In a culture that showed low regard for women, Luke 7 and 8 record five amazing, revealing encounters of Jesus with women or girls.

In Luke 7:13 he encounters a widow who is in the funerary procession, mourning her son. We have no fanfare recorded, simply a miracle for a grieving mother; he raised her son. The second encounter takes place (Lk 7:36-50) in a Pharisee’s home when a woman, a SINNER, comes in and uninvited, takes the place of a servant in ministering to Jesus. The Pharisee responds as a Pharisee, but she leaves there forgiven and in peace. The third reference is in 8:1-3, where we are reminded of the women who followed Jesus – including Mary of Magdala. The fourth (vs43-47) is the woman who touched him and was healed. The last was a little girl (vs 49-56) who had died, and he raised her. That is the Christ who cares.