Luke 8:1-3
“Notice what you notice.” A very short passage today. My Study Bible tells me that these verses are from Jesus’ second journey into Galilee, so if true my chronology is messed up. Still, we do have Jesus in Galilee going throughout the “cities and villages” (v. 1).
So three women (“and many others”, v. 3) are mentioned as accompanying Jesus on his journeys (along with the twelve disciples) and providing for Him/them out of their means. Two of these three women, Mary Magdalene and Joanna were also with Mary the mother of Jesus when they went to the tomb on Easter morning (Luke 24:10). So these two clearly were very devoted followers, all the way from Galilee to Jerusalem!
Joanna is curious in this mix. Luke has her as the wife of Chuza, Herod’s household manager (v. 3). A CNN special series in 2015 said that this Herod was Herod Antipas, the son of Herod the Great (https://www.cnn.com/2015/03/31/living/funding-jesus-ministry/index.html). So Joanna was probably both wealthy and well-placed – not that Jesus needed any political connections!! Luke writes that these were women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities (v. 2), so presumably Joanna’s following Jesus was an expression of her appreciation for Jesus’ ministry toward her.
Luke is the only writer who mentions this financial support for Jesus and these three women are his only mention. It is likely, however, that Jesus had other support, including Lazarus’ family (John 11) plus Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea (John 19:38-40). Luke otherwise had a lot to say about wealth and poverty, so it’s strange that he had so little to say about financial support.
It just dawned on me that we (as faithful givers) are followers and financial supporters of Jesus’ ministry. We belong in an updated version of Luke 8:1-3!
Slava Bohu!