Luke 10–24 by Barbara E. Reid, OP and Shelly Matthews

Abstract

Reviewed by: Luke 10–24 by Barbara E. Reid, OP and Shelly Matthews Sheila Klassen-Wiebe barbara e. reid, op, and shelly matthews, Luke 10–24 (Wisdom Commentary 43B; Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 2021). Pp. x + 373. $49.95. The second volume on the Gospel of Luke, by Barbara E. Reid and Shelly Matthews, is a welcome addition to the Wisdom Commentary series. Since it begins immediately with Luke 10:1, readers will benefit from having the first volume at hand, not only to read the valuable Introduction but also to access the many references to the first volume. Like other commentaries in the series, this one aims to "offer detailed feminist interpretation" of the biblical text. R. and M. focus on gender inequities, but they are attentive to the intersection of patriarchy with oppression based on race, class, sexuality, physical ability, religious difference, and so on. For example, they reflect on how the story of the woman freed from a crippling spirit might perpetuate a "victim theology" when read through the lens of disability studies (13:10–27). They decry the use of the master–slave metaphor to characterize the divine–human relationship, and they resist drawing out moral teachings from parables built on "slave logic" (e.g., 12:35–48; 17:7–10). The co-authors of this commentary utilize a range of methodologies and exegetical tools in their interpretation of the text. Gender analysis is employed to interrogate passages in which demons "penetrate" vulnerable wo/men and virile men wage war against Satan (pp. 347–48, 375–77). Understanding cultural values of honor and shame illumines the countercultural nature of the friend at midnight, who "shamelessly" disregards social norms to provide hospitality (pp. 370–72). R. and M. also weigh in on historical questions; for example, they argue that it is "historically implausible" that Jewish leaders would have handed Jesus over to Rome on the charge of blasphemy (pp. 593–94), and they note the historical reference to Archelaus in the parable of the pounds (p. 509). Throughout the commentary, they rely heavily on redaction criticism and the conviction that Luke deliberately modified Mark's Gospel. This shapes their conclusions on some key issues. In volume 1, R. and M. identify two perspectives they prioritize in their study of the Gospel: Luke's portrayal of women and his attitude toward Jews who do not accept Jesus as the Messiah. Although Luke's Gospel is often viewed as the "friendliest" toward women, R. and M. challenge this perception. For example, the commentary dispels the myth that [End Page 361] women had no power in Judaism or Greco-Roman society by citing evidence of their participation in synagogues and symposia, but Luke includes no meal scenes where women participate in table talk (p. 433). Luke 22 and 23 reveal Luke's tendency to privilege "the twelve male apostles while rewriting traditions concerning women's agency in the direction of subordination and silence" (p. 558). By making the parable in 18:1–8 about persistent prayer, "Luke tries to tame the image of an unconventional widow who intrudes in traditionally male spaces" (p. 490). Although Luke's anti-Jewish proclivities are evident throughout the Gospel, they are particularly strong in the passion narrative. Jesus's lament in 19:41–44 "embodies the theology that Jerusalem deserved its destruction … because it rejected Jesus as messiah" (p. 520). Repeatedly in the passion narrative Luke shifts blame for Jesus's death from Rome to "the Jews" and fails to critique imperial power, even embracing an "elite ideology of just crucifixion" (pp. 613–14). Despite their overall negative conclusions regarding Luke's stance on women and Judaism, R. and M. not only employ a hermeneutics of suspicion but also search for what is liberative. For example, the anti-family sayings in 12:49–53 challenge traditional patriarchal households as the norm even as they fail to disrupt assumptions about slavery (pp. 405–6). The teachings on service and humility in 22:24–27 can perpetuate systemic injustice for those without power, but they may also "serve as resources in struggles toward justice" when read "as a call to renounce power and engage in solidarity...