Joshua Francis, 262

11/09/15
Bocks Gospel of Luke

WOMEN IN THE GOSPEL OF LUKE

It has not gone without notice in Biblical studies that Luke seems to place a
particular emphasis on the women involved in Jesus life on earth. From the infancy
material to the empty tomb, women play important roles. As has been pointed out by
many a scholar, this is of particular note when compared to the cultural milieu of the
ancient world. For example, in Jewish studies, it is recorded that women were unfit to
bear testimony in the legal and religious system. Rosh. Hash. 1.8 reads, all testimony
that a woman is not fit to give, these [gamblers, loan sharks, pigeon racers, Sabbath
breakers and slaves] are also not fit to give. Josephus too records in Ant. 4.8.15, But let
not the testimony of women be admitted, on account of the levity and boldness of their
sex. The ancients preferred their women to remain silent in public, speaking their
wisdom to and through their husbands alone, as recorded in Plutarchs, Moralia 142CD,
The women of Egypt were not allowed to wear shoes, so that they should stay at
home all day, and also, Not only the [exposed] arm of the virtuous woman, but her
speech as well, ought to be not for the publicand she ought to be guarded about saying
anything in the hearing of outsiders.
Other laws too, weighed heavier on women than on men in ancient cultures. In the
years preceding the New Testament at least, Dionysius of Halicarnassus writes in The
Roman Antiquities II.25.6, For Romulus permitted them to punish both [adultery and the
drinking of wine] with death, as being the gravest offences women could be guilty of.
Plutarch, in Roman Question, 265BC even references the opinion held by most
authorities that the practice of women kissing their kinsmen on the lips may have been
established so the kinsmen could test the women of their family for any residue of wine
on their lips, in essence, breathalyzing them, in order to prevent their family from falling
into dishonor.
It is in this context that Luke steps forward and presents his Gospel. In it, he
writes of woman after woman who interacted with Jesus. The women range from the
most lowly (Luke 21:1-4, the widow with two mites) to the politically well placed and
rich (8:3, Joanna, wife to Herods steward). There are women of unclean backgrounds
(8:2, Mary Magdalene), and women of impeccable righteousness (1:6, Elizabeth). Luke
includes thirteen women not mentioned in any of the other Gospel accounts (Biblical
Theology of the New Testament: A Theology of Luke and Acts, Darrel L. Bock, 344), and
records the various womens important roles as witnesses to both the birth
announcements of Jesus (1:26-38, Mary), and to the announcement of his resurrection
(24:1-10).
Lukes determination to record the many women involved in his narrative acts as
a counter-current to the societal role that women normally filled in his day. More than
any other event in the narrative, the use of women as the witnesses to the resurrection
scene flies in the face of expected norms. In fact, as has often been argued, if the disciples
and the authors of the Gospels had wanted to counterfeit a resurrection, they surely would
have avoided using witnesses whose very testimonies were considered suspect by the
culture and courts at large. Surely, the only reasons for the prominent presence of the
women throughout Lukes Gospel account is first, that historically, they simply were that
involved in the ministry and mind-set of Jesus, and second, that Luke meant to make
clear to an audience that would likely be hostile to such ideas, that women were and are
just as much recipients of the blessings of the kingdom and participants in the work of the
kingdom that Jesus came to herald.
Such a claim can be supported quite readily by briefly weaving in and out of
Lukes narrative with an eye toward the role that women play. As will be seen, Luke
begins in the infancy material, introducing women who honor God by keeping his Torah
in pious righteousness. He moves next through the Galilean ministry, the journey to
Jerusalem, and finally the Passion Week. Throughout his account, he introduces a variety
of women in a smattering of circumstances. Again and again though, his narrative pairs
women with men, so that when Jesus heals a man, so too does he heal a woman, and
when he tells a parable featuring a woman, so too does he tell a parable featuring a man.
By pairing women with men in his narrative, he subtly asserts and reiterates that women
benefit from the coming of the kingdom just as much as men. A third method Luke uses
to affirm the place of women in his narrative is, as mentioned earlier, his record of the
women at the empty tomb.
Luke introduces women into his narrative very early in his account, starting with
Elizabeth as the wife of Zacharias in 1:5. In the next verse, Luke describes them both as
walking blamelessly in all the commandments and requirements of the Lord. Luke
continues to paint Elizabeth as a pious woman when she accredits her late pregnancy to
the Lord (1:25) and further when she is filled with the Holy Spirit and humbly
pronounces a blessing on Mary (1:41-45). When compared to Zacharias, who had to
receive the judgment of a stilled tongue before responding in faith, Elizabeths obedience
to the Lord becomes even more pronounced. Interspersed in this account of Elizabeth,
Luke also introduces Mary and her own humble piety before the Lord and his will.
Marys humble piety is seen in 1:38, And Mary said, Behold, the bondslave of the
Lord; may it be done to me according to your word, as well as in the content and tone
of her Magnificat (1:46-55), in which she continues to refer to herself as a bondslave
(48), models Hannahs prayer in 1 Sam. 2:1-10, and quotes at least two separate Psalms
(103:17 and 107:9). In addition, the circumcision scenes for both John and Jesus (1:59
and 2:21) indicate that both families were pious, obedient to the law. The way Luke
presents both Elizabeth and Mary works to set the tone for the prominent, elevated,
important role that women will play throughout his entire narrative. Their testimonies are
not unimportant. They are instead, a vital part of his narrative. Even more, they are
presented as having the attention and favor of God, and as such, are some of the first
recipients of Gods kingdom blessings in the narrative.
In the infancy material, Luke also makes use of a male-female pairing for the first
time. He goes on to do this throughout his entire Gospel, taking care to speak of women
receiving the same treatment from Jesus (and God) that he describes men as receiving
from him. On this first occasion, it at first seems to be a pairing of Elizabeth and
Zacharias, but it is probably more explicit to pair Mary and Zacharias. Both are described
as having received a visitation by an angel, both having to do with the announcement of a
miraculous pregnancy. The surprising contrast in the pairing is that while the pious priest
whose wifes pregnancy would be a surprise but not a shame, shows doubt and suffers
temporary judgment, the lowly virgin woman, whose pregnancy could mean painful and
long-lasting social repercussions, responds with acceptance and faith. The pairing is seen
further in that both Mary and Zacharias sing their thanks and praise of God, in Marys
Magnificat (1:46-55) and Zacharias Benedictus (1:67-79).
The next pairing occurs during Jesus presentation in the temple on his name day.
First, Luke introduces Simeon, an aged righteous and devout man, looking for the
consolation of Israel (2:25), who praises God, speaking of him to all around who would
listen. Luke immediately introduces Anna then, an aged prophetess who never left the
temple, serving with fastings and prayers, (2:37). He describes her as giving thanks to
God as well, and speaking of Him to all who were looking for the redemption of
Jerusalem, (2:38).
If the Biblical scholar only had these two pairings to go on, there would not be
much evidence of Lukes promotion of the women in his narrative through the use of
pairings. Luke though, does not stop with these two. He continues pairing men and
women in his account. He goes on to describe the resurrection of the son of the widow of
Nain (7:10-17), which pairs very neatly with the resurrection of the daughter of Jairus
(8:40-56). Luke does it again when he pairs two Sabbath healings which infuriate the
Pharisees. The first is the healing of a woman with a sickness caused by a spirit (13:10ff),
and the second is the healing of a man with dropsy (14:1ff). In both accounts, Jesus
refutes the Pharisees with the illustration of the ox (in the first place, of the need to take it
to water, and in the second, to pull it from a ditch). Luke makes it abundantly clear that
the events are very similar to one another. In fact, the most significant different between
these two healing accounts is the gender of the recipient. Other than the fact of their
gender, there is not difference in what they receive, and no difference in the way Jesus
treats them.
Luke also records Jesus pairing of men with women in the use of his parables. In
Luke 13:18-21, he speaks of a man planting a mustard seed, which grew into a tree,
which is comparable to the growth of the kingdom of God, and then he speaks of a
woman adding leaven to three pecks of flour until it was all leavened, to reiterate the
point. He does this again when he speaks of a mans willingness to leave ninety-nine
secure sheep to find one lost sheep, and a womans eagerness to carefully search for one
lost coin out of ten (15:1-10). Both proclaim, Rejoice with me, for I have found the
coin/my sheep which was lost, (15:6 and 9). Again, Luke uses this pairing method to
emphasize that Jesus did not distinguish between man and woman when it came to who
would be recipients of his kingdom blessings. Women would not take a backseat and be
second-rate citizens in the kingdom in any significant capacity.
Aside from the infancy material and the examples of pairings mentioned above,
there are a number of women whose presence in the narrative play key roles in elevating
women from the substandard role to which the culture at large had relegated them. Such
vital women include the silent sinner who anoints Jesus feet with her tears, and washes
them with her hair (7:36-50), Mary and Martha (10:38-42), the three women, (among
others) who supported Jesus out of their private means (8:1-3), and finally, the women at
the tomb (23:55-24:11).
The importance of the woman who anointed Jesus feet lies in the fact that Jesus
exalts her as a very positive example of appropriate faith and gratitude to the Lord. This is
in direct contrast to the Pharisees cold-hearted reception of Jesus, when he should have
been on waiting eagerly to receive this consolation of Israel. Other women in the gospel
that Jesus elevated as prime examples of faith and obedience are the widow with her two
mites (Luke 21:1-4), the woman who nags the judge for justice (18:1-8), and of course,
Mary, the sister of Martha (10:38-42).
One of the very significant aspects of Mary and Martha is the roles that each is
filling, and the role that is affirmed by Jesus. In this short pericope, Martha is the one
fulfilling the role that would typically be more expected and accepted in the culture. In
contrast, Mary is sitting at the feet of Jesus, entering into discipleship, filling a role that
would have been far more appropriately filled by a man. When Martha raises her
objection, in essence voicing the opinion of the culture, Jesus rebukes her, allowing that
Mary has done very well to take the place of discipleship, to receive the teaching of the
kingdom. This pericope alone does much to capture Lukes agenda in recording the roles
that women played in Jesus life.
The final and likely the most flagrant bucking of the social norms occurs in the
scene of the empty tomb. As mentioned earlier, no first century mind would dream of
counterfeiting an unbelievable tale by citing women as primary witnesses. Yet such
witnesses are exactly what Luke (along with the other gospel writers) uses. He records
that it was the female disciples, before any others, who found the empty tomb and
received the announcement of the angels (24:1-12). Luke even highlights the cultural
distrust of women when the apostles refuse to believe the testimony of the women,
unable to make sense of their nonsense.
Aside from all of the vital women mentioned above, there are many others who
are just as important to Lukes social elevation of women. To name a few more, there is
Peters mother-in-law, the woman with the issue of blood, the woman who commends a
blessing on Mary for having raised Jesus, the weeping women at the sight of the cross,
and negatively, Lots wife (17:32).
Not all are as important to Lukes theme as the others, but overall, the impression
one cannot escape in the study of Luke is that women are as intimately and extensively
integrated in the blessings and teachings of the kingdom heralded by Jesus as men are.
Such an elevated and equalizing view stands in stark counterpoint to the later,
questionable reading of the supposed Gospel of Thomass final words,

Simon Peter said to him, Make Mary leave us, for females dont deserve life.
Jesus said, Look, I will guide her to make her male, so that she too may become a
living spirit resembling you males. For every female who makes herself male will
enter the domain of Heaven.

Thus does Luke express Jesus deep concern for the social fringe, and thus does he
welcome women, in a socially radical manner, to be equal recipients of the blessings of
his kingdom.