“Soon afterward
Jesus began a tour of the nearby towns and villages, preaching and announcing
the Good News about the Kingdom of God. He took his twelves disciples with him,
along with some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases. Among
them were Mary Magdalene, from whom he had cast out seven demons; Joanna, the
wife of Chuza, Herod’s business manager; Susanna; and many others who were
contributing their own resources to support Jesus and his disciples”
(Luke 8:1-3, NLT).
People have often wondered
why Jesus never called any women in the way he called the twelve disciples.
Knowing the character of the disciples as we do, Jesus invitation to “follow me” wasn’t given based on some
kind of impressive resume. In the culture of the day, established business
people and leaders would be prohibited from the travelling lifestyle the
disciples had. Peter, James, John, and the rest needed a specific challenge;
the women, however, simply responded to Jesus’ character and words – they
followed. Women were at the cross, while the disciples hid. They were also at
the tomb early while the eleven grieved, and so they were the first to discover
the joyful of Jesus’ resurrection.
The three women – Mary
Magdalene, Joanna and Susanna –were written in the Christian history. Mary
Magdalene had been afflicted with multiple demons, which Jesus expelled. This
explanation captures the basis for this Mary’s connection with Jesus. She
filled the void evil left behind with devotion to the One who set her free.
Joanna, on the other hand, was a woman with social influence and an important
husband, which shows that Jesus drew followers from every strata of society.
Susanna, who is not mentioned anywhere else in Scripture, may have been a
person widely known during Jesus’ time.
These three and other
women would probably not have been allowed to carry out public duties like
preaching and baptizing, but the Scripture notes that they used their personal
means to support the efforts of Jesus’ travelling band. They partnered in
ministry with their money (Btw, this shows that Jesus and his disciples were
not wealthy and materially rich. Thus, I sometime wonder, what is the basis of
today’s prosperity gospel teaching in the light of Jesus’ earthly life and
ministry?). Yet these women also bore witness to Jesus’ power in their lives.
Their presence made practical the “preaching and
announcing the Good News about the Kingdom of God.” Citizenship in
Jesus’ Kingdom was open to women too. No discrimination. Jesus wasn’t simply speaking about an ideal Kingdom that might be
achieved at some future date. He was modelling the diversity, unity and love of
people whose connection to one another through Jesus Christ overcame any other
barrier. Here the writer was describing an early form of community that
would later be called the church (ekklesia),
the ones called out by God for his purposes.
Think about this: As Jesus invested in the lives of others,
he ignored many of the social barriers that kept people separate such as
gender, race, nationality, social class, language, personality, etc. This
breaking down of walls is still a hallmarks of the Kingdom of God. Remember
– Peter, John, James and Andrew were fisherman; John and James were called “Son of Thunder” due to their vengeful
and fiery attitudes; Philip and Bartholomew were ‘good-boys’ very well versed in the Hebrew Scriptures; Matthew an
ex-tax collector; Thomas the doubter; James of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus and Judas
Iscariot were probably members of the revolutionary group called the Zealots;
Saul of Tarsus or Paul was a Pharisees; maybe Nicodemus remained a Pharisees;
and on and on. Jesus brought all of them together. You and me together. Us and
them together. Jesus brings the Gospel of peace.
THINK BIG.
START SMALL. GO DEEP.
