Jesus’ female disciples

What springs to your mind when you hear of Jesus’ disciples? If you are like me, you grew up with the image of Jesus surrounded by the twelve disciples, all men, following him along the dusty roads from village to village. But is this image correct or was there more to it? Before we look at whether women were among this group of disciples, we must answer the question of what a disciple is.

What is a disciple?

The Greek word mathētēs is translated as disciple, from the Latin, discipuli, and it means to learn, study and follow a master. In this case, Rabbi Jesus. His disciples would sit at his feet, literally, and learn from him, and carry out ministry in his name.

Bobby Harrington of discipleship.org gives us a simple definition of a disciple. “A disciple of Jesus is someone who is following Jesus, being changed by Jesus, and is committed to the mission of Jesus.” (1)

I recently read a book on the history of the church. The first chapter mentioned the core group of disciples, who were men, and later, it talked about Jesus’s female followers who were at the tomb. Is there a difference between the male disciples and the female followers and is one less than the other? According to Harrington’s definition, all disciples are followers, but not all followers are disciples.

Were Martha and Mary disciples or followers?

Luke in his gospel, chapter 10, introduces us to Martha, who invites Jesus into her home and serves him a meal. She is astonished to discover her sister Mary sitting at Jesus’ feet listening with the male disciples and confronts Jesus about this. Jesus says Mary has chosen a better part and refuses to send her away. This story is often used to show the importance of the contemplative life of Mary over the active Martha. Labels which have often been used to categorise women.

In writing my Leaving Bethany series of novels, written in the first person as Martha telling the story, I meditated on this story many times and the one in John chapter 11. Their brother, Lazarus, is ill and Martha writes to Jesus in all expectation that he will arrive and heal him as they have seen many times. We all know the story, and when Lazarus dies, we know Jesus is about to turn up and raise him from the dead, but the sisters did not know that. When he finally arrives four days later, and Lazarus’s body is stone cold in the tomb, Martha confronts him again, accusing him of not turning up when she asks.

She then comes out with an incredible thing. She says, “I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, who is come into the world.” John 11:27 NIVUK.

In another passage, when Jesus asks the male disciples who he is, most give suggestions and it is only Simon Peter who says he is the Messiah, but here Martha claims it without being asked. Where did she learn this? Yes, at his feet, next to Mary, both sisters were learners.

Going back to Harrington’s definition of a disciple, we see from this exchange that Martha’s relationship with Jesus changed her. In John’s next chapter, we read Mary is changed and with such devotion, she anoints Jesus’ feet with perfume and dries them with her hair.

The third definition of a disciple is their commitment to the mission. We do not hear of them again, but tradition has it they were committed enough to be among the group of women at the cross and tomb. We do not hear about most of the twelve male disciples either after Acts 1, but we still call them disciples and apostles. If the sisters are not disciples, then the definition will have to change.

Other female disciples

When you look, you can find more women who were disciples. The only woman described explicitly as a disciple was Dorcas, or Tabitha, in Acts chapter 9 verse 36. We are told that she was committed to Jesus’s mission by always doing good and helping the poor.

Read the interview of Tabitha, by my fictitious reporter, Aemilia Metella.

Part 1 The woman they could not keep down

Part 2 Even death could not stop her

Luke tells us the names of three other women who follow Jesus. Mary Magdalene, Joanna, and Susanna and tells us there were many other women, (Luke 8 verse 1-3). If you want to know how committed you are to something, look at how you use your money, because these women were committed enough to Jesus’s mission to fund it out of their own resources.

Why is it only men among the twelve disciples?

The number twelve had great symbolic meaning, representing the twelve tribes of Israel. In choosing twelve men, Jesus made a prophetic statement and symbolically declared Israel’s renewal. In this statement, which would have been understood by his first listeners, there had to be twelve disciples and they had to be men. This was not Jesus making a statement that only men could be disciples, or indeed that there could only be twelve.

More than twelve

It might be helpful to think of Jesus’ disciples as concentric rings. Closer to him are the twelve male disciples, and then around these are many more male and female disciples. We are told that Jesus appointed and sent out 72 to minister to villagers in his name (Luke 10 verse 1). It is thought that these included married couples or groups of women.

Conclusion

I hate to talk too much Greek, in fear, some of you may switch off, but you’ve made it to the conclusion, so I guess you will continue now! An understanding of how Greek words are used in relation to groups of mixed genders helps our understanding. As with the word adelphoi, literally meaning brothers, being used for mixed groups, even if men were in the minority. So the word mathētēs, can be viewed as women being present. Women were there in the rooms and on the roads alongside the men. Learning, changing and committing themselves to Jesus’ mission.

“In his ministry, Jesus talked about women, he talked to women, he welcomed them into his ministry, he had deep conversations with women, he healed women, he received their anointing, and he invested in them to gospel witness of the resurrection.” (2) Nijay K. Gupta, Tell Her Story

(1) What is a Disciple? Three Key Characteristics – Bobby Harrington

What is a Disciple? Three Key Characteristics

• (2) Nijay K. Gupta, Tell Her Story, IVP 2023

Estall by Pixabay

A disciple of Jesus is someone who is following Jesus, being changed by Jesus, and is committed to the mission of Jesus.  

Harrington

Christ in the house of Martha and Mary, Jan Vermeer Van Delft 1654

In his ministry, Jesus talked about women, he talked to women, he welcomed them into his ministry, he had deep conversations with women, he healed women, he received their anointing, and he invested in them to gospel witness of the resurrection

NK Gupta