The most obvious example though is the Mary and Martha story. Martha was in classic co-dependent mode ‘taking care’ of everyone with a martyr attitude that led her to persecute Mary, who wasn’t being as ‘loving’ as Martha herself.

And Jesus compassionately describes the classic co-dependent state of mind “Martha, you’re troubled about many things.” Mary meanwhile was doing what was more important to her than being a good hostess. She was listening to Jesus.

Mary is not chided by Jesus that she should have been taking care of others, like Martha was. Jesus says that Mary chose a better thing to do, taking care of her spiritual development, and that she shouldn’t stop because someone thought she was too heavenly minded to be of earthly good.

What we must all do is go back to the Bible and challenge religious leaders on their own terms. There’s usually lots of areas in which they are missing the clear teaching of the Bible — such as the wonderfully equal role of women in the New Covenant.

In Christ’s family there can be no division into Jew and non-Jew, slave and free, male and female. Among us you are all equal.
Galatians 3:28 (MSG)