What is the problem? How is/was it solved? What are its parallels? According to what Jesus’ message in the parable is, how should this problem be solved?
- People who have not had justice brought to them need to demand for justice themselves because the only person that can change the situation is yourself. Jesus is trying to say that people have not taken responsibilty for being oppressed by the system and have relied on others to bring justice to them when they themselves should go and seek the truth or in this case justice with perisistence.
Monday, November 26, 2007
Sunday, November 25, 2007
Parable Draft #1
According to Dr. Cameron Freeman, what appears to be a fearless judge is really a victim of the widow's persistent demands, while what appears to be the annoying pleas of a widowed victim is really a fearless demand for justice.[1] Or again, what initially seems to be the fearless refusal of a defiant judge is really the worn out delivery of a widow's justice, while what appears to be a worn out pleas of a widow for justice, is really the fearless stance of one who is defiant and refuses to back down, is the theory of Dr. Freeman. [2] What appears to be strong is really weak, and what appears to be weak is really strong. The idea of a judge finally giving in to a pestering widow is hardly profound. Recent scholarly research, however, overturns that judgment when it becomes clear that women were not to frequent the male world of the courts. Thus the widow's frequent visits together with her brief and abrupt command to the judge combine to convey the image of a feisty widow rather than the conventionally meek and subservient role assumed for her. As a result, a long-standing discomfort over how to render the Greek in the judge's stated reasons for granting her justice, says Cotter. [3] The parable of the widow and the judge presents two characters and at least two intertwined social systems that bring the characters together. The earliest interpretation of a judge is found in the saying attached to the parable where he is called "a judge of unrighteousness/injustice." The judge is beyond shame; neither son spell to God's justice nor an appeal to human need can evoke a sense of shame. Derrett believes that the parable depicts a widow who has avoided the customary Torah courts and has gone straight to Hellenistic judge, because she thinks that she can expedite her case in the administrative court. Therefore, this reading of the parable takes the judge t obeys a Torah judge in the customary courts.[4] The judge is one of the urban elite. While it is inherently more probable that Torah adjudicators would have been located in urban areas rather than in the nucleated villages, it is not clear that they were found only in major cities. Because the claimant is identified as a widow, it makes sense to infer that her case concerns her inheritance rights. A widow was in a particularly vulnerable situation, and for that very reason, she was a target for exploitation.[5] This may explain why the widow was the subject of such a concern in the Torah and Prophets.. In light of the material on the role of law in agrarian societies, the hiatus between the justice of the Torah and t he practical workings of everyday injustice may be clearer. Bailey believed that the parable makes the following three assumptions: 1. the widow is in the right (and being denied justice) 2. For some reason the judge does not want to serve her (she has paid no bribes?). The author of the parable expected the listeners to perceive the judge in a completely negative way as devoid of both pretas and humanities.
[1] Dr. Cameron Freeman, "The Paradoxical Teachings of the Historical Jesus." Oct. 2007.Renew Theology. <http://www.renewtheology.org/paperCFreeman1007.htm>.
[2] Freeman, "The Paradoxical Teachings of the Historical Jesus."
[3] Wendy Cotter, New Testament Studies (Cambridge University Press Copyright © Cambridge University Press, 2005), 51: 328-343 Cambridge University Press.
[4] Herzog..
[5] Herzog…
[1] Dr. Cameron Freeman, "The Paradoxical Teachings of the Historical Jesus." Oct. 2007.Renew Theology. <http://www.renewtheology.org/paperCFreeman1007.htm>.
[2] Freeman, "The Paradoxical Teachings of the Historical Jesus."
[3] Wendy Cotter, New Testament Studies (Cambridge University Press Copyright © Cambridge University Press, 2005), 51: 328-343 Cambridge University Press.
[4] Herzog..
[5] Herzog…
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
"Parable Documentation"
1) Read the parable once, then carefully read each verse
2) Analyze each action, object, and person while thinking of how these images would be interpreted by Jesus’ followers. This is reading in between the lines and will expand the meaning of the story. It also will require some research.
3) What is the problem and how do the characters respond (or instigate) it? Pay close attention to the rich and powerful and how they abuse their power and expect too much out of the lower people.
4) Identify what the parable is about. What prompted Jesus to tell the story? What is Jesus saying about society and/or KoG and how does the problem need to be solved? How does it relate to our lives today (this isn’t yet the actual modern situation, but I think it helps to understand if you replace ancient images with modern ones. This might later help with identifying a modern situation though) apply the parable to a current event.
5) Identify a modern situation with similar characters and actions (learn a lot about it). What is the problem? How is/was it solved? What are its parallels? According to what Jesus’ message in the parable is, how should this problem be solved?
6) Study the behaviors or commonly accepted behaviors of the characters in the story. Also identify the core values/central idea of the parable.
7) Know your shit, make a killer presentation with costumes and props and videos, get A’s. But most importantly MAKE SURE YOU LEARNED SOMETHING!!!!!!!!
____________________________________________________________________
2)The earliest interpretation of a judge is found in the saying attached to the parable where he is called "a judge of unrighteousness/injustice." The judge's problem is "his inability to sense the evil of his actions in the presence of the one ego should make him ashamed." The parable depicts a widow who has avoided the customary Torah courts and has gone straight to Hellenistic judge, because she thinks that she can expedite her case in the administrative court. Property means, disputes arise out of loans, inheritances, sales and the like. Because the claimant is identified as a widow, it makes sense to infer that her case concerns her inheritance rights. Scott takes the description seriously because it marks the judge as one of the urban elite. A widow was in a particularly vulnerable situation, and for that very reason, she was a target for exploitation. We think that Jesus is talking to the people who don't have good faith and the ones who are inpatient when praying to God.
3) The problem Jesus is trying to state is that people in power will think they will always stay in power but the people in power are so arrogant that even if the spotlight is upon them they still won't concede to people beneath them.
4) Then He told His disciples the story of the persistent widow. His point was that if even a corrupt judge could eventually be persuaded by the persistence of a widow, someone without standing or influence in their day, how much more likely would the Lord be to respond to the persistent prayers of his followers. The background for this parable is found in chapter 17. "When will the Kingdom come?" some had asked. In response the Lord told them that one day soon they would long to see one of His days (days like this one when He was with them) but would not see it. First He had to suffer and die. Then there would be a succession of false Messiahs and still it wouldn't be time. But when He finally did come it would be suddenly and it would catch many people off guard. They would have given up and stopped praying. Jesus is saying that society. The judge prefers to favor her adversary (either the adversary is influential or he has paid bribes). The parable poses a dilemma. A desperate widow is caught in the usual power play accompanying her husband's death, and she is further enmeshed in the complexities of a Torah court. At first glance she appears hopeless. Everyone knows that the court will decide in favor of the party offering the most appropriate emolument that is bribe. Her reward is justice at the gate. She was able to analyze her limit situation and design a limit action that broke the spell of inevitability cast by the ruling elites. You have to be persistent in your faith and not just
5) Homeless people have always been there but their numbers are starting to grow so now it's starting to be a problem that the wealthy can't ignore any longer. Now the wealthy have had to deal with the situation by paying taxes since the problem is too large to ignore. And just like the parable homeless people are always asking or are in need of help and are persistent when wanting help.
6) People who are consumed by power have finally given up the ability to care for one another. The judge is of the higherarchy so he has found no compassion for others who cannot influence the amount of power that he can have. The widow has been persistent to the judge which is unlike the common outcast of society. People have grown to allow themselves to hear the cries of the outcast of society and begin to have compassion for them.
2) Analyze each action, object, and person while thinking of how these images would be interpreted by Jesus’ followers. This is reading in between the lines and will expand the meaning of the story. It also will require some research.
3) What is the problem and how do the characters respond (or instigate) it? Pay close attention to the rich and powerful and how they abuse their power and expect too much out of the lower people.
4) Identify what the parable is about. What prompted Jesus to tell the story? What is Jesus saying about society and/or KoG and how does the problem need to be solved? How does it relate to our lives today (this isn’t yet the actual modern situation, but I think it helps to understand if you replace ancient images with modern ones. This might later help with identifying a modern situation though) apply the parable to a current event.
5) Identify a modern situation with similar characters and actions (learn a lot about it). What is the problem? How is/was it solved? What are its parallels? According to what Jesus’ message in the parable is, how should this problem be solved?
6) Study the behaviors or commonly accepted behaviors of the characters in the story. Also identify the core values/central idea of the parable.
7) Know your shit, make a killer presentation with costumes and props and videos, get A’s. But most importantly MAKE SURE YOU LEARNED SOMETHING!!!!!!!!
____________________________________________________________________
2)The earliest interpretation of a judge is found in the saying attached to the parable where he is called "a judge of unrighteousness/injustice." The judge's problem is "his inability to sense the evil of his actions in the presence of the one ego should make him ashamed." The parable depicts a widow who has avoided the customary Torah courts and has gone straight to Hellenistic judge, because she thinks that she can expedite her case in the administrative court. Property means, disputes arise out of loans, inheritances, sales and the like. Because the claimant is identified as a widow, it makes sense to infer that her case concerns her inheritance rights. Scott takes the description seriously because it marks the judge as one of the urban elite. A widow was in a particularly vulnerable situation, and for that very reason, she was a target for exploitation. We think that Jesus is talking to the people who don't have good faith and the ones who are inpatient when praying to God.
3) The problem Jesus is trying to state is that people in power will think they will always stay in power but the people in power are so arrogant that even if the spotlight is upon them they still won't concede to people beneath them.
4) Then He told His disciples the story of the persistent widow. His point was that if even a corrupt judge could eventually be persuaded by the persistence of a widow, someone without standing or influence in their day, how much more likely would the Lord be to respond to the persistent prayers of his followers. The background for this parable is found in chapter 17. "When will the Kingdom come?" some had asked. In response the Lord told them that one day soon they would long to see one of His days (days like this one when He was with them) but would not see it. First He had to suffer and die. Then there would be a succession of false Messiahs and still it wouldn't be time. But when He finally did come it would be suddenly and it would catch many people off guard. They would have given up and stopped praying. Jesus is saying that society. The judge prefers to favor her adversary (either the adversary is influential or he has paid bribes). The parable poses a dilemma. A desperate widow is caught in the usual power play accompanying her husband's death, and she is further enmeshed in the complexities of a Torah court. At first glance she appears hopeless. Everyone knows that the court will decide in favor of the party offering the most appropriate emolument that is bribe. Her reward is justice at the gate. She was able to analyze her limit situation and design a limit action that broke the spell of inevitability cast by the ruling elites. You have to be persistent in your faith and not just
5) Homeless people have always been there but their numbers are starting to grow so now it's starting to be a problem that the wealthy can't ignore any longer. Now the wealthy have had to deal with the situation by paying taxes since the problem is too large to ignore. And just like the parable homeless people are always asking or are in need of help and are persistent when wanting help.
6) People who are consumed by power have finally given up the ability to care for one another. The judge is of the higherarchy so he has found no compassion for others who cannot influence the amount of power that he can have. The widow has been persistent to the judge which is unlike the common outcast of society. People have grown to allow themselves to hear the cries of the outcast of society and begin to have compassion for them.
Monday, November 12, 2007
"Herzog"
The parable of the widow and the judge presents two characters and at least two intertwined social systems that bring the characters together. The earliest interpretation of a judge is found in the saying attached to the parable where he is called "a judge of unrighteousness/injustice." The judge is beyond shame; neither son spell to God's justice nor an appeal to human need can evoke a sense of shame. AS Bailey sees it, the judge's problem is "his inability to sense the evil of his actions in the presence of the one ego should make him ashamed." These uniformly censorious descriptions do raise questions about what setting is imagined in the parable that the judge is and how he got to be a judge in the first place. Derrett believes that the parable depicts a widow who has avoided the customary Torah courts and has gone straight to Hellenistic judge, because she thinks that she can expedite her case in the administrative court. Therefore, this reading of the parable takes the judge t obeys a Torah judge in the customary courts. Scott takes the description seriously because it marks the judge as one of the urban elite. While it is inherently more probable that Torah adjudicators would have been located in urban areas rather than in the nucleated villages, it is not clear that they were found only in major cities. Herbert Danby interprets property to mean, "disputes arise out of loans, inheritances, sales and the like.” Because the claimant is identified as a widow, it makes sense to infer that her case concerns her inheritance rights. A widow was in a particularly vulnerable situation, and for that very reason, she was a target for exploitation. This may explain why the widow was the subject of such a concern in the Torah and Prophets. God promises to hear the voices of the widows and orphans as surely as God heard the cry of the people in Slavery in Egypt. In light of the material on the role of law in agrarian societies, the hiatus between the justice of the Torah and t he practical workings of everyday injustice may be clearer. Bailey believed that the parable makes the following three assumptions: 1. the widow is in the right (and being denied justice) 2. For some reason the judge does not want to serve her (she has paid no bribes?)3. The judge prefers to favor her adversary (either the adversary is influential or he has paid bribes). The parable poses a dilemma. A desperate widow is caught in the usual power play accompanying her husband's death, and she is further enmeshed in the complexities of a Torah court. At first glance she appears hopeless. Everyone knows that the court will decide in favor of the party offering the most appropriate emolument that is bribe. Her reward is justice at the gate. She was able to analyze her limit situation and design a limit action that broke the spell of inevitability cast by the ruling elites.
The problem is that the core does not seem to have any meaning w/o them(characters). The judge is giving into a pestering widow who has worn him down is hardly deep or novel. SECONDARY PARABLE CORE:3 structures of sorts to the attached applications...exclamation: "listen to what the unjust Judge says!"....2 rhetorical ?'s: "and will not God grant justice to his chosen ones who cry out to him day and night?" "will he delay long in helping them?".....emphatic pronouncement: "I tell you, he will quickly grant justice to them."The prospects of her visits makes the judge finally give in. If the parable gives the lesson that God answers prayers swiftly, why would the judge ever give the widow what she wants. Joseph Fitzmyer's character analysis: the judge is irresponsible and dangerous person. The author of the parable expected the listeners to percieve the judge in a completely negative way as devoid of both pretas and humanitas. are believed to have been jealous or greedy people in a previous life. ... Pretas dwell in the waste and desert places of the earth. Humanitas includes humanism and humanitarianism.Judicial system was closed circle of ambitious elites whose attentions were trained on amassing greater wealth and increasing personal pretige. Judges corruption went w/o public dennciation. Ambition motivated judges especially lower level judges. Lowly judges needed powerful friends. Non elites (widows) outside wealthy/prestigious circle. Widows > justice often denied > VULNERABLE. the widow is shameless. Her continual coming brings about indication-not the justice of her cause or the judges humor. Womens "Natural Condition" belonged in the domestic private sphere of the home, not in the public male domain of the courts. Roman culture > intolerant in womens involvement in the courts. Widow=BOLD.The corruption of the court made it the place or last resort to seek justice. Resolves disputes by meatings. Strongest are the best able to help themselves, weak defenseless are disadvantaged. Systems must work to reinforce the rights of those who are most powerful. Widow that she has no regard at all for social rules that would keep her invisible. Blow to the face to convey the metaphor for lifes sudden assults and suffering. The widow could blacken the judges face by spreading rumours about him, namely that he could not hear her case as he was obliged to her adversary. Judge fears what may happen as widow comes in to him, not when she leaves.Widow meek and humble. Treatment of widow is conventional. Widow is socially weak. Judge fears acts of violence by woman. Really he just deals with her so she stops whining to him. Widow actions startling, boldly facing the judge. Judge not scared, he simple wants to rid her.Widow is fiesty and frustrated. She can up set his selfish and vain world. Judge possibly scared to get black eye b/c he then would be taken as a joke. She is outside the system and he is a slave to it. Widow free while the judge is always paranoid about falling off his pedistool. People outside the system are in the Kingdom of God while judge is oppressed by it.
The problem is that the core does not seem to have any meaning w/o them(characters). The judge is giving into a pestering widow who has worn him down is hardly deep or novel. SECONDARY PARABLE CORE:3 structures of sorts to the attached applications...exclamation: "listen to what the unjust Judge says!"....2 rhetorical ?'s: "and will not God grant justice to his chosen ones who cry out to him day and night?" "will he delay long in helping them?".....emphatic pronouncement: "I tell you, he will quickly grant justice to them."The prospects of her visits makes the judge finally give in. If the parable gives the lesson that God answers prayers swiftly, why would the judge ever give the widow what she wants. Joseph Fitzmyer's character analysis: the judge is irresponsible and dangerous person. The author of the parable expected the listeners to percieve the judge in a completely negative way as devoid of both pretas and humanitas. are believed to have been jealous or greedy people in a previous life. ... Pretas dwell in the waste and desert places of the earth. Humanitas includes humanism and humanitarianism.Judicial system was closed circle of ambitious elites whose attentions were trained on amassing greater wealth and increasing personal pretige. Judges corruption went w/o public dennciation. Ambition motivated judges especially lower level judges. Lowly judges needed powerful friends. Non elites (widows) outside wealthy/prestigious circle. Widows > justice often denied > VULNERABLE. the widow is shameless. Her continual coming brings about indication-not the justice of her cause or the judges humor. Womens "Natural Condition" belonged in the domestic private sphere of the home, not in the public male domain of the courts. Roman culture > intolerant in womens involvement in the courts. Widow=BOLD.The corruption of the court made it the place or last resort to seek justice. Resolves disputes by meatings. Strongest are the best able to help themselves, weak defenseless are disadvantaged. Systems must work to reinforce the rights of those who are most powerful. Widow that she has no regard at all for social rules that would keep her invisible. Blow to the face to convey the metaphor for lifes sudden assults and suffering. The widow could blacken the judges face by spreading rumours about him, namely that he could not hear her case as he was obliged to her adversary. Judge fears what may happen as widow comes in to him, not when she leaves.Widow meek and humble. Treatment of widow is conventional. Widow is socially weak. Judge fears acts of violence by woman. Really he just deals with her so she stops whining to him. Widow actions startling, boldly facing the judge. Judge not scared, he simple wants to rid her.Widow is fiesty and frustrated. She can up set his selfish and vain world. Judge possibly scared to get black eye b/c he then would be taken as a joke. She is outside the system and he is a slave to it. Widow free while the judge is always paranoid about falling off his pedistool. People outside the system are in the Kingdom of God while judge is oppressed by it.
"Research Article"
Freeman, Dr. Cameron. "The Paradoxical Teachings of the Historical Jesus." Oct. 2007.
Renew Theology. <http://www.renewtheology.org/paperCFreeman1007.htm>.
Renew Theology. <http://www.renewtheology.org/paperCFreeman1007.htm>.
Friday, November 9, 2007
Final Reading Strategy
1) Read the parable once, then carefully read each verse
2) Analyze each action, object, and person while thinking of how these images would be interpreted by Jesus’ followers. This is reading in between the lines and will expand the meaning of the story. It also will require some research.
3) What is the problem and how do the characters respond (or instigate) it? Pay close attention to the rich and powerful and how they abuse their power and expect too much out of the lower people.
4) Identify what the parable is about. What prompted Jesus to tell the story? What is Jesus saying about society and/or KoG and how does the problem need to be solved? How does it relate to our lives today (this isn’t yet the actual modern situation, but I think it helps to understand if you replace ancient images with modern ones. This might later help with identifying a modern situation though) apply the parable to a current event.
5) Identify a modern situation with similar characters and actions (learn a lot about it). What is the problem? How is/was it solved? What are its parallels? According to what Jesus’ message in the parable is, how should this problem be solved?
6) Study the behaviors or commonly accepted behaviors of the characters in the story. Also identify the core values/central idea of the parable.
7) Know your shit, make a killer presentation with costumes and props and videos, get A’s. But most importantly MAKE SURE YOU LEARNED SOMETHING!!!!!!!!
2) Analyze each action, object, and person while thinking of how these images would be interpreted by Jesus’ followers. This is reading in between the lines and will expand the meaning of the story. It also will require some research.
3) What is the problem and how do the characters respond (or instigate) it? Pay close attention to the rich and powerful and how they abuse their power and expect too much out of the lower people.
4) Identify what the parable is about. What prompted Jesus to tell the story? What is Jesus saying about society and/or KoG and how does the problem need to be solved? How does it relate to our lives today (this isn’t yet the actual modern situation, but I think it helps to understand if you replace ancient images with modern ones. This might later help with identifying a modern situation though) apply the parable to a current event.
5) Identify a modern situation with similar characters and actions (learn a lot about it). What is the problem? How is/was it solved? What are its parallels? According to what Jesus’ message in the parable is, how should this problem be solved?
6) Study the behaviors or commonly accepted behaviors of the characters in the story. Also identify the core values/central idea of the parable.
7) Know your shit, make a killer presentation with costumes and props and videos, get A’s. But most importantly MAKE SURE YOU LEARNED SOMETHING!!!!!!!!
Sunday, November 4, 2007
"Interpretation Methodology."
1st: I like to know who the story is about. Who is Jesus telling the story to. Then provide evidence for why they are the main charcater. Even if it is wrong, try to explain why the person is the main character.
2nd: After, find the social/political/economic/religious backround on the charcters in the story. This gives me a better sence of who they were and how they acted. For example if we were talking about the parable of the good samaritan, i would like to know who samaritans were, Levits, Priests etc...
3rd: I like to know where the conflict occured and why it occured. This could help with the next step and give me a better understand of the life and times while Jesus was alive.
4th: After find what the meaning of the story is, I like to find an example to this situation so I can understand the parable better. For example with the parable of the Good Samaritan I researched poverty in Africa.
5th: After I find an example I like to do a little research on my own about the example so I can explain it later and relate it to the parable. For example learning about Jeffrey Sachs and the Millenium campaign. Especially how we could save lives by giving up so little.
6th: After step 5 I go back to the parable and try to understand who Jesus was trying to addressing. I put everything together and i'm done. For example for the parable of the Good Samaritan Jesus was trying to tell the Levites to see all humans with eyes of compassion.
2nd: After, find the social/political/economic/religious backround on the charcters in the story. This gives me a better sence of who they were and how they acted. For example if we were talking about the parable of the good samaritan, i would like to know who samaritans were, Levits, Priests etc...
3rd: I like to know where the conflict occured and why it occured. This could help with the next step and give me a better understand of the life and times while Jesus was alive.
4th: After find what the meaning of the story is, I like to find an example to this situation so I can understand the parable better. For example with the parable of the Good Samaritan I researched poverty in Africa.
5th: After I find an example I like to do a little research on my own about the example so I can explain it later and relate it to the parable. For example learning about Jeffrey Sachs and the Millenium campaign. Especially how we could save lives by giving up so little.
6th: After step 5 I go back to the parable and try to understand who Jesus was trying to addressing. I put everything together and i'm done. For example for the parable of the Good Samaritan Jesus was trying to tell the Levites to see all humans with eyes of compassion.
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