Luke 8:1–3 (NIV)

¹ After this, Jesus traveled about from one town and village to another, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God. The Twelve were with him, ² and also some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases: Mary (called Magdalene) from whom seven demons had come out; ³ Joanna the wife of Chuza, the manager of Herod’s household; Susanna; and many others. These women were helping to support them out of their own means.

Unexpected Friendship 

Mary Magdalene had been healed by Jesus from seven demons. She became one of the women who traveled with Jesus and the Twelve, supported his ministry, and later became a witness to Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection. Mary’s relationship with Jesus was an unexpected friendship. She was someone whose past was marked by deep brokenness, yet Jesus welcomed her, restored her, and gave her a place among His followers. Jesus saw Mary not for what others might have seen, but for who she was created to be.

“With Jesus” 

Henri Nouwen says that the movements of the Eucharist, taken, blessed, broken, and given, also describe the life of the beloved. Jesus lived this way, and as people who are beloved by God, we are invited to live this way too.

Taken 

He took the bread. Luke 22:19

Mary was taken into Jesus’ community. She was healed, welcomed, and became one of the women who followed Jesus.

Broken 

This is my body, given for you. Luke 22:19

Mary knew profound brokenness and healing. Her brokenness did not disqualify her; it became part of the story of how she came to Jesus.

Blessed 

He took the bread and, giving thanks, he blessed it. Luke 22:19

Mary was blessed to become a participant in Jesus’ ministry. She supported Jesus and the disciples from her own resources, and she remained with Jesus through his death and burial.

Given 

This is my body, given for you. Luke 22:19

Mary gave herself to the mission of Jesus. She became a witness to the resurrection and carried her testimony to the disciples: I have seen the Lord! John 20:18.

CONNECT WITH EACH OTHER 



Before beginning your time in the passage this week, consider the following prompt as a conversation starter: Share about a friend you made in an unexpected way or share about a friend who, on the surface, is very different from you.

CONNECT WITH GOD 

Rooted in Life Beyond Life:  “A Simple Regimen of Private Prayer” from George Buttrick. This week, we continue the focus on noticing, naming, and receiving the wide mercy of God. Read the section on “rooted in life beyond life” from the link below. This is a time for specific thanksgiving and gratitude to God, but this week you may also turn your attention to the larger mercies of life itself.  

“The thanksgiving should also probe deep, asking, ​“What are life’s abiding mercies?” Thus gratitude would be saved from earthliness and circumstance, and rooted in Life beyond life. ​“Count your many blessings,” says the old hymn, ​“and it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.” This prayer should end in glad and solemn resolve: ​“Lord, seal this gratitude upon my face, my words, my generous concern for my neighbors, my every outward thought and act.”

https://renovare.org/articles/hints-for-how-to-pray

CONNECT WITH EACH OTHER

• Alone: Write a short note of encouragement to someone who has been a friend to you. Why are they a “soul friend” to you? What makes the friendship meaningful for you? You can share with the group, if you are comfortable. 

• Together: Pray in expectation of the passage being read. Read together Luke 8:1-3. Also, spend time reading the passage that comes just before Luke 8:1-3 (Luke 7:36-50).  

• Share Together: What is Jesus inviting you into through these passages?

CONNECT WITH SCRIPTURE 

If needed, read the passage again. Consider also reading Luke 14:15-24 so that you may also reflect on the parable and the whole context of the teaching of Jesus here. Then select the best questions or customize the questions for your group.

• Review the message notes. 
• What do you know about Mary Magdalene? What did you learn about her in the message? 
• What do you notice about the broader context of this passage (Luke 7 and 8)? 
• What do you notice about the women and their inclusion in Jesus’ community?
• How do you think the generosity and support of the women could also speak to the kind of friendship that Jesus brings?  
• Can you think of other biblical examples of unexpected friendships? 
• How does the sacrament of communion help you to understand the shape of friendship? Use the message notes to trace the movements of communion. 
• What does this passage reveal about friendship with God and one another? 
• What questions or curiosities do you still have about the passage and its implications for your life today?

ENGAGE AND EXPLORE 

This section is a launching point for deeper conversation, allowing for flexibility in conversation and diversity of perspective while exploring what it means to be faithful in our lives today. Together: Read the quote below and think about this message series so far over these last few weeks. Where is there a gap between what you believe about the unexpectedness of Jesus’ circle of friends and your own practice of that kind of community in your life today? 

“Soon we imagine, with God, this circle of compassion. Then we imagine no one standing outside of this circle, moving ourselves closer to the margins so that the margins themselves will be erased. We stand there with those whose dignity has been denied. We locate ourselves with the poor and powerless and the voiceless. At the edges, we join the easily despised and the readily left out. We stand with the demonized so that the demonizing will stop. We situate ourselves right next to the disposable so that the day will come when we stop throwing people away.”

-Gregory Boyle

PRAYER 

Pray together for one another and for eyes to glimpse the unexpected opportunities and friendships along our path. Close your time with the Lord’s Prayer.