touching Jesus of Nazareth - 6/24/2008 4:53:28 PM
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GroupW
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Both would have been excluded from the temple during the time of their uncleanness, so in that respect, they would be unclean in similar ways. The remedies for each in order to be considered clean were somewhat different, though. The leper, for example, would have been required to present himself to the priest to be pronounced clean, whereas the person touched by an unclean woman wouldn't.
Blue no doubt has a more complete answer.
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RE: Women Touching Jesus of Nazareth - 6/24/2008 4:58:48 PM
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CherishedbyGod
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quote:
ORIGINAL: GroupW
For a rabbi of the time, being touched in this way as mentioned above would have made him ritually unclean. This is no small deal since this would have interfered with his ability to go to the temple, teach, etc. It would have interfered with his profession or calling. The fact that Christ responds with grace in dealing with what other rabbis would have considered an afront and personal offense is an integral part of the story.
And, increased the Pharisee's opposition to Him?
Can I use your above reply or part of in the Bible Study I am writing for women?  I will be happy to show in context before I use it if you desire....
_____________________________
~I would love for you to come and learn about Jesus of Nazareth with me in the Writer's Roundtable Folder~
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RE: Women Touching Jesus of Nazareth - 6/24/2008 5:04:11 PM
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GroupW
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quote:
And, increased the Pharisee's opposition to Him?
Most likely. Maybe not in this particular instance, depending on who did or didn't witness it, but as part of an ongoing pattern in Christ's ministry, then I would say most definitely yes.
quote:
Can I use your above reply or part of in the Bible Study I am writing for women? I will be happy to show in context before I use it if you desire....
No need to show it to me, but thanks for the offer. By all means, if you're comfortable with anything I've written here or elsewhere then you're always free to use it. I'm no scholar, so the phrase "you get what you pay for" is applicable here.
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