Prayer
Loving God, thank you for the gift of dwelling in your Word. As we trace the footsteps of the faithful women who journeyed alongside Jesus and the male disciples, deepen our own journey of discipleship. Help us walk in obedience, with joy, courage, and purpose. In Jesus’s mighty, matchless, and precious name, amen.
Key Scripture
Luke 8:1-3
“Soon afterwards [Jesus] went on through cities and villages, proclaiming and bringing the good news of the kingdom of God. The twelve were with him, as well as some women who had been cured of evil spirits and infirmities: Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, and Joanna, the wife of Herod’s steward Chuza, and Susanna, and many others, who provided for them out of their resources.” (Luke 8:1-3)
Companion Texts Tracing the Journey
Luke 9:51; 23:48-49; 24:5b-10; Acts 1:12-14
Main Point
Women traveled with Jesus throughout his earthly ministry, bearing witness to his teachings and miracles, and staying with him all the way to the cross. God chose them to experience Jesus’s healing power and then empowered them to leave everything and follow him, along with the male disciples. These women weren’t just tag-alongs; they were vital, engaged participants in Jesus’s ministry throughout the Galilee, and they remained dedicated even when the time came to go “up to Jerusalem.” Ultimately, these faithful women became the first to learn and share the good news of the risen Christ.
Introduction to the Women Who Followed Jesus
When we think of Jesus’s travels, we tend to imagine him surrounded by male disciples, right? Yet, right here in Luke’s Gospel, we glimpse a richer story in which women are actively part of Jesus’s entourage! Mary Magdalene, Joanna, and Susanna are named, but there were many others, too. They were part of the large group of disciples who left their daily lives behind to follow Jesus.
These women likely witnessed Jesus performing miracles throughout the villages surrounding the Sea of Galilee. After their own healing encounters with Jesus, they responded by dropping everything to join him—a bold move for anyone, but especially so for women in antiquity. Scripture doesn’t explain how they were able to do this, but we can imagine it took courage and determination.
These women weren’t exclusively financial benefactors either, as some biblical translations say. Looking at the original text, we find that they were fully engaged in serving and ministering alongside Jesus and the other disciples. In fact, it was these female disciples who remained most faithful to Jesus. In the end, they are the ones who believed, remembered, and as a result, were the first to learn—and share—the good news of the resurrection.
Digging Deeper
What do we know about Mary, Joanna, and Susanna? These three women shared much in common. In the first place, they were all healed in some way by Jesus. This transformation motivated them to commit their lives to following him. Scholars now understand the “demons and other spirits” could have been any number of health concerns, including mental illness like depression and anxiety. Nowhere in the text are their illnesses attributed to sinful behavior. These were upstanding women in society. Whatever their ailments, these women were compelled to leave their lives behind and travel with Jesus as his disciples.
Secondly, these are women of means. They provided financial support, and may even have brought servants along to help with the cooking and other tasks. These women must also have had a certain degree of autonomy that gave them the ability to leave their lives for an extended time period. In those days, a woman leaving her household without a husband, brother, or other male family member with her was rare, especially to join a rag-tag group following a humbly dressed rabbi around the region!
Finally, these three women were not the only women following Jesus. Verse 3 says there were also “many others.” The Greek word here is pollai, the feminine plural of polus. These women had strength in numbers! Their activities are described using the Greek word, diēkonoun, which means “serving” or “ministering to.” This word comes from diakonos, from which we get the term “deacon.” The examination of these Greek words helps us say with confidence that Jesus’s disciples included many women who ministered alongside him and the more well-known (male) disciples.
Mary (called Magdalene) came from the fishing village of Magdala. Some scholars think Magdalene could have been Jesus’s nickname for her, similar to calling Peter the “rock.” Magdala means “tower,” a symbol of strength. She is the only one who appears in all four Gospels at Jesus’s crucifixion, death, and resurrection. A spouse or children are never mentioned, so she is mostly likely single. She is Jesus’s close confidant, friend, and has even been called an Apostle to the Apostles. Is that surprising? She unfortunately picked up a false reputation as a prostitute, but there is no scriptural evidence to that effect. This was written in a sermon by a sixth-century pope and, sadly, the label stuck. We need to take every opportunity to correct this narrative.
Joanna was a noblewoman, married to Chuza, the household manager of the local ruler, Herod Antipas. They would have been living in his palace in Tiberias, the regional capital. Joanna is interesting because she somehow managed to convince her husband to allow her to leave the palace to go on the road with Jesus, something rare for any woman, but especially for one living within the confines of the Roman Empire’s bureaucracy.
Not much is known about Susanna, whose name means “lily,” a symbol of purity. This has led some scholars to think she was a young woman, representing youth. Sadly, her story has been lost to time, though she remains an important part of this intrepid trio.
But there is more to know about these women than their backstories. They traveled with Jesus along dusty roads and mountain passes, through pungent-smelling markets, and pressing crowds. They traveled throughout Judea and Samaria (Luke 9:51). They even walked along the treacherous Jericho road to Jerusalem.
They followed Jesus where he went, and also stayed with him when things went sideways. They watched from a distance as Jesus was tried, convicted, and nailed to the cross (Luke 23:48-49). How frightening and painful that must have been. Later, they went to care for his body at the tomb, but instead found angels there who urged them to remember what Jesus had told them back in Galilee. The women did remember and believed. This deep faith led them to become the first to learn and share the good news of Christ’s resurrection (Luke 24:5b-10). We find the women still dedicated in the book of Acts. The Lukan author writes that the apostles were all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers (Acts 1:12, 14).
#SheIsCalled and We Are Called
So, what does this mean for our lives today? These women remind us about the power of a relationship with Christ and how it can propel us to do things we never thought possible! They reveal to us that Jesus’s disciples consisted of men and women—all God’s children! We can rest assured that no matter who we are, we are meant to co-labor with God, sharing our resources, talents, and gifts to God’s glory and the upbuilding of God’s reign here on earth.
We can be like Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Susanna, and the many other women and men who journeyed with Jesus. We can bravely hope and faithfully believe. We can step out in faith to do courageous things that have a positive impact on those around us.
But how do we do this? How do we follow the example of these faithful women disciples? Let’s consider the God-given attributes these women possessed that helped them boldly embrace their calling
The faithful women were open to being healed, and they were grateful for that healing. They were obedient to God’s call on their lives, which compelled them to be generous with their time, talent, and treasures. When the other disciples fled after Jesus’s arrest, the faithful women were courageous and determined, trusting and trustworthy. When they told of Jesus’s resurrection and the others doubted, these women remained prophetic and credible witnesses. They were loyal to the end of Jesus’s earthly life and faithful as the message of the resurrection spread throughout the world.
As you reflect on the attributes of these faithful women, which feel most familiar in your faith journey? Which would you most like to strengthen and develop? You may even have other attributes to add to the list, as you discover your own gifts as a disciple of Jesus. Jesus wants a deep relationship with each of us, and for all of us to be well-equipped to share his love with others, helping them to also join the journey.
Conclusion
Women were a strong presence among Jesus’s disciples: traveling, ministering, witnessing, praying, believing, providing, and ultimately being the first to share the good news of Jesus Christ with others.
Indeed, women were chosen by God to be active participants in and prophetic witnesses of the whole narrative of Jesus’s ministry, trial, death, and resurrection.
This story helps us see that journeying with Jesus is a shared discipleship and leadership model of women and men—all God’s children, old and young, rich and poor—all traveling together. The Jesus Way is a way of community and encouragement. We need each other and the world needs us, now more than ever.
