Have You Ever Wondered Who Footed Jesus’ Ministry Bill?
I’m sure men gave financially to support the work of Jesus, but the Bible specifically notes 3 women who financially supported Jesus, and I want to point out why this is important:
“After 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, and also some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases: Mary (called Magdalene) from whom seven demons had come out; Joanna 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.”
The Gospel of Luke recognizes key women who played a significant role to Jesus’ ministry, and it really shows how Jesus respected women and allowed them to be disciples, which gives women today a model of what we’re called to do: to be disciples and that we can use our money to bless other disciples and our churches.
If we look at Jesus and the history of the 1st century church, we see women held high positions in the Christian movement, as well as financially supported our Lord, which further affirms the importance of women’s role in proclaiming the Gospel today.
In an age and Judean culture where women were meant to be submissive in every sense of the word, Jesus’ actions, in comparison to how society treated women, were the polar opposite in how men treated women during this time. He reached out and allowed women to be a part of what He was working to accomplish.
Society oppressed women but Jesus included women on his mission’s team and He and His disciples traveled openly with them. He allowed them to fund His ministry out of their own means, and He publically acknowledged them and taught them.
And let’s not forget that some of these women once had a dark past, some had been demon possessed or had other ailments, like Mary Magdalene (Luke 8:2).
When we look at the character of Christ in the Gospels we see an interesting man, and it showed in what He said and did.
He does not love us because we are lovable; He loves us because He is love. And reaching out to the marginalized (tax collectors, rich people, demon possessed people, the sick, and adulterous women and prostitutes) was just another day at the office for Jesus, showing love to the broken, because He desired to redeem them. And He still desires to redeem us from our sinful lives.
Turning to the example of the adulterous Samaritan woman, let’s look at how Jesus interacted with her. Known by Orthodox Christians as St. Photini, she met Jesus at the well in John 4 where Jesus openly conversed with her and offered her a new life through Living Water. After Pentecost, she and her 2 sons and 5 sisters were baptized and they followed the apostles and preached Christ, converting many to the Christian faith.[1]
The Apostle Paul also recognized women, utilized their skills and talents in the 1st century church, and respected them. He noted many Jewish and Gentile women followers in his letters and gave them extravagant accolades. He wrote about businesswomen who led house churches like Lydia of Thyatira, and she also funded Paul’s ministry out of her own means (Acts 16:15), like his trips to Thessalonica.
Paul gave leadership roles to women like Phoebe (Romans 16:1), who delivered his letter to the Romans. Phoebe also held the position of deaconess in the early church.[2]
And, Paul highly notes in his writings entrepreneurial women like Priscilla, a Jewish convert to Christianity in Acts 18, ahead of her husband Aquila- as a woman who labored with him to spread the faith.
So, why did Jesus bring women to the forefront of His ministry and utilized them?:
There were lots of people that wanted to follow Jesus and He had to turn some away, but He allowed women to follow Him.
Why?: Because He was trying to send a message to us who would follow. He wanted to cultivate relationships with women, and in turn they would use what they learned to spread the Good News after His ascension. He was showing through His actions that women matter and have a defined role in the Body of Christ.
Jesus talked to women, respected them, listened to them, and offered them a new life. He didn’t judge them.
Why?: Because He is love and where humans have created marginalization against certain groups like women; or where spiritual arrogance or blindness has taken place, Jesus comes and erases all of that and offers love and a new life.
John Reed sums it up in a pithy few sentences:
“In some respects the women were as much his disciples as the Twelve. They were able, like Mary, to sit at his feet and listen to him teach. Mary Magdalene, Joanna and Susanna were also repositories of the truths he uttered. When Jesus appeared to Mary Magdalene in the garden she called him, "Teacher." There is no doubt that Jesus had a very enlightened attitude to women and this has been rewarded by the devoted service they have rendered him through the centuries.”[3]
So, why should you care who helped to foot Jesus’ ministry bill over 2,000 years ago. Here’s 3 takeaways:
1). These three verses from Luke speak volumes. It really shows how we can be blind, misjudge, and can miss an opportunity to show love, as well as welcome talents and skills from those we have labeled as marginalized.
2). The enemy likes to use pointless debates to hold back groups. Imagine how much more awesome this world would be if we stopped debating pointless topics, started opening our hearts to the marginalized and down trodden, and empowered the once marginalized to go out and build others up- “we’d get this world evangelized in days”- as Christine Caine loves to say.
3). We women can use our resources to bless others financially and have a lasting impact on projects that promote God’s kingdom like Mary Magdalene, Joanna and Susanna.
Happy Friday! xx
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[1] Presbytera Valerie Bockman, The Role of Women in the First Century Church: A Model for Today, pages 3-4.
[2] Karen King, Women in Ancient Christianity: New Discoveries
[3] Luke8v1to4: JESUS AND HIS FEMALE DISCIPLES, http://www.jrtalks.com/Luke/luke8v1to4.html