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making a difference
What Will We Tell Our Daughters?
What Do We Tell Ourselves?
by Sharon Jaynes

She was beautiful. She was bright. And she was mad at God.
I sat across the table picking at a salad and trying to digest Jans words. Her
startlingly teal eyes were tinted with frustration at God, primarily because of how
she perceived He felt about women.
I dont understand God. It seems like He is against women. Hes set us up to fail.
Even our bodies are weaker, and that just invites men to abuse us. Today, theres so
much abuse toward women, she continued. Wheres God in all that? There are so
many inequalities and injustices between how men are treated and how women are
treated. What kind of God does that? I think the bottom line is that God just doesnt
like women.
Jan knew her Bible. She grew up in the church, had loving Christian parents, and accepted Christ when she
was 8 years old. But she always felt her parents preferred her brother...because he was a boy.
Jan truly had a heart for the things of God...but the niggling feeling that she was less than just wouldnt go away.
When I got to seminary, Jan went on to say, and started reading about some of the ancient philosophers
opinions of women, as well as some of the early church fathers, and even some modern-day theologians, I just
got mad. The more I read, the madder I got. Is it true? Are women less than? Does God favor one gender
over the other?
Jan was frustrated, confused, and as I mentioned earlier, just plain mad. It was a tough day...for both of us.
But Jan was brave...brave enough to voice the questions that many women ponder...musings that many of
our daughters fear. What will we tell them? What do we tell ourselves? What do we tell our sisters all around
the world who live under unimaginable oppression? How does Jesus really feel about them?
We tell them about the real Jesusthe God-made-man who broke the man-made rules of His day to honor
women...to call them out of the shadows of an oppressive society and onto center stage to play leading roles
in the gospel story.
See, by the time Jesus entered the world on that starry night in Bethlehem, His first cry echoed the heartcries of women who had been misused and abused for centuries.
By the time Jesus took His first steps onto the dusty ground of Galilee, women were not allowed to speak
to men in public, sit under a rabbis teaching to learn, or eat with men in social gatherings. Women were
considered property and not even counted as people. They were seen as unreliable and not allowed to testify
in court, kept on a separate level in Solomons Temple and behind a partition in the local synagogues. Women
lived in the shadows of society...rarely seen and seldom heard. But Jesus came to change all that. Simply put,
He rocked the house.
Every time Jesus interacted with a woman in the gospelsthe God-made-man broke the man-made rules of
His culture to honor women, to welcome women, to elevate women. Every time.
(continued on page 4)

Issue 11

www.MagdalenaToday.com

www.MagdalenaToday.com

MAGDALENA in Action
Hungry for More
What does Jesus think about women? Karen, program coordinator in a Central Arkansas

pregnancy center, has found an effective way to answer this question and many more for
her clients. She uses the film, Magdalena: Through Her Eyes, and its companion Bible study,
Reflections of Hope.
In this setting, the film is shown to a group of women. Afterward, Karens small staff of
mentor volunteers leads the mostly young pregnant women, one-to-one, through the study.
Karens job as program coordinator is made easier because the study is simple to use and so
well received by her clientseven by those never before in a Bible study. They are learning
about the love of Jesus in a way they understand and appreciate. They relate to the women
in the film and are astonished at Jesus responsiveness to them. Some are trusting Christ
with their life and growing spiritually, and they hunger to study more.

Seventy Lives Touched

Nancy leads a non-profit, faith-based ministry whose goal is to improve the quality of life for women in her
Maryland community. She welcomes clients with almost every need imaginablefrom tangible items like food,
clothing and shelter, to counseling, training, compassionate support and referrals. Most importantly, she points
them to Jesus.
One way Nancy does this is by hosting movie showings of Magdalena: Through Her Eyes.
With an eye for a tool with great ministry potential for women, she uses this film wherever
and whenever she can.
Her most recent showing was at Greater Brookville Church, opening it to anyone wanting to
come. In all, 70 attended, including 13 men and several children. Everyone was responsive,
and men as well as women wept as they saw Jesus sacrifice on the cross for their sins.
Nancy was particularly touched by the response of a 10-year-old, who invited Jesus to be her
Savior: Magdalena touched me to the top of my heart!

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Share the Journey

Souls Set Free

Last night I was tired as I headed to the prison, and I struggled with going.
While driving I surrendered my desires to the Lord and asked him to work
in my heart. I thought about how important this was to the women, and
by the time I arrived I was more spiritually prepared. I cleared security
and had enough time to set up chairs and test the DVD player. Everything
went smoothly, and I was prepared when the women started to arrive. We
reached our allowed capacity of 30 women.
I showed the Magdalena movie, which is a film that clearly shows the
heart of the Lord toward women. When the movie was over, I gave a
clear presentation of the gospel. I never leave without giving them that
opportunity to make a decision to accept the Lord as their Savior.
The response was amazing.
Needless to say, I did not leave the prison feeling tired. When I got home [and looked at the list of indicated
decisions], I counted 12 women who had accepted the Lord last night. I am still amazed that the Lord allows us
to participate with Him in eternal affairs. I am so grateful for the Spirit that lives within us and enables us to walk
in obedience. If it was up to me, I know at times that Id rather sit on the couch and eat popcorn.
~Veronica, Cru prison ministry

You can help set women free.

During JanuaryHuman Trafficking Awareness Month
Magdalena: Through Her Eyes 1-hour-edition DVDs are offered
at the special price of just $2 each while supplies last.
Purchase Magdalena DVDs for your friends, family or
church outreach.
You can also donate DVDs to our partnering organizations that
bring healing and restoration to human trafficking victims and
survivors. Donate 10 or more DVDs and receive a free copy of
Sharon Jaynes just-released book, How Jesus Broke the Rules
to Set You Free. (See page 4.)
For details go to www.MagdalenaToday.com/offer.

What Will We Tell Our Daughters? (cont. from page 1)

Jesus welcomed the worshipful anointing by the woman with the sinful
past, even though the religious leader thought it scandalous.
Jesus called the woman with the crippled back to come forward into the
mens area of the temple, even though the synagogue ruler thought it
inappropriate.
Rabbi Jesus welcomed Mary of Bethany to sit at His feet to learn, even
though women were forbidden to do so.
He ignored cultural taboos and associated freely and openly with women.
He spoke with women in broad daylight, even though the disciples
disapproved.
Jesus revealed His true identity for the first time, that He was the
Messiah, to a woman.
Jesus longest recorded conversation was with a woman.
Jesus entrusted the most important message in all of human historythat
He had risen from the deadto a woman. And then He told her to go
and tell.
Jesus restored women to their rightful place of dignity as one-half of a
whole, as co-heirs and co-workers with their male counterparts. His
radical counter-cultural attitude toward women flew in the face of a
culture that considered women less than in all regards. Jesus was a
radical reformer who showed the world just what God thinks about
women.
When it came to women...Jesus risked His reputation to save theirs. To
save yours. To save mine.
From Mary of Nazareth to Mary of Magdala, God used women to
accomplish His divine purposes. Brave women stepped forward.
Courageous women spoke up. Committed women joined hands. Not only
did He accept them as they were, He challenged them to become more.
Jesus noticed the unnoticeable silent sufferers who moved about as little
gray shadows...and He still does. He notices you. He notices your sisters
in parts of the world who continue to move about in the shadowsthe
ones who will watch the Magdalena DVD and be amazed.
Jesus took the fearful and forgotten and transformed them into the faithful
and forever remembered. I tell you the truth, He said, wherever this
gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be
told, in memory of her.
Jan and I closed The Book. We took a deep breath. It was all right there in
black and white and some in red. Grace upon Grace. Heaped high.
We both felt loved. Cherished. Worth fighting for.
This is what we tell our daughters.
This is what we tell ourselves.

Do you believe Jesus thinks you

are valuable and worthy of His
attention, love and devotion?
Do you believe He can set you
free from anything holding
you back?
In How Jesus Broke the Rules
to Set You Free, youll see how
Jesus crossed cultural and
gender boundaries to honor
women, to include women, and
to write their names into the
gospel story.
Find out just how valued and
loved women are to God
how valued and loved YOU are
to God.
To order, go to:
www.SharonJaynes.com

Sharon Jaynes is an international conference speaker, Bible teacher and author.

www.MagdalenaToday.com
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