Share the Kingdom

Luke 8:1-3

8:1 Jesus signals that His life represents God’s reign being established in a new way. See Matt 3:2 and note; note on Mark 1:15.

Refers to the apostles (see Luke 6:13–16).

8:2 In a patriarchal culture, such as Jesus’, women were often mistreated and undervalued; in contrast, Jesus welcomes them among His followers. This seems to have been unusual for a rabbi; it seems rabbis mainly had male disciples.

Throughout his Gospel, Luke highlights Jesus’ concern for people on the fringes of Jewish society. So far, through the life of Jesus, God has shown His love to shepherds, a barren woman, a peasant girl, Gentiles, a tax collector, the ceremonially unclean, and the sick and unwell, among others. In the immediately preceding passage (7:36–50), Luke recounts Jesus’ forgiveness and acceptance of a woman who might have been a prostitute (see note on 7:39). Toward the end of Luke, Jesus’ resurrection is announced first to a group of women (23:55–24:10).

Apparently from the town of Magdala on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee, not far from Capernaum.

8:3 The Greek phrase used here appears in the feminine form, indicating that Luke is referring specifically to women.

Refers to financial support, as well as food and lodging (compare Matt 27:55).

8:1–3

The Women Disciples

For the form of support mentioned here, cf. 2 Kings 4:42. Women sometimes served as *patrons, or supporters, of religious teachers or associations in the ancient Mediterranean. (Some estimate that men outnumbered them more than ten to one, because men had more of the economic resources; yet a tenth remained a large number.) But for these women to travel with the group would have been viewed as scandalous, at least by Jesus’ detractors. Apart from some small Greek philosophic schools, adult coeducation was unheard of, and that these women are learning Jesus’ teaching as closely as his male *disciples would surely bother some outsiders as well. Upper-class families had more mobility, but commoners might still talk. While a small number of philosophers had women disciples, many criticized this practice; we know of no other women disciples among Jewish teachers in this period. “Herod” here (8:3) is Herod Antipas.

N. Women who helped Jesus (8:1–3)

Soon afterward Jesus went on a preaching tour. The verb went on (diodeuō) ‘conveys the idea of a continuing wandering ministry (imperfect!), rather than a journey from one point to another’ (Marshall). There is no mention of synagogues and it may well be that increasing hostility on the part of the synagogue establishment led him to concentrate on preaching and teaching in the open air. He did not lack an audience, for there are repeated references to crowds (cf. 7:11, 24; 8:4, 19, 40, 45). On this occasion he was accompanied by the Twelve and by some women whom he had healed. The rabbis refused to teach women and generally assigned them a very inferior place. But Jesus freely admitted them into fellowship, as on this occasion, and accepted their service. First to be mentioned is Mary, called Magdalene (a place-name, meaning ‘of Magdala’, i.e. ‘The Tower’). The Christian imagination has made free with Mary Magdalene, mostly seeing her as a beautiful woman whom Jesus had saved from an immoral life. There is nothing whatever in the sources to indicate this. Luke says that seven demons had gone out from her, which shows that Jesus had rescued her from a very distressing existence. But there is no reason for connecting the demons with immoral conduct: they are more usually associated with mental or physical disorder. Joanna is mentioned again in 24:10, but otherwise nothing is known of her. Her husband Chuza is mentioned here only. That he was Herod’s steward shows that he was a man of substance, though the precise nature of his office is not clear. The word translated steward may mean the manager of Herod’s estates, or it may point to a political office. Godet conjectures that this man may have been the officer whose son Jesus healed (John 4:46ff.). If so, it would explain why Joanna was numbered among Jesus’ followers and allowed to go with him on this tour. Nothing more is known of Susanna. Luke does not go into further detail; there were many others, but he adds only that they provided for them out of their means. This is valuable as giving us one of the few glimpses we have of the way Jesus’ needs during his ministry were met. We read of the apostolic band as having a common purse from which purchases of food were made and gifts given to the poor (John 13:29), but not of how it was supplied. Here we learn that these women responded in love and gratitude for what Jesus had done for them (cf. Mark 15:40f.). It seems to have been not uncommon for godly women to help religious teachers, and Jesus speaks of some Pharisees who were evidently quite rapacious (20:47). It is heart-warming to read of this group of women who supported Jesus. And it is worth reflecting that the Gospels record no woman as ever taking action against him: his enemies were all men.