Patricia Daly

The Women in His Life: What Jesus Saw in Them Patricia Daly

Publisher Marketing: "The Women in His Life: What Jesus Saw in Them" gives the reader a peek into the mind of Jesus through the creative expression of the author as she imagines his relationships with the women of the New Testament. This is a collection of forty-three stories about women in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Each story begins with a verse or verses from the New Testament, followed by the words the author imagines Jesus would have spoken to express his thoughts and feelings about the women he interacted with or heard about during his life. The author has given a name to some of the women who otherwise are nameless in the gospels. She has used modern vernacular to enable the reader to imagine how Jesus might have told these stories today. Against the historical, cultural, and religious backdrop of the restricted public role of women in the first century, Jesus comes through as a man who honored, appreciated, and respected the true value, importance and needs of women. He enjoyed their company and celebrated with them. He was gentle, playful, and challenging. He treated women as equals. He honored their natural gifts and disregarded the societal conventions that forbade him from interacting with them. Speaking and listening to women directly, he looked into the hearts of all he encountered with compassion and love as he ministered to them. He drew from them their opinions and ideas and they responded to him with love, loyalty, and respect. He was a Zealot who also was tender and caring. This unique, thought-provoking book will be of interest to those who already enjoy a spiritual relationship with Jesus as well as those who are simply curious to know more about the historical man whose life has impacted the world for more than 2,000 years. It can be read in a book club or a women's spiritual group. It can be used for personal meditation or as a Bible study aide for those who enjoy women's New Testament studies.