I think it might be helpful to separate out what Jesus did in order to fulfill the requirements of being the Messiah and not use those requirements as a basis for exclusion in other areas of life, whether secular or sacred. Going back to the Twelve apostles as an example, Jesus needed to have a certain number of male Jewish followers in order to qualify himself as a Rabbi (and twelve fit that requirement as well as having connections to twelve tribes of Israel, etc.), but it doesn't automatically presume that Jesus was *limited* to having that requirement for *every* apostle, disciple, etc. Jesus also did not limit any of these things by the sex of the individual, as the story of Mary and Martha clearly shows, and clearly shows Mary sitting at the place of a disciple at Jesus's feet and Jesus chiding Martha who believed that it wasn't Mary's place to be there.
Jesus chose a woman and a Samaritan to proclaim the gospel and chose women to proclaim his Resurrection to others, including the Twelve (minus Judas) and it was a woman and a Gentile who understood who Jesus was in a much greater and wiser way than the Twelve when she responded to Jesus' test when he stated how it wasn't fair to give what belonged to the children to the dogs, and it was one of (if not the only) recorded time that Jesus conceded to someone else's argument.
And it goes on.
Jesus the Christ did indeed change everything for women but once again it didn't take long for sinful human beings to corrupt his teachings.
And Paul's teachings, which are very egalitarian when in proper context, have also been corrupted to suit an institutionalized religion based on exclusion and dominance rather than the freedom in Christ Jesus.
It isn't Jesus who acts to cripple half of those who would labor for his Kingdom. Quite the contrary.
Excellent summary. I'm going to save that to share with others.
Also I'd like to point out that, along with the twelve male disciples, Jesus must have had a minimum of seven women in his entourage:
(Jesus is in
Galilee according to Luke 7:1)
Soon afterwards he went on through cities and villages, proclaiming and bringing the good news of the kingdom of God. The twelve were with him,
as well as some women who had been cured of evil spirits and infirmities:
Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, and
Joanna, the wife of Herod’s steward Chuza, and
Susanna, and
many others, who provided for them out of their resources. Luke 8:1-3 (NRSV)
But all his acquaintances, including
the women who had followed him from Galilee, stood at a distance, watching these things. Luke 23:49 (NRSV)
The women who had come with him from Galilee followed, and they saw the tomb and how his body was laid. Luke 23:55 (NRSV)
Many women were also there, looking on from a distance;
they had followed Jesus from Galilee and had provided for him. Among them were
Mary Magdalene,
and Mary the mother of James and Joseph,
and the mother of the sons of Zebedee. Matthew 27:55-56 (NRSV)
There were also women looking on from a distance; among them were
Mary Magdalene, and
Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joses, and
Salome. These used to follow him and provided for him when he was
in Galilee;
and there were many other women who had come up with him to Jerusalem. Mark 15:40-41 (NRSV)
