Scripture: Luke 8:3 – “And Joanna, the wife of Chuza, Herod’s household manager, and Susanna, and many others, who provided for them out of their means.”
I’ve been thinking about Mary Magdalene a lot lately.
Pardon for a moment of personal privilege. I’m not whining, even though it may sound like I am. Just bear with me . . .
A few weeks ago we had a crazy week at West. Days were 12 hours long at the office, nights of meetings, and then weekend stuff all day Saturday and Sunday. I was determined the next week I was going to take a “real” day off. Monday turned to Tuesday turned to Wednesday, and by Wednesday evening I was determined, “Thursday’s going to be THE day.”
As Tom and I walked the dogs, we laid out the next three weeks of our lives.
In doing so, we realized there’s a LOT that needs to happen between now and May.
I was overwhelmed. Then, grumpy.
Knowing that the only way I’d work through the overwhelmed feeling would be to actually “work” on it, I started thinking about the week we’d focus on Mary.
Mary’s story of healing caused me to put my “stuff” in a whole new light.
She chose to stay.
After her healing she didn’t embark on a “Thanks Jesus, see you around!” narrative.
Mary didn’t just receive her freedom and go on with her life. She followed. She committed. She gave.
And it wrecks me a little.
Because how often do I treat my relationship with Jesus like a spiritual drive-thru? I place my order (usually when I’m in trouble), receive what I need, say a quick “thanks,” and then drive on to the next thing without slowing down enough to ask, “How can I respond to this love?”
Mary understood something I’m still learning: Discipleship isn’t passive. It isn’t merely acknowledging what Jesus has done or even having gratitude for it.
It’s actively responding by living a life that reflects the profound love we’ve encountered.
Look at what Scripture tells us. Mary, along with Joanna, Susanna, and others, “provided for them out of their means.” These women didn’t just listen or learn from Jesus—they acted. They got practical. They were generous. They used what they had.
I wonder sometimes what that looked like day to day. Did Mary count the cost? Were there moments she thought, “This is getting expensive, following this rabbi around”? Did people question why a single woman would give her resources to support an itinerant preacher?
Yet she stayed. All the way to the cross when most had fled. All the way to the tomb. All the way to that garden where she became the first witness of the resurrection.
Her discipleship was visible, tangible, and costly.
And that challenges me deeply.
Mary reminds us that true discipleship moves us beyond comfort, calling us to engage our resources, time, talents, and hearts in tangible, generous ways.
I don’t want to be someone who just celebrates transformation without being transformed into someone who lives radically different.
So I’m asking myself—and inviting you to ask too—how am I practically expressing my devotion to Jesus? What resources, opportunities, or gifts has God entrusted to me that I’m holding back? What would it look like to follow with Mary-like loyalty, even when it’s uncomfortable or costly?
Mary shows us that genuine discipleship isn’t about perfect understanding or having it all together. It’s about stepping forward, stepping out, and stepping up—demonstrating through actions, not just words, our heartfelt commitment to follow the one who first loved us.
➡️ Reflection & Application:
What practical ways can you actively express your devotion to Jesus today? (And I mean today, not someday.)
Like Mary, how can you tangibly support Christ’s mission in your family, community, or beyond?
What’s one meaningful step you can take right now from gratitude toward deeper, active discipleship?
Remember, Jesus isn’t looking for perfect disciples. He’s looking for devoted ones who, like Mary, choose to stay even when it costs us something.
Grace and Peace,
Andrea