Righteous Women Exemplified (Luke 8:1-3)

Chris Mueller writes "Women thought being a godly woman meant they must be a ministry speaker, write books and hit the Bible teaching circuit. Others were pursuing careers in business or some other field, but rarely was marriage or a family mentioned as part of their future plans. The men had a similar misunderstanding. They all believed that the only way to become a godly man was to become a pastor or missionary. There was no mention of character, spiritual leadership, or becoming a husband and father"

We will see the important role of being a servant

3. Review of the book

We are coming close to the end of part two of the book, Jesus ministry goes public

Jesus was born into this world, with all its problems, to a mothr who would have been

We’re about to enter a section were Jesus is rejected and fights the leadership

So we’ve seen a lot more conflict rising between Jesus and the religious leaders

Last time we saw a sinful women come to anoint Jesus with her expensive perfume and her tears

Why was she crying and washing jesus feat?

Luke 7:47–48- Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.” And he said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”

She was a great sinner and she knew it immensely

What was the response of the pharisee Jesus was visiting?

He said there was no way Jesus could be a prophet

And they were all shocked saying

Luke 7:49 “Then those who were at table with him began to say among themselves, “Who is this, who even forgives sins?””

Jesus’ counter cultural mission involves women’s support

1. Jesus mission of gospelizing for the kingdom (1)

i. Explanation

Right after this incident Jesus goes back to his ministry of traveling from place to place

Jesus was a itinerant preacher, going all over the place

for large cities, Major cities around the lake included Bethsaida, Tiberias, and Capernaum, and this tabgha

Villages where unwalled settlements

He went all over

And what was his mission why he was there?

He was proclaiming

The word mean to hearald… be be a preacher of a public proclamation from the king

They would be those who gave public announcements, so the The herald has a high place in Greek antiquity

Of course, the jews would associate this is with the OT prophets making an announcements for Yahweh

He was gospelizing

It means to convey the good news to the present situation

these two words are meant to be synonyms that show the full extent of Jesus’ focus on preaching rather than make a distinction between evangelism and teaching.

But the content of his message is clear in that

It was all about the kingdom

This continues what he has been saying the whole time

Luke 4:42–43 ESV

And when it was day, he departed and went into a desolate place. And the people sought him and came to him, and would have kept him from leaving them, but he said to them, “I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns as well; for I was sent for this purpose.”

The big sermon we heard he started saying:

Luke 6:20 ESV

And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said: “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.

Luke 7:28 ESV

I tell you, among those born of women none is greater than John. Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.”

We talked about how Many have debated the relationship of the church to the kingdom of God

In the first two centuries of the church, the kingdom of God was viewed as future, linked with the second coming of Jesus. Thus, the church was not linked with the kingdom

the early fourth century, the church historian Eusebius linked the kingdom of God with the reign of the Emperor Constantine who forged the merger between Christianity and the Roman state

It became about the power of the government and the leaders of the church

One modern theologian wrote,

Book quotes (Gospel as Center, The (D. A. Carson, et al))

This meant that while the presence of the Kingdom was a fulfillment of the OT expecta-tion, it was a fulfillment in different terms from those which one might expect from the prophets. -George Ladd

But Luke had the message from the angel, Gabriel say

Luke 1:33 ESV

and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”

And the apostles would ask

Acts 1:6–7 ESV

So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority.

Theologians have pointed out there are two main biblical understandings of the kingdom of God

The “Universal Kingdom” in which God reigns over every detail of the universe. Psalm 103:19: “The LORD has established His throne in the heavens; And His sovereignty rules over all.

Mediatorial Kingdom” on earth

In the Old Testament this kingdom was imperfectly established through the reigns of Saul, David, and Solomon

In the future, this kingdom will perfectly be established through the God-man, the Messiah, Jesus Christ

The kingdom of God is a kingdom of paradox, where through the ugly defeat of a cross, a holy God is utterly glorified. Victory comes through defeat; healing through brokenness; finding self through losing self.

Charles W. Colson; Charles Colson

Why might women or weak fisherman not have a good place in the kingdom of power connected with kings and govnerments?

Women are weaker than men

Husbands are called to care for their wives because

1 Peter 3:7- Likewise, husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel, since they are heirs with you of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered.

Women have had less power than men

Even the best women, queen Margquerite of Navarre didn’t have the ability do much as her brother, Francis I, was king of France but she could not convince him and The kingdom of her husband had never been penetrated by the doctrines of the Reformation. She at once began spreading them by her example and influence.

Henry II eventually did become a real christian supporting the french protestant Huguenots fleeing persecution

Women like her have used their influence to change people’s hearts

But Jesus alone has power to bring about a true kingdom change

Jesus is preaching about this coming physical kingdom right now

We believe it will be in the millenium kingdom to come after Jesus returns a second time

Now, Jesus has the 12 with him

These are the 12 male apostles he chose to be the leaders of his church

Luke 6:13 “And when day came, he called his disciples and chose from them twelve, whom he named apostles:”

As we talk about women, it is important to remember that Jesus chose men to write scripture, he chose men to lead the church

1 Timothy 3:2 ESV

Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach,

Not because men are superior, but because it was God’s choice of creation

1 Timothy 2:12–13 “I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet. For Adam was formed first, then Eve;”

ii. Illustration

1. We believe in the theology of the cross, not the theology of glory, so it doesn’t need strength

Theology of the cross was Term coined by Martin Luther

Nelson’s New Christian Dictionary (cross, theology of the)

The cross shatters human preconceptions of divinity and human illusions of how God may be known. God is hidden in this revelation and may be perceived only by faith. Natural reason looks for divinity in power and glory, but the cross represents the opposite: humiliation, suffering, disgrace, and death. But in the cross God comes closest to a sinner in a sense of abandonment, weakness, and foolishness.

This is a kingdom that comes through the weak suffering, not conquering. Then god gets the glory

iii. Application

1. So, why is preaching important in church ministry that honors Christ?

2. What type of people or activities are tempted to believe are necessary for the church because they appear “powerful,” but won’t actually help?

We then get the women

2. Jesus mission of inviting women’s involvement (2-3).

i. Explanation

1. The women involved

In the ancient world, women were often ignored, not trusted, and seen as little more than property

Rabbis, for instance, were encouraged not to teach women or even speak to them. According to Jewish tradition, women could never be a part of the count needed to establish a synagogue

Luke mentions more about women than most of the gospels, starting with Mary and Elizabeth

We learn that women were include din the group that Jesus was healing

Luke 7:21- In that hour he healed many people of diseases and plagues and evil spirits, and on many who were blind he bestowed sight.

3 are mentioned here

a. Mary of Magdala

Church history has had an interesting fascination with this Mary, often portraying her as incredibly beautiful women… some calling her the sinful women from Luke 7

We know she’s not because Luke introduces her as a new person

A “Magdalene” is a person from Magdala.

Nelson’s New Illustrated Bible Dictionary Mary

According to the TALMUD (the collection of Rabbinic writings that make up the basis of religious authority for traditional Judaism), the city of Magdala had a reputation for prostitution

Dan Brown even wrote in the Davini Code that she was secretly the wife of Jesus based on the last supper painting (an image we already said was unbiblical)

But what important events events is she in?

She’s at a number of important events

The crucifixion (John 19:25)

The angel at the tomb (John 20:1–10)

When the resurrected Jesus appears (Matthew 28:8-10)

Jesus appears to Mary (John 20:11-18)

Yet what does Luke emphasize about her?

She was a rescued women

She had 7 evil spirts cast out of her

Jesus went throughout Galilee “preaching in their synagogues and casting out demons” (compare Matt 4:23; Luke 4:44). Mary’s exorcism may have taken place during this period.

She was a women who was saved to serve

next we have

b. Joanna

She also appears at the resurrection

Luke 24:10–11 ESV

Now it was Mary Magdalene and Joanna and Mary the mother of James and the other women with them who told these things to the apostles, but these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them.

little is known about her except that she was Chuza’s wife, and he was Herod’s manager

remember, there were multiple Herods, but this is probably Herod Antipas, the one who killed John and eventually Jesus

Herod was fabously rich and had this great palace built into a mountain by his father

a Manager describes someone in an important position of oversight or supervision.

So, we learn Jesus’ renown had grown to the extent that even the wife of someone as distinguished as Herod’s appointed official was supporting him

She is a great example of knowing her wealth was not to be trusted

Proverbs 11:28 ESV

Whoever trusts in his riches will fall, but the righteous will flourish like a green leaf.

Lastly we have

c. Susana

She is a follower of Jesus that we know nothing about.

yet her name is written in the God breathed word as supporter of Jesus

The best could be said is that she introduces many other women who provided for Jesus

Provided is the word we get deacon from. It means to minister, to serve as a servant, or to deacon

means comes from the word possessions showing that they gave from the things they owned as they did in early church

Acts 4.32 “Now the full number of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one said that any of the things that belonged to him was his own, but they had everything in common.”

Did Jesus need their money?

No, God provided the Israelites with manna for forty years in the wilderness. Jesus might have chosen to do miracles and turn stones into bread

But Jesus gave these women the important work of assisting His ministry

ii. Illustration

a. I think we all know George Whitfield,

but do you know Selina, Countess of Huntingdon?[i]

b. At 39 years old with 4 children, her husband died from a stroke,

c. Though wealthy, her life was not easy, two of her sons died from small

d. She used her wealth to support George Whitfield’s evangelistic preaching

i. Up to 4/5 of Americans heard him preach before his dedath

e. And when he died, he left everything to her

f. Her response was “to serve all gospel ministries is our highest honor and happiness.”

i. She funded seminary student’s clothes, food, and ministry trips who planted new churches and took the good news all of England

ii. And few people know who she is

2. Unknown gospel patrons are used by God greatly

[i]Philip Schaff, The Creeds of Christendom, with a History and Critical Notes: The History of Creeds, vol. 1 (New York: Harper & Brothers, Publishers, 1878), 902.

2. The role of women in the church

This is a controversial issue today and always

In her recent hitpiece book Kristin Kobes Du Mez writes

Book quotes (Jesus and John Wayne: How White Evangelicals Corrupted a Faith and Fractured a Nation)

When Rachel Held Evans and Jen Hatmaker ran afoul of conservative orthodoxies related to sexuality and gender, LifeWay stopped carrying their books. It did, however, stock.... R. C. Sproul’s ...The Dark Side of Islam.

Evans wrote

Book quotes Year of Biblical Womanhood: How a Liberated Woman Found Herself Sitting on Her Roof, Covering Her Head, and Calling Her Husband ’Master’, A

And I will speak out against those who try to silence them with patriarchal readings of Scripture that idolize the culture and context in which the Bible was written over the equality and freedom granted to each of us in Christ.

She would fall into the group of

Egalitarianism- the view that there are no distinctions between the roles of men and women in ministry. All functions and positions in church ministry are equally open to both genders

They think these women in the bible only did they because of their culture at the time

Complementarianism – the view that there are distinctions in roles between men and women in the church (and the home).

If we define ministry properly as not just speaking up front, we are hleped

Ministry is serving the needs of others in the power of the Holy Spirit, for the glory of God. -Let women be women by Chris Mueller

What are some examples of ministry not from the pulpit?

I shudder to think what the church would do without the ministry of women. "

The vast majority of all ministry to women in the church is to be done by women.

This is not because of any inferiority but because of how we differently reflect the trinitych women, and minister to the needs of other women.

The Bible shows that there are women who functioned as patrons. For example, in Luke 8:2-3, Jesus' disciples included some women who helped pay the bills for His ministry. Others opened their homes, like Lydia in Acts 16:14-15. Many women worked hard in the process of ministry (Romans 16:6, 12). Others were faithful evangelists (Philippians 4:2-3). Some were merciful caregivers (Mark 15:40-41). In Titus 2, godlv older women are instructed to be the primary trainers of younger women

But there are restrictions

1) Women are not to officially teach the Word of God over men ( 1 Tim 2.12-15)

2) Women are not to function as Pastors or Elders. 1 Timothy

This is not because of any inferiority but becuase of how we differently reflect the trinity

1 Corinthians 11:31 Corinthians 11:3 “But I want you to understand that the head of every man is Christ, the head of a wife is her husband, and the head of Christ is God.”

iii. Application

How are differences good for us?

What ways can a woman’s ministry of support and ministry to other women be overlooked?

Conclusion

IV. Closing prayer

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