Luke chapter eight is so packed with many nuggets for us fellow believers to follow. Yet I love how Jesus shows us just how he took risk in what would be considered scandalous during bible times.
Luke 8:3 NLT
Joanna, the wife of Churza,
Herord’s business manager; Susanna; and many others who were contributing from
their own resources to support Jesus and his disciples.
Doesn’t sound like such a big
deal to us today but think about the significance of this during bible times. Women were considered second class citizens
back then. Notice a lot of times sons
are only mentioned or men are only mentioned in certain text. Just look at the
complexity of acknowledging one the apostles who happened to be a woman named
Junia. Although to have these two women
mentioned to be linked to Jesus’s ministry is scandalous enough, there is
something quite special about them at the same time.
When looking up both ladies, I
found that Joanna was a woman that supported Jesus with her resources and was
found to be generous, have courage, and faithful. She was one of the women who witness
the empty tomb of Jesus. It is said she
may have helped provide Luke with information due to her prominent social
status with Herod.
Yet there is Susanna who was also
a public supporter of Jesus and used her own resources to support his ministry
as well. However, Susanna didn’t have
the dramatic testimony like Mary Magdalene nor the prominence like Joanna did.
Nonetheless she is still mentioned in the text.
She played an integral role in Jesus’s ministry, nothing more or nothing
less. Yet this made her just as extraordinary.
So, for those who maybe feeling
like I’m just ordinary in the kingdom of God, think about Susanna. There
is nothing just ordinary in God’s kingdom.
Be encouraged.
Reference
VanZegeran (2021).Why Susanna is My Favorite Woman in the Bible.
https://www.shannonvanzegeren.com/post/why-susanna-is-my-favorite-woman-in-the-bible
