Which is Greater?

Justin M. Vera

Ms. Katie Jones

Eng. 210

June 14, 2018

Which is Greater?

“21 So the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man’s ribs[g] and then closed up the place with flesh. 22 Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib[h] he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man” (Genesis 2:21-22, Bible Gateway).

According to the Biblical origins of man, women were taken out of the side of man, God could have taken any other part of the body, the head, the foot, or even created woman the same way that He created man. Scholars have debated over why is it that this was done, Simple. To show that man and woman are equal partners, and neither is above, or below one another. Then, there is to say: parents. The question also arises; which is Greater? Well this is like asking which of the two is more important for survival: air or water. As you need both air and water for your survival. You cannot replace their importance. Both parents are important, they both produced the sex cells for producing offspring, they both keep their children on the right track. Yet, the mother has to be burdened for nine (9) months with a child inside of her. Whilst, the father teaches the growing child to be strong by daily example when he comes after long hours at work, to a home and family that wants to spend time. Both mother and father have their own untouched and important roles in our lives which cannot be compared! However the most significant differences are the mother’s roles: she is mostly the one who cleans, nurses, and nurtures the family.

First of all, a mother is the primary cleaner of the household. This cleaning can be both literally and figuratively. To illustrate, the literal meaning is just that, she cleans in and around the house hold. However, the figurative meaning is more important, her “cleaning up” is of the families blunders. For example: The mother’s child was playing soccer and he accidentally broke a neighbor’s window. The child immediately runs home to his mother, because he knows she will sort things out, and she does. Moreover, even when the children, or the father, are the ones doing the cleaning, the mother is supervising to see if it is both done right and things are stored away properly. This is but one of the differences in the role of mother hood.

The second is that the mother nurses the family. Again, this word is ambiguous in that it can be interpreted literally and figuratively. For instance, the literal meaning is done when the children are young, and the mother nurses them. The second, however, is when the mother consoles the family after their day went horrible, be it if they broke up with someone, got dumped, or just had a rough day at work or school. The father, on the other hand, delegates, and in many instances, benefits from this role himself. To illustrate: the father comes home from work, only to find his daughter in tears, he asks what is wrong, only to find out the daughter is crying because she had her first menstruation. He feels uncomfortable and calls in the mother to explain and comfort the child. This moment is yet another instance of a mother’s role in the family.   

Last but certainly not least, the mother is the nurturer. The idiomatic expression: “The man builds the house, but the woman makes the home.” The evidence highlights that men are often the ones who build or acquire houses for their families, but women provide the things that make a house into a home. These things are the above mentioned and also their nurturing that brings it all together. Women are the more comprehensive of the two sexes, so they have the shoulder one can cry on, and they are the ones that can offer more heartfelt advice that makes one feel better after having talked to them. It is true that many households do not have the luxury of having both parents at home, this is the sad reality of modern day society. However those who have at least a mother present know for a fact that at the end of the day, against all odds, against every hardship, even if it is around a table with a plate of beans and tortilla in front, you can count on her motherly nurturing advice. 

To sum up, it is not that either father or mother is important, they both are.  But, it seems that mothers have more roles, and these roles are what form and solidify a family unit. Mothers do have to clean, nurse, and nurture the family, but they are not just a one sided force. Without dad the family would have to suffice on misery and scraps, stretched from day to day. Without a mom the family would live in luxury, but not have an outlet where to unload the day’s problems. Both mother and father have their own untouched and important roles in our lives which cannot be compared! However, if you are still reluctant to want to compare one or the other, then I leave you with the question: Which is greater? 

Reference

Bible Gateway. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis 2:4-3:24&version=NIV