A few years ago, a popular Bible teacher and pastor was asked what he would say to another popular Bible teacher–a woman. His answer (to the laughs and applause of the room) was: “go home.”

That made me angry, but then I got curious. What would Jesus have said to this woman? What did Jesus say to women? What did the Biblical authors record of his words to women?

So starting in January 2021, I decided to write a poem and create a piece of art for each of the encounters in which Jesus spoke directly to a woman or women. I posted these to my blog over the next two years.

I found as I wrote that I needed Jesus to speak to parts of me I found in each woman–the grieving, the headstrong, the desperate, the worn-out, the seeking.

I have tried to stay as true to what I know of the Scriptures and their cultural context, but I know there is still much of me in them, and these imaginings are imperfect.

My prayer is that you hear from Jesus yourself and find in his words a place to rest.

🎧 You can hear a recording of the poems in order below:

1 | Mary at the Temple | Luke 2:41-52

2 | Mary at the Wedding | John 2:1-11

3 | The Woman at the Well | John 4

4 | The Woman Caught | John 8:1-11

5 | The Bleeding Woman | Mark 5: 21-34, also Matthew 9:20-22 + Luke 8:40-48

6 | The Widow | Luke 7:11-17

7 | The Little Sick Girl | Luke 8:41-56, Mark 5:22-43

8 | The Greek Canaanite Woman | Matthew 15:21-28, Mark 7:24-30

9 | Martha at Home | Luke 10:38-42

10 | Mary the Disciple | Luke 10:38-42

11 | The Bent Woman | Luke 13:10-13

12 | The Sisters Mourning | John 11:38-44

13 | Mary Anoints | John 12:1-8, also Luke 7:36-40, Matthew 26:6-13, and Mark 14:3-9

14 | The Daughters of Jerusalem | Luke 23:26-31

15 | Mary (the mother) at the Cross | John 19:25-27

16 | Mary at the Empty Tomb | John 20:1-18