Jesus was a respecter of women

JESUS WAS A RESPECTEROF WOMEN
EDITED BY GLENN PEASE
Luke 8:1-3 1After this, Jesus traveled about from one town
and village to another, proclaiming the good news of the
kingdom of God. The Twelve were with him, 2and also some
women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases:
Mary (called Magdalene) from whom seven demons had
come out; 3Joanna the wife of Chuza, the manager of
Herod's household; Susanna; and many others. These
women were helping to support them out of their own
means.
BIBLEHUB RESOURCES
Pulpit Commentary Homiletics
Christianity And Woman
Luke 8:2, 3
W. Clarkson
We have seen(Luke 2:36-38)that woman, in the person of Anna, welcomed
the infant Saviour to the world; it was most fitting that she should do so, for
Christianity and womanhoodhave had a very 'close relationship, and
undoubtedly will have even to the end.

I. WHAT CHRISTIANITY OWES TO WOMAN.
1. Its Divine Author and the Objectof its worship was, "as concerning the
flesh," born of a woman (Galatians 4:4). The Son of God was, in a true and
important sense, the "Sonof Mary."
2. He owedthe care and the training of his childhood to a human mother.
3. He received, during his active life, the generous provision of ministering
women (see text); these, out of" their substance," suppliedhis necessities.
4. He found some of his best disciples and of his most faithful attendants in
women (Matthew 27:65).
5. He had the comfortof the near presence of three devoted womenin his last
agonies (John19:25). Closerto him in that awful hour than the ruthless
soldier and the taunting enemy, rendering him a silent and sorrowfulbut not
unvalued sympathy, stoodthree women who loved him for all that he was in
himself and for all he had been to them.
6. Last at the cross, womenwere first at the sepulchre (Luke 23:55, 56; Luke
24:1).
7. Women were united with the apostles in the upper room, waiting and
praying for the further manifestationof the Lord after his ascension(Acts
1:14).
8. The apostle of the Gentiles owedmuch to womenin his abundant and
fruitful labours (Philippians 4:3).
9. From that time to this, women have been rendering valuable service to the
cause ofJesus Christ: the mother of Augustine, the mother of the Wesleys,
and many hundreds more have, by their holy and faithful motherhood, done
signalservice to the gospel. In these later days, moved by the Spirit of God,
women have, by their writings and by their "prophesyings," effectedgreat
things for the furtherance of the truth as it is in Jesus Christ. And it is right
that it should be so;for we have to consider -
II. WHAT WOMAN OWES TO CHRISTIANITY.

1. We know what barbarism does, and fails to do, for woman.
2. We know also whatGreek and Romancivilization did, and failed to do, for
her; in how unsatisfactorya condition it left her; how completelyit failed to
raise her. to her true spiritual dignity. We know what Christianity has done
and is doing for her.
(1) Jesus Christ taught and enforcedthe transcendent value of every human
soul.
(2) He admitted women into his kingdom on the same terms on which he
receivedmen: "In him is neither male nor female."
(3) He gave to women a sphere of honorable service in his kingdom; not only
(as above) accepting their loving ministry for himself, but for his disciples
also.
(4) Influenced increasinglyby these ideas, the Church of Christ has been
giving to womana place of growing honour and usefulness;it has made her
the full helpmeet and equal companionof man; it has openedfor her the
gatewayofknowledge and influence; it has placed her on the highest seatto
receive its respect, its affection, its service. We may look at -
III. THE SPECIAL CONTRIBUTIONS WHICHWOMAN MAY RENDER.
1. When not bound by domestic ties, she canoffer, as these womendid, of her
worldly substance.
2. She can minister, as man cannot, to the sick and suffering; she has a gentle
touch of hand and a tenderness and patience of spirit for which we look to
man in vain.
3. She can train the child in the home, and, by giving to him or her the earliest
and deepestimpressions concerning Divine love, prepare for noblest work in
after-years in various fields of holy service. - C.

Mary of Magdala
T. S. Dickson, M. A.
Luke 8:2-3
And certain women, which had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities,
Mary called Magdalene,out of whom went seven devils,…
This woman has "suffered much at the hand of many" commentators;
preachers, painters, and poets, ancientand modern. It is high time to do
something to remove the foul stain which has so long rested on her fair fame.
In the various notices of her history in the Gospels she exhibits" a character
as pure and as devoted from the very first as any in the Gospelpages — a
characternot displaying merely the reflex action of a repentant spirit, but the
faith which workethby love." She was —
I. A GREAT SUFFERERHEALED BY CHRIST (Luke 8:2).
II. A GREAT MINISTRANT TO CHRIST (Luke 8:2, 3; Mark 15:41).
III. A FAITHFUL ADHERENT TO CHRIST. She follows Him to the last,
and is one of the women who played such a prominent part in connectionwith
the death, burial, and resurrection of the Saviour (Mark 15:40;John 19:25).
IV. A SINCERE MOURNER FOR CHRIST (cf. Matthew 27:61;Mark 15:47;
John 20:1, 2, 11-18).

V. AN HONOURED MESSENGEROF CHRIST (John 20:17, 18; Mark
16:10).
(T. S. Dickson, M. A.)
Self-Devotionof Women
Biblical Illustrator
Luke 8:2-3
The recklessrapture of self-forgetfulness,that which dominates and inspires
persons and nations, that which is sovereignoverobstacle and difficulty, and
peril and resistance,it has belongedto woman's heart from the beginning. In
the early Pagantime, in the Christian development, in missions and in
martyrdoms, it has been shown;in the mediaeval age as well as in our own
time; in Harriet Neweland Florence Nightingale;in Ann Haseltine as truly
and as vividly as in any Hebrew Hadassahor in any FrenchJoanof Arc. You
remember the Prussianwomen after the battle of Jena, when Prussia seemed
trampled into the bloody mire under the cannon of Napoleonand the feet of
the horses and men in .his victorious armies. Prussianwomen, never losing
their courage, flung their ornaments of gold and jewelleryinto the treasury of
the State, taking back the simple cross ofBerlin iron, which is now the
precious heirloom in so many Prussianfamilies, bearing the inscription, "I
have gold for iron." That is the glory of womanhood;that passionand self-
forgetfulness, that supreme self-devotionwith which she flings herselfinto the

championship of a cause that is dear and sacredand trampled under foot. It is
her crownof renown, it is her staff of power. (Dr. Storrs.)
The Ministry of Women
A. Maclaren, D. D.
Luke 8:2-3
We know very little about the womenof this little group. Mary of Magdala
has had a very hard fate. The Scripture record of her is very sweetand
beautiful. Demoniacalpossessionwas neitherphysical infirmity nor moral
evil, howevermuch it may have simulated sometimes the one or the other.
Then as to Joanna, the wife of Chuza, Herod's steward, old Church tradition
tells us that she was the consortof the nobleman whose sonChrist healedat
Capernaum. It does not seemvery likely that Herod's stewardwould have
been living in Capernaum, and the narrative before us rather seems to show
that she herself was the recipient of healing from His hands. However that
may be, Herod's court was not exactly the place to look for Christian disciples.
But, you know, they of Caesar's householdsurrounded with their love the
apostle whom Nero murdered, and it is by no means an uncommon experience
that the servants' hall knows and loves Christ, whom the lord in the saloon
does not care about. And then as for Susanna, is it not a sweetfate to be
known to all the world for evermore by one line only, which tells of her service
to her Master.

I. LOOK AT THE CENTRE FIGURE — THE PAUPER CHRIST — AS
THE GREAT PATTERN AND MOTIVE FOR US OF THE LOVE THAT
BECOMESPOOR.
1. The noblest life that was everlived on earth was the life of a poor man, of
one who emptied Himself for our sakes.
2. Think of the love that stoops to be served. It is much to say, "The Son of
Man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister"; but I do not know that
it is not more to say that the Son of Man let this record be written, which tells
us that " certain women ministered to Him of their substance."
II. Look at the complement of this love — the love that stoops to be served,
and that is THE LOVE THAT DELIGHTS TO SERVE.
1. There is the foundation. "Certain womenwhich had been healed of their
infirmities." Ah! there you come to it. The consciousnessofredemption is the
one master-touchthat evokes the gratitude that aches to breathe itself in
service.
2. Do we not minister to Him best when we do the thing that is nearestHis
heart, and help Him most in the purpose of His life and death?
III. THE REMEMBRANCE AND RECORDOF THIS SERVICE. Justas a
beam of light enables us to see all the motes dancing up and down that lay in
its path, so the beam from Christ's life shoots athwartthe societyof His age,
and all those little insignificant people come for a moment into the full lustre
of the light. The eternity of work done for Christ. How many deeds of faithful

love and noble devotion are all compressedinto these words: " Which
ministered unto Him." It is the old story of how life shrinks, and shrinks, and
shrinks in the record. How many acres of greenforestferns in the long ago
time went to make up a seamof coalas thick as a sixpence? Still there is the
record, compressed, indeed, but existent. And how many names may drop
out? Do you not think that these anonymous "many others which ministered"
were just as dear to Jesus Christ as Mary and Joanna and Susanna? How
strange it must be to those womennow I So it will be to you all when you get
up yonder. We shall have to say, "Lord, when saw I Thee?" &c. He will put a
meaning and a majesty into it that we know nothing about at present. When
we in our poor love have poorly ministered unto Him, who in His greatlove
greatly died for us, then at the last the wonderful word will be fulfilled:
"Verily I sayunto you, He shall gird Himself and make them to sit down to
meat, and will come forth and serve them."
(A. Maclaren, D. D.)
STUDYLIGHTRESOURCES
Adam Clarke Commentary
Herod's steward- Though the original word, επιτροπος, signifies sometimes
the inspectoror overseerofa province, and sometimes a tutor of children, yet
here it seems to signify the overseer ofHerod's domestic affairs: the steward
of his household. Stewardof the household was an office in the king's palace
by s. 24, of Hen. VIII. The person is now entitled lord stewardof the king's
household, and the office is, I believe, more honorable and of more
importance than when it was first created. Junius derives the word from the
Islandic stivardur, which is compounded of stia, work, and vardur, a keeper,

or overseer:hence our words, warder, warden, ward, guard, guardian, etc.
The Greek wordin Hebrew letters is frequent in the rabbinical writings,
no eeS .ecnivorp a fo relur ytuped eht mehtgnoma seifingis dna , ‫אפיטדופום‬
Luke 16:1; (note). In the Islandic version, it is forsionarmanns .
Unto him - Instead of αυτῳ, to him, meaning Christ, many of the bestMSS.
and versions have αυτοις, to them, meaning both our Lord and the twelve
apostles, seeLuke 8:1. This is unquestionably the true meaning.
Christ receives these assistances andministrations, says pious Quesnel, -
To honor poverty by subjecting himself to it.
To humble himself in receiving from his creatures.
That he may teach the ministers of the Gospelto depend on the providence of
their heavenly Father.
To make way for the gratitude of those he had healed. And,
5. That he might not be burthensome to the poor to whom he went to preach.
Albert Barnes'Notes onthe Whole Bible
Herod‘s steward- Herod Antipas, who reigned in Galilee. He was a son of
Herod the Great. The word “steward” means one who has charge of the
domestic affairs of a family, to provide for it. This office was generallyheld by
a “slave” who was esteemedthe most faithful, and was oftenconferred as a
reward of fidelity.
Ministered - Gave for his support.
Of their substance - Their property; their possessions. Christians then
believed, when they professedto follow Christ, that it was proper to give “all”
up to him - their property as well as their hearts; and the same thing is still
required that is, to commit all that we have to his disposal; to be willing to

part with it for the promotion of his glory, and to leave it when he calls us
awayfrom it.
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible
And Joanna, the wife of Chuza, Herod's steward,.... Joanna,orJuchan, as the
Syriac version calls her, was a name, among the Jews, for a woman, as
Jochanan, orJohn, was for a man. In the TalmudF5 we read of one Jochani,
or Joanni, the daughter of Retibi, the same name with this. Her husband's
name was Chuza. Dr. Lightfoot observes, from a Talmudic treatiseF6, sucha
name in the genealogyofHaman, who is called the son of Chuza; and Haman
being an Edomite, and this man being in the family of Herod, who was of that
race, suggests it to be an Idumean name. But in my edition of that treatise,
Haman is not calledthe son of Chuza, but ‫רב‬ ‫יכ‬ dna ;"aziC fo nos eht" ,‫זא‬
besides, Chuza is a Jewishname, and the name of a family of note among the
Jews:hence we readF7 of R. Broka the Chuzite; where the gloss is, "for he
was", ‫יבמ‬ ‫,יאזוח‬ "ofthe family of Chuzai". And elsewhereF8 mention is made
of two sons of Chuzai; and both the gloss, and Piske Haroshupon the place,
say, "they were Jews":so Abimi is said to be of the family of Chuzai, or the
ChuzitesF9;and the same is said of R. AchaF11. This man, here mentioned,
was Herod's steward;a steward of Herod the "tetrarch", of Galilee. The
Arabic versioncalls him his "treasurer";and the Vulgate Latin, and the
Ethiopic versions, his "procurator";and some have thought him to be a
deputy governorof the province under him; but he seems rather to be a
governor, or "chief of his house", as the Syriac version renders it: he was one
that presided in his family, and managedhis domestic affairs;was an overseer
of them, as Josephwas in Potiphar's house;and the same Greek wordthat is
here used, is adopted by the Jews into their language, andused of JosephF12:
and who moreoversayF13,
"let not a man appoint a stewardin his house;for if Potiphar had not
appointed Joseph, ‫,סופורטופא‬ "a steward" in his house, he had not come into
that matter,'

of calumny and reproach. It was common for kings, princes, and greatmen, to
have such an officer in their families. We readF14 of a stewardof king
Agrippa's, who was of this same family. The Persic versionis very foreign to
the purpose, making Chuza to be "of the family of Herod". This man might
be either dead, as some have conjectured;or, if living, might be secretlya
friend of Christ, and so willing that his wife should follow him; or, if an
enemy, such was her zealfor Christ, that she cheerfully exposedherself to all
his resentments;and chose rathermeanness, contempt, and persecutionwith
Christ, and for his sake, than to enjoy all the pleasures of Herod's court
without him.
And Susannah; this also was a name for a woman with the, Jews, as appears
from the history of one of this name with them, which stands among the
apocryphal writings. She, as well as Joanna, and perhaps also Mary
Magdalene, were rich, and persons of substance, as wellas note, as should
seemby what follows:"and many others"; that is, many other women; for the
words, are of the feminine gender:
which ministered unto him of their substance;four ancient copies ofBeza's,
and five of Stephens's, and the Syriac version read, "which ministered unto
them"; that is, to Christ, and his disciples, as the Persic versionexpresses it.
This shows the gratitude of these women, who having receivedfavours from
Christ, both for their souls and bodies, make returns to him out of their
worldly substance, in a way of thankfulness; and also the low estate ofChrist,
and his disciples, who stoodin need of such ministrations; and may be an
instruction to the churches of Christ to take care of their ministers, and to
communicate in all goodthings to them, of whose spiritual things they
partake;and may be a direction to them to minister to them of what is their
own substance, and not another's; and to minister a proper part, and not the
whole, as these women ministered to Christ, and his apostles, ofsubstance
which was their own, and that not all of it, but out of it.
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

Joanna, wife of Chuza, Herod‘s steward — If the stewardof such a godless,
cruel, and licentious wretch as Herod Antipas (see on Mark 6:14, etc.) differed
greatly from himself, his post would be no easyor enviable one. That he was a
disciple of Christ is very improbable, though he might be favorably disposed
towards Him. But what we know not of him, and may fear he lacked, we are
sure his wife possessed. Healedeitherof “evil spirits” or of some one of the
“infirmities” here referred to - the ordinary diseasesofhumanity - she joins in
the Savior's train of grateful, clinging followers. Of “Susanna,” next
mentioned, we know nothing but the name, and that here only. But her
services onthis memorable occasionhave immortalized her name.
“Wheresoeverthis gospelshall be preached throughout the whole world, this
also that she hath done,” in ministering to the Lord of her substance on His
Galileantour, “shallbe spokenof as a memorial of her” (Mark 14:9).
many others — that is, many other healed women. What a train! and all
ministering unto Him of their substance, and He allowing them to do it and
subsisting upon it! “He who was the support of the spiritual life of His people
disdained not to be supported by them in the body. He was not ashamedto
penetrate so far into the depths of poverty as to live upon the alms of love. He
only fed others miraculously; for Himself, He lived upon the love of His
people. He gave all things to men, His brethren, and receivedall things from
them, enjoying thereby the pure blessing of love: which is then only perfect
when it is at the same time both giving and receiving. Who could invent such
things as these? It was necessaryto live in this manner that it might be so
recorded” [Olshausen].
John Lightfoot's Commentary on the Gospels
3. And Joanna the wife of Chuza Herod's steward, and Susanna, and many
others, which ministered unto him of their substance.
[The wife of Chusa.] We meet with such a name in Haman's genealogy:"The
king promoted Haman the Hammedathite, the Agathite, the son of Cusa," &c.
The Targumist, Esther 5, reckoning up the same genealogy, mentions not this
name, and differs in others. Only this let us take notice of by the way, that

Chusa is a name in the family of Haman the Edomite, and this Cusa here was
in the family of Herod, who himself was of the blood of the Edomites.
People's New Testament
Joanna the wife of Chuza. Nothing more is known of her. As her husband held
a very responsible position, she must have been a woman of wealth and
influence.
Herod. Herod Antipas. See notes on Matthew 2:1.
Susanna. Not named elsewhere.
Ministered unto him. Contributed to his support. They used their means to
support Jesus and the apostles while preaching.
Robertson's WordPictures in the New Testament
Joanna (Ιωανα — Iōana). Her husband Χυζα — Chuzā steward(επιτροπου —
epitropou) of Herod, is held by some to be the nobleman (βασιλικος —
basilikos)of John 4:46-53 who believed and all his house. At any rate Christ
had a followerfrom the household of Herod Antipas who had such curiosity to
see and hear him. One may recallalso Manaen(Acts 13:1), Herod‘s foster
brother. Joanna is mentioned againwith Mary Magdalene in Luke 24:10.
Who ministered unto them (αιτινες διηκονουναυτοις — haitines diēkonoun
autois). Imperfect active of διακονεω — diakoneō commonverb, but note
augment as if from δια — dia and ακονεω — akoneō but from διακονος —
diakonos and that from δια — dia and κονις — konis (dust). The very fact

that Jesus now had twelve men going with him calledfor help from others and
the womenof means responded to the demand.
Of their substance (εκ των υπαρχοντωναυταις — ek tōn huparchontōn
autais). From the things belonging to them. This is the first woman‘s
missionary societyfor the support of missionaries ofthe Gospel. Theyhad
difficulties in their way, but they overcame these, so greatwas their gratitude
and zeal.
The Fourfold Gospel
and Joanna the wife of Chuzas Herod's steward1, and Susanna2, and many
others, who ministered unto them of their substance3.
Joanna the wife of Chuzas Herod's steward. Joanna is mentioned again at
Luke 24:10. Of Chuzas we know nothing more than what is stated here. There
are two Greek words for steward, "epitropos" and"oikonomos". The first
may be translated "administrator, superintendent, or governor". It conveys
the impressionof an officer or higher rank. The Jewishrabbis calledObadiah
the "epitropos" ofAhab. This was the office held by Chuzas, and its
translated "treasurer" in the Arabic version. The secondword may be
translated "housekeeper, ordomestic manager". It was an office usually held
by some trusted slave as a rewardfor his fidelity. Chuzas was no doubt a man
of means and influence. As there was no order of nobility in Galilee, and as
such an officer might be nevertheless styleda nobleman, this Chuzas was very
likely the nobleman of John 4:46. If so, the secondmiracle at Cana explains
the devotion of Joanna to Jesus. Herod's capitalwas at Sepphoris, on an
elevatedtableland not far from Capernaum.

Susanna. Of Susanna there is no other record, this being enough to
memorialize her.
And many others, who ministered unto them of their substance. The
ministration of these womenshows the poverty of Christ and his apostles, and
explains how they were able to give themselves so unremittingly to the work.
Some of the apostles also may have had means enough to contribute somewhat
to the support of the company, but in any event the support was meager
enough, for Jesus was among the poorestof earth (Luke 9:58; Matthew 17:24;
2 Corinthians 8:9). His reaping of carnal things was as scanty as his sowing of
spiritual things was abundant (1 Corinthians 9:11). We should note how Jesus
beganto remove the fetters of customwhich bound women, and to bring
about a condition of universal freedom (Galatians 3:28).
Abbott's Illustrated New Testament
Herod's. This was Herod Antipas, the son of old King Herod, and the tetrarch
of this part of his father's dominions.--Of their substance;of their property.
This and other allusions show that Jesus did not throw himself upon the local
and casualcharity of the people among whom he travelled, but made, himself,
a proper provision for the wants of his company, from the contributions of
known and tried friends. From Luke 9:13, it seems that they were accustomed
to travel with supplies of provisions and money. Perhaps Philip at one time,
(John 6:5,) and certainly Judas afterwards, actedas treasurerand steward. In
the same way, we ought, in all our religious enterprises, to make provision
ourselves, in the most systematic and business-like manner, for all the wants
which the most active sagacitycanforesee;and never make faith a substitute
for forethought, or expectaid, from divine interpositions, in emergencies
which might have been provided for by prudential arrangements of our own.

Calvin's Commentary on the Bible
Luke 8:3.Joanna, the wife of Chuza It is uncertain whether or not Luke
intended his statementto be applied to those women in the same manner as to
Mary To me it appears probable that she is placed first in order, as a person
in whom Christ had given a signal display of his power; and that the wife of
Chuza, and Susanna, matrons of respectability and of spotless reputation, are
mentioned afterwards, becausethey had only been cured of ordinary diseases.
Those matrons being wealthy and of high rank, it reflects higher
commendation on their pious zeal, that they supply Christ’s expenses out of
their own property, and, not satisfiedwith so doing, leave the care of their
household affairs, and choose to follow him, attended by reproachand many
other inconveniences, through various and uncertain habitations, instead of
living quietly and at ease in their own houses. It is even possible, that Chuza,
Herod’s steward, being too like his master, was strongly opposedto what his
wife did in this matter, but that the pious woman overcame this opposition by
the ardor and constancyofher zeal.
John Trapp Complete Commentary
3 And Joanna the wife of Chuza Herod’s steward, and Susanna, and many
Ver. 3. Joanna, the wife of Chuza, Herod’s steward] Or treasurer, as the
Arabic callethhim, his vicar-general, or protetrarch. This court lady
followethChrist: so did Serena the empress, who was therefore martyred by
her husband Diocletian. So Elizabeth, Queenof Denmark; of whom Luther
testifieth (in Epist. ad Jo. Agrieol.) that she died a faithful professorofthe
reformed religion; and addeth, ScilicetChristus etiam aliquando voluit

Reginamin coelum vehere. Christ would once save a queen: which he doth
not often.
Greek TestamentCriticalExegeticalCommentary
3.] Prof. Blunt has observed in his Coincidences, thatwe find a reasonhere
why Herod should say to his servants (Matthew 14:2), ‘This is John the
Baptist,’ &c., viz.—because his steward’s wife was a disciple of Jesus, and so
there would be frequent mention of Him among the servants in Herod’s court.
This is Herod Antipas.
Johanna is mentioned againch. Luke 24:10, and againin company with Mary
Magdalene and others. Susanna is not againmentioned.
διηκ., providing food, and giving other necessaryattentions.
Johann Albrecht Bengel's Gnomonof the New Testament
Luke 8:3. ἰωάννα, Joanna)the wife of a husband of high standing in the
world. [Her public attendance on the Saviour does not seemto have been
without effect, in bringing it about that Herod came to know something
concerning Jesus, ch. Luke 9:7.—V. g.]: yet in the household of Jesus Mary
Magdalene takesprecedencyofher.— ἐπιτρόπου, steward).— διηκόνουν,
ministered) The recordof their ministry to the Lord is an ample rewardof
their liberality. But at that time, no doubt, many supposedthem to be silly
women.
Cambridge Greek Testamentfor Schools andColleges
3. Ἰωάννα. She is mentioned only in Luke 24:10, but had apparently been
healed of some infirmity.
γυνὴ Χουζᾶ ἐπιτρόπου Ἡρώδου. She was probably a widow of Chuzas. See
Luke 24:10. On ἐπιτρόπου without the article see note on Luke 2:36. The

courtiers of Antipas were well aware of the ministry and claims of Jesus. Not
only had John the Baptist been a familiar figure among them, but Manaen,
Herod’s foster-brother, early became a Christian (Acts 13:1), and whether
Chuzas be the courtier (βασιλικος, E. V. “nobleman”)of John 4:46 or not,
that courtier could only have been in the retinue of Antipas, and must have
made known the healing of his son by Jesus. The word ἐπίτροπος,
‘administrator,’ conveys the impression of a higher rank than “steward”
(οἰκονομος).The Rabbis adopted the word in Hebrew letters, and said that
Obadiah was Ahab’s ἐπίτροπος. Manaenat Antioch was perhaps the source of
St Luke’s specialknowledge aboutthe Herodian family.
Σουσάννα. The name means ‘Lily.’
ἕτεραι πολλαί. See Matthew 27:55.
αἵτινες διηκόνουναὐτοῖς ἐκ τῶν ὑπαρχόντωναὐταῖς. The verb διακονεῖνin
the sense of pecuniary help is found also in Romans 15:25. This notice is
deeply interesting as throwing light on the otherwise unsolvedproblem of the
means of livelihood possessedby Jesus and His Apostles. They had a common
purse which sufficed not only for their own needs but for those of the poor
(John 13:29). The Apostles had absolutely forsakentheir daily callings, but we
may suppose that some of them (like Matthew and the sons of the wealthier
fisherman Zebedee)had some small resources oftheir own, and here we see
that these women, some of whom (as tradition says of Mary of Magdala)were
rich, helped to maintain them. It must also be borne in mind [1] that the needs
of an Oriental are very small. A few dates, a little parched corn, a draught of
water, a few figs or grapes pluckedfrom the roadside trees, suffice him; and
in that climate he can sleepduring most of the year in the open air wrapped
up in the same outer garment which serves him for the day. Hence the
standard of maintenance for a poor man in Palestine is wholly different from
that required in such countries as ours with their many artificial needs. And
yet [2] in spite of this our Lord was so poor as to be homeless (Luke 9:58), and
without the means of even paying the small Temple-tribute of a didrachm
(about 1 Samuel6 d.), which was demanded from every adult Jew. Matthew
17:24;2 Corinthians 8:9.

Whedon's Commentary on the Bible
3. Joanna—The feminine of John, (see note on Luke 1:13,)and the same as
Jane.
Chuza… Herod’s steward—The managerofhis property concerns and his
household affairs. The royal residence ofHerod Antipas, Sepphoris, which
was the Roman capital of Galilee, stoodnearthe centre of that province, on an
elevatedtable-land but a small distance from Capernaum. From the mountain
which separatedit from the broad plain Nazarethwas plainly visible. Hence
Herod, the actualsovereign, and Jesus, the rightful sovereignby birth, were in
close proximity. And hence the wife of Herod’s stewardmight easily hear of
such miracles as the healing the centurion’s servant and the raising of the
widow’s son at Nain. There were saints, perhaps, in Herod’s house, as there
afterwards were in Caesar’s.
See note on Matthew 14:2.
Of their substance—These seemto be mentioned by Luke, including Mary
Magdalene, as womenof rank, wealth, and character. In a very incidental way
he gives us to understand how the Son of man was as a man supported. He did
not live by miracle. He commanded no stones to be made bread. The kingdom
of God is to be built up, societyis to be improved and renovated, not by
miracle, but by the natural process ofhuman agency.
Schaff's Popular Commentary on the New Testament
Luke 8:3. Joanna. Her name appears againin chap. Luke 24:10.
The wife, perhaps at that time a widow, of Chuzas Herod’s steward, i.e., the
‘house-steward’ofHerod Antipas. Through this family Herod and his
servants (Matthew 14:2) might have heard of Jesus. Some have identified
Chuzas with the ‘nobleman’ whose sonwas healed by our Lord (John 4:46-
54); but the reasonfor Joanna’s gratitude was that she had herselfbeen
healed (Luke 8:2).

Susanna (‘lily’). Not mentioned again.
And many others. Comp. Matthew 27:55.
Who ministered. All of them were such as thus ‘ministered,’ i.e., provided
food and other necessaryattentions.
Unto them (the better supported reading), i.e., to the whole company. The
alterationto the singular was probably designed to exalt the service of the
women; but what was done to the disciples was done to Christ, according to
His own words (Matthew 25:40).
From their substance. This implies that some, perhaps most of them, were
persons of means.
Our Lord confided in the purity and faithfulness of His Galileanfriends; He
exalted womeninto the circle of His followers;woman’s work was at once a
service of grateful love (a diaconate);these women of high position felt that
constanttemporal service was a fitting, though insufficient, return for
spiritual benefits.—Sucha circle as this is possible only where Christ is; about
Him as the centre, gatherpreaching men and ministering womenin purity
and harmony.
George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary
The wife of Chusa, Herod's steward. Literally, his procurator, as in the
Rheims translation. The Greek signifies one that provides for another, or
manages his concerns. The same word is used, Matthew xx. 8. and Galatians
iv. 2. (Witham) --- the Greek word is epitropou. It was the custom of the Jews,
says St. Jerome, that pious women should minister of their substance, meat,
drink, and clothing, to their teachers going aboutwith them. But as this might
have given cause of scandalamong the Gentiles, St. Paul mentions that he
allowedit not. (1 Corinthians ix. 5. 12.)They thus ministered to our Lord and
his apostles oftheir worldly substance, from whom they receivedspiritual
riches.

E.W. Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes
the wife. She may have been the cause of Herod"s interest. Mark 6:14-16.
Mark 23:8.
others. Greek. Plural of heteros. App-124. See Matthew 27:55. which.
Marking a class.
of = from. apo as in Luke 8:2, but all the texts read ek.
substance = property.
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible - Unabridged
And Joanna the wife of Chuza Herod's steward, and Susanna, and many
And Joanna the wife of Chuza Herod's steward. If the stewardof such a
godless, cruel, and licentious sovereignas Herod Antipas (see the note at
Mark 6:14, etc.)differed greatly from himself, his post would be no easyor
enviable one. That he was a disciple of Christ is very improbable, though he
might be favourably disposedtowardHim. But what we know not of him, and
may fear he wanted, we are sure his, wife possessed. Healedeither of "evil
spirits" or of some one of the "infirmities" here referred to-the ordinary
diseasesofhumanity-she joins in the Saviour's train of grateful, clinging
followers.
And Susanna. Of her we know nothing but the name, and that in this one
place only; but her services onthis memorable occasionhave immortalized
her name - "Wheresoeverthis Gospelshall be preached throughout the whole
world, this also that she hath done," in ministering to the Lord of her
substance on this Galileantour, "shall be spokenof as a memorial of her"
(Mark 14:9).
And many others , [ kai(Greek #2532)heterai(Greek #2087)pollai(Greek
#4183)] - that is, 'many other healed women,'

Which ministered unto him - rather, according to the better supported
reading, 'unto them;' that is, to the Lord and the Twelve.
Remarks:
(1) What a train have we here! all ministering to the Lord of their substance,
and He allowing them to do it, and subsisting upon it. BlessedSaviour!It
melts us to see Thee living upon the love of Thy ransomed people. That they
bring Thee their poor offerings we wonder not. Thou hast sownunto them
spiritual things, and they think it, as well they might, a small thing that Thou
shouldst reap their carnal things (1 Corinthians 9:11). But dost Thou take it at
their hand, and subsistupon it? "O the depth of the riches" - of this poverty
of His! Very noble are the words of Olshausenupon this scene:'He who was
the support of the spiritual life of His people disdained not to be supported by
them in the body. He was not ashamedto penetrate so far into the depths of
poverty as to live upon the alms of love. He only fed others miraculously: for
Himself, He lived upon the love of His people. He gave all things to men His
brethren, and receivedall things from them, enjoying thereby the pure
blessing of love; which is then only perfectwhen it is at the same time both
giving and receiving. Who could invent such things as these? It was necessary
to live in this manner that it might be so recorded.'See more on this exalted
subject, at Luke 19:28-44. Remark 2, at the close ofthat section. But
(2) May not His loving people, and particularly those of the tender clinging
sex, still accompanyHim as He goes from land to land preaching, by His
servants, and showing the glad tidings of the kingdom of God? and may they
not minister to Him of their substance by sustaining and cheering these agents
of His? Verily they may; and they do. "Inasmuch as ye have done it unto the
leastof these My brethren, ye have done it unto Me." Yes, as He is with them
"alway, evenunto the end of the world," in preaching and showing the glad
tidings of the kingdom of God, even so, as many as are with the faithful
workers of this work, and helpful to them in it, are accompanying Him and
ministering to Him of their substance. But see the notes at Matthew 25:31-46,
concluding Remarks.
The Bible Study New Testament

Joanna. Nothing more is knownof her. Note that her husband was an officer
in Herod's court, which shows her socialstanding. [Herod Antipas. See note
on Matthew 2:1.] Susanna. Mentioned only here. Who used their own
resources.Note that they financed this tour of missions. What they were doing
was unusual, but the customs of Palestine permitted them to do this [without
scandal]to show their gratitude and devotion.
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers
(3) Joanna, the wife of Chuza.—Here againwe have a convertof the upper
class. The name was the feminine form of Joannes, andappears in modern
languages abbreviatedinto Joanne, Joan, or Jane. Nothing further is known
of Chuza—but the “steward” (the same word as in Matthew 20:8, and the
“tutor” or “guardian” of Galatians 4:2) of the Tetrarch, the managerof his
income and expenditure, must have been a man of some mark. We may think
of him and his wife as having probably come under the influence of the
Baptist or of Manaen, the foster-brotherof the Tetrarch, probably also of one
of the “servants” to whom Antipas imparted his belief that John the Baptist
was risen from the dead. Joanna appears againin the history of the
Resurrection(Luke 24:10). It is possible, as suggestedin the Note on John
4:46, that he may have been identical with the “nobleman” or “member of the
royal household” at Capernaum. On this supposition her ministration may
have been the result of overflowing gratitude for the restoredlife of her son.
Susanna.—The name, which meant a “lily” (comp. Rhoda, “a rose,” in Acts
12:13, and Tamar, “a palm,” in Genesis 38:6, 2 Samuel 13:2, as parallel
instances of feminine names derived from flowers or trees), meets us in the
well-knownApocryphal addition to the Book ofDaniel known as Susanna and
the Elders. Nothing further is knownof the person thus named.
Many others.—It seems clearthat St. Luke must have come into personal
contactwith some, at least, of those whom he describes so fully. They were, we
may well believe, among the “eye-witnessesand ministers of the word” (Luke
1:2) from whom he derived much of his information. (See Introduction.)

Joanna
24:10
Herod's
9:7-9; John 4:46-53;Acts 13:1; Philippians 4:22
of their
1 Chronicles 29:14;Isaiah 23:18;Matthew 2:11; 25:40;26:11;Acts 9:36-39;2
Corinthians 8:9; 1 Timothy 5:10
END STUDYLIGHT RESOURCES
Jesus, Respecterof Women
Dave Willis
November 10, 2019
“Jesus Christraisedwomen above the condition of mere slaves, mere
ministers to the passions ofman, raisedthem by His sympathy, to be
Ministers of God.” – Florence Nightingale
We are living in a time in history where nearly everyone claims to be a
respecterof women;but so many men’s lives (and behind-closed-doors seedy
scandals)show their so-calledrespectfalls shortof a perfectstandard. When
it comes to the issue of respecting women(and all other issues as well), I’ve
found a man who lives up to the hype and does it right. Jesus is the only role
model I’ve ever had who has never fallen short or let me down.
Jesus did more to elevate women than anyone else in human history.

He carried out His earthly ministry in a time when females were placedon the
socialhierarchy somewhere betweenanimals and men, but Jesus elevated
their status through His words, His actions and His miracles. His
countercultural approach to women was viewedas one of the most radical
aspects ofHis ministry.
It’s ironic that the very Church Jesus startedis now seenby many as an
institution with repressive roots when it comes to respecting women. Both
inside and outside the church, we need a history lessonabout what Jesus
actually did and what He actually taught. His timeless example is still our best
example.
Jesus taught men how to respectwomeninstead of lusting after them. I’d even
argue that Jesus taught men how to look at women. Sure, we don’t have
photographs or videos showing how Jesus interactedwith women, but the
Gospels paint a vivid picture. In light of the historicalcontext, we can see
much about how Jesus must have lookedat women. He lookedatthem with
compassion, genuine concernand grace.
Many women of Jesus day had probably never been lookedatin this way.
What we know from historicalcontext is that women who were often viewed
by men in one of three negative ways:with lust, with distrust, or with disgust.
Let me briefly unpack eachof these:
The “lust” part is pretty self-explanatoryand something women in all cultures
and all time period have experienced. In Jesus’time, the Greek and Roman
influences had brought in paganpractices which normalized prostitution and
even made having sexwith temple prostitutes an act of worship at certain
paganshrines and temples. I suppose it was an effective outreachfor men to
say that they could come to worship and participate in an orgy with the
female prostitutes, but it was clearlynot part of God’s plan.
Jesus wantedto make it clearthat God’s plan for sex was specificallyfor a
monogamous, lifelong marriage. Later, the Apostle Paul would take this
teaching even further by reminding Christ-followers that to have sex is to
become “one” with that person in a sacredwayand we should never become

one with prostitutes. The very arrangementdehumanizes and disrespects all
people involved and replaces love with lust.
Jesus’message was consistentlyabout love and the Bible consistentlydisplays
how love is the opposite of lust.
Respectforwomen and lust of women can’t coexistin the same mind. Each
day, you must decide which one gets to stay.
The “distrust” view can be seenin that women’s testimony wasn’t considered
valid in the courts of law of Jesus’day. There was a collective indifference and
distrust toward the views, opinions and even eyewitness accounts ofwomen.
Jesus turned this misogynistic, sexistviewpoint on its head in a variety of
ways. Jesus’dialogues with many women are recordedin the Gospels and the
Gospels reportthat was women who first discoveredHis empty tomb.
The “disgust” viewpoint of Jesus’day was perhaps the most disrespectful
mindset of all. It forced women to the outskirts of society. It took regular
parts of a woman’s life like her menstrual cycle and stigmatized it. Bloodflow
made a person ceremoniallyunclean meaning they couldn’t participate in
public worship or many other aspects ofpublic life. For one week a month, a
woman’s menstrual cycle prohibited her from the most basic freedoms.
Jesus healeda woman who had suffered with what the Bible describes as “an
issue of blood” for twelve years. We don’t know the exact circumstances,but
the Scriptures infer she’d been afflicted with a severe form of endometriosis
or a similar condition causing continuous blood flow and creating
unimaginable physical, financial, emotional, and relationship hardships. With
one touch, Jesus sether free from this ailment and all the stigmas that
accompaniedit.
There are countless otherexamples in the Gospels where JesusshowedHis
profound respectfor womenof all walks of life from peasants and prostitutes
to relatives and royalty. Some of Jesus’mostheartfelt interactions in the
Gospels were in conversations with womeneven though He was living in a
time and culture when it was taboo for a man to interact with women. In the

name of love and respect, Jesus was willing to break down man-made cultural
barriers that were harmful to women.
RenownedtheologianDr. Wayne Grudem may have summed it up best in his
book EvangelicalFeminism and Biblical Truth. Dr. Grudem meticulously
exegetesScripture and weighs his findings againstthe works ofother biblical
scholars and the shifting tides of public opinion. Dr. Grudem’s research
convinced him that Jesus never loweredmen or men’s unique biblical
mandate to be servant leaders. He elevatedmen; but just as important, Jesus
elevatedwomen too. Dr. Grudem explains,
“The overall picture, however, is that Jesus treatedwomen as equals in a way
that was surprising for first-century culture. We should be thankful that Jesus
honored women, and treated them as persons just as He treatedmen. He
talkedopenly with women, to the amazement of His disciples (John 4:1-27),
taught women(Luke 10:38-42, John4:7-26;John 11:21-27), had women
among the band of disciples who traveled with Him (Luke 8:1-3), accepted
monetary support and ministry from them (Mark 15:40-41;Luke 8:3), and
used women as well as men as teaching examples (Mark 12:41-44;Luke 15:8-
10; Luke 18:1-8). Jesus thus set a pattern that should forever challenge all
cultures that treat women as second-classcitizens, as it no doubt challenged
and rebuked the culture of Jesus’day.” (Grudem, EvangelicalFeminismand
Biblical Truth, 2004, p. 161)
We live in a world where it’s easyto become jaded, cynicaland distrusting
toward people’s motives. It’s hard to find goodrole models in any area, and
especiallyin this area of finding goodmen who truly respectwomen. I still
believe there are plenty of men out there who are doing it right and are
worthy of our emulation, but above all else, we can and should always look to
Christ as our unfailing example in this area and all other areas. He’s the one
who will never let us down. When we’re following Him, we’re truly always
headed in the right direction!
Excerpt adapted for Devotionals Daily by Dave Willis, author of Raising Boys
Who RespectGirls.

JESUS GIVES WOMEN HONOR, VALUE, DIGNITYAND RESPECT
Jesus Christ has done more to elevate the status of womento a position of high
honor and respectthan any man alive or dead. Does thatstatement surprise
you? History is replete with examples of how men used their superior size and
strength to intimidate, dominate and, at times, abuse women. There are some
cultures and religions today that still treat women on level beneath men. And,
there are far too many cases ofwomenbeing abused by men verbally,
psychologicallyand physically. History has not been kind to women. But Jesus
changedall that.
The cultural attitudes towardwomen in Jesus’day were deplorable. There
was no such thing as equal rights. Women were treated as secondclass
citizens. Until Jesus came along. He restoredvalue to women and treated
them with honor and respect. You cansee that in the way Jesus obeyedhis
mother (and fosterfather Joseph)(Luke 2:51). You see it in the way Jesus
addressedhis mother in a respectful tone “my dear woman” (John 2:4).
It was evident in the way he treatedother womenlike the Samaritanwoman
at the well in John 4:1-42. No self-respecting JewishRabbiwould give a
woman, let alone a Samaritan woman with a nasty past like this one, the time
of day. But Jesus did. He held out to her hope and help as he gave her the
waterof life – himself. There were women who had bad reputations around
town that the Jewishleaders lookeddown on and despised. But not Jesus.
Jesus held out forgiveness to a woman who was knownaround town (you can
read the story in Luke 7:36-50).
He gave another woman a secondchance atlife. She was brought to him
after she was “caughtin actof adultery.” The Pharisees didn’t care about her.
They only wanted to use her situation to trap Jesus. Butthey were no match
for the love and grace ofJesus. He challengedthem to be the first to throw a
stone at her only if they themselves were without sin. Of course, no one could
claim that, so they all, one by one, dropped their stones and left. When Jesus
was all alone with the devastatedwoman, he gave her something no else would
– grace, love, forgiveness anda secondchance, “I’m not here to condemn you.

Now go and leave your life of sin.” Jesus didn’t judge or condemn these
women. He treated them with respect. He evencared for his mother’s needs
while dying on a cross (Luke 19:25-27), placing her needs above his own.
In the same spirit of love and respectthe New Testamentteaches men how
to treat their mothers and women in general. It teaches thata real man never
intimidates, dominates or abuses any woman – ever! Peterinstructs husbands
to be considerate to and treat their wives with respectas co-heirs of the
gracious gift of life found in Jesus.
Fathers are to model for their sons how a real man treats a woman. He does
that by example; by the way he treats his mother, his wife, his sisters, his
daughters and all women. He teaches his sons
old-fashioned values such as holding a door open for a lady, or stepping aside
to let womengo first. He shows his sons how a man protects and provides for
his wife and daughters. And he demonstrates how a man takes care ofhis
mother and father in their old age. A real man holds high standards for the
way his sons treat women.
And a real man demonstrates the love of Christ in front of his boys.
“Husbands, love your wives, just as Chris loved the church, and gave himself
up for her” (Ephesians 5:25). Jesus gave the highest value possible to women
by laying down his life for them. He consideredthem worth dying for. There
is no greaterlove, no higher value, do deeper respectthan that. That is how
husbands are to love their wives. That is how men are to treat their mothers,
wife and all women.
That God Christ died for all the times we failed to show his kind of honor to
our mothers, our wives and other women. Thank God his forgiveness wipes
the slate cleanand gives a chance to start over with a fresh start. And thank
God he gives us the desire and ability to show our world how real men treat
women – with honor, high value, dignity and respect.

Jesus-the first true Feminist!! We are not male nor female but spirit--energy--
soul! We are spirits having a human experience.
So much for my body my choice!
1 Corinthians 7:3-4
3The husband should fulfill his marital duty to his wife, and likewise the wife
to her husband. 4The wife does not have authority over her own body, but the
husband. Likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body,
but the wife.
Nope, not even close. Feministare againsteverything God stands for. I want
to see one feminist that agrees with this:
Ephesians 5:22-23
22 Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord. 23
For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his
body, of which he is the Savior. 24 Now as the church submits to Christ, so
also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.
1 Titus 2:3-5
3 Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or
slaves to much wine. They are to teachwhat is good, 4 and so train the young
women to love their husbands and children, 5 to be self-controlled, pure,
working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word
of God may not be reviled.
1 Peter3:7
7 Likewise, husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing
honor to the woman as the weakervessel, since they are heirs with you1 of the
grace oflife, so that your prayers may not be hindered.
1 Timothy 2:9-15

9Likewise, Iwant the women to adorn themselves with respectable apparel,
with modesty, and with self-control, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or
expensive clothes, 10but with gooddeeds, as is proper for womenwho profess
to worship God.
11A woman must learn in quietness and full submissiveness. 12Ido not permit
a woman to teachor exercise authority over a man;b she is to remain quiet.
13ForAdam was formed first, and then Eve. 14And it was not Adam who was
deceived, but the woman who was deceivedand fell into transgression.
15Women, however, will be savedthrough childbearing, if they continue in
faith, love, and holiness, with self-control.
My favorite example is Martha and Mary. Picture a group of men at Mary
and Martha's house. Martha has all these men who want to be fed, she's
running around cooking and serving men--like all women did then---all day
long---it's all women knew. To be servants of men. To be "less than" from the
moment of her birth. Knowing she would never even count as a person in
Jewishlaw. So she looks overat Mary, who is SITTING THERE AT JESUS'
FEET JUST LIKE THE MEN! In the traditional posture of a student at the
feet of a rabbi! This is actually pretty shocking, culturally speaking. So
Mary's pretty annoyed. God knows the men won't do any work, it's left to the
women, of course, and here her sisteris acting like she's a man! So she's like,
Jesus, tellmy sisterto give me a hand here! And Jesus says, leave her alone,
she is doing what is much more important. This, to me, is the keymoment
illuminating Jesus'beliefs regarding the role of women. Ratherthan be
servants to men, existing only to please and caterto them, women belong right
there next to men, equal to men, hearing the words of Jesus and learning.
“Godgives men the desire and ability to show our world how real men treat
women – with honor, high value, dignity and respect.” Whata wonderful
writing! Amen

Yes, God did. Jesus is God. And no man ever will do more for a woman or
women than Jesus and as a man, I'm all goodwith that baby! Bc on the same
boat, Jesus has done for an earthly man more than any other man,
corporation, sport or spouse could do or ever will do for a man. Man and
Woman are in the boat of life together. Will we both take the leaptogether on
waterand acceptthat there is only one true savior JC. Thank you for letting
me share.
How Jesus Viewedand Valued Women
March 08, 2017
by: James A. Borland
Jesus's CounterculturalView of Women
The place of women in the first-century Roman world and in Judaism has
been well-documented and set forth in severalrecentbooks.1 Mostfrequently,
women were regardedas second-classcitizens.
Jesus’s regardfor women was much different from that of his
contemporaries. Evans terms Jesus’s approachto women as “revolutionary”
for his era.2 But was his treatment of women out of characterwith Old
Testamentrevelation, or with later New Testamentpractice? Otherchapters
in this volume will show that it was not.
Disciples Come in Two Sexes, Male and Female
For Christ, women have an intrinsic value equal to that of men. Jesus said, “. .
. at the beginning the Creator‘made them male and female’” (Matt. 19:4; cf.
Gen. 1:27). Women are createdin the image of God just as men are. Like
men, they have self-awareness,personalfreedom, a measure of self-
determination, and personalresponsibility for their actions.

For Christ, women have an intrinsic value equal to that of men.
Scanzoniand Hardesty point out that “Jesus came to earth not primarily as a
male but as a person. He treated women not primarily as females but as
human beings.”3 Jesus recognizedwomenas fellow human beings. Disciples
come in two sexes, male and female. Females are seenby Jesus as genuine
persons, not simply as the objects of male desire.4 Hurley believes “the
foundation-stone of Jesus’s attitude toward women was his vision of them as
persons to whom and for whom he had come. He did not perceive them
primarily in terms of their sex, age, or marital status;he seems to have
consideredthem in terms of their relation (or lack of one) to God.”5
Three Clear Examples
Examples of this even-handed treatment of womenby Jesus are found in the
four Gospels.
First, Jesus regularlyaddressedwomen directly while in public. This was
unusual for a man to do (John 4:27). The disciples were amazed to see Jesus
talking with the Samaritan woman at the wellof Sychar(John 4:7-26). He also
spoke freely with the woman takenin adultery (John 8:10–11).6Luke, who
gives ample attention to women in his Gospel, notes that Jesus spoke publicly
with the widow of Nain (Luke 7:12–13), the woman with the bleeding disorder
(Luke 8:48; cf. Matt. 9:22; Mark 5:34), and a woman who calledto him from
a crowd(Luke 11:27–28). Similarly, Jesus addresseda womanbent over for
eighteenyears (Luke 13:12)and a group of womenon the route to the cross
(Luke 23:27-31).
A secondaspectofJesus’s regardfor the full intrinsic value of women is seen
in how he spoke to the womenhe addressed. He spoke in a thoughtful, caring
manner. Eachsynoptic writer records Jesus addressing the womanwith the
bleeding disorder tenderly as “daughter” (references above)and referring to
the bent womanas a “daughterof Abraham” (Luke 13:16). Bloeschinfers

that “Jesus calledthe Jewishwomen ‘daughters of Abraham’ (Luke 13:16),
thereby according them a spiritual status equal to that of men.”7
Third, Jesus did not gloss oversin in the lives of the womenhe met. He held
women personallyresponsible for their own sin as seenin his dealings with the
woman at the well(John 4:16–18), the woman takenin adultery (John 8:10–
11), and the sinful woman who anointed his feet (Luke 7:44–50). Theirsin was
not condoned, but confronted. Eachhad the personal freedom and a measure
of self-determination to deal with the issues ofsin, repentance, and
forgiveness.
Recovering BiblicalManhoodand Womanhood
John Piper, Wayne Grudem
The rise of evangelicalfeminism challenges traditionalChristian beliefs
related to gender roles in society, the home, and the church. This
comprehensive defense of complementarianism contributes to the debate with
systematic argumentation and practical application.
Jesus's Valuationof Women Today
Even though clearrole distinction is seenin Christ’s choice ofthe apostles and
in the exclusive type of work they were given to perform, no barriers need
exist betweena believer and the Lord Jesus Christ, regardless ofgender. Jesus
demonstrated only the highest regardfor women, in both his life and teaching.
He recognizedthe intrinsic equality of men and women, and continually
showedthe worth and dignity of women as persons. Jesus valued their
fellowship, prayers, service, financialsupport, testimony and witness. He
honored women, taught women, and ministered to women in thoughtful ways.
As a result, women responded warmly to Jesus’s ministry. Have things
changedtoo drasticallytoday for us to see this same Jesus? Notat all. Modern
women canfind the same rich fulfillment in serving Christ as did the Marys
and Marthas of Judea, or the Joannas and Susannas of Galilee.

This article is adapted from Recovering BiblicalManhoodand Womanhood:
A Response to EvangelicalFeminismby James A. Borland, edited by John
Piper and Wayne Grudem.
Notes:
1. James B. Hurley, Man and Woman in Biblical Perspective (Grand Rapids:
Zondervan, 1981), pp. 20-78, explains what women’s lives were like in Old
and New Testamenttimes; Aida BesançonSpencer, Beyondthe Curse:
Women Calledto Ministry (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1985), pp. 46-57,
covers the position of women in rabbinic writings largely current at the time
of Christ; and Mary J. Evans, Women in the Bible: An Overview of All the
Crucial PassagesonWomen’s Roles (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press,
1983), pp. 24-43, describes womenin Old Testamentsocietyand in the
Graeco-Romanworld. Ben Witherington III, Women in the Ministry of Jesus
(Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press, 1984), p. 10, concludes,
“It is fair to saythat a low view of women was common, perhaps even
predominant before, during and after Jesus’era.”
2. Evans, Woman in the Bible, p. 45.
3. Letha Scanzoniand Nancy Hardesty, All We’re Meantto Be: A Biblical
Approach to Women’s Liberation (Waco, TX: Word Books, 1974), p. 56.
4. Evans, p. 45.
5. Hurley, Man and Woman in Biblical Perspective, p. 83.
6. Although opinions vary, the present writer regards John 7:53-8:11 as part
of the genuine text of John’s Gospel.
7. Bloesch, Is the Bible Sexist? p. 28.
James A. Borland
Luke 8:1-3 – Mary Magdalene, Joanna, andSusanna

Summary
Luke introduces three of the women who travel with Jesus around Galilee and
unto his death in Jerusalem(see also 23:49, 55;24:10). These womenare
actively engagedin Jesus'work, for the Gospelnotes the support they
provide, possibly as patrons who fund Jesus'mission.
Analysis
Although these three women's appearance atthis point in the narrative is
brief, they provide an important reminder that the company of Jesus'
followers includes women as well as men. The Gospels ofMatthew and Mark
also note that womenaccompanyJesus throughout Galilee and unto
Jerusalem(Matthew 27:55-56;Mark 15:40-41), but only Luke informs
readers of this fact in the middle of the stories describing Jesus'public
ministry.
It was not necessarilyscandalous inthe first century for women to join
themselves to a traveling male teacheror religious figure, but the mere
presence ofwomen among Jesus'followers,along with Luke's willingness to
make them known, suggeststhat Jesus'movement was more inclusive and
welcoming towardwomen than were some others in the ancientworld. Luke
mentions that the women"provided for" Jesus and the others "out of their
resources." Luke does not elaborate on the nature of their service, so some
have interpreted it to be supplying and preparing food. The context and
details of these verses, however, lend strongersupport to the assumption that
the womenoffered their independent financial patronage to assistthe
functioning of Jesus'ministry. In any case, offering service of any kind to
Jesus and the community of his followers is something highly valued
throughout Luke-Acts.
Luke 8:1-3

Some Women Accompany Jesus
8Soonafterwards he went on through cities and villages, proclaiming and
bringing the goodnews of the kingdom of God. The twelve were with him, 2as
well as some women who had been cured of evil spirits and infirmities: Mary,
calledMagdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, 3and Joanna, the
wife of Herod’s stewardChuza, and Susanna, and many others, who provided
for them* out of their resources.
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Ministry, Moneyand Women (Luke 8:1-3)
Introduction
Suppose that you and your wife were to invite the president over for dinner.
Suppose, too, that he and his wife were to acceptyour invitation. As the time
draws nearer, your wife asks how many places to set at the table. There would
be the president and his wife, certainly a number of security people,
undoubted the press, and on an on it would go. What may have begun as a
rather intimate meal, would quickly become a large production.
So it was with Jesus’ministry. In my mind, I have always had a certain
mental picture of Jesus going aboutfrom place to place, followedby His

disciples. At the front of the disciples were, of course, Peter, James andJohn.
As we look more closelyat the description of the ministry of our Lord in the
gospels we discoverthat very soonthe party which accompaniedour Lord
became quite large. One of the few texts which informs us about this large
group is our text for today. In addition, Luke informs us about the vital role
which a large number of womenplayed in supporting the ministry of our
Lord and His disciples.
While our text is but three verses long, it is a very important passage.It
provides us with details the other gospelwriters avoid, or only casuallyallude
to. It informs us about the relationship betweenministry and money and also
about the role of women in ministry. Let us listen well to our text, for it has
much to sayto us.
Our Approach in this Lesson
The approachof this message willbe to begin with a number of observations
about what Luke is trying to tell us here. Then we will conclude by focusing
on the principles we learn from this passageconcerning ministry and money,
and concerning the ministry of women.
Observations of the Text
(1) Our text links the preceding passagewith a new, second, missionary
journey about Galilee. There is a sense in which our text seems almost
parenthetical, but note that verse 1 begins by informing us of another
missionary campaignof our Lord:
After this,144 Jesus traveledabout from one town and village to another,
proclaiming the goodnews of the kingdom of God (Luke 8:1a).
The expression, “afterthis” informs us that the events which follow are
related to the preceding verses, specifically, Itake it, the story of the woman
who washedour Lord’s feet with her tears? Is it possible that she is one of the
group that accompanies ourLord, which Luke is here describing?
In the fourth chapter of Luke’s gospel, Jesus indicatedvery early in His
ministry that He was committed to going about from city to city to preachthe

gospel. He had this commitment because He recognizedthat it was a vital part
of His divine calling and commission. When the disciples urged Jesus to
return to the people who were waiting for Him, He responded:
“I must preach the goodnews of the kingdom of God to the other town also,
because that is why I was sent” (Luke 4:43a).
There will be severalother missionary campaigns mentioned in Luke,145 but
this is clearlythe beginning of one of the important ones in His ministry to the
people of Galilee. I believe that verses 2 and 3 of chapter 8 tell us how our
Lord’s ministry was logisticallyworkedout. He was accompaniedby many,
and they were supported by the contributions of some of the women. In the
parable of the soils which follows (vv. 4ff.), Jesus explains the different
responses to His preaching of the kingdom, as well as providing the reasonfor
His change to the parabolic method of teaching.
(2) Jesus was accompaniedby a large group of followers on this campaign. In
the early days of our Lord’s ministry, it seems as though He either traveled
alone (e.g. when He went to the synagogue in Nazareth, none of His disciples
are mentioned, Luke 4:16-30). At other times, some of His disciples were with
Him. But now we are told that a large group of followers accompaniedJesus
on this campaign.
There were, Luke tells us, the 12. Obviously these are the 12 disciples. I am
not certainbut what they may have been accompaniedby their wives, at least
a later practice of the apostles, but perhaps one which began here (cf. 1 Cor.
9:5). If other women accompaniedJesus andthe 12, why not the wives of the
12? In addition to the disciples, there were many others, as we will soonsee.
(3) Included among this large group of followers who accompaniedJesus on
this tour were many women. Three womenare specificallynamed: Mary
Magdalene (from whom the sevendemons had been castout), Joanna the wife
of Cuza, Herod’s steward(this may explain one of Herod’s primary sources of
information about Jesus and His ministry, cf. 9:7), and Susanna, who is not
mentioned againin the Scriptures. In addition to these three, who are named,
were many other women:

… and many other. These womenwere helping to support them out of their
own means (Luke 8:3b).
(4) The women who followedJesus had all been miraculously helped by Him.
I believe that Luke identifies the three womenby name so as to indicate how
different eachwas. But regardless ofthe diversity among the women who
followedJesus, they all seemedto have this in common: Jesus had
miraculously delivered (healed) them of conditions for which there was no
human solution. Some, like Mary Magdalene, were deliveredof demon
possession. Others were healedof sicknesses anddisease. Others, may have
been healed of injuries and disfigurations. But all were beyond human help.
All of those who went with Jesus to be of help to Him were those who had
experiencedHis help in their lives.
In one sense, the group which accompaniedJesus was a testimony to the
identity of Jesus Christ as Messiah. As Jesus went from village to village and
city to city preaching the goodnews of the kingdom of God, those with Him
bore witness to the factthat Jesus had given them sight when they had been
blind, had enabled them to walk, when they were paralyzed, had freed them
from demonic possession, whenthey had been in bondage to demons. The
crowdwhich accompaniedJesus was,in one way of viewing it, the answerto
John the Baptist’s challenge that Jesus prove His identity as Messiah.
It is not difficult to understand why those who had been healedby our Lord
would want to be with Him as He traveled. The delivered demoniac expresses
not only his desire to be with Jesus, but that which many like him must have
felt as well:
“The man from whom the demons had gone out beggedto go with him, but
Jesus senthim away, saying, “Return home and tell how much God has done
for you.” So the man went awayand told all over town how much Jesus had
done for him (Luke 8:38-39).
In both cases,that of the demoniac, who went home to his own people, and
those many who accompaniedJesus, the goodnew was proclaimed by those
who had been helped by the Messiah.

(5) The women who had been healedby Jesus and who now accompanied
Him, were those who also supported the whole group out of their own means.
Luke wants us to know that these women were not mere “clingers-on,”they
were active contributors to the proclamation of the gospelof the kingdom.
Humanly speaking, this campaign could not have been wagedwithout their
support. The party had to eat, and the food was provided by these women. I
cannot sayfor certainthat no men contributed to the support of our Lord’s
mission, but we do know that many women played a crucialrole in this
matter.146
I should note at this point that while the women contributed the money which
provided for the needs of this group, a man (Judas, to be specific, cf. John
12:6; 13:29) kept and distributed the funds.
The more I have read this text, the more I have become convincedthat
meeting the physical needs of the crowdthat accompaniedour Lord was a
secondarymatter, an outgrowth of being with Christ. To put the matter
differently, I am convincedthat these women did not follow our Lord to “have
a ministry” as much as they followedChrist to be with Him. Being with
Christ, these women were, like Him, sensitive to needs (even the hunger of
those in the group) and to meeting these needs. Thus, these womenwere with
Christ and also actedas He did in the face of needs.
(6) The women who accompaniedour Lord and His disciples met needs which
our Lord did not meet in a miraculous way. In one way, it is amazing to find
our Lord and His disciples in need. In another, it is amazing that He purposed
that women meet their needs. The Lord Jesus had proven His powerand
sufficiency in the lives of eachwho followedHim. He did that which men
could not do—He performed a miracle in eachlife. And yet He did not
miraculously provide for the need of the group for their daily bread. Why
didn’t Jesus miraculously provide food for His party?
The precedentwas set at our Lord’s testing in the wilderness. There, He
refused to turn “stones into bread” as SatanchallengedHim to do. He would
not use His powerto provide for His ownneeds. Similarly, He would not use

His powerhere to do something similar, only on a much larger scale. Jesus
would not make “miracle meals,” eventhough His followers were hungry.
On two occasions, Jesus did miraculously provide for His followers, once at
the “feeding ofthe 5,000” andagain at the “feeding of the 7,000.” In both cases,
there was no earthly way to feed these hungry. Jesus feedthese crowds by
performing a miracle because there was no other way to feed them. Also, in so
doing He gave further evidence to the fact that one greaterthan Moses was
present.
I believe that there are severalreasons why Jesus did not miraculously
provide for His followers, thus making the group dependent on the generosity
of these faithful women followers.
This was a part of our Lord’s humiliation, of His humbling in coming to the
earth.
This gave men and womenthe opportunity and privilege of having a part in
His ministry.
It was an example for later apostles and missionaries, thatGod provides for
the needs of His people through people. The Lord’s practice of allowing
women to support Him and His followers gave approval to the supporting of
those who proclaim the gospel. Our Lord setthe precedent that those who
proclaim the gospelshould be supported by those who benefit from that
preaching. This is seenearlier in the Old Testamentprophets (cf. 1 Kings
17:7ff.; 2 Kings 4:8-10), and is taught in principle by the apostle Paul (1
Corinthians 9).
Our Lord’s practice of being supported by women affirmed the importance of
women in the proclamationof the gospel, and the practical partnership
attained by underwriting the preaching of the gospel.
(7) These women, who followedJesus during this Galileancampaign,
continued to follow Him to and through the end. Luke likes to introduce key
characters to his reader before he focuses onthem. Forexample, Paul is
introduced briefly (Acts 8:1, 3) before the accounts ofhis conversion(Acts 9)
and of his later ministry (Acts 13:1ff.).

Later texts tell us more about these womenas time went by:
“Manywomen were there [at the cross], watching from a distance. Theyhad
followedJesus from Galilee to care for his needs. Among them were Mary
Magdalene, Marythe mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of
Zebedee’s sons” (Matt. 27:55-56).
“Some womenwere watching from a distance. Among them were Mary
Magdalene, Marythe mother of James the younger and of Jesus, and ‘Salome.
In Galilee these women had followedhim and cared for his needs. Many other
women who had come up with him to Jerusalemwere also there” (Mark
15:40-41).
“The womenwho had come with Jesus from Galilee followedJosephand saw
the tomb and how his body was laid in it. Then they went home and prepared
spices and perfumes. But they restedon the Sabbath in obedience to the
commandment … It was Mary Magdalene,Joanna, Marythe mother of
James, and the others with them who told this to the apostles. But they did not
believe the women, because their words seemedto them like nonsense” (Luke
23:55-56;24:10-11).
“Theyall joined togetherconstantly in prayer, along with the women and
Mary the mother of Jesus, andhis brothers” (Acts 1:14).
Taking all of these texts together, we know that these women who are
mentioned by Luke are the same womenmentioned by Matthew and Mark as
well, who continued to follow Jesus, notonly in Galilee, but also to Jerusalem.
They are the women who stoodby our Lord at the cross, and who were the
first to come to the empty tomb. What a marvelous and wonderful group of
women these were!What a tribute Luke gives them! These were faithful
women, faithful in meeting the needs of our Lord and of His party, faithful in
staying with Him even in danger, faithful even after His death. Indeed, they
were among those present and praying at the time of Pentecost.
Conclusion
Out text provides us with severalvitally important principles, related to two
major areas of Christian experience and ministry. The first pertains to the

relationship betweenministry and money. The secondpertains to the role of
women in ministry.
The RelationshipbetweenMinistry and Money
(1) Ministry costs money. This principle is so obvious it seems almostsilly to
state, but there seem to be those who overlook this reality, or who chose to
ignore it. Even our Lord’s ministry required money. He did not have the need
for televisionproduction costs orfor office space, but He and those who
followedHim did need simple provisions, namely food. Our Lord’s overhead
did not include a hideawayretreat in the mountains or a yacht, nor a high
personalincome, but He and His followers had physical needs which people
were privileged to participate in meeting.
(2) Ministries sometimes mismanage money. It is very apparent that some
ministers and some ministries mismanage the funds which are given in
support of that ministry. Judas, we know, misused some of the funds which
were given to support our Lord’s money. Such evils should not be minimized,
but neither are they an excuse for failing to support God’s work. Let us take
every precaution to prevent and to cleanup mismanagement;but let us not
avoid our responsibility to support God’s work.
(3) Those who share in the costs ofministry, participate as partners in that
ministry. I believe that Luke is telling us that these women who accompanied
our Lord and who helped to finance it were a vital part of the “team” which
proclaimed the good news of the kingdom of God. Our Lord put the matter
this way:
“Anyone who receiveda prophet because he is a prophet will receive a
prophet’s reward, and anyone who receives a righteous man because he is a
righteous man will receive a righteous man’s reward. And if anyone gives a
cup of cold waterto one of these little ones because he is my disciple, I tell you
the truth, he will certainly not lose his reward” (Matthew 10:41-42).
Thus, to sustain a prophet in his ministry is to share in the reward of his
ministry. To support a prophet is to share in his work and in his reward.

(4) It is biblical, in some cases, to be supported in ministry. Luke has told us
that Jesus was supportedin His ministry by a faithful group of women. Surely
if our Lord can be supported, it is biblical for other “missionaries” (those who
proclaim the goodnews)to be supported as well. Paul emphasized this in 1
Corinthians chapter 9. I understand the Gospelof Luke to indicate three
major forms of support of those who minister.
First, men may be supported in proclaiming the gospelby those who have
previously benefited from their ministry. This is the case in Luke 8:1-3 as I
understand it. These womenhad personallybenefited from our Lord’s
ministry to them, and now they support His ministry to others. Paul was
supported by the Macedonians, to whom he had previously ministered (cf.
Philippians 1:3-6; 4:10-13).
Second, men may be supported by those to whom they presently minister.
When Jesus sentout the 12 (Luke 9:1-6) and the 72 (Luke 10:1-12), He told
them to take nothing. That was because theywere to be ministering to those to
whom they came, among whom they lived and served. The 12 and the 72 were
to heal and to castout demons. Surely the cities to which the came should
have gladly sustained these preachers and miracle-workers. Theywere indeed
servants “worthy of their hire.”
Third, some men were self-supported. When men became hostile toward our
Lord and His message, Jesus spoketo His disciples about a different means of
being supported as they proclaimed the gospel:
Then Jesus askedthem, “WhenI sent you without purse, bag or sandals, did
you lack anything?” “Nothing,” theyanswered. He said to them, “Butnow if
you have a purse, take it, and also a bag; and if you don’t have a sword, sell
your cloak and buy one. It is written: ‘And he was numbered with the
transgressors’;and I tell you that this must be fulfilled in me. Yes, what is
written about me is reaching its fulfillment” (Luke 22:35-37).
When the disciples of the Lord previous went about preaching and healing,
they were generallywell-received. But after our Lord’s rejectionand
crucifixion, it would be different for His disciples as well. Now they were to
continue to go out, preaching the gospel, but this time fully prepared to care

for themselves. In effect, they were to be self-supporting in the hostile world
which was to come. Because ofvarious evils and abuses (mainly those of the
false teachers)Paulrefused to exercise his right to be supported by the
church, and to minister at no cost. Indeed, Paul even workedwith his own
hands so as to be able to support others (cf. Acts 20:34-35).
This last method is not a very popular one today. Few seemwilling to dirty
their hands with common, mundane labor. Many are those who want someone
else to support them in their ministry. Many of these ask people whom they do
not know, to whom they have never ministered, to support them in ministry. I
do not see this kind of support in the New Testament.
When, then, should men be supported, by whom, and under what
circumstances?Fromthe entire book of Luke I believe we would have to say
that this would differ for different people, and even for the same people,
under different circumstances.I believe that we should be supported either by
those to whom we have ministered or by those to whom we presently minister.
And, we should be supported only when it promotes the gospelofJesus
Christ. There were times when Paul avoided taking money for his ministry
because ofthe abusive practices ofthe false teachers. There were times when
Paul was trying to practice the gospelby working with his own hands,
supporting others. And there were times when Paul acceptedsupport so that
he could devote himself to proclaiming the truth of the gospel. Whetherwe
are supported or not should be determined by determining whether or not the
gospelwill be bestserved by being supported or by being a supporter of
others by working with out own hands. Too many people in ministry refuse to
considerboth options.
(5) Supporting the gospelministry involves the support of many. The women
who supported our Lord’s ministry did not support only Jesus—they
supported the entire ministry team:
These womenwere helping to support them out of their own means (Luke
8:3).147
There are many Christians who want to support the leaderof a ministry.
After all, he is visible, vocal, and dynamic. But they are not so eagerto pay the

secretarywho takes his calls or types his sermon manuscripts, which are
essentialfunctions too. When the gospelministry is supported the gospelteam
should be supported.
(6) Supporting the gospelministry involves the mundane. I am sure that there
was nothing very exciting about buying heads of lettuce, or vegetables,or
meat, but these were the things from which the meals were made. Today,
Christians are not eagerto pay for the office rent, for the utility bills, or for
printer ribbons. All of these mundane matters are necessary, however, and
buying them as a part of the gospelministry is supporting the ministry, no
matter how mundane that may seem.
(7) He or she who is faithful in little will be faithful in much. These words of
our Lord refer to ministry with money, and then ministry in other ways:
“Whoevercanbe trusted with very little canalso be trusted with much, and
whoeveris dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much” (Luke
16:10).
In the context of this passageit is clearthat money is the “little thing” while
other matters are the greaterthings. These women, who were faithful to
follow our Lord in Galilee, and to meet the needs of the group, were faithful
also at the footof the cross and at the tomb of our Lord. Their faithfulness in
the little thing of money assuredthem of faithfulness in the greaterthings of a
later time. Judas, on the contrary, who was not faithful in the little thing of
money was not faithful in greaterthings. Faithfulness in the matter of money
is critical, for it leads to faithfulness in greaterthings as well. Investing in the
gospelministry determined where the hearts of these women were:
“Forwhere your treasure is, there will your heart be also” (Matthew 6:21).
The Role of Women in Ministry
(1) Jesus elevatedwomenabove the status given them by society. Luke is a
man who gives greaterattention to women in his accounts than do the other
New Testamentauthors.148 Throughoutthe life and ministry of our Lord,
Jesus lovedand esteemedwomen. Throughout the gospels,womenare
describedin a very favorable light.149

(2) Jesus used and encouragedwomenin ministry. Luke’s accountof these
women who followedJesus and supported the Galileancampaignis a tribute
to them and to their ministry. It commends the womenfor their faithfulness
and commitment to the Lord and it values their ministry as a partnership in
the proclamationof the gospel.
(3) Jesus differentiated the ministry of women from that of men. Jesus did not
use womenin ministry in the same ways that He used men. He did not choose
6 men and 6 womenas apostles;He chose 12 men. He did not send out 36 men
and 36 women from city to city (10:1ff.); He sent out 72 men. Jesus did not
send out womento preachto people. Jesus usedwomen in ministry, but in a
way that is entirely consistentwith the principles and practices ofthe apostle
Paul, those principles and practices which are viewed as “narrow” by some
evangelicalsand most others. Jesus did not use women in ministries which
causedthem to teachor to have authority over men.
(4) Jesus did not allow His culture to dictate the ways in which womenwere
used in ministry. Today, some Christians are tempted to think in this way:
Jesus elevatedwomenabove the culture of their day. Therefore Christians
should continue to press for women’s rights and ministry which surpass
society’sstandards and structures. If Jesus was a “liberatorof women” in His
day, the church should seek to liberate women today.
They miss the point of what Jesus did. Jesus did not allow His culture to
dictate how women were used in ministry. In Jesus’day, the culture was
suppressing women. In our day, our culture is liberating women to the extent
that no distinctions betweenmen and women are toleratedin terms of their
ministry and function. In the church we must obey God’s commands, and not
culture. Now, instead of surpassing culture by elevating women (as Jesus did),
the church is forced to firmly plant its feet and refuse to give women offices
and functions which are clearly unbiblical. Women are forbidden in Scripture
to teachor to lead men (1 Tim. 2:11-12), and the church must obey, whether
culture or women hail this as fair and proper or not. Following Christ often
means resisting our culture. Jesus did not allow His culture to dictate His
practice, but rather divine principles. We must do likewise,whetherwe are
praised or mockedfor being obedient. In the final analysis, we do not honor

women by treating them like men. We honor them by dealing with them as a
specialcreationof God with a complementary, not a competitive role to play
with regard to men.
(5) One’s spirituality or significance to Christ is not measured by one’s
prominence, power, or position, but by one’s heartfor God and devotion to
Him. The reasonwhy both men and womenclamor for the “right” to possess
positions of power and prestige is because we think that our significance to
God is measured by our standing before men. I have little doubt that the
women whom Luke mentions in our text were more “spiritual,” more
spiritually perceptive, than the 12 disciples. The men who followedJesus
wanted to call down fire on God’s enemies;they wished to gain power and
prominence for themselves;they argued about who would be the greatestin
the kingdom; they failed to grasp the spiritual implications of what Jesus was
saying and doing. The women, on the other hand, seem to be more sensitive,
more devoted to pure worship of the Savior, and more perceptive that Jesus’
death was becoming eminent (thus, the anointing of Jesus forHis burial, by a
woman, of course). Positionand powerhave nothing to do with their devotion
to Christ and the intimacy of their fellowshipwith Him. Thus, “having a
significant ministry” was not, and never should be, a driving force in the lives
of these godly women. They only wished to be with Him, even if that were
while washing His feet. Let us seek this mind as well.
Allow me to make one final observation. This text is divine testimony to the
fact that Godknows those who follow Him, and He honors both their devotion
and their deeds of service. Whether men praise us or not, God will rewardour
faithfulness and devotion to Him. Let us seek His praise, His favor, His “well
done, goodand faithful servant.”
144 A. T. Robertsoncomments: “This word means one after the other,
successively, but that gives no definite data as to the time, only that this
incident in 8:1-3 follows that in 7:36-50.” A. T. Robertson, Word Pictures in
the New Testament(Nashville:Broadman Press, 1930), II, p. 110.

145 Luke also informs us of the sending out of the 12 (9:1-6), and then of the
72 (10:1-12), and then finally, he gives our Lord’s revision of instructions in
22:35-38.
146 It is my guess that the disciples supported Jesus earlyon, when they were
still working (e.g. at their nets). Now, Jesus’disciples were working with Him,
and thus could not provide for the material needs of the group. Supporting
Jesus was something which the women “could” do—“could” in the sense that it
was appropriate, in the sense that they had the means to do so, and also in the
sense that they were eagerto do so.
147 It should be pointed out the some Greek manuscripts have the singular
“Him,” no doubt a reflection of Matthew 27:55-56 and Mark 15:40-41.
Nevertheless Ibelieve that the entire team was supported, and not just our
Lord. In supporting “Him” these women supported “them.”
148 “The evangelistpays specialattention to women in his narrative of Jesus
and the early church: Luke 1:24ff., Elizabeth (only in Luke); 1:26ff., Mary
(only in Luke); 2:36ff., Anna (only in Luke); 4:38ff., Simon’s mother-in-law;
7:11ff., the widow at Nain (only in Luke); 7:36ff., the sinful woman(only in
Luke); 8:2-3, women who ministered to Jesus and his disciples (only in Luke);
8:43ff., womanwith a hemorrhage; 10:38ff., Martha and Mary (only in
Luke); 13:10ff., the crippled woman (only in Luke); 15:8-10, the parable of
the womanwith a lost coin (only in Luke); 18:1-8, parable of the widow (only
in Luke); 21:1ff., the widow who gave her all; 23:49,55,the womenat the
crucifixion; 24:10-11, 22-23, the women at the tomb; Acts 1:14, the woman
and Mary at prayer; 5:1ff., Sapphira; 6:1ff., the widows;9:36ff., Dorcas;
12:12ff., Mary the mother of Mark and Rhoda; 16:14ff., Lydia; 16:16ff., the
slave girl who is healed; 17:12, Greek womenof high standing believed, 17:34,
Damaris;18:2, 18, 26, Priscilla;21:9, Philip’s four daughters; 23:16, Paul’s
sister;25:13, Bernice.” Charles H. Talbert, Reading Luke: A Literary and
TheologicalCommentaryon the Third Gospel(New York: The Crossroad
Publishing Company, 1984), pp. 90,91.
149 “Whata challenge and inspiration it must be for every woman to consider
that, while nowhere in the four Gospels is mention made of any women who

were hostile to Jesus, there are numerous references to ministration and
marks of honour which they accordedHim. With much affectionand faithful
devotion they ministered to Him with their possessions(verse 3)—to Christ
Jesus who became poor so that we might be made rich. What an example of
service to be followedby every woman who believes in Him!” Norval
Geldenhuys, Commentary on the Gospelof Luke, The New International
Commentary on the New TestamentSeries (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans
Publishing Company, 1975 [reprint]), p. 239.
Jesus was a Feminist (Luke 8:1-3)
By Jeremy Myers
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1. The Ministry of the Messiah(Luke 8:1)
2. The Ministry of the Maidens (Luke 8:2-3)
Jesus was a feminist. Webster’s definition of a feminist is someone who
participates in organized activity on behalf of women’s rights and interests.
This is exactly what Jesus did. He respected, valued and loved women, and
wanted to raise them up out of the horrible living conditions they facedin the
first century A. D. One of the best places to go to see what Jesus thought of
women, and how He treatedthem is the book of Luke. Of the four Gospels,
Luke says the most about how Jesus interactedwith women. There are more
women in the GospelofLuke than in any other Gospel.
The home of Mary and Martha of Bethany has specialimportance in Luke
(Luke 10:38ff). When Jesus is led to trial, the only recordedexpressionof
lament or sorrow is by the womenin the multitude that followedJesus (Luke
23:28). It was the womenwho stayed at the cross (Luke 23:49), who brought
spices to embalm Jesus (Luke 23:56), and who were present at the tomb when
the first news of the resurrectionwas given (Luke 24:1). It is Luke who
records Mary’s genealogyin Luke 3. And twice Luke describes womenas
having come with Jesus from Galilee (Luke 23:49, 55; 24:22)and it is only
Luke that records the specialrole women played in the ministry of Jesus
(Luke 8:1-3).
It is this last aspect – the vital role women played in the ministry of Jesus –
that we learn about in Luke 8:1-3. Luke 8:1 tells us the ministry Jesus carried
out, and Luke 8:2-3 reveal some of the womenwho helped Jesus carryout this
ministry, and how they helped Him.

1. The Ministry of the Messiah(Luke 8:1)
Luke 8:1. Now it came to pass, afterward, that He went through every city
and village, preaching and bringing the glad tidings of the kingdom of God.
And the twelve were with Him,
There is nothing new in this verse. Nothing that all of us don’t already know.
Jesus came to this earth to seek andto save those who are lost. He came to
bring a sinful world back into a loving relationship with God the Father. This
was His task. This was His ministry. And He went about it with the twelve
apostles. This is not new information to us either. Wheneverwe think about
Jesus going throughout the regionof Galilee and traveling down to Jerusalem,
we always imagine the twelve disciples following behind Him or walking
beside Him. Whenever someone paints pictures of Jesus walking along the
road, or sitting at a meal, they always have the apostles withJesus as well.
But have you ever seena painting of Jesus where there are severalwomen
with Him as well? I never have. Even in the movies, when Jesus is teaching
His disciples, or they are going to heal someone, orthey are traveling down
the road together, there are never any women with them. Sure, when Jesus is
feeding the multitudes, or speaking to the crowds, there are always women
among the throngs of people, but when Jesus is speaking just to his inner
disciples, or when Jesus and his disciples are crossing the Sea of Galilee, all
you ever see are men.
So it is surprising for some to read in Luke 8 that there were many women
who journeyed along with Jesus to help Him in His ministry. Luke 8:2-3 tells
us about the ministry of these Maidens.
2. The Ministry of the Maidens (Luke 8:2-3)
Luke 8:2-3. … and certain womenwho had been healed of evil spirits and
infirmities—Mary calledMagdalene, outof whom had come sevendemons,
and Joanna the wife of Chuza, Herod’s steward, and Susanna, and many
others who provided for Him from their substance.
Notice first who these women were. We have three named directly, Mary
Magdalene, Joanna the wife of Chuza, and Susanna. Luke 8:3 says there were

many others as well. We don’t know who these others were, but what do we
know about the three who are named here?
Mary Magdalene is mentioned first. Some people think that Mary Magdalene
is the sinful woman of Luke 7:36-50 who washedJesus’feetwith her tears,
dried them with her hair, and anointed them with oil. But I do not think so.
Frank Mead in his Who’s Who in the Bible says of Mary Magdalene,“This
Mary was never a harlot; there is no evidence anywhere for that. At most she
was neurotic. And Jesus healedher.” The International Standard Bible
Encyclopedia says similarly that “The identification of this Mary with the
sinful woman is, of course, impossible for one who follows closelythe course of
the narrative with an eye to the transition.”
The woman at the end of Luke 7 is different than Mary Magdalene. Marywas
not a prostitute, but she did have her own problems. She had sevenof them.
Luke 8:2 indicates she had been possessedby sevendemons. The Gospels do
not tell us when or how this happened, but Mark 16:9 does at leasttell us that
it was Christ who castthe demons out of her.
The name Magdalene indicates that she was from the vicinity of Magdala,
which means “watchtower” andwas a town south of Gennesaretby the Sea of
Galilee. The most significant thing about Mary, however, is that she was the
first one to see the empty tomb, and the first one to proclaim the messageof
Christ’s resurrection. The accountis recordedin John 20. She is the one who
first saw the empty tomb, and reported to the apostles that it was empty (John
20:1). After she tells the apostles that the tomb is empty, she goes back and
stands outside the empty tomb weeping. As she does, she stoops over and looks
into the tomb where she sees two angels. Theyask her why she is crying, and
she says it is because someone has stolenthe body of her Lord (John 20:11-
13).
And I love what happens next. She turns away from them, and sees Jesus.But
for whateverreason, she doesn’trecognize Him. Maybe her eyes are too full of
tears. Maybe he is standing with the sun behind him, so all she sees is his
silhouette. Maybe she is still bent over with grief and is looking at the ground
and sees onlyhis feet. Maybe she sees Him, but does not recognize Him in His

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