Luke 8
Today’s gospel passage from St Luke lists three women’s names and also mentions many other women. This passage does not give any extraordinary account. It seems a summary of the ministry of Jesus. Its emphasis is on the role of women in the ministry of Jesus. Luke testifies that those women provided the financial resources for Jesus and his apostles. Was that all?
The evangelist does not give any more information on other roles of those women disciples of Jesus. But we cannot ignore the ‘fact’ that St Luke recorded the actual names of those women. What does it signify? The fact that Luke wrote down their names strongly suggests that these women were well-known among early Christians and, more importantly, the reliable sources of the accounts of the ministry of Jesus.
Luke was not an eyewitness of the ministry of Jesus. He was not one of the twelve apostles or close disciples of Jesus. As Luke writes at the beginning of his gospel, he was a compiler and editor of the accounts of the life and ministry of Jesus and his disciples. He gathered from the disciples and many eyewitnesses. And, among the reliable sources for his gospel, those women took no insignificant places. These three women and many other women followed Jesus from the very early stage of Jesus’ ministry. And they accompanied him and his disciples. They witnessed what Jesus and his disciples said and did. On the way to Calvary, many women followed Jesus. While all the apostles and disciples abandoned Jesus at his crucifixion except St John, the women disciples did not desert the Lord. When the disciples hid after the crucifixion, it was the women disciples who went to the tomb of Jesus and found out his resurrection. It was the women disciples who brought the news of the resurrection to the disciples.
Some might assume that Christianity is too male-oriented. But I think many gospel accounts reflect the perspectives of those women disciples. It’s because they were the faithful eyewitnesses of Jesus and his disciples. Often they were the unique sources of important events such as the resurrection of the Lord. But also, let us not forget our Blessed Mother. Without her witness, who else could have provided the infancy narrative?
Our Lord did not discriminate against men or women. For anyone faithful to him, Christ gives the honour of his discipleship and witness.
