Entourage

Entourage

Luke 8:1-3, NLT

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 twelve disciples with him, 2along 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; 3Joanna, the wife of Chuza, Herod’s business manager; Susanna; and many others who were contributing their own resources to support Jesus and his disciples.

Setting the Scene

Women played a leading role in the Gospel of Luke. Beginning with the story of Jesus’ birth, the Greek physician included women as active participants in Jesus’ ministry. The Nativity is seen through Mary’s eyes, with such intimate notes that Mary may have been one of Luke’s many eyewitness sources for compiling his record of Jesus’ life and ministry.

As the eighth chapter of Luke opens, Jesus leaves Capernaum, his home base, and leads a group of followers on a ministry “tour” of surrounding cities. This preaching trip included stops in cities around the northern end of the Sea of Galilee. By now the twelve disciples have been chosen. A number of women also join the group, including three who are named: Mary Magdalene, Joanna, and Susanna.

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 résumé. In the culture of the day, established businesspeople and leaders would be prohibited from the traveling lifestyle the disciples had. Peter, James, John, and the rest needed a specific challenge; the women simply responded to Jesus’ character and words—they followed. Women were at the cross, while many disciples hid. They were also at the tomb early while the eleven grieved, and so they were the first to discover the joyful truth of the Resurrection.

The three women Luke names came with history. Mary Magdalene had been afflicted with multiple demons, which Jesus expelled. Luke 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 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 to Luke’s original audience, since Luke doesn’t mention her town of origin or a male relative.

These three and other women would probably not have been allowed to carry out public duties like preaching, but Luke notes that they used their personal means to support the efforts of Jesus’ traveling band. They partnered in ministry with their money. 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 also. Jesus was not simply speaking about an ideal that might be achieved at some future date. He was modeling the diversity, unity, and love of people whose connection to one another through Jesus Christ overcame any other barrier. Luke was describing an early form of community that would later be called the church (ekklesia), the ones called out by God for his purposes.

Getting Personal

Who are some of the most diverse people you have come to know because of your mutual connection with Jesus Christ?

In what ways are your resources being used to support the ministry of Christ’s Kingdom?

As he invested in the lives of others, Jesus ignored many of the social barriers that kept people separate. This breaking down of walls is still a hallmark of the Kingdom of God.

Talking to God

Praise God for the diversity of your community of believers. Ask God to make you part of his ministry of breaking down the walls that separate people in our contemporary culture.