Wednesday 22 July 2009
- Bible Book:
- Luke
"He went on through cities and villages, proclaiming and bringing the good news of the kingdom of God." (v.1)
Background
Luke takes this brief paragraph to summarise the ministry ofJesus and his close group of followers: proclaiming the good newsof the kingdom of God is its centre-piece. However, the fascinatingthing about these verses is the appearance of women among Jesus'supporters. The "twelve" are all men, called individually by Jesusto be his inner circle of disciples (
Luke is the only Gospel-writer to introduce women as permanentmembers of Jesus' group this early during his ministry. The otherGospels do not mention them until the Crucifixion and their namesdiffer among the Gospels.
The best known is Mary 'called Magdalene' whose day it is today inthe Church calendar. She came from a place called Magdala. Jesuscured her of seven demons, seven being an important Jewish numberdenoting completeness. In other words, she had had the full works,a particularly severe affliction. This Mary went on to play anespecially important part in the story of Jesus. There is no reasonto identify her with the woman who washes Jesus' feet with hertears in the preceding passage (as is sometimes done).
Joanna's husband was a senior official at the court of HerodAntipas, the king of Galilee in Jesus' day, who had John theBaptist beheaded (
What we do know about all these women healed by Jesus is that theyhad independent means. They provided for Jesus and the maledisciples out of their own resources. Probably, they went on to beprominent in the early Church.
To Ponder
How do you think the disciples and people ingeneral felt about women being in Jesus' close group? And how doyou think the women felt?
How do you think Joanna's husband Chuza may havefelt about her following Jesus and spending her money on supportinghis work?