I call it ignorance, nothing but ignorance in the world we’re living in, who still believe according to the Bible women shouldn’t lead. 1Timothy 2:12. Passage states that women should learn in quietness and full submission, and that they are not permitted to teach or have authority over men. 1 Corinthians 14:34-35 Instructs women to be silent in the churches. That was then, this is now. If we truly believe and understand in the New Testament the significance of Mary the mother of Jesus; the movement and teachings of Christ himself concerning women, why are we still stock in ignorance? Galatians 3:28 In Christ Jesus there is no longer Jew nor Gentile, slave nor free, male nor female, suggesting a level of equality that includes leadership. Emphasizes equality in Christ.

Jesus came down, gave sight to the blind, make the lame walk, healed the sick…and so on. With all the healing and the breaking of the religious rules Jesus did on the outside for all to see, he did also on the inside of the woman, his mother while he was in her womb. Just like the sins of all came into the world through both Adam and Eve whom through disobedience ate of the forbidden fruit tree. Redemption literally came through the womb of a woman called Mary and the aid of her fiancé Joseph. This time it had nothing to do with obedience, but rather submission and surrendering.

From the beginning of Gabriel annunciation, “Hail Mary” to Mary’s yes, and the birth of Jesus Mary had became conduit of the spirit of God for all women to stand openly and willing to except the Lords Will to be done. And in doing so her blessings felling on all women opening the doors that was shut in ignorance. Mary was the leader in her relationship with Joseph to stand firm in her conviction in doing what she was asked, which was laid upon her heart in accepting whatever would happen to her and Joseph relationship being engaged and now pregnant. Through faith, with bold assurance confronting her fiancé Joseph with her situation, never wavering but waited, most likely prayed to the Lord to speak to her fiancé and make what seems to a bad circumstances acceptable. That’s leadership! Joseph like Adam was ready to give in and walk away from Mary, voiding Gods Will, if it had not been for the prayer and faith of Mary unlike Eve.

Mary became a blessing and a role model to all humanity we can follow by example; her faith, submission, surrender, resilience and vigilance to the Will of the Lord. The conversation Mary with the angel Gabriel showcased her intelligence. Her wisdom, knowledge and understanding; most of all her faith and trust in God. Mary understood her mission as mother to her son Jesus, the son of God, as all women who are pregnant are to. Recognizing the fulfillment of the Grace and Blessings of the Lord in our lives to nurture and car for all children whether we bring them forth by birth, adaption, surrogacy…even being a teacher. Whatever your role in life, whereby you are a caregiver for children or a child, you are mother, even if not called mother. Mary carried out her mission with wisdom, knowledge, understanding, faith and courage. Like a champion facing being divorce, even to be stone for the shame to her parents, fiancé Joseph and religious people of that time even to the entire world who can now call her Blessed Mother.

We are to acknowledge the orchestrated work of the Lord. He pulled man out of the ground (earth) and now he planted his seed in that which came from the earth, from the man he created to wash away sin and make good all impurities with that which caused the fall of man. People, the forbidden fruit has been a poison to us through Eve and through Mother Mary conception, Jesus the antidote for us all.

Without a Mary there cannot be a Jesus. Think for a moment, why didn’t God pull the man Christ Jesus out of the ground like he did Adam? The God, who’s the God of the impossible made possible, who can do all things. God made it so that all women like Mary who are obedient, and accept the the Lord’s Will just not in carrying the Lord’s children, but nurturing, faithfulness in training them up in his way that they never depart. The Lord’s presence is ever so close to us when in preparing to become a parent, spiritually, physically and mentally. All the changes that takes place within and out of the body when pregnant is the time we can really see the hands on God like the potter, Isaiah 64:8 and Jeremiah 18:1-6). Sorry men, but this is intimacy of molding by the hands of God in every detail excluded you, because God is the giver of life, you may have planted the seed, but the entire growth and shaping is by his hand. God creates the good and the bad, all things.

If women are good enough according to Proverbs 22:6 to teach the children about the Lord, training them up in the way they should go; and when they are old, they will not depart from it. “Then why would we be not good enough to lead?” Men can’t have children and I don’t believe God is about to change that rule of conception concerning Adam and Eve back then, neither for now nor the future to come. But the rule to where a woman stands with him was made great and perfectly care through Mary, mother of Jesus.

How ironic that the world was destroyed because angels had children with women in the days of Noah and now God has chosen to take a woman also to have his only begotten son. The difference is God asked Mary and she said yes. In the garden of Eden the woman Eve was manipulated and deceived by the devil. God had set the example for man and the angels to follow, by asking for Mary’s permission and he’s God, it says a lot about who our God is.

What I love about Mary is that she had chosen God whom she couldn’t have seen or touch, over her fiancé Joseph. “Talk about putting God first, this is proof people of true faithfulness. And Joseph, unlike Adam who was placed in front of Eve, is now placed beside Mary in carrying out God’s Will. He wasn’t to rule over her, but through her got a closer to God when he had the dream to accept her as his wife regardless of her pregnancy, Matthew 1:18-25. Not only was Joseph a stepfather he was also what I considered a step-husband, he stood in the place of God as Mary’s earthly husband being led by God for her and baby Jesus protection. Joseph would not have been able to handle the situation with Mary without the presence of God. Joseph was only going to go through the emotions of marriage according to tradition, but God give him something greater, a challenge of his faith to be led and directed as Mary herself had to in making sure every step they had to make was to ensure the Will of God be done for baby Jesus to be born and be safe. God obviously had to take Mary as his wife as an example to us all. Understand that she was a virgin, like a first fruit and animals without blemishes as required for sacrifice in those days.

Joseph actually was going to divorce Mary quietly because of her pregnancy. Once again like Eve in the garden woman is portrayed as disobedient to God’s laws. Eve ate of the forbidden tree and now Mary the adulteress, but just because this time it is with God not Satan it meant that God was bringing together or should I say reconciling man to himself in a great way by both Mary and Joseph participating in unity to fulfill God’s Will; not to go against it. They had done it because he said it. Showing a change of course other than repeating Adam and Eve ways.

This time together they had gotten it right unlike Adam and Eve. Both Adam and Joseph did according to their wives. So who’s the true leader. We are to be observant to the relationship of the pastors, preachers, bishops…any heads of a church and their significant other; watch their connection with each other and see how effective a leader they both run the congregation together as parents running the house who loves and support each other with their children.

“If a man can be a Pope I don’t see any reason why a woman can’t be.” Why would Peter who denied Jesus three times be placed above the mother of His child? They were both equally loved and blessed by Jesus.

From the beginning of time starting with Eve women had shown leadership. She stood up to the serpent with no fear and asked questions to be wise. God didn’t punish Eve he tried to give Adam his first born the role of leadership. He tried to position Adam, but it was a fail back then, but through Jesus became successful. Genesis 3:12 Adam tells God, “the woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate.” Yeah, and God thought it to be right to choose Adam? Makes it seem like God doesn’t know what he’s doing. God told both Adam and Eve not to eat of the tree, figure if anything Adam should have reminded Eve what God had said, but no he just ate. Eve was doing her natural duty in finding food for them to eat. Think for a moment if the Lord had prepared a table for them they wouldn’t have eaten from the tree. Neither did he fence around the tree for them not to access it. They both were at fault, reason for them both being cast out of Eden. They both couldn’t lead, because they were like the blind leading the blind. But through Jesus and His mother Mary God found balance in respect to leading. It takes both man and woman, Amen!