Is Christianity anti-woman? The short answer is no. And while I could point to many places in Scripture to prove this, I think one of the best comes in the Gospel of Luke.
“Soon afterward [Jesus] went on through cities and villages, proclaiming and bringing the good news of the kingdom of God. And the twelve were with him, and also some women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities: Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, and Joanna, the wife of Chuza, Herod's household manager, and Susanna, and many others, who provided for them out of their means.”Luke 8:1-3 (ESV)
As we can see, Jesus' entourage was a diverse bunch. Admittedly, we aren’t surprised to learn that the twelve apostles were among those who followed the Lord during his travels. But what might come as a surprise is that Jesus had many female disciples who served alongside the Son of God. Though not apostles, these ladies were still instrumental in laying the groundwork for God's upside-down kingdom.
Thus, contrary to popular belief, Christianity is not a so-called "boy's club." Misogyny, sexism, and bigotry are not welcome in Jesus' community. Both men and women stand on equal ground before the Savior and, as such, fulfill distinct yet equally valuable roles (cf. Gal. 3:28). In fact, this is what sets Christianity apart from every other world religion: women are not property nor second-class citizens but daughters of the King of kings and servants to the Lord of lords. Or, as Rebecca McLaughlin puts it in her book Jesus Through the Eyes of Women, "Far from being antithetical to woman's rights, Christianity is their first and best foundation."
That Jesus had female disciples might not sound very unusual today, where women enjoy freedoms their ancient counterparts didn't. But bear in mind the first century was an age ruled by men. It was, in the truest sense of the word, a patriarchy. Women were considered property with little to no rights of their own. What's more, they were also thought of as being dumber and less capable than men. In fact, a typical daily prayer in rabbinic circles at this time was, “Praise be to God that he has not created me a Gentile! Praise be to God that he has not created me a woman! Praise be to God that he has not created me an ignoramus!"[1] And, if that doesn't ruffle some feathers, listen to the opinion of this Rabbi who wrote, “Four equalities are ascribed to women: they are gluttonous, eavesdroppers, lazy and jealous.”[2]
To be clear, these chauvinistic sensibilities were not exclusive to Jews. The Greco-Roman world was also a world ruled by men. Dan Kimball explains that their poets confidently asserted that women were "the source of evil in this world. Roman law placed a wife under the absolute control of her husband, who had ownership of her and all her possessions. He could divorce her if she went out in public without a veil."[3]
In light of that, it is remarkable how often women are featured prominently in all four gospels. But, of the four, Luke is the outlier. He pays special attention to the ladies in Jesus' following. Theologian C. H. Talbert, in his book Reading Luke: A Literary and Theological Commentary on the Third Gospel (New York: Crossroad, 1982), compiled a list of all the references to women in Luke’s account. The list is staggering. Without Luke, the Christian faith would've lost many beautiful passages.
Passages only found in the Gospel of Luke:
Elizabeth (1:5-7, 13, 24-25, 36, 40-45, 56-61)
Mary (1:26-56)
Anna (2:36-38)
The widow of Nain (7:11-17)
The sinful woman (7:36-50)
The female disciples (8:1-3)
Martha and Mary (10:38-42)
The disabled woman (13:10-17)
The parable of the woman with the lost coin (15:8-10)
The parable of the widow and judge (18:1-8)
The women report Jesus' resurrection (24:22-24)
Passages found in other gospel accounts:
Peter’s mother-in-law (4:38-39)
The hemorrhaging woman (8:43-48)
The widow’s mite (21:1-4)
The women at Jesus’ crucifixion (23:49, 55-56)
The woman at Jesus’ tomb (24:10-11)
So, as you can see, Jesus' kingdom elevated womanhood to a place of dignity and value like never before. And not only that, Jesus' female disciples have much to teach us about what it means to follow Jesus. Let’s see what these ladies in Luke 8 can teach us.
First, Luke tells us that Mary Magdalene was one of Jesus’ disciples. Out of all the female disciples, we know the most about Mary Magdalene; which is to say, we don't know very much at all. But, compared to the other female disciples, Mary Magdalene is unique.
First, we’re told that she had seven demons excised from her by Jesus. In today's world, we have people plagued with mental disorders of every kind. But imagine being inhabited by seven malevolent beings, all with their own voices and intentions driving you to do unspeakable things. Mary experienced a form of slavery worse than anything we know. But Jesus was there. He healed her spirit and made her whole again. And because of that love, she would follow him to the end and beyond. Mary Magdalene would witness Jesus' life, death, burial, and resurrection. She will, quite literally, see it all. Doubtless, much of what we know about the life of Jesus is because of her testimony, because she told and retold the things she saw.
But what does Mary Magdalene have to teach us about being a disciple? Once Jesus has delivered us from great darkness, we will follow him wherever he leads. Great deliverance inspires great devotion.
Secondly, Luke mentions Joanna. Funny enough, even less is known about Joanna than Mary Magdalene, but the little we know has fantastic implications. Luke tells us she was married to a guy named "Chuza," who was King Herod’s “household manager.” The "Herod" that Luke refers to is Herod Antipas, the son of Herod the Great, who had all the children under two killed in Bethlehem around Jesus' birth. So, already we can assume that Herod Antipas came from a pretty messed up family. Not only was Herod Antipas a mass murderer's son, but also the same Herod who beheaded John the Baptist. A ”household manager” was someone who took care of the daily affairs of essential people. They directed the servants, kept track of meetings, and ensured a ruler's house would run smoothly. Think of them as the executive assistant for a CEO of a Fortune 500 company.
So, what does all of that tell us about Joanna? A woman of considerable wealth, influence, and status is a well-known associate of Jesus, a homeless, itinerate teacher. This implies that Jesus' influence had reached the upper echelon within Palestine. In fact, this also means that every time we're given a peek into Herod's inner court, it was likely Joanna who provided the information for authors like Matthew and Luke.
But what does Joanna have to teach us about being a disciple? Her inclusion among Jesus' female disciples demonstrates that life on the road with Jesus is preferable to kingly palaces. She chose a life of service over a life of luxury because she saw in Jesus something more valuable than anything she already had.
Lastly, we come to Susanna. And if less is known about Joanna than Mary Magdalene, even less is known about Susanna. So, why include her here? Because while we don’t know who Susanna was or why she deserved a special mention by Luke, we can safely assume she is worthy of the recognition. At the very least, we know that she, like Mary Magdalene, Joanna, and many other women, "provided" for Jesus and the disciples "out of their means." While Susanna might not mean much to us today, she clearly meant something to Luke and the Christians in the first century. She appears as little more than a name to us, but, at the very least, God saw fit to preserve her name for over 2,000 years. Indeed that was for a good reason.
But what does Susanna have to teach us about being a disciple? Whatever speculations we might have about her, one thing is sure: she was a disciple. What more would you want to know? This illustrates that, while most people don’t even know our name, should we follow Jesus, the Lord will never forget us. He has even written the names of all believers in the "Lamb's Book Of Life," which guarantees a place for us in God's kingdom.
Okay, so we’ve learned a lesson from each female disciple. But what are they, as a group, trying to teach us? Beneficiaries of God’s work become benefactors of God’s work.
The best use of your time, talents, and treasures is when they're in service to God's kingdom. On that last day, you will wish you had given more to God. Every care or worry in this life will fade when we enter that eternal rest. Paul says in Romans 8:18, "For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us." What awaits us is greater than anything we can experience here. Why not lay up for yourselves treasures that cannot be lost, stolen, or destroyed (cf. Matt. 6:19-21).
If you have been a beneficiary of God's work through Jesus, how can you not then become a benefactor of God's work? Others, who were once like you, need Jesus. The ministry needs faithful men and women who will come alongside the Lord and support his work with all that they have. How awful will it be for those who have been given so much through Jesus but haven't given anything back?
You cannot say you're a Christian, and it not cost you something (cf. Matt. 16:24; Rom. 12:1). So, what have you sacrificed for Jesus lately? If nothing, can you really say you're a follower of Jesus? What would Mary Magdalene, Joanna, and Susanna say if they saw how you lived your life for God? Would they feel like you're a kindred spirit? Or would they try witnessing to you?
[1] Kimball, Dan, How (NOT) To Read the Bible: Making Sense of the Anti-Woman, Anti-Science, Pro-Violence, Pro-Slavery and Other Crazy-Sounding Parts of Scripture, (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Reflective, 2020), p. 121.
[2] Ibid.
[3] Ibid.