Luke mentions three women by name who served Jesus during His earthly ministry – Mary Magdalene, Joanna, and Susanna. The ministry of these three women to our Lord teach us much about women in ministry today!
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The Women Who Served Jesus
Luke 8:1-3
Women in ministry has been one of the most hotly debated topics in the body of Christ over the last 20 years. The battle lines have been sharply drawn, with the Egalitarians on one side, and the Complementarians on the other. The Egalitarians hold the position that there should be absolutely no limitations on what a woman may do in the church, including preaching and pastoring. The Complementarians believe that though men and women are equal in the sight of God in terms of their dignity and the blessings of salvation, God has limited the role of preaching and pastoring in the church to men. Book after book has been written from both perspectives seeking to once and for all crush their opponents. The lines between these two groups are still sharply drawn, and it doesn’t look like the body of Christ is going to reach a consensus on this issue any time soon. Well, we’re not going to be able to once and for all settle this debate for the entire body of Christ this morning. However, we are going to take some time to zero in on some women who served Jesus as He walked this earth, and see what lessons the Holy Spirit has for us as we observe them.
Let’s begin by setting the stage for these women by noticing what is taking place in Luke 8:1. Verse 1 reads, “Soon afterwards, He began going around from one city and village to another, proclaiming and preaching the kingdom of God.” This is one of those general narrative statements that Luke inserts from time to time throughout his gospel and the book of Acts. Soon after the sinful woman of Luke 7 anointed Jesus’ feet with perfume, He began going around from one city and village to another. This is still Jesus’ Galilean ministry. Jesus is traveling from one city and village in Galilee to another. What is He doing? He is proclaiming and preaching the kingdom of God. Now, those two words “proclaiming” and “preaching” deserve some attention. The first word “proclaiming” simply means “to herald as a town crier.” In these days before there were newspapers, radios, television, or the internet, important news was delivered by a town crier. This individual would travel to the town square of the village and begin to cry out, “Hear ye, hear ye” over and over until he had attracted a crowd. Then he would deliver his message in the name of the King. Jesus is proclaiming something as God’s herald. The second word “preaching” literally means “announcing the glad tidings” or “evangelizing”. Jesus was going from one city and village to another heralding and evangelizing.
Now, what was the content of his heralding and evangelizing? Luke tells us that it was the kingdom of God. What exactly is meant by the kingdom of God? Well, let’s take a look at Mt. 19:23-25, “And Jesus said to His disciples, Truly I say to you, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” When the disciples heard this, they were very astonished and said, “Then who can be saved?”
Now, notice a couple of important details here. First, Jesus speaks of the “kingdom of heaven” in verse 23, and the “kingdom of God” in verse 24. Clearly, He is speaking of the exact same thing. So, although some Bible teachers have sought to make fine distinctions between these two concepts, it is clear that they are the same thing, just called by two different names. Second, notice that to be in the kingdom of God is to be saved. When Jesus speaks of the great difficulty of a rich man entering the kingdom of God, the disciples respond by asking, “Then who can be saved?” Obviously the disciples understood entering the kingdom to being saved. So, we can define God’s kingdom as His saving rule and reign. To be in the kingdom is to be saved. To be out of the kingdom is to be lost. Jesus appeared saying, “Repent for the kingdom of God is at hand” (Mt. 4:17). Jesus is the King who rules by His grace to all those who surrender to His lordship.
So, Jesus was traveling through all the small villages and larger cities, and wherever He went He had one message – the kingdom of God. He was urging all men to repent and enter that kingdom through surrendering to Him to find salvation. Basically, Jesus was an evangelist. He was announcing the good news of the kingdom.
Oh, there is a tremendous lesson for all of us here. Notice how diligent and tireless Jesus was as God’s servant. He is busy in the Father’s will. His food was to do the Father’s will and accomplish His work. He said, “We must work the works of Him who sent Me as long as it is day; night is coming when no one can work.” Jesus Christ has given us a wonderful example of a man who labored for the glory of His Father with all His might. God has called us to be busy, working and laboring diligently for the increase of Christ’s kingdom as well.
But as Jesus was traveling around evangelizing, who was with Him? Our text tells us that the 12 were with Him, and also some women. Now, we know who the 12 were, and we’ve already looked at them closely in a previous sermon. Let’s focus in this morning on these women that are mentioned.
There are 3 women who are mentioned by name: Mary Magdalene, Joanna, and Susanna. Then the text tells us that there were many others who were contributing to their support out of their private means. The phrase “many others” is in the feminine gender in Greek, letting us know that these others were other unnamed women. Here Luke lets us in on a very important detail – there were many women disciples of the Lord, who followed Him around, as well as men disciples.
In our message this morning, I want to look at the women who served Jesus. We know more about Mary Magdalene than we do about Joanna. And we know more about Joanna than we do about Susanna. In fact, this is the only place in the entire Bible that Susanna’s name is given. So, what do we know about her? We know that she was a disciple of the Lord. We know that she followed Jesus from one city and village to another. We know that she served Him and His disciples. We know that she followed Christ all the way to Jerusalem where He died and rose again. Susanna was a faithful, devoted servant of Jesus Christ. What she did for her Savior was recognized and recorded in Scripture. Friends, no matter how menial or small the task is that we do for Christ, it is all recorded and will be acknowledged by Him one day.
This morning we are going to look at the Desperation, and Devotion of these three women.
1. The Desperation Of These Women
Verse 2 tells us that these women had been healed of evil spirits and sicknesses. The only specific information we are given is for Mary Magdalene. Magdala was a small village on the west side of the Sea of Galilee. Evidently this was Mary’s nickname given to her to tell her apart from all the other Mary’s in the Bible. Luke informs us that she was delivered of seven demons. There is some question as to whether Luke intended his readers to understand the number seven literally, or figuratively for a complete and total possession. I take this to be a literal number. Mary was possessed by seven demons who had absolute mastery over her life.
Now, try to imagine what life would have been like for her. We meet a man who was demon possessed in Mark 5. This guy lived in the tombs, and appears to have superhuman strength because no one was able to bind him anymore, even with a chain. He was constantly screaming among the tombs night and day and gnashing himself with stones, running around naked. By all accounts, this man appears to be insane, doesn’t he? On another occasion we read of a man who was demon-possessed who often fell into the fire and into the water. His father said to Jesus that his son was a lunatic. In these two instances, the demons that possessed these individuals made them hurt themselves – either gnash themselves with stones, or throw themselves into fire or water to kill themselves. They acted as though they were insane or lunatics. When Jesus cast out the demons from the Gadarene, he appeared clothed and in his right mind, as a normal person. Now, can you imagine the misery that Mary Magdalene lived in as she was tormented day after day with 7 demons?! Perhaps she had tried to kill herself many times, but was never successful. Perhaps she was continually screaming out. Perhaps others thought that she was just insane. Oh, the desperation she must have felt! Her life must have been a living hell.
Other women were healed of sicknesses. We remember the one woman who had an issue of blood for 12 years, and had spent all of her money on doctors trying to get better, but had just got worse. In Luke 13 Jesus heals a woman who had been bent double for 18 years and couldn’t straight up at all. In the first century, there were many, many diseases that doctors could do nothing about. There was just no human cure. Women who were demon-possessed or sick with a humanly incurable disease faced a life of hopelessness. They would have nothing to look forward to but a life of misery and suffering. Not only were these women hopeless, but they were helpless to change their situation.
Folks, Mary Magdalene is picture of every lost person in the world. They are helpless to change their nature, to cancel their sins, to justify themselves, to grant themselves spiritual life. These things require the power of God. Further, because they are helpless, their case is hopeless, humanly speaking. The Bible says of the natural man that he is dead in trespasses and sins.
2. The Devotion Of These Women
Now, this is truly beautiful to behold. I want to show you the wonderful devotion of these women who had been delivered and healed by the Lord Jesus. When the Lord delivered Mary Magdalene, her life would never be the same. She was transformed completely into a fully devoted follower of Jesus Christ. The same is true of Joanna and Susanna, whether they were possessed of demons or had severe diseases. The Lord either delivered or healed them, and they became zealous followers of Christ.
1) They Showed Their Devotion By Giving. Like 8:3 says they “were contributing to their support out of their private mans.” The Greek literally says they “were serving them out of their private mans.” As Jesus and His disciples traveled around announcing the glad tidings of the kingdom of God, they would need food each day. They would need clothes if their own wore out. They might have need of an Inn to stay in at times. So, these women who had been so blessed by the power and grace of Christ, did what they could to bless Him. They gave of their private means. Now, we don’t know about the financial status of Mary Magdalene or Susanna, but we are told that Joanna was the wife of Chuza who was Herod’s steward. Imagine that! A true disciple of Jesus Christ lived within the palace! Joanna’s husband was the man who was in charge of all of the King’s vast estate. No doubt Chuza was a very wealthy man, who lived in luxury and ease in the palace. But now, that the Lord had intervened in her life and set her free from oppression and disease, she had no other goal but to simply follow Him and serve Him. She couldn’t think of anything better to do with her money than to make sure her Savior and His men were provided for. I can imagine these women going down to the local market in each town Jesus visited, and buying the food for each day. Then they would probably cook it and serve Christ and His disciples each day. Perhaps when their clothes needed washing, they would gladly take on that chore. If the men needed a night in an Inn, one of these women gladly contributed her own money to make sure that happened. There was no obligation here. This was glad service born of love! Folks, that is how we should all serve the Lord. The Lord doesn’t want our grudging service. He wants hearts on fire with love to serve Him out of joy!
Now, did Jesus need these women to provide for His needs? Absolutely not! The Bible says that “every beast of the forest is Mine, the cattle on a thousand hills” (Ps.50:10). The Father would have provided for His Son, even in miraculous ways if necessary. But Jesus accepted the service of these women that they might demonstrate their love and devotion to Him. Folks, as we serve the Lord, He is giving us an opportunity to demonstrate our love for Him.
2) They Showed Their Devotion By Enduring. You know that it was not always fun and easy to follow Christ. There were no cars or planes to carry them wherever Jesus was traveling. In all probability they walked. A village might be 20 miles away, or a full day’s journey on foot. Then, when they arrived, there was work to do: cooking and cleaning. The distance from Galilee to Jerusalem was about 100 miles, and these women made that journey. This would have been especially difficult for Joanna who was used to having servants wait on her, and eating the finest foods. Now, all of a sudden, she was the servant, and she was eating whatever she could find in the local market.
Not only did these women endure the hardships of following Jesus, but they also scorn and slander of others. To see a group of men and women traveling from village to village might raise some eyebrows. Can you imagine the gossip that must have surrounded Joanna back in Herod’s Court? This would be like Bill Gates’ daughter leaving her father’s mansion and elite social circle, to head down to Guatemala to join a bunch of traveling evangelists! However, I have a feeling that she really didn’t care. Her whole value system had been completely transformed. These women were so captivated by Christ that they were willing to endure the sarcasm, and innuendos and gossip of others, as long as they were with their Master.
3) They Showed Their Devotion By Following. These women followed Jesus all the way to Jerusalem, where He was eventually arrested and tried. When Jesus was taken into custody the Bible says that “they all forsook Him and fled” (Mk. 14:50). Only two of Christ’s disciples, Peter and John, followed Him to the home of the High Priest. Peter followed the Lord at a distance, and also denied Him three times. When Jesus finally arrives at Calvary to be crucified, only John is still with Him. When Jesus finally dies, all of the disciples are hiding from fear of the Jews. Joseph of Arimathea takes the body and puts it in his own tomb, but not a single one of the 12 are still with Him.
Now, contrast that to these women. Luke 23:49, 55-56 says, “And all His acquaintances and the women who accompanied Him from Galilee were standing at a distance, seeing these things.… Now the women who had come with Him out of Galilee followed, and saw the tomb and how His body was laid. Then they returned and prepared spices and perfumes.” Although all Jesus’ disciples were gone, these women were faithful to the very end. I love their allegiance and sweet devotion to Jesus!
And, that’s not all. Mark 16:1 says, “When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, bought spices, so that they might come and anoint Him Very early on the first day of the week, they came to the tomb when the sun had risen.” Then Luke 24:10 says, “Now they were Mary Magdalene and Joanna and Mary the mother of James; also the other women with them were telling these things to the apostles.” Folks, these women had bought the spices and were there at the grave very early in the morning. We have a hard enough time getting up and being here by 10:00 a.m. for church!
It was not a woman who betrayed Jesus for 30 pieces of silver. It was not a woman who denied the Lord three times. It was not women who forsook Him and fled. It was women who stood by Him at the cross to the last. It was women who bought with their own money the spices to anoint His body. It was women who were the first to be at the tomb. It was women who were the first to announce that He was risen!
Oh, the allegiance of these women is a very beautiful thing. They endured in their allegiance to Him to the very end.
Now, what does the Holy Spirit want to speak to us about from this text? Let’s conclude with some lessons that flow from this passage.
Application
1. Jesus Treated Women With Dignity and Respect. Jesus gladly accepted their service unto Him. Men and women are both made in God’s image, and together God called them to rule over the world He had made. Jesus treated women with dignity and respect and elevated them in a culture in which they were often ignored or devalued. Jesus appeared to women and made them His first witnesses of the resurrection, even though in that day they could not give testimony in a court of law. The rabbis refused to teach women, and restricted them to the outer courts in the temple along with the Gentiles. How different was Jesus’ attitude toward women. Jesus praised Mary for sitting at His word and listening intently to His teaching. Christ healed them, taught them, and accepted their ministry to Him. Jesus’ treatment of women was radical for the culture of His day.
Likewise, we need to treat women with dignity and respect. Men should never feel they are somehow superior to women. Men and women are co-image bearers and are equal in the sight of God. Paul says in Galatians 3:28, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” When it comes to the benefits of salvation, men and women are all on the same equal plane. In 1 Peter 3:7, Peter urges husbands to “live with their wives in an understanding way, as with a weaker vessel, since she is a woman, and show her honor as a fellow heir of the grace of life, so that your prayers will not be hindered.” The woman is a fellow-heir, not a sub-heir.
2. Jesus Did Not Call Women To the Same Roles as Men. When Jesus made His decision as to who He would call to be His apostles, He chose all men. There was not a single woman apostle. When Jesus sent out His disciples to preach, He didn’t send any women. The kind of service that we see here in Luke 8, is a support ministry. It is more of a behind the scenes service.
This fits perfectly with what we see in the rest of the New Testament. In the New Testament we see Phoebe mentioned as a servant of the church at Cenchrea. Priscilla, together with her husband, Aquila take Apollos aside and give godly counsel. In 1 Corinthians 11, women can prophesy. Women can and should serve the Lord through mutual encouragement, exhortation, prayer, confession, showing hospitality, giving, practical service, showing mercy, functioning in the gifts of the Spirit, and worship.
There are only two passages in the New Testament that limit what a woman may do in the church. Those passages are 1 Timothy 2 and 1 Corinthians 14. In 1 Timothy 2:11-12 Paul says, “A woman is to quietly receive instruction with entire submissiveness. But I do not allow a woman to teach or exercise authority over a man, but to remain quiet.” Now, many modern interpreters seek a different understanding of this passage other than the simple and clear one by saying that this was not a universal prohibition, but only a prohibition for the women in the church at Ephesus because they were caught up in false doctrine, or were uneducated. The problem is that when Paul gives his reasons for this prohibition he doesn’t list women involved in false doctrine or women being uneducated. He goes back to the Creation Order in Genesis 1-3, and says that God created the man first, and then the woman to serve as His helper. He goes on to say it wasn’t the man who was deceived but the woman was deceived and fell into transgression. Paul’s emphasis is that God created men to be the leaders and exercise authority, while the role of the woman is to provide support and help to the man. So, if we simply take this passage at face value we come to the conclusion that women are not to be teachers of men. That would disqualify a woman as a Pastor/Elder because that is a primary responsibility of a Pastor.
1 Corinthians 14:34-35 says that “women are to keep silent in the churches; for they are not permitted to speak, but are to subject themselves, just as the Law also says.” This is a very difficult passage to interpret, and possibilities abound. I think that the best explanation is to see it in its immediate context. Paul has just been speaking about judging prophecies. Then he says that women are not to speak in the churches. Probably Paul is saying that women are not to assume authoritative speaking roles in the church, where they would be pronouncing judgment on other men. Rather they are to take the submissive role of learning, and supporting.
So, what have we seen? We’ve seen that Jesus elevated women and treated them with dignity. At the same time He did not give them the same roles as He did to men. I believe that practice should be followed in the church today. That’s why we will not appoint a woman to be a Pastor at The Bridge. It’s not because women are in any way inferior to men. It’s because God has not called women to that specific role.
Let me leave all of you with a final exhortation. Emulate the good example of these three ministering women – Mary, Joanna, and Susanna. Serve the Lord with all your might! Give of your finances to support others in His work. Be willing to endure any hardship or scorn or slander for your Savior. Follow Him fully to the very end.
Have you been healed or delivered by Jesus! If you are saved, you sure have! He has delivered you from sin and Satan’s dominion, and death and Hell. If so, serve Him from a heart overflowing with Love! Let’s pray.
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