Oftentimes, when we think of Jesus and His crew we think of 13 primary people: Jesus and His twelve apostles. Sometimes we tack on that He often had an entourage of local people following Him — the crowds that He would preach to work miracles among. However, there’s three verses of the Bible we often overlook as just being sandwiched between two of Jesus’s parables.
Luke 8:1-3 reads, “Soon afterward He went on through cities and villages, proclaiming and bringing the good news of the kingdom of God. And the twelve were with Him, and also some women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities: Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, and Joanna, the wife of Chuza, Herod’s household manager, and Susanna, and many others, who provided for them out of their means.”
Luke expands the party, not into the crowds, or people who were casually following, but like the disciples, these women were with Jesus’s group. They were part of the twelve even if weren’t enumerated in the descriptive title used in the Bible. In this passage, we read of Mary of Magdala, whom is spoken of many times in the Scriptures; Joanna, the wife of a wealthy house manager of Herod’s named Chuza; and Mary, the mother of James and John. We know of at least a few others who traveled with them. Mark talks about Mary the mother of James the Lesser, Jesus’ mother Mary, and Salome. That’s another half dozen, and there could have been even more.
Many today might take the position that the Bible is relegating them to a footnote, downplaying what they contributed to Christ’s work. The truth is quite the opposite. It was to them that Jesus first showed Himself after He was resurrected, and they were the first who were commanded to tell of His resurrection. The finalizing of the good news and the joy of eternal salvation was given to them to tell. This one passage in Luke 8:1-3, although sandwiched between two parables of Jesus, is a break from the teachings of the Master to remind Bible readers about how important and valuable they were.
While Jesus and the disciples devoted themselves to preaching and teaching, the women supported the ministry by providing food, clothing, financial resources, and other practical needs. Without this support, the work would’ve been significantly hindered, as managing these responsibilities requires considerable time and effort. Their assistance allowed the ministry to move forward in ways that would’ve been difficult for the men alone. In this sense, their role reflects the biblical pattern seen in Eve’s creation as a helper for Adam — one that strengthens and advances the work rather than diminishes it.
The word in Luke 8:3 which is translated in the ESV as “provided” is the same Greek word that was used in Matthew 4:11 as “ministering.” The text says, “Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and were ministering to him.”
The women were, in a real sense, doing the work of angels. Scripture doesn’t marginalize women; rather, it elevates them. When we look closely, especially within cultures that treated women as second-class citizens or even as property, the Bible consistently presents them as full participants in God’s work, carrying out tasks of equal significance and impact alongside men.
Lance Byers