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Learning from the women who followed Jesus.

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Gospel: Luke 8: 1-3

Jesus journeyed from one town and village to another,
preaching and proclaiming the good news of the Kingdom of God.
Accompanying him were the Twelve
and some women who had been cured of evil spirits and infirmities,
Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out,
Joanna, the wife of Herod’s steward Chuza,
Susanna, and many others
who provided for them out of their resources.

The Gospel of the Lord.

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These three verses from Luke’s Gospel are filled with interesting, sometimes overlooked, details. 

First, Luke tells us, “Jesus journeyed from one town and village to another.” At first read, it’s easy to presume that’s what Jesus always did; he came to encounter, to preach, to heal, and to save.

But the reason why Jesus is journeying from one village to another is because he’s been thrown out of the synagogues. This initiates a new phase in his ministry whereby the mountains, the hills, and the sea serve as his pulpit. 

The weak and sinful are mesmerized by him, while the religious authorities are plotting his death.

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In addition to the Twelve Apostles, Luke tells us that “some women” are part of this travelling caravan. And they all have one important thing in common: each was healed by Jesus.

Filled with gratitude for the Lord, Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Susanna, and others, become Christ’s devotees, providing for him out of their own personal resources – food, shelter, and the comfort of companionship, which they also extended to him at the Cross.

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What makes this band of women so interesting is how different they are. For example, Mary Magdalene had “seven demons” cast out of her. Some say she was once mentally ill, even a prostitute. 

Meanwhile, Joanna, came from significant means and influence; she was the wife of King Herod’s highest financial advisor.

Seeing these two women band together reminds us of a beautiful trait of Christ – his knack for uniting very different people under a single cause, just as he did with the Apostles.

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So, what might these verses mean for us?

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As different as we may be – in age, experience, background – each of our hearts has been touched by Christ. That love for Jesus is what should unite us. As Saint Paul says, “Bear with one another through love, striving to preserve the unity of the spirit through the bond of peace.” (Ephesians 4:3)

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Image credits: (1) The Many Female Followers of Jesus, The Junia Project (2) Daily Manna (Coffee with Jesus) (3) Unity in Christ, Geneva College

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What can happen when we follow Jesus? Radical transformation.

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Gospel: Matthew 9: 9-13

As Jesus passed by,
he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the customs post.
He said to him, “Follow me.”
And he got up and followed him.
While he was at table in his house,
many tax collectors and sinners came
and sat with Jesus and his disciples.
The Pharisees saw this and said to his disciples,
“Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”
He heard this and said,
“Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do.
Go and learn the meaning of the words,
I desire mercy, not sacrifice.
I did not come to call the righteous but sinners.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

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There was no one the Jews hated more in society than tax collectors. They were commonly known for being thieves, extorting exuberant amounts of money from citizens, even the poor. 

The Jews had only one king – God – so paying taxes to the Romans was a type of infringement on God’s right as their sovereign king.

In fact, in Jewish law, tax collectors were forbidden from entering the synagogue; they were thrown into the same ritual lot as unclean animals, robbers, and murderers. 

In a word, they were considered scum.

Yet it’s the tax collector, Matthew, whom Jesus invites in today’s Gospel to become his Apostle. This becomes one of the greatest examples of the Lord’s ability to see profoundly into the human heart, weighing not only what a person is, but also what they can become.

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For the next three years, Matthew will learn how to leave himself and his desires behind in order to follow Jesus. After the resurrection, he will set East to share the Gospel to the far edges of the known world – as far as Ethiopia, where traditionally he was martyred.

Matthew will leave behind his Gospel as a written testament to the transformation that Jesus causes – not only to a single human heart, but also to the world at large.

Each of us has been affected – changed – by the life and testimony of Matthew.

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He teaches us that following Christ can involve leaving worldly comforts behind in exchange for adventure.

Following Christ will make us shed our ego, putting on a new self.

Following Christ leads to a future unwritten – unknown to the human heart – but paved step by step in the Spirit.

“Can you leave yourself behind and follow me?” the Lord asks, not only to Matthew, but to each of us today.

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Image credits: (1) To follow Jesus, we must change our lives profoundly, National Catholic Reporter (2) The Calling of St. Matthew, Caravaggio (3) Whitehall Church of Christ

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Learning from the martyrs.

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Gospel: Luke 7: 31-35

Jesus said to the crowds:
“To what shall I compare the people of this generation?
What are they like?
They are like children who sit in the marketplace and call to one another,

‘We played the flute for you, but you did not dance.
We sang a dirge, but you did not weep.’

For John the Baptist came neither eating food nor drinking wine,
and you said, ‘He is possessed by a demon.’
The Son of Man came eating and drinking and you said,
‘Look, he is a glutton and a drunkard,
a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’
But wisdom is vindicated by all her children.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

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From the moment of the resurrection onward, various governments have tried stomping out Christianity from their culture and society, beginning with the Roman Empire.

Some purges have killed tens of thousands of Christians at a time – men, women, even children.

In fact, more Christians were killed in the 20th century than all previous centuries combined!

But, mysteriously, the Church continues to grow. In fact, it’s grown by one-million percent since the calling of the Twelve Apostles.

And all of them, with the exception of Judas and John (who died in exile), we’re martyred.

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Today we remember the 10,000 Catholics who were martyred in Korea from the 17th century onward, including Saint Andrew Kim Taegon and his companions.

For centuries, Christians were persecuted by the Korean government because of their teaching on baptism – the idea that all are equal in Christ, a radical shift away from the traditional class-based system that bound the Korean culture and society together.

Although there was a strong push to eradicate the Christian faith, mysteriously the Church continued to grow.

In fact, it remains active in Korea – and in most parts around the world – today.

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So, what can the example of the martyrs say to us?

While we don’t actively seek to suffer for our faith, there is an incredible power that is released when we do. 

Sometimes we need to speak out; stand up; profess our faith in some way for the sake of Jesus.

“Be not afraid,” the Lord says. Anytime we bear witness to Jesus, the Church will mysteriously grow.

How might we bear witness to Him today?

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Image credits: (1) The Persecuted (2) Catholic Truth Society, Korean Martyrs (3) The King’s Corner, WordPress.com