Review: "Eating Your Way Through Luke's Gospel"

In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus is going to eat, eating, or coming from eating – so contents Robert J. Karris in his fascinating book, Eating Your Way Through Luke’s Gospel.  In the Gospel of Luke, the reader sees how important food was in the earthly ministry of Jesus – and if food and eating meals was of great significance for Jesus, ought it not be for His followers?

Karris’ book is amazingly comprehensive for such a short book (109 pages).

Karris begins by exploring what the people of Jesus’ time would actually have been eating and how they would have been eating and with whom – wonderful background information for preaching or researching.

Then, he looks more at the theme of food in Luke by examining the passages and Greek words used.

The third chapter looks at Jesus as glutton and drunkard, friend of sinners.  The fourth, Jesus as guest, host, and teacher.  The fifth, Jesus’ petitioning of food, and food imagery in the parables.

In the sixth chapter, Karris gives and overview of the theme of food in Matthew, Mark, and John – quoting Scripture at length.

In the seventh, he explores the relationship between women and food in Luke.

In the eighth, he addresses how eating serious, dangerous, and joyful – in context.

An appendix correlation the books pages to the Gospel readings of Lectionary Cycle C.  This makes is very easy to find explanation of the food passages in his book when they arrive in the preaching cycle.

Each chapter has a good-sized selection of works for further reading, and the book has its own selected bibliography.

The one assertion that I had trouble with  was when he stated that when Jesus said, “do this in remembrance of Me,” He was not merely referring to the Passover or the Lord’s Supper, but to the fellowship of all meals.  I don’t see how one can interpret the text that far.

Even so, this is an amazing and helpful book for any interested in the topic of food in Luke, Jesus’ interaction with food, and preaching and researching the texts that concern food in Luke (especially).  He has done a great deal of work to put together his presentation and to provide further resources.  I highly recommend this book to all preachers and to all interested in food in Christian context.