“And Joanna the wife of Chuza Herod’s steward, and Susanna, and many others, which ministered unto him of their substance” (Luke 8:3)

Joanna is just one of several women that met with and learned from Jesus. These women would learn from Him and also minister to Him as seen in the story of Mary & Martha (Luke 10:38-42). Others hosted and served the church in their homes (Acts 12:12; Rom 16).

It’s a worthy study to look into these examples of godly women to find out what we can learn. This and the next article will look at 5 women who met Jesus during His ministry on earth and learn from their faith.

“For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.  And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise”

(Gal 3:27-29; cf. 1Pet 3:1-6).

The first woman of faith is the woman that WASHED His feet with her hair (Luke 7:37-38).

“And, behold, a woman in the city, which was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at meat in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster box of ointment, And stood at his feet behind him weeping, and began to wash his feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment.”

What can we learn from her? Jesus gives us the lesson. It’s a demonstration of love in appreciation for mercy (Luke 7:41-48). He uses the contrast of two debtors in a parable, and then makes this about this faithful and grateful woman and this ungrateful man.

“There was a certain creditor which had two debtors: the one owed five hundred pence, and the other fifty. And when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both. Tell me therefore, which of them will love him most? Simon answered and said, I suppose that he, to whom he forgave most. And he said unto him, Thou hast rightly judged. And he turned to the woman, and said unto Simon, Seest thou this woman? I entered into thine house, thou gavest me no water for my feet: but she hath washed my feet with tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head. Thou gavest me no kiss: but this woman since the time I came in hath not ceased to kiss my feet. My head with oil thou didst not anoint: but this woman hath anointed my feet with ointment. Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little. And he said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven.”

The second example is the woman that anointed His head with OIL just before His death (Matthew 26:7-13).

“There came unto him a woman having an alabaster box of very precious ointment, and poured it on his head, as he sat at meat. But when his disciples saw it, they had indignation, saying, To what purpose is this waste? For this ointment might have been sold for much, and given to the poor. When Jesus understood it, he said unto them, Why trouble ye the woman? for she hath wrought a good work upon me. For ye have the poor always with you; but me ye have not always.”

What can we learn from her? Jesus gives us the lesson in this story also. It’s a lesson about looking and preparing for the death of Christ. While she looked forward to His death, we look forward to His return.

“For in that she hath poured this ointment on my body, she did it for my burial. Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached in the whole world, there shall also this, that this woman hath done, be told for a memorial of her.”

She did this in anticipation of His death, and she is now a permanent example in the Gospel. Today, we are able to learn from her and prepare for His return.

“Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life” (Romans 6:3-4).

The third example are two women named MARY who saw Jesus first after His resurrection (Matthew 28:1, 9-10).

“And as they went to tell his disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, All hail. And they came and held him by the feet, and worshipped him. Then said Jesus unto them, Be not afraid: go tell my brethren that they go into Galilee, and there shall they see me.”

What can we learn from them? We learn to believe from their eyewitness testimony. Jesus gives us the lesson. They were told by Jesus to go tell His apostles, but (Luke 24:11) “And their words seemed to them as idle tales, and they believed them not.” “Afterward he appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen him after he was risen.” (Mark 16:14).

Belief today comes from the eyewitness testimony of those that saw Him in that day. People today expect to hear from Jesus personally, or have God personally call them separate and apart from the word. We will come to believe from the inspired words written by the eyewitnesses of the 1^st century. “And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book: But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name” (John 20:30-31; cf. John 17:20).

To expect more miracles, a personal call, or sign is to not believe these women, the Apostles, and opens yourself for the rebuke of Jesus. “…and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen him after he was risen.”

Agape,

Spencer

click here for part 2.

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