I never seem to tire of reading about the role of women throughout the
Bible. Yes, there were some shady characters but we can still learn from
them, amen? No matter who she was, you usually find that any prominence
a woman acquired was due to the force of her character. As you study their
lives, you begin to realize how intimately women were associated with
the unfolding purpose of God. We find Satan using the woman to draw man
away from God and we find God using the woman to draw man closer to Him.
I pray that the Lord may increase the number of Christian women today
through which He can draw this sin-sick world nearer to Him! Do you desire
to be used of God in this way, dear lady? I hope so! In keeping with that
train of thought, turn with me today to the book of Luke chapter 8 and
let's take a look at just the first three verses....
And it came to pass afterward, that he went throughout every city and
village, preaching and shewing the glad tidings of the kingdom of God:
and the twelve were with him, And certain women, which had been healed
of evil spirits and infirmities, Mary called Magdalene, out of whom went
seven devils, And Joanna the wife of Chuza Herod's steward, and Susanna,
and many others, which ministered unto him of their substance.
The constant pace of Jesus life is definitely evident here. The Bible
says He went through EVERY city and village - preaching and shewing glad
tidings of the kingdom of God. In this portion of scripture, Luke takes
a moment to give an account of certain women that Jesus healed along the
way through the preaching of God's Word. There were many others of course,
yet Luke brought attention to these three women. He always made mention
of interesting little details about certain people in his books. Luke
was sensitive to the role and ministry of women in the life of Christ,
just as Christ was Himself. Our Savior needed the kindnesses that women
extended toward Him, and humbly accepted their support.
What three women do we meet today in our main text? They are Mary Magdalene,
Joanna and Susanna. Women healed of evil spirits and infirmities - that
is the background description we are given of them. How sweet and refreshing
the sound of heaven's glad tidings must have been to their hurting souls!
After meeting Christ, these three now held a new description; the old
reputation fades away in light of the new one. It is said of Mary Magdalene,
Joanna and Susanna, that they now ministered unto Jesus of their substance.
That means they gave of the things that belonged to them… How exciting
when folks can change from an unproductive reputation to a productive
one! Jesus is the reason for such monumental changes taking place in our
lives.
2 Cor. 5:17
Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are
passed away; behold, all things are become new.
I want to pluck Joanna out of this threesome today and look at her for
a bit. Besides this place right here in scripture, she is only mentioned
one other time. In our main text, her social status is revealed - Joanna
was the wife of Herod's steward. Imagine a female of the upper class restored
whole! It is evident that along with the other two women, Joanna gave
her life to Christ. Out of her own personal resources she ministered "unto
Him." What joy it must have brought her heart to help meet the needs of
the One who had done so much for her! I am reminded by Joanna of that
verse in Matthew 10:8 which says, "....freely ye have received, freely
give." Such is the liberality with which she served Christ in her thankfulness
for her healing. Ladies, I hope we have not received freely of God only
to become miserly in our service to the Lord and His purposes! You see,
Joanna now realized that the source of her substance was Christ Himself
- how could she not give back a portion to and for His sake? The One who
had repaired Joanna's body and soul had become very precious to her….
Proverbs 17:8
A gift is as a precious stone in the eyes of him that hath it: whithersoever
it turneth, it prospereth.
In addition, we also learn that Joanna's husband, Chuza, worked for Herod.
In fact, he was responsible for slaying John the Baptist! Herod who mocked
Jesus and sent Him to Pilate…. Chuza was a "steward", meaning he was a
type of guardian or manager, so to speak, of Herod's income. His job required
that he had to work closely with Herod on a daily basis. During the many
hours they must have spent together, Herod most likely imparted some of
his personal beliefs about Christ unto Chuza and other servants, as seen
in the scriptures below....
Matthew 14:1-3
At that time Herod the tetrarch heard of the fame of Jesus, And said unto
his servants, This is John the Baptist; he is risen from the dead; and
therefore mighty works do shew forth themselves in him. For Herod had
laid hold on John, and bound him, and put him in prison for Herodias'
sake, his brother Philip's wife.
Perhaps the fact that Chuza had to work for such an evil man and be so
closely associated with him might have adversely influenced his wife Joanna.
After all, the Bible says she was healed of evil spirits....
1 Cor. 15:33
Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners.
Beware ladies, that you and your family members are not joined with ungodly
men or women. They bring more harm into your home than you think! Consider
today whether or not there are any relationships that might need to come
to an end. Praise the Lord that Joanna was rescued from the evil influences
that surrounded her! Only Jesus has the power to pull us out of the pits.
Now this certain woman finds herself a Christian, located right in the
middle of the palace of Herod… Naturally her husband's office provided
Joanna the opportunity of witnessing to those who were otherwise hard
to reach. In Acts 13:1, I was surprised to find Herod's foster-brother,
Manaen, mentioned at the church in Antioch. Perhaps Joanna had something
to do with him ending up there....
Christians often find themselves planted in the most precarious places,
amen ladies? What happens to your service to the Lord during these times?
Does it rise to the surface or stay hidden?? Do you speak up or grow silent?
I'm sure that in light of the meager description we have been given of
Joanna, she was found faithful! You see ladies; faithfulness is a result
of true thankfulness to the Lord for what He has done in your life. Surely
it didn't take Joanna long to realize that God, in His desire to see not
one person perish, had placed her closely to Herod for divine purposes!
Should she shrink away from her obligation to lost souls just because
she was situated in close proximity to a powerful man? It doesn't seem
that Joanna did. As a matter of fact, I'm sure she took full advantage
of her little "mission field", for tradition has it that her husband lost
his position due to her conversion to Christianity and her courageous
testimony among Herod's servants.
Proverbs 29:25
The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the Lord
shall be safe.
The other mention of Joanna in scripture is found in Luke 23:55 through
24:10, where we find her at the sepulchre with Mary Magdalene, and Mary,
the mother of James, bringing spices to prepare the crucified body of
Jesus with. Of course, Jesus was not there… The angels appeared unto these
devout women with the blessed news of Christ's resurrection, which they
went on to share with the disciples who believed them not. All her life
Joanna walked closely with the Lord and was deeply tied to His ministry
in this world. Charitable supporters of Christ enjoy an intimacy with
the Savior that few people experience! As a faithful servant to the Lord,
imagine the peace Joanna must have felt in her heart when Christ's life
on earth had ended. Certainly it was a disturbing time for all those that
followed Him. Nevertheless, the fact that Joanna did all she could to
minister to Jesus when He was alive brought her great comfort. Too many
people wait to pay their respects at the grave, but Joanna had no regrets.
Even after His death, she was found caring for Christ's body, an outward
display of her inward reverence....
What a noble woman we have spent time with today. Healed, saved and grateful;
who could be better qualified to be placed in a precarious position! Yes,
Joanna was a woman God could count on to communicate His message in complex
places. I hope you are too!
God Bless,
Pam
Isaiah 60:1&2
Copyright 2000 Pamela A. Iannello
Revised 2003
