GORDON-CONWELL THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY

GOSPEL OF LUKE THEME PAPER: THE ROLE OF WOMEN IN LUKE

SUBMITTED TO DR. SEAN MCDONOUGH IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF NT615 - EXEGESIS OF LUKE

BY LARRY HACKMAN BOX 182-B 24 OCTOBER 2011

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Women play a large part in the Gospel of Luke. Mary and Elizabeth may quickly come to

mind, but it is easy to miss how the role of women pervades his Gospel. Not only that, but it may not be immediately noticeable that Lukes depiction of women is a unique one that seeks to elevate women as a sex, especially as credible witnesses to Gods work.
This positive attitude toward women is picked up quickly at the beginning of the book as

Luke tells the story of Zechariah and Elizabeth. Zechariahs lack of faith and consequent discipline is contrasted to Elizabeth having her disgrace removed from her (Lk 1:25). Heard in this are echoes of Hannah, who saw a similar vindication in 1 Samuel 1. Immediately after Zechariahs story Mary receives a similar angelic visit from Gabriel, but, also contrasting with Zechariah, she responds with humility and faith, saying let it be according to your word (1:38). The favored one (kecaritwmenh, 1:28) then visits Elizabeth and receives a benediction from her (1:42) and proceeds to proclaim the Magnicat (1:46-55), which has a remarkable resemblance to Hannahs prayer in 1 Samuel 2:1-10. Both of these poems have as their theme the exaltation of the low and the humbling of the proud. While this aspect of Marys song speaks of the grander scheme of the Kingdom of God, it also certainly speaks of Mary herself and perhaps to the state of women in society at that time.
Luke is obviously concerned, even this early in the Gospel, to present women as viable

witnesses, particularly to the work of Christ. This is fairly evident in the narrative of John the Baptists birth (1:57-66). Foreshadowing the later concern in Luke of women as a witness in society at the time, no one believes Elizabeth when she tells them that his name will be called John (1:60). She is vindicated when Zechariah, in his humiliated state, conrms her witness by signing his approval (1:63). Later on, the prophetess Anna is counted as one of the righteous Jews awaiting the Messiah (2:36-38), but Lukes listing of her credentials (especially in contrast

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to his more brief overview of Simeons credentials as another righteous Jew) may be a purposeful effort to validate her as a witness to the movement of Gods Kingdom.1
In at least one story in Luke (7:36-50), Jesus true identity as prophet and savior is given

witness by a sinful woman, in contrast to the Pharisee and his guests. While they ask questions like, Who is this, that even sins he forgives? (7:47) and think to themselves, If this (man) were a prophet (7:39) the irony is that the woman, by her actions, shows that she knows full well that Jesus is a prophet, perfectly aware of her sins, who forgives sin. The woman has come in response to Jesus power to forgive sins, as evident by his declaration of her complete forgiveness (afewntai) and salvation (seswken) in the perfect tense, indicating that her libation was in response to a work of forgiveness and salvation that had already been completed.2 She responds to him with love because she has been loved, an opportunity Simon and his guests have missed. In a way, she joins Elizabeth as a humble woman who is exalted, while the righteous men present are humbled. Another way that Jesus commonly interacted with and elevated women was through his healing ministry, wherein one gets the distinct sense of his care for women in particular. One of the first miracles of Jesus ministry recorded in Luke was his healing of Simon Peters mother-inlaw (4:38-39). Later, Luke records a miracle in which a son is raised from the dead, but the story was really centered around the dead mans mother (7:11-17).3 Jesus compassion is for her, not necessarily for her dead son, perhaps on account of his understanding of her situation as a woman dealing with the socio-economic pressures of being a widow with no male child. When Jesus heals the woman of a distinctly feminine malady, he is already on his way to raise a twelve
1 2 3

Joel B. Green, The Gospel of Luke (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1997), 150. Green, Gospel of Luke, 314. Green, Gospel of Luke, 289.

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year old girl from the dead (8:43-48). He tells the bent over woman that she has been released (apoleLucia, 13:12) from her infirmity, but she had also been released from the inherent restrictions that being an invalid would have caused her in her society.4 Jesus seems to know, in all these cases, what it means to be a woman who is at a disadvantage in her society and moves to renew and to heal their lives, restoring them socially as well as physically. Jesus favorable treatment of women extended into his teachings as well. Jesus uses women as positive object lessons in his parables and in his interactions frequently. Notable among his parables are the parable of the Leaven (13:20-21) and the the parable the Lost Coin (15:8-10) for simply portraying women in the midst of everyday life as parabolic material. In the parable of the Persistent Widow (18:1-5), the widow is cast as an example of persistent faith for the disciples of Christ to emulate.5 Indeed, widows seem to repeatedly find Christs favor in Luke, as when Christ teaches his disciples based on the example of a widow giving her only mite (21:1-4), and again when he points out that Elijah visits only a widow in his day (4:26). He then goes on to condemn the scribes for devouring widows houses (20:47). In general, Jesus shows himself aware of the disadvantages of being female in his day, especially through his commentary of the injustice done through divorce in the name of the Law (16:18). In the eschatological foretelling of Jerusalems destruction, he has concern for women who are pregnant and nursing in that foretold day (21:23). Likewise, even as Christ is being led to crucifixion, he turns to the professional mourners,6 the daughters of Jerusalem (qugatere

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Green, Gospel of Luke, 522. I. Howard Marshall. The Gospel of Luke (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1978), 671. Marshall, Gospel of Luke, 864.

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Ierousalh/m, 23:28), following him and warns them to mourn instead for themselves and their

children. Particular women play a large part in Jesus ministry throughout his teaching years but especially in his death and resurrection. These women are introduced in 8:1-3, particularly Mary Magdalene and Joanna. They, among other women, seem to be supporting Jesus ministry financially and are identified alongside the twelve disciples. It may be easy to miss that such an association would have been scandalous in Jesus day, not least because the kinds of women who likely had the freedom to utilize their finances in this way were usually single women, particularly prostitutes and widows.7 But the story told in the previous pericope of the woman in Simons house is no mistake, as it allows the reader to understand the kind of relationship this really is between the women and Jesus: gratefulness responding to grace.8 But lest one think that the place of women in Jesus ministry was only to serve (see also Simon Peters mother-in-law in 4:39), there is the story of Mary and Martha (10:38-42). Of course, serving is esteemed in Lukes Gospel,9 but here the lesson for Martha is that an acceptable place for women, perhaps indeed even the better place, was as a disciple at his feet.10 Nonetheless, these women do serve Jesus, and serve him well. After his crucifixion (which these same women watched from afar in 23:49) is over, these are the women from Galilee (who we later find in 24:10 are the same Mary Magdalene and Joanna from 8:1-3) who prepare his body for burial (23:55). It is because of their loyal devotion that they have the somewhat unusual status as the first witnesses to Christs resurrection (24:1-12). Unusual,
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Green, Gospel of Luke, 318-319. Green, Gospel of Luke, 319. Green, Gospel of Luke, 434. Marshall, Gospel of Luke, 451.

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because as has already been mentioned, women were not necessarily considered credible witnesses in that day. Even at this juncture, the disciples consider Mary and Joannas witness as nonsense (lhvro). Yet throughout Lukes Gospel, women have repeatedly been cast as firstclass witnesses to Gods work, from Elizabeth to Mary to Mary Magdalene, so it is only fitting that the most important event of Christs ministry is first confirmed by women. Indeed, whether through the women he healed, through the many examples of parables and teachings involving women, or through the poignant examples of humility exalted in Mary, Elizabeth, and the sinful woman, Luke shows that women play an important and powerful part in Christs ministry as examples of Gods Kingdom working on earth.

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Bibliography Green, Joel B. The Gospel of Luke. Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1997. Marshall, I. Howard. The Gospel of Luke. Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1978.