A new path for us

Lily Cathcart September 11, 2022 0 1

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Luke 8: 1-3 (NRSVA)

1 Soon afterwards he went on through cities and villages, proclaiming and bringing the good news of the kingdom of God. The twelve were with him, 2 as well as some women who had been cured of evil spirits and infirmities: Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, 3 and Joanna, the wife of Herod’s steward Chuza, and Susanna, and many others, who provided for them out of their resources.

This week we are reading passages in Luke through the eyes of Joanna one of Jesus’s supporters and followers.

JOANNA:

“ ‘and Joanna’.

Yep that’s me. You're probably wondering how I got into this situation.

Well the same way as many of the other women who were the backbone of the wandering ministries of Jesus. We had conditions that society couldn’t or wouldn’t help us with.

But you see, Jesus wasn’t society. Jesus was so much better than any society he could possibly alight in. Jesus saw our suffering for what it really was and created in us the miracle of healing. He showed us God’s miracle of being fully ourselves in a way we had never been. Jesus gave us freedom and with it, the ability to create a new path for ourselves.

Is it any wonder so many of us chose to carve that new path right next to Jesus?

I had enough resources and thanks to Jesus, I had my life back, I could follow him, support him and learn from him. Did I appreciate having to clean up after 12+ lumps of men as well? No, but it wasn’t all that different from what society expected of women anyway, and for Jesus I would have done anything. I still will.”

PRAYER:

Dear God of healing,

Thank you for seeing past societies’ biases

Thank you for growing us with creativity and possibility

Help us to find places in our lives we can meaningfully offer our support

Amen