Charles Spurgeon Commentary Luke 8

And it came to pass afterward, that he went throughout every city and village, preaching and showing the glad tidings of the kingdom of God: and the twelve were with him, And certain women, which had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities, Mary called Magdalene, out of whom went seven devils, and Joanna the wife of Chuza Herod's steward, and Susanna, and many others, which ministered unto him of their substance.

The previous chapter tells how the woman in Simon's house manifested her love to the Saviour. She showed her love in one way, and in a very special way; but there were others, who had similar affection for him, who showed it in other ways. What is right for one person to do might not be a wise or right thing for everybody to do. Christ did not want his feet washed with tears every minute in the day, nor to have them anointed with even precious ointment very often.

There are some Christians who ought to do, and I trust will do, some extraordinary thing for Christ, something that will need no apology from them, because they are extraordinary persons, who used to be extraordinary sinners; and it would not be right for them to run in the ruts made by others, but they ought to strike out a distinct pathway for themselves. Happy is the church that has any such members; happier still if it has many such. But there are others, who love Christ just as truly, yet who must be content to show their love to him in some other, and apparently more common, but, perhaps, in the long run, more useful way. These gracious women ministered to Christ of their substance.

He was only a poor itinerant preacher who needed daily sustenance. Some people say that every preacher ought to earn his own bread by trade or profession, and preach freely, yet the Lord Jesus Christ, the Prince of preachers, did not do this. "Oh, but Paul did!" Yes, Paul attained to a very high honour; but we may be perfectly satisfied, as the servants of the Lord Jesus Christ, to attain to as high a degree of honour as our Master did.

And since he never did any carpentering after he began to preach, but gave his whole soul and being up to the work of preaching, he was fed and cared for by the kindness of these godly women who were glad to minister to him of their substance. The disciple is not above his master, nor the servant above his lord.

It is enough for the disciple that he be as his master, and the servant as his lord. So, as ministers of Christ, we need not be ashamed to minister spiritual things to the people, and to receive their carnal things in return. These women, though they did not wash Christ's feet with their tears, nor anoint them with precious ointment, did well, for they "ministered unto him of their substance." Let us all do for him all that we can.

And it came to pass afterward, that he went throughout every city and village, preaching and shewing the glad tidings of the kingdom of God: and the twelve were with him,

Our Lord's display of forgiving grace to the woman who was a sinner seemed to whet his appetite for soul-saving, so that he went throughout every city and village, preaching and showing the glad tidings of the kingdom of God. Dear friends, whenever we win a soul for God, let it spur us on to a greater diligence in his service; let it make us insatiable for more of this best wine of the kingdom of heaven.

It was so with our Divine Master. He went about preaching; and, as he preached, he was training others also to preach: the twelve were with him. I think that, whenever there is a successful ministry, there should be those round about who are being trained to continue it. Among the Waldensians, the pastors were always accompanied by young men who learned to preach from their example, and who shared their toils when they went from valley to valley proclaiming the gospel.

And certain women, which had been healed of evil spirit and infirmities, Mary, called Magdalene, out of whom went seven devils and Joanna the wife of Chuza Herod's steward, and Susanna, and many others, which ministered unto him of their substance.

If they could not be apostles, they could, at any rate, being women of property, contribute to the sustenance of Christ and also to that of the apostles who were with him. There is a place for everyone who is willing to be used by the great Master-builder, who leaves no stone out of the wall if it is fit to be built into it. There is something for the twelve to do, and there is something for the holy women to do. We cannot do without either of them. And in that last great day, when the rewards are distributed, there will be as much for Joanna as for John, and as much for Mary Magdalene as for Simon Peter. Did they not each, according to their utility, serve the Lord Jesus Christ?

Or, as Mark records it, because it had no depth of earth. There was just a thin layer of soil, enough for the seed's germination and early sprouting; it came up all the more quickly because it was so near the surface and because the heat could reach it so easily, with the hard layer of rock beneath speedily sending the heat up to it. But, for that very reason, as soon as it was sprung up, it withered away, because it lacked moisture.

And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprang up with it, and choked it. And other fell on good ground, and sprang up and bare fruit an hundredfold. And when he had said these things, he cried, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.

There are many, who have ears, who do not hear to any real purpose. There is the physical act of hearing, but they do not hear in the heart and the mind. It is a very different thing to have an impression on the drum of the ear and to have an impression on the tablet of the heart. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.