Women and wealth during the times of Jesus
The scriptures record the story of women who supported the earthly ministry of Jesus. A lot of us do not stop for a minute to think of how Jesus ministry was supported as he travelled from place to place but the scriptures do give us an insight into how His ministry was funded. This is recorded in Luke 8:1-3.
1 Now it came to pass, afterward, that He went through every city and village, preaching and bringing the glad tidings of the kingdom of God. And the twelve were with Him, 2 and certain women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities—Mary called Magdalene, out of whom had come seven demons, 3 and Joanna the wife of Chuza, Herod’s steward, and Susanna, and many others who provided for Him from their substance .Luke 8:1-3
To understand the significance of these women’s support, particularly the three mentioned, we need a historical context and an appreciation of the way women were perceived in ancient Palestine.
During first century Israel, women were considered second-class citizens. The fact that they are mentioned as followers of Jesus us quite unusual. From an early age, by the time a young girl was about twelve and a half, a young Jewish girl was able to be promised in marriage. Women had little or no authority and were considered to be inferior to men and under the authority of men, either their father before marriage or their husband afterwards.
When a woman went out, she had to veil herself and she was not allowed to speak to men. In the countryside, women were able to take water at the fountain. They could work in fields and sold olives at the door; however women were never allowed to go to the fields alone. A woman’s main role was in preparing food for her family.
In the synagogue, men were segregated from women. A Jewish man would not talk to a woman in public which is why Jesus’ disciples marveled that Jesus was talking to a woman (John 4:27). A woman’s witness had no validity in law courts. Girls were not allowed to go to school or be taught.
It was against this background that the gospels record the role that these women played in Jesus’ life.
Jesus’ reaction to women
Jesus had a radically different approach to women, in contrast to the Jewish culture of the day. He talked to women, including foreign women (John 4:27), which according to the Jewish customs would have made Jesus doubly unclean since she was both a woman and a foreigner, he taught women (Luke 10:38-42), a woman who was unclean touched him and he accepted women in his inner circle (Luke 8:1-3). He called a woman a daughter of Abraham signifying that women had the same covenantal rights as a man. Indeed after his resurrection he first appeared to a woman (Matthew 28:9-10). Jesus treated women well, ministered to their needs and allowed them to travel with Him as part of His ministry team.
Jesus accepted and was comfortable with women. Jesus seemed to have a special affection for those disconnected with society, like the tax collectors and women. Jesus broke down the barriers with women.
One of the most significant approaches to women was their contribution to Jesus’ travelling ministry. We do not know how many women followed Jesus, but the gospel of Luke records three prominent women and ‘many others’.
About the Author: Ola Aroyehun is the editor of ‘The Christian Business Magazine’ – a magazine dedicated to applying biblical truths to the world of business. She has a desire to see Christians be ‘students’ of the word and not just ‘readers of the world’. For more information on wealthy people of the bible, register for the free newsletter at www.christianbusinessonthenet.com.
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