Ministry Support

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. Luke 8:1-3

How do itinerant preachers who have left their jobs support their ministry? With the help of dedicated supporters, of course. After Jesus got His men chosen for training, the pace seems to have picked up. They went throughout the cities, preaching the gospel message and instructing in doctrines pertaining to the new covenant. Human bodies require food, clothing and other necessities of life, but a fast-paced ministry demands all of ones time and energy for travel, teaching and healing. The message they brought was life itself to those who were otherwise without hope for a relationship with God. Such had been several women whom Jesus encountered in His early ministry. We see throughout the gospels that Jesus depended on the providence of the Father for all His physical and spiritual needs. The Father certainly does provide for those needs, usually in the form of benevolent supporters. Among His female disciples were those mentioned here: Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Susanna and "many others," who apparently were women of some means. They were deeply grateful to Jesus for His ministry to them. They had been healed of demons and physical sicknesses. They knew how important His work was, and were in a position to assist Him and the twelve, and God gave them that opportunity to be of service to the Kingdom.

It is commonly believed in Christianity that Mary Magdalene had been a prostitute. Maybe so, but the gospel accounts of her do not state that. This is not, according to scholars I read, the same "sinful woman (prostitute)" who anointed Jesus' feet at Simon's dinner party, although that woman obviously had a great deal to be grateful for, as well. What the gospels do state, regarding Mary Magdalene is that she had been cleansed of seven demons. This detail is emphasized, indicating a severe case of demon-possession, whatever manifestations that entailed. We see her throughout the life, death and resurrection accounts of Jesus, always close by and always in attendance to Him in any way she could be. There is no reference to her having a family, so no obligation there; and her positive volition to true doctrine, the will and the means to be of assistance to this travelling band of preachers gave her her mission in life.

Joanna was a nobleman's wife who had also been healed and was deeply devoted to Jesus, as was Susanna. The "many" other women of this company remain nameless, but their devotion to Jesus and His message was their calling, also, and these redeemed and liberated ladies had every reason to share their substance with the Savior.

Just a comment about women. We are born responders. That was part of the curse on Eve in Genesis 3:16 "your desire shall be to your husband, and he shall rule over you." She had enticed her husband to disobey God's command. We can still do that, ladies, but we very well know it is sin. My point is, in our genetic code, females have a built-in humility which gives us an edge over men in spiritual and emotional comprehension. I believe humility is harder for men to cultivate. Humility also helps us to keep our domineering tendencies under control. The mothering instinct is part of this mechanism, because a mother must be everything to her child and meet his every need. Men have to LEARN humility, and it is not easy for them. They must be highly motivated to even realize the need. Women are programmed to serve and assist. Adam needed "an helpmeet" and believe me, he still does. I must share Oswald Chambers' comment on the spirituality vs. carnality of a woman: "a man can neither rise so high nor sink so low as a woman." I agree with that opinion. In spirituality we are more spiritual than our men. In carnality we are the meanest, sorriest, most devious creatures on earth. If you haven't read "The Female of the Species" by Rudyard Kipling lately, I recommend you do so. It's a great read. But we're studying about spiritual women here, who have been healed and saved and love the Lord Jesus Christ and His work.

Thinking about the contribution these women made to the earthly ministry of Jesus and the twelve, I have great admiration and respect for their willingness to serve in this way when our Lord needed that kind of assistance for His work. Their faith resulted in advancement of His Kingdom, and became a legacy for all of us in the Church.