Luke 1–9

Shelly Matthews holds a ThD from Harvard Divinity School and is professor of New Testament at Brite Divinity School, Fort Worth, Texas. She is the general editor for the SBL Press series Early Christianity and Its Literature and the cofounder and cochair of the SBL Program Unit Racism, Pedagogy and Biblical Studies. Her books include Perfect Martyr: The Stoning of Stephen and the Construction of Christian Identity (Oxford University Press, 2010) and The Acts of the Apostles: An Introduction and Study Guide: Taming the Tongues of Fire (T&T Clark, 2017). She is currently writing a monograph under the working title A Feminist Guide to Early Christian Resurrection: Justice, Authority, Presence.Barbara E. Reid, general editor of the Wisdom Commentary series, is a Dominican Sister of Grand Rapids, Michigan. She is the Carroll Stuhlmueller, CP Distinguished Professor of New Testament Studies, and president emerita of Catholic Theological Union (the first woman who held the position). She has been a member of the CTU faculty since 1988 and also served as vice president and academic dean from 2009 to 2018. She holds a PhD in biblical studies from The Catholic University of America and was president of the Catholic Biblical Association in 2014–2015. Her most recent publications are Luke 1–9 and Luke 10–24, co-authored with Shelly Matthews (WCS 43A, 43B; Liturgical Press, 2021); and At the Table of HolyWisdom: Global Hungers and Feminist Biblical Interpretation (Paulist, 2023).

“This marvelous commentary is informative, eye-opening, and challenging. It shares an abundance of nourishing insights from national and international feminist biblical interpretation. It opens reader’s eyes, for example, to see both women and men shepherds in Luke 2 and to see the anointing lady of Luke 7:36-50 as neither a prostitute nor as Mary Magdalene. It warms the heart and frequently asks such troubling questions as: What are contemporary disciples going to do locally to alleviate food insecurity for the vulnerable as Jesus did in his day?”Fr. Robert J. Karris, OFM, Professor Emeritus, St. Bonaventure University

• List of Abbreviations viiList of Contributors xiForeword: “Come Eat of My Bread . . . and Walk in the Ways of Wisdom” xviiElisabeth Schüssler Fiorenza Editor’s Introduction to Wisdom Commentary:“She Is a Breath of the Power of God” (Wis 7:25) xxiBarbara E. Reid, OPAuthors’ Introduction: A Feminist Commentary on an Ambiguous Gospel xliLuke 1:1-80 An Orderly Account for Lovers of God 1Luke 2:1-52 Divine Love Becomes Incarnate 63Luke 3:1-38 Beloved Son of God and All God’s Children 97Luke 4:1-44 Prophetic Mission Declared; Divided Responses 117Luke 5:1-39 Male Disciples Called; Female Disciples in the Shadows 165Luke 6:1-49 Multitudes of Women and Men Are Healed and Hear 195Luke 7:1-50 Wisdom’s Children Justified 221Luke 8:1-56 Galilean Women Followers and Financiers 247Luke 9:1-62 The Cross That Should Not Be Taken Up 277Works Cited 297