What does it mean to be a ‘man’?

It is an important question because gender – male and female – is part of the gifted embodiment of God at creation. It is external to humanity. It is part of human identity, connected to bearing the ‘image of God’. And, we have to ask what it means to be ‘male’ (and ‘female’), because that is who we are.

The answers proliferate. Everything from ‘toxic masculinity’ through to ‘sensitive new age guy’, from ‘putting food on the table’ through to ‘whatever you make it’. What does it mean to be a ‘man’?

God’s word doesn’t complicate things too much. And the answer is surprising. There is not much protecting or providing, not even much about sensitivity – it is simply something like this: ‘to be a man is to garden with God’s word’. It is to fulfil the role given to all humans by knowing and applying and practicing the word of the LORD God.

Now, there are many things that go into this, and there are physical realities that are uncontested… but, consistently, the man is the man because he is given the responsibility to hear, know, and apply God’s word so that gardening-in-relationship can happen, and the rest with God enjoyed.