Preaching the Gospels without Blaming the Jews: A Lectionary Commentary

The four gospels are steeped in Judaism: one cannot understand any one of them without knowledge of Jewish people, practices, scriptures, and institutions in the first century. At the same time, the gospels reflect tension and even animosity between the communities of the gospel writers and other Jewish groups, and often caricature some Jewish people, practices, and institutions to justify a separation between traditional Jewish groups and the communities of Mark, Matthew, Luke, and John.

In this timely commentary on the Gospel readings in the Revised Common Lectionary, Allen and Williamson call attention to ways in which the lections are continuous with the theology, values, and practices of Judaism, and reflect critically on the caricatures in the readings. They explain the polemics in their first-century setting but criticize them historically and theologically. They also suggest ways that preachers can help their congregations move beyond these contentious themes to a greater sense of kinship and shared mission with Judaism.