The Aquarian Gospel of Jesus
Chapter 105:1-8
(Mirrors the Gospel of Luke 8:1-3)
"1. Now, many women who possessed much wealth, and abode in other towns of Galilee, implored that Jesus and the twelve, together with the masters from the foreign lands, would thither go and preach and heal. 2. Among these anxious ones were Mary Magdalene, who was obsessed by seven homeless spirits of the air, which had been driven out by the Omnific Word which Jesus spoke; 3. Susanna, who owned vast estates in Caesarea-Philippi; 4. Johanna, wife of Chuza, one of Herod's court; 5. And Rachel from the coast of Tyre; 6. And other from beyond the Jordan and the sea of Galilee.7. And they provided ample means, and three times seven men went forth. 8. They preached the gospel of the Christ, and they baptized the multitudes who made confession of their faith; they healed the sick and raised the dead."
When we think of Jesus’ ministry, we imagine him traveling around Galilee with his 12 Disciples preaching and teaching to the crowds that would gather by the Sea. Luke 8 tells us that there was a group of women who also followed Jesus, and these women supported Jesus’ ministry financially. In the Aquarian Gospel of Jesus, we find a near identical passage to Luke 8, with some additional information about each of the women who were on Jesus’ team.
The world of Jewish women at the time of Jesus was one of restriction. Women were not allowed in the Temple; they were not allowed to touch the scriptures because it would be a defilement; and, in general, men did not speak to women in public spaces and only minimally to their wives behind closed doors. Jesus, on the other hand, included women in all activities of ministry. Women were not only his financial supporters, but also spread the gospel of God’s unfolding kingdom to all whom they met. Women were the first at the tomb; they tended to his physical needs by washing his feet with their tears and then covering them with expensive oil.
Women saw Jesus as their liberator—not just from being a housewife or mother, but from the tyranny of men overlords who saw their relationship with their wives as dutiful rather than loving. Jesus gave women another purpose in life. He offered them respect, which they rarely received.
While most women in the West don’t feel the same level of oppression that women of Jesus’ day might have felt, there are still mountains to climb when it comes to the equality of women. The gender pay gap has changed very little in the last 20 years. According to several websites that report statistic on the pay gap, the average full-time wage for all women across all job sectors is 84 cents to every dollar earned by men. Additionally, men have greater opportunities to advance in their jobs, they tend to receive higher bonuses, and are able to access more avenues to growing their wealth than women.
We’ve also seen, in recent months, the overturning of Roe v. Wade which takes away a women’s agency over her own body. What we are telling women, with the draconian laws that many states now have on their books, is that women are incapable of making healthcare decisions, in conjunction with their doctors, and need the guidance of others who know absolutely nothing about their individual healthcare needs.
Until Title IX was passed in 1972, women were not guaranteed the right to participate in, receive benefits from, or not be discriminated against when entering into any education program or activity that receives federal funding. Title IX has been particularly transformative in women’s sporting events and has sought to level the playing field between sports offerings and funding in educational institutions.
Finally, I’d be remis if I didn’t mention that it was 1919 when women finally won the right to vote, and that the 19th Amendment to the Constitution was added on August 18, 1920. Women fought for years for this right, and it is incumbent upon women now to treasure what others made possible. The only way women will ever find equality in society is by voting and making their voices heard.
Jesus makes it clear in his relationships with women that there is no place in our society for discrimination. We are one race—human—and we are meant to work together as one community. As we continue our study of women, may we find the courage to stand up for equality for all people.