Wholeness. Fulfillment. Purpose. This is what women seek, and we come to Jesus in our search for it. We are no different today than the original community of women who walked along side the Rabbi soaking in His wisdom and embracing His Love. The women of the Bible led the way for us, and as we look back at their motives for following Christ, we can better understand our own.
Little information is given about these women; however, they are remembered by the writing communities of the Gospels as some of the most significant witnesses of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection. Of the many who struck out on the road with Jesus, two women stand out as pillars of redemption and seekers of spiritual wholeness: Mary Magdalene and Joanna, widow of Herod’s Steward.
Both of these women were wealthy and established, for the Gospels tell us they, “were contributing from their private means to the support of Jesus and his disciples” (Luke 8:2). Many speculate on where Mary Magdalene might have gotten her money. Was it ill-gotten treasure of sin? Was it left to her by a husband or family? Was she, herself, a successful business woman in the trading port of Magdala? We will never know, but we do know that where ever it came from, it was given to the highest of purposes.
As for Joanna, we know she was a widow of Herod’s Steward. This means she had enjoyed a life of luxury in one of the largest ports in the Roman Empire: Cesarea. Here she would have feasted alongside the Roman leaders, seen treasures from around the known world, and she would have learned the wisdoms of not only her familiar Jewish tradition, but also the philosophies of the Romans, the Africans, and even perhaps the far Eastern peoples as they came to Ceserea’s ports to trade. Why then, did she leave all of this to become a disciple of Jesus? Simply: She sought more.
The earthly treasures Mary Magdalene had acquired and the comfort of the Roman Court Joanna was accustomed to did not satisfy their searching. In fact, they were left empty and lacking, for the gold of this world only increased their hunger and perhaps corrupted their souls.
Of Mary Magdalene it is written that she was healed of seven demons. These perhaps were the seven demons that often accompany our quest for earthly wealth and pleasure: sloth, lust, greed, gluttony, wrath, envy and pride. In a parallel passage, the Bible refers to Joanna as one who was also healed by Jesus. Perhaps hers was a physical healing; perhaps, like Mary Magdalene, it was a spiritual healing. Either way, both of these women recognized that to become whole, they had to first seek healing and forgiveness.
Both of these women, now made whole, gave their treasure and life to traveling with The Teacher. Both of these women, now fulfilled by the promises of Christ, remained steadfast in their love of Him as they stood at the foot of the cross. And both of these women, enlightened by His word, recognized their purpose as they honored tradition and went to the tomb to anoint Jesus’ body. Whole, fulfilled, purposeful, may we too, women of Christ, seek and find the tomb empty and go out to proclaim His goodness to our world just as Mary and Joanna did.
Christine Blake has recently discovered ENDOW and hopes to continue to grow by its ministry. She is a Catholic Author who honors the women of the Bible with her writing such as, Woman Redeemed, her debut novel. She lives in Evergreen, Colorado with her husband and two boys. For more information visit www.womanredeemednovel.com.
as the fabric that holds Christianity together. I think that's always been the case.
Larry