On Tour

“The twelve were with Him, and also some women who had been healed of evil spirits and sicknesses.” (Luke 8:2)

Jesus went on tour. He traveled from town to town and through the villages of Galilee preaching the good news of God’s kingdom. He took an all-volunteer entourage with Him. This included the twelve disciples, of course, but a group of women followed as well. We know much about the twelve, but not so much about these women. Most first century writers would not mention them at all, but Luke does thankfully.

We have a few of the named here, probably because of something prominent about them. One was Mary from Magala, a major city and Roman hotspot on the western coast of the Sea of Galilee. Mary had been possessed by seven demons. Jesus cast them out and healed her. Another was Joanna. Her husband was named Chuza, who was the manager of Herod’s household. What Jesus healed in her we are not told. We are told the least about Susanna. All we have is her name. Luke then went on to say that there were many others.

All these women supported Jesus and His disciples from their possessions, from their means. We assume that they all had access to things of value, and evidently it was enough. Joanna’s husband, Chuza, for example, as manager of Herod’s household was in charge of buying, selling, and disposing of items no longer needed. Unused food would have been available to her. Unwanted and discarded household items could have been sold.

The point is this: Gratitude led to appreciative commitment to Jesus and to His ministry. Their caring concerns and thankful hearts led to the active expression of support. Is not this the same reason we support the Lord’s work?

Lord, We thank You for the opportunity to join with others in supporting the work of Your kingdom, through whatever means You give us. Amen.