Scripture: Luke 8:1-3
Soon afterward, Jesus traveled through the cities and villages, preaching and proclaiming the good news of God’s kingdom. The Twelve were with him, along with some women who had been healed of evil spirits and sicknesses. Among them were Mary Magdalene (from whom seven demons had been thrown out), Joanna (the wife of Herod’s servant Chuza), Susanna, and many others who provided for them out of their resources.
Thought for the Day: So often women are unnamed in scripture. They are defined as “a woman” or “a widow” or with some other generic category. Luke breaks with tradition, and names three specific women who appear to be bankrolling the Jesus ministry. These women had financial resources which undermines certain stereotypes we have of the first century. And if they had money, they would have had power. Let’s be real honest, money bought and continues to buy access, health, justice, etc. It is Luke who also states that Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the other women were those who first arrived at the tomb on Easter morning, and it was this group of women who were the first preachers of the resurrection. Let’s not allow the wonderful power of what Luke is writing to slip past us. Throughout church history, women have gone between having limited power and authority to having absolutely no power and authority. There are a few exceptions to the rule prior to the last two centuries, but sadly they are exceptions. If we claim to be Christians, and for that reason, we claim our starting place is with Jesus; and if the story of Jesus is most clearly shared in the Gospels, and the Gospels speak of women funding the ministry of Jesus; and if at the high point of the Gospel story we find women preaching the resurrection while “the 12/11 disciples” were hiding out of fear – then I feel confident that the church can easily conclude that women can do anything in the Jesus movement. Gender does not limit the Spirit at work, even when the church has attempted to tell the Spirit what it can and cannot do. I celebrate Luke and his telling of the Jesus story that clearly tells us that women are fully gifted by God to preach, teach and do the hard work of stewardship in the life of the church…alongside their equally gifted male counterparts.
Prayer: For all the women who have been told NO by the church while feeling your Spirit’s YES, I wish to give thanks. It is your Spirit, O God of Creation, who calls every single person through the gifts given. No gift is exclusively made for one gender or another. Your Spirit has always worked where the Spirit chose to work, and for that, I give thanks. Amen.
