Afterward he journeyed from one town and village to another, preaching and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God. Accompanying him were the Twelve and some women ..., Mary, called Magdalene ..., Joanna, the wife of Herod’s steward Chuza, Susanna, and many others who provided for them out of their resources.

Was hearing on NPR about the Nazi Noir "If the Dead Arise Not" and was reminded to blog about last Sunday's Catholic Mass Readings which make for an interesting detective story.

The first reading, from Samuel, starts off:

Nathan said to David:
“Thus says the LORD God of Israel:
‘I anointed you king of Israel.
I rescued you from the hand of Saul.
I gave you your lord’s house and your lord’s wives for your own.
I gave you the house of Israel and of Judah.
And if this were not enough, I could count up for you still more.
Why have you spurned the Lord and done evil in his sight?
You have cut down Uriah the Hittite with the sword;
you took his wife as your own,

Nathan and David arrive way ahead of Freud at not worrying about Oedipal feelings. The feelings of Uriah's wife are not recorded. Maybe the women who supported Jesus were happy that he was empathetic with their not being property. But what about the middle reading from Paul which includes:

I live by faith in the Son of God
who has loved me and given himself up for me.
I do not nullify the grace of God;
for if justification comes through the law,
then Christ died for nothing.

It seems likely that Herod, Antipas, would know what his steward's wife was publicly up to. He had enjoyed listening to John the Baptist; perhaps similarly Jesus. So Herod was a 'bad man,' but Paul says justification doesn't come through the law but through some allegiance to Jesus.