Who REALLY Said It?

Are some words considered 'idle' because of who says them? If it is a woman repeating the words of Jesus, or the prophets, as is referenced in Luke 24:25, does it make it untrue because a woman is speaking it?

The women who had followed Jesus tirelessly, after they had prepared the spices to anoint his body, went to the tomb. They found it empty, with two angels standing nearby, who reminded them of Jesus' words, which they remembered. But, when they repeated these happenings to the disciples, 'their words seemed to them as idle tales, and they believed them not.' 'Idle tales' in the lexicon means 'folly' or 'nonsense.' Were the disciples still so much without understanding that they discounted the women, even though they spoke of actions that Jesus had foretold about himself?

The obvious conclusion, as given in the account surrounding the resurrection, was that the women understood what Jesus, and his mission, was REALLY about. The men were nowhere to be found. Even some later went back to what they had once done because of their lack of understanding.

Was their disbelief because of the words spoken, or because of who said it? It is an interesting concept, as women today are still not taken as seriously called into ministry by some denominations, even though they serve side by side with them in the journey, just as the women who followed Jesus did. Did the disciples feel that, with Jesus gone, that they did not have to have to same respect for them as he did? Did they revert back to their tradition and customs that women were not equal to them now that their revolutionary leader was out of the picture? Yet Jesus himself, as well as the angel of the Lord, told the women to 'go tell the disciples." (Matthew 28:1-10)

But, Peter reacted differently. He ran to the tomb to see for himself. After seeing the linen clothes, he went away wondering what had happened. Could it be, that since Peter was married that he was more respectful of women than his unmarried counterparts?

Paul, in Galatians 3:28-29, explains it in explicit terms: There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's descendants, heirs according to promise.

God wants those that are obedient to Him; our external gender does not dictate who we are in Him.