Luke 8:1-3

The Good News of the Kingly Rule of God Continues To Go Out: A Summary of the Forces At His Disposal For Winning Men to Come Under the Kingly Rule of God (8:1-3).

Jesus' ministry of teaching the Good News of the Kingly Rule of God continues (compare Luke 4:18; Luke 4:43; Luke 6:20), and He is accompanied by the twelve and a group of godly women, no doubt along with other disciples.

‘And it came about soon afterwards, that he went about through cities and villages, preaching and bringing the good tidings of the Kingly Rule of God, and with him the twelve, and certain women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities: Mary who was called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, and Joanna, the wife of Chuza, Herod's steward, and Susanna, and many others, who ministered to them of their substance.'

Following on the previous successes Jesus continued going through the towns and villages of Galilee proclaiming the Good News of the presence of the Kingly Rule of God, and with Him went His ‘army', the twelve Apostles and a group of influential women who helped to provide sustenance. These last had experienced His healing power and in their love and gratitude followed Him, ministering to Him and His disciples. It was in fact quite common for women to support Rabbis materially, indeed sometimes to the point of bankruptcy. Jesus Himself criticised the Rabbis for ‘devouring widow's houses' (Luke 20:47). How much more then would wealthy women support One Who had done them so much good. But it would have been unusual for them to follow them continually. These women were equally ‘disciples' with the men, but they would stay, and camp together, separate from the men.

Note that this description of the women disciples follows immediately after the incident of the sinful woman whose love for Him has also been spoken of. Luke wants to avoid any slur on Jesus as a result of someone suggesting that only women of a certain type came to Him. He indicates here that even the highest and most reputable in society followed Him. It is also contrasts in the chiasmus which follows with the mother love of Mary. That love was in contrast to this and was a hindrance to His ministry, although it should not have been. But here with Him were His spiritual ‘mother, sisters and brothers' who helped Him all the way.

There seems to be no thought that the women should give away all their wealth. Women in those days could not support themselves as men could, nor did they have the freedom that men had. A woman could not just ‘enter into a city and there abide'. She had to be careful not to give a wrong impression of herself.

No doubt there were other disciples with them also. Some would follow Him on and off depending on when they could get free time, and there may have been others with Him permanently, but if so they are not mentioned here (but compare the seventy later on), although verse 62 would suggest that it was so.

‘Mary who was called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, and Joanna the wife of Chuza, Herod's steward, and Susanna, and many others.' Both Mary and Joanna are mentioned in Luke 24:10 as having seen the empty tomb, they thus appear to have remained with Him through much of His ministry. Joanna had moved in the highest circles, but she had chosen the better part. There are no grounds for thinking that Mary had been a prostitute or a particularly evil woman. Possession by multiple evil spirits was not unusual (compare Luke 11:26). But it may suggest that she had once been a medium and had delved deep in the occult. The mention of ‘seven' (completeness in the realm of the spirit) probably indicates a severe case of complete control (compare ‘legion' - Luke 8:30). She had clearly been a deeply troubled woman, and was a continual testimony to the power of Jesus to save. We know nothing further about Susanna, but she was apparently prominent, probably famed for her works of compassion (compare Acts 9:36; Romans 16:1; 1 Timothy 5:10). But later traditions concerning all these were probably based on mere speculation and wishful thinking.