24th Week in Ord. Time, Friday – 16th September 2022 — Gospel: Lk 8,1-3
Model of Service
The women who followed Jesus offered practical help that Jesus needed to continue his mission. They were his ministry partners providing food and drink for the journey and were taking care of their physical needs. The word “ministered” in Greek is diakonos, which recalls a servant whose primary responsibility is to serve food and wait on tables. Luke uses this word to picture the attitude of the women who served Jesus by financially supporting Jesus’ ministry. These women believed that their supreme task was to provide what Jesus and his disciples needed to fulfill their ministry without hindrance. Further the Greek usage indisputably means that these women did this task consistently and regularly; in other words, they habitually donated money to Jesus’ ministry. They were faithful partners on whom Jesus could rely. This lets us know that these were wealthy women. The works of these women had an immeasurable impact on Christ’s mission in the early church that served as a model to the spiritual works of mercy among Christians. By providing to our neighbour some of our resources, we serve in a real and tangible way Jesus Christ, as these women did.
