- The Byberg Preaching Workshop

Byberg Preaching Workshop 2010
Developing skills of ELCA preachers
Through Mediterranean Eyes
Richard Rohrbaugh
May 3, 4 & 5, 2010
Trinity Lutheran Church
812 N 5th St
Coeur d’ Alene, Idaho
Through Mediterranean Eyes
The New Testament was not written for 21st century Americans. Rather, it speaks
the language, metaphors and issues of the ancient Mediterranean world. In the
same way, Jesus spoke primarily to and about Mediterranean peasants. It was their
lives that provided the material for the stories he told and it was to them that he
announced the coming kingdom of God. His audience could never have imagined
the fast-paced, individualistic, guilt-oriented, introspective lives of modern
Americans. For Americans, reading the Bible is therefore quite similar to a crosscultural conversation -- subject to all kinds of cultural misunderstanding.
So how did ancient Mediterranean peas- ants understand Jesus’ stories?
Did
they see in them the same things we do? Or did they pick up things we miss?
Moreover, is it possible that we unknowingly import our culture into the stories,
thereby distorting what they once meant? In this workshop we will look at a series
of stories in the Gospel of Luke in order to ask: How did Jesus’ stories look through
Mediterranean eyes? And is it possible for 21st century Americans to cross the
cultural divide and gain common ground with the ancient peasant audience of
Jesus?
Richard Rohrbaugh
Richard Rohrbaugh is the Paul S. Wright Professor of Christian Studies at Lewis and
Clark College in Portland, Oregon. He teaches the courses on Jewish and Christian
origins, including courses on both the Old and New Testaments.
His special area of research is the anthropology of the early Christian period and
especially the social and cultural world
of the New Testament. He is the author of six books exploring the social and
cultural context of the earliest Christian writings, especially the Gospels in the New
Testament.
These documents have been provided with permission by Richard Rohrbaugh.
Thank you Richard!
Please attribute him when you use them!
American Patterns of Thinking
(Adapted from Stewart and Bennett, American Cultural Patterns)
S & B Thesis: American ways of thinking are nearly unique in the world and in world
history. Cross-cultural misunderstanding and miscommunication should thus surprise
no one. Both can be anticipated and explained.
Example: American road signs are placed at a divide in the road,
indicating which way leads to the desired destination. Japanese road
signs are placed at the destination informing you that you made the right
choice.
Our Thesis: The disconnect between our way of thinking and that of persons in the
biblical world is nearly total. Thus misunderstanding (or acculturation) of biblical texts
by Americans should not surprise anyone either.
Unique American Ways of Thinking
a. Fact oriented - truth is:
1. Empirical, observable, measurable
2. Reliable
3. Objective
4. Measured in time and space
5. We are able to engage in counter-factual speculation
b. Analytical
1. We take things, ideas, situations apart to see how they work
2. We assume that knowing how something works will enable us to
change it, improve it or fix it
c. Pragmatic/technical
1. Problem-solving stance on all issues/conflicts
2. Weigh alternatives
3. Develop criteria
4. Estimate probability
5. We trace lines from problems, to alternative solutions, to
measurable results.
6. We make "How to..." manuals for everything
7. What works has priority
d. Inductive thinkers – reasoning from data to general principles.
1. We collect data in order to discern patterns from which we can
draw universal principles
2. We assume that these principles/truths should work or apply
everywhere
e. Future oriented 1. Anticipate consequences
2. Stress delayed gratification
3. Believe hard work succeeds
f. Achievement oriented
1. Americans value "doing" rather than "being" - we are what we do
2. We honor achievement; hence accomplishment counts for more
than birth status
NOT A SINGLE ONE of these patterns is characteristic of the ancient
Mediterranean/biblical world
Example: In the Mediterranean world (and much of non-western world)
people are relational thinkers – context, relationships and status determine
meaning and validity. "Facts," analysis, problems, possibilities and solutions
are all irrelevant. Who says something is far more important than the
content of what is said.
The Evil Eye
Do not eat the bread of one having the evil eye (NRSV:
the stingy); do not desire their delicacies; for like a hair in
the throat, so are they. "Eat and drink!" they say to you;
but they do not mean it. You will vomit up the little you
have eaten, and you will waste your pleasant words.
Proverbs 23:6-8
The man with an evil eye (NRSV: miser) is in a hurry to
get rich and does not know that loss is sure to come.
Proverbs 28:22
For a good man does not have an evil eye, but he is
merciful to all, even though they may be sinners.
Testament of Benjamin 4:2-4
Remember that an evil (NRSV: greedy) eye is a bad thing. What
has been created more evil (NRSV: greedy) than the eye?
Therefore it sheds tears from every face.
Sirach 31:12-13
Some people believe that friends and relatives, and in some cases
even fathers, have the evil eye, so that their wives will not show them
their children nor allow the children to be gazed upon by them for
very long.
Plutarch, Quaest. Conv. 682A
The eyes of God are ten thousand times brighter than the sun.
Sirach 10:1
Terms for the Evil Eye
Gaelic
German
Italian
French
Norwegian
Persian
Latin
Hebrew
Arabic
Modern Greek
Spanish
Ancient Greek
Ancient Hebrew
Assyrian
droch shuil
böser Blick
mal’ occhio
mauvais oeil
skjoertunge
aghashi
oculus malus, occulus malignus, occulus invidus
ayin Horeh
ayin Harsha
vaskania, matiasma
mal ojo
o0fqalmo\j ponhro/j
Nyi( f(ra
i-ni li-mut-tum
Other Terms
Ayin al-ḥasad (Arabic)
Fascinatio (Lat.)
Ba/skanoj (Grk.)
Prosbaska/nion (Grk.)
Jettatore (Ital.)
Jettatura (Ital.)
Invidere (Lat.)
Praefiscini dixerim
Mashallah (Arabic)
Grazia a Dio (Ital.)
eye of envy
evil eye attack
one possessing the evil eye
a safeguard against the evil eye
one possessing the evil eye
casting the evil eye
cast an envious eye upon
no malice or fascination intended
God be praised
God be praised
Digitus infamis (Lat.)
Mano cornuta (Lat.)
Mano fica (Lat.)
Kein ayin horeh (Heb.)
Similia similibus
rigid middle finger gesture
horn gesture
fig gesture
“No evil eye intended”
like with like
How the Evil Eye Works
When one looks at what is excellent with an envious eye he fills the
surrounding atmosphere with a pernicious quality, and transmits his
own envenomed exhalations into whatever is nearest to him
Heliodorus (3rd c.) Thea.i.140
It does happen sometimes, as I have said, that people are injured
by a mere look; but because the reason is hard to track down, the
fact is not believed. Indeed, I answered, in a way you yourself
have found the track and trail of the reason at the point were you
came to effluences from bodies. For odor, voice, and breathing
are all emanations of some kind, streams of particles from living
bodies, that produce sensation whenever our organs of sense are
stimulated by their impact. ...In all probability the most active
stream of such emanations is that which passes through the
eye. For vision, being of enormous swiftness and carried by an
essence that gives off a flame-like brilliance, diffuses wondrous
influence.
Plutarch, Quaest. Conv. 680F
… diseases of the eye are more contagious to those exposed
and more instantaneously so than other diseases, so penetrating
and swift is the power of the eye to admit or communicate disease.
Plutarch, Quaest. Conv. 681D
But as regards the psychical [effects], including the casting of spells,
how precisely can harm spread to others by a mere glance of the
eye? I answered, Don’t you know that the body is sympathetically
affected when the mind is subject to any influence? Amorous
thoughts will excite the sexual organs... Envy, which naturally roots
itself more deeply in the mind than any other passion, contaminates
the body too with evil... When those possessed by envy to this
degree let their glance fall upon a person, their eyes, which are
close to the mind and draw from it the evil influence of the
passion, then assail that person as if with poisoned arrows.
Plutarch, Quaest. Conv. 681D-E
Self-bewitchment is most frequently brought about by the streams
of particles reflected from sheets of water or other mirror-like
surfaces; these reflections rise like vapor and return to the beholder,
so that he is injured by the same means by which he has been
injuring others.
Plutarch, Quaest. Conv. 682F
Jesus, on the Evil Eye
Matthew 6:22-23
The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is generous [NRSV:
healthy], your whole body will be full of light; but if you have the evil
eye [NRSV: if your eye is unhealthy], your whole body will be full of
darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the
darkness!
Paul, on the Evil Eye
Galatians 3:1
O foolish Galatians, who has put the evil eye on you [NRSV: who
has bewitched you], you before whose eyes Jesus Christ was
proclaimed as crucified.
Protection against the Evil Eye
... a person should he on his guard against an evil eye... Go and
hide yourselves in the forests so that an evil eye may have no
power over you.
b. Baba Batra 118a
If a man on going into a city is afraid of the evil eye, let him take the
thumb of his right hand in his left hand and the thumb of his left hand
in his right hand, and say: I, so-and-so, am of the seed of Joseph
over which the evil eye has no power... If he is afraid of his own
evil eye, he should look at the side of his left nostril.
b. Berachoth 55b
Amulets for Protection
Against the Evil Eye
What I have said shows why the so-called amulets are thought to be
a protection against the evil eye. The strange look of them attracts
the gaze, so that it exerts less pressure upon its victim.
Plutarch, Quaest. Conv. 682A
Winged Eye of Horus
Egypt, 19th Dynasty or later
(after 1250 b.c.e.)
Roman Amulets for Protection from the Evil Eye
Terracotta figure featuring female
genitalia as a form of protection
against the evil eye
The protective horn sign employed
as an amulet
A complex Roman bronze amulet incorporating three symbols: the fig
gesture, the phallus and the crescent
Hand Gestures to ward off the Evil Eye
Hand gestures used by a Libyan tribe (Meshwesh) and the Philistines
to ward off attacks by the Egyptian Pharoah Seti I (c. 1300 b.c.e.)
Spitting as a means of warding off the Evil Eye
... though my condition put you to the test, you did not scorn or spit at
(RSV: despise) me, but welcomed me as an angel of God. What has
become of the good will you felt? For I testify that, had it been
possible, you would have torn out your eyes and given them to me.
Gal 4:14-15
[Paul] a man small of stature, with a bald head and crooked legs, in a
good state of body; with eyebrows meeting and nose somewhat
hooked, full of friendliness; for now he appeared like a man, and now
he had the face of an angel. d
Acts of Paul and Thecla 3
Honor-Shame
Honor is a claim to worth…
and the public acknowledgement of that worth
• Public recognition equals “reputation” or “face”
• To claim honor the public does not recognize is to play
the fool
Types of honor
• Ascribed: the result of birth, power or position
• Acquired: gained by virtuous conduct or excelling in the
game of challenge-response
Honor determines everything in life:
•
•
•
•
•
Who speaks and who listens
Who can marry whom
Who eats when, where and with whom
What one can wear
Where one can fix the gaze, etc.
The Game
Challenge
• Positive challenges (e.g., gifts) leave one indebted
• Negative challenges (e.g., insults) cause shame if not
returned
Response
• Positive rejection of the challenge (scorn), usually
toward an inferior
• Negative rejection of the challenge (cowardice) results in
shame
• Accepting the challenge: requires an equal (balances) or
greater (one-upmanship) response
• Failure is less shameful than not responding
• The game is one of wits. A resort to violence is an
admission of failure
Shame
The “shame” role is a private, internal role played mostly by women.
It requires sensitive monitoring of the honor-status of the family in the
village.
• Having shame means being sensitive to one’s public
status and to behavior that could potentially damage it
• Being shamed is losing honor and suffering disgrace
The Love of Honor
Desert is relative to external goods; and the greatest of these, we
should say, is that which we render to the gods, and which people in
position most aim at, and which is the prize appointed for the noblest
deeds; and this is honor; that is surely the greatest of all external
goods.
Aristotle, Nichomachaen Ethics, II
Being loved seems akin to being honored, and that is what most
people aim at. … For most people enjoy being honored by those in
positions of authority because of their hopes (for they think that if they
want anything they will get it from them; and therefore they delight in
honor as a token of favor to come); while those who desire honor
from good men, and men who know, are aiming at confirming their
own opinion of themselves; they delight in honor, therefore because
they believe in their own goodness on the strength of the judgment of
those who speak about them.
Aristotle, Nichomachaen Ethics, VIII
A consideration of the prominent types of life shows that people of
superior refinement and of active disposition identify happiness
with honor, for this is, roughly speaking, the goal of the political life.
Aristotle, Nichomachaen Ethics, I
Athenians excel all others not so much in singing or in stature or in
strength, as in love of honor, which is the strongest incentive to
deeds of honor and renown.
Xenophon, Memorabilia 3.3.13
The Love of Honor
For the glory that the Romans burned to possess, be it noted, is the
favorable judgment of men who think well of other men. For he [God]
granted supremacy to men who for the sake of honor, praise and
glory served the country. Thus for once vice, that is, love of praise,
they overcame the love of money and many other vices.
Augustine, City of God, 5.12.13
In this man differs from other animals – I mean in this craving for
honor. In meat and drink and sleep and sex all creatures alike seem
to take pleasure; but love of honor is rooted in neither the brute
beasts nor in every human being. But in they in whom is planted a
passion for honor and praise, these are those who differ most from
beasts of the field, these are accounted men and not mere human
beings.
Xenophon, Hiero, 7.3
Wealth, fame, official posts, honors and everything of that sort are
that which with the majority of mankind are busy.
Philo, Det., 122
Fame and honor are a most precarious possession, tossed about
on the reckless tempers and flighty words of careless men.
Philo, Abr., 264
When they meet each other in the streets, you may know if the persons
meeting are of equal rank by the following token: if they are, instead of
speaking, they kiss each other on the lips. In the case where one is a
little inferior to the other, the kiss is given on the cheek; where the
difference of rank is great, the inferior prostrates himself upon the
ground.
Herodotus History, 1.134)
Honor and Age
Do not pay undue or equal respects to them [his sons], but to every
one according to the prerogative of their births; for he that pays
such respects unduly, will thereby not make him that is honored
beyond what his age requires so joyful, as he will make him that is
dishonored sorrowful.
Josephus, BJ 1. 459
Egyptians… were careful of the order of precedence, and knew how
to discriminate between younger and older in the honors which
they paid them.
Philo, Jos 203
To all older persons, too, should one give honor appropriate to their
age.
Aristotle, Nichomachaen Ethics, 9.2
Having Shame
For men who feel shame often show the same faults as those who
feel none, with this difference, however: they are grieved and
distressed at their errors, unlike the shameless, who take pleasure in
theirs.
Plutarch, Moralia, VI
Honor and Banquet Seating Arrangements
To me, however, the matter of making distinctions among one’s
guests does not seem very hard. In the first place, it does not easily
happen that many men who are rivals in honor meet at one party.
Next, inasmuch as there are a number of places which have come
to be held in honor, their distribution does not arouse jealousy if
the host is able to guess rightly and give each of the so-called
dignitaries the place he likes – because it is the first, or in the middle,
or beside the host himself, or some friend of the guest, an intimate, or
teacher – and receive the other guests with gifts and friendly
courtesies, an undisturbed tranquility rather than honor of place. But
if the honors are hard to decide, and the guests are touchy, then
see what device I apply. If my father is present, I do him the honor
of putting him in the most distinguished place; if he is not present, I
honor my grandfather, or my father-in-law, or my father’s brother, or
any one among those guests who admittedly have a particular claim
to precedence at the hands of the host, and it is from the poems of
Homer that I get this rule of propriety.
Plutarch, Moralia, Table-Talk 1,2, VIII: 615D
Luke’s Defense of Jesus’ Honor
The Genealogy of Jesus
Luke 3:23-38
23 Jesus, when he began his ministry, was about thirty years of
age, being the son (as was thought) of Joseph, the son of
Heli, 24 the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, the son of Melchi,
the son of Jannai, the son of Joseph, 25 the son of Mattathias,
the son of Amos, the son of Nahum, the son of Esli, the son of
Naggai, 26 the son of Maath, the son of Mattathias, the son of
Semein, the son of Josech, the son of Joda, 27 the son of
Joanan, the son of Rhesa, the son of Zerubbabel, the son of
Shealtiel, the son of Neri, 28 the son of Melchi, the son of Addi,
the son of Cosam, the son of Elmadam, the son of Er, 29 the
son of Joshua, the son of Eliezer, the son of Jorim, the son of
Matthat, the son of Levi, 30 the son of Simeon, the son of
Judah, the son of Joseph, the son of Jonam, the son of Eliakim,
31 the son of Melea, the son of Menna, the son of Mattatha, the
son of Nathan, the son of David, 32 the son of Jesse, the son of
Obed, the son of Boaz, the son of Sala, the son of Nahshon, 33
the son of Amminadab, the son of Admin, the son of Arni, the
son of Hezron, the son of Perez, the son of Judah, 34 the son
of Jacob, the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham, the son of
Terah, the son of Nahor, 35 the son of Serug, the son of Reu,
the son of Peleg, the son of Eber, the son of Shelah, 36 the son
of Cainan, the son of Arphaxad, the son of Shem, the son of
Noah, the son of Lamech, 37 the son of Methuselah, the son of
Enoch, the son of Jared, the son of Mahalaleel, the son of
Cainan, 38 the son of Enos, the son of Seth, the son of Adam,
the son of God.
Luke’s Defense of Jesus’ Honor
An Honor Test: Challenge and Response
Luke 4:1-13
1 Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and
was led by the Spirit in the wilderness, 2 where for forty days he
was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing at all during those
days, and when they were over, he was famished. 3 The devil
said to him, "If you are the Son of God, command this stone to
become a loaf of bread." 4 Jesus answered him, "It is written,
'One does not live by bread alone.'" 5 Then the devil led him
up and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world.
6 And the devil said to him, "To you I will give their glory and all
this authority; for it has been given over to me, and I give it to
anyone I please. 7 If you, then, will worship me, it will all be
yours." 8 Jesus answered him, "It is written, 'Worship the
Lord your God, and serve only him.'" 9 Then the devil took
him to Jerusalem, and placed him on the pinnacle of the
temple, saying to him, "If you are the Son of God, throw
yourself down from here, 10 for it is written, 'He will command
his angels concerning you, to protect you,' 11 and 'On their
hands they will bear you up, so that you will not dash your foot
against a stone.'" 12 Jesus answered him, "It is said, 'Do not
put the Lord your God to the test.'" 13 When the devil had
finished every test, he departed from him until an opportune
time.
Public Recognition of Acquired Honor
Luke 4:14-15
14 Then Jesus, filled with the power of the Spirit, returned to
Galilee, and a report about him spread through all the
surrounding country. 15 He began to teach in their synagogues
and was praised by everyone.
Home Town Honor Challenge
Luke 4:16-30
16 When he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought
up, he went to the synagogue on the sabbath day, as was his
custom. He stood up to read, 17 and the scroll of the prophet
Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the
place where it was written: 18 "The Spirit of the Lord is upon
me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the
poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and
recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, 19 to
proclaim the year of the Lord's favor." 20 And he rolled up the
scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of
all in the synagogue were fixed on him. 21 Then he began to
say to them, "Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your
hearing." 22 All spoke well of him and were amazed at the
gracious words that came from his mouth. They said, "Is
not this Joseph's son?" 23 He said to them, "Doubtless you
will quote to me this proverb, 'Doctor, cure yourself!' And you
will say, 'Do here also in your hometown the things that we
have heard you did at Capernaum.'" 24 And he said, "Truly I tell
you, no prophet is accepted in the prophet's hometown. 25 But
the truth is, there were many widows in Israel in the time of
Elijah, when the heaven was shut up three years and six
months, and there was a severe famine over all the land; 26
yet Elijah was sent to none of them except to a widow at
Zarephath in Sidon. 27 There were also many lepers in
Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha, and none of them
was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian." 28 When they
heard this, all in the synagogue were filled with rage. 29 They
got up, drove him out of the town, and led him to the brow of
the hill on which their town was built, so that they might hurl
him off the cliff. 30 But he passed through the midst of them
and went on his way.
Limited Good: The Peasant Worldview
… broad areas of peasant behavior are patterned in such fashion as to
suggest that peasants view their social, economic and natural universes
– their total environment – as one in which all of the desired things
in life such as land, wealth, health, friendship and love, manliness
and honor, respect and status, power and influence, security and
safety, exist in finite quantity and are always in short supply as far
as the peasant is concerned. Not only do these and all other “good
things” exist in finite and limited quantity, but in addition there is no way
directly within peasant power to increase available quantities. It is as if
the obvious fact of land shortage in a densely populated area applied to
all other desired things: not enough to go around. “Good,” like land, is
seen as inherent in nature, there to be divided and redivided, if
necessary, but not to be augmented.
George Foster, Peasant Society: A Reader
“Every rich person is either a thief or the heir of a thief.”
St. Jerome, In Hieremiam, II, CCL, LXXIV 61
The rich take what belongs to everyone, and claim they have the right
to own it, to monopolize it.
St. Basil
Honorable is he whom God remembers in granting him a due
sufficiency. But if a man abound over much, he sins. Sufficient
are moderate means with justice.
Psalms of Solomon 5:19
Private property is theft.
St. Basil
Matthew 25:14-29
For it is as if a man, going on a journey, summoned his slaves
and entrusted his property to them; to one he gave five talents, to
another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he
went away.
The one who had received the five talents went off at once and
traded with them, and made five more talents. In the same way, the
one who had the two talents made two more talents. But the one
who had received the one talent went off and dug a hole in the
ground and hid his master's money. After a long time the master of
those slaves came and settled accounts with them.
Then the one who had received the five talents came forward,
bringing five more talents, saying, 'Master, you handed over to me
five talents; see, I have made five more talents.' His master said to
him, 'Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been
trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things;
enter into the joy of your master.'
And the one with the two talents also came forward, saying,
'Master, you handed over to me two talents; see, I have made two
more talents.' His master said to him, 'Well done, good and
trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will
put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.'
Then the one who had received the one talent also came forward,
saying, 'Master, I knew that you were a harsh man, reaping where
you did not sow, and gathering where you did not scatter seed;
so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here
you have what is yours.' But his master replied, 'You wicked and lazy
slave! You knew, did you, that I reap where I did not sow, and gather
where I did not scatter? Then you ought to have invested my
money with the bankers, and on my return I would have received
what was my own with interest.
So take the talent from him, and give it to the one with the ten
talents. For to all those who have, more will be given, and they
will have an abundance; but from those who have nothing, even
what they have will be taken away.
Luke 19:11-27
19:11 As they were listening to this, he went on to tell a parable,
because he was near Jerusalem, and because they supposed
that the kingdom of God was to appear immediately. 19:12 So he
said, "A nobleman went to a distant country to get royal
power for himself and then return. 19:13 He summoned ten of
his slaves, and gave them ten pounds, and said to them, 'Do
business with these until I come back.' 19:14 But the citizens
of his country hated him and sent a delegation after him,
saying, 'We do not want this man to rule over us.' 19:15 When
he returned, having received royal power, he ordered these
slaves, to whom he had given the money, to be summoned so
that he might find out what they had gained by trading. 19:16 The
first came forward and said, 'Lord, your pound has made ten
more pounds.' 19:17 He said to him, 'Well done, good slave!
Because you have been trustworthy in a very small thing, take
charge of ten cities.' 19:18 Then the second came, saying, 'Lord,
your pound has made five pounds.' 19:19 He said to him, 'And
you, rule over five cities.' 19:20 Then the other came, saying,
'Lord, here is your pound. I wrapped it up in a piece of cloth,
19:21 for I was afraid of you, because you are a harsh man; you
take what you did not deposit, and reap what you did not sow.'
19:22 He said to him, 'I will judge you by your own words, you
wicked slave! You knew, did you, that I was a harsh man, taking
what I did not deposit and reaping what I did not sow? 19:23
Why then did you not put my money into the bank? Then
when I returned, I could have collected it with interest.' 19:24
He said to the bystanders, 'Take the pound from him and give it to
the one who has ten pounds.' 19:25 (And they said to him, 'Lord,
he has ten pounds!') 19:26 'I tell you, to all those who have,
more will be given; but from those who have nothing, even
what they have will be taken away. 19:27 But as for these
enemies of mine who did not want me to be king over them -bring them here and slaughter them in my presence.'"
Deuteronomy 23:19 You shall not charge interest on loans to
another Israelite, interest on money, interest on provisions, interest
on anything that is lent.
Luke 6:34-35 And if you lend to those from whom you hope to
receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to
receive as much again. But love your enemies, and do good, and
lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great,
and you will be sons of the Most High; for he is kind to the ungrateful
and the selfish.
Interpolated story
A nobleman went to a distant country to get royal power for
himself and then return. But the citizens of his country hated
him and sent a delegation after him, saying, 'We do not want
this man to rule over us.' When he returned, having received
royal power ...[he said]... as for these enemies of mine who did
not want me to be king over them -- bring them here and
slaughter them in my presence.'"
THE GOSPEL OF THE NAZOREANS
Eusebius, Theophania 22 on Mt. 25:14ff.
But since the Gospel [written] in Hebrew characters
which has come into our hands enters the threat not against
the man who had hid [the talent], but against him who had
lived dissolutely For he [the master] had three servants:
A one who squandered his master's
substance with harlots and flute girls,
B
one whom multiplied the gain,
C and one who hid the talent;
and accordingly...
C' one was accepted (with joy),
B' another was merely rebuked,
A' and another cast into prison.
- I wonder whether in Matthew the threat which is
uttered after the work against the man who did nothing
may refer not to him, but by epanalepsis, to the first who
had feasted and drunk with the drunken.
Application
• U.S. capitalism legitimates greed
• “Private” property is the sacred cow of American life
• Many Americans even think it proper to profit from disasters or
the troubles of others
• So-called “success theology” or “prosperity theology” tries to
baptize this kind of greed and make it “Christian”
• We twist the parable of the talents to make it do this
• The obvious conclusion is that American values count
more than biblical values
Parable of the Wicked Tenants
Gospel of Thomas 65
He said: A usurer (creditor?) owned a vineyard. He gave it to some
farmers so that they would work it (and) he might receive its fruit from them.
He sent his slave so that the farmers might give him the fruit of the
vineyard. They seized his slave, beat him (and) almost killed him. The
slave went (back) (and) told his master. His master said: 'Perhaps he did
not recognize them.' He sent another slave, (and) the farmers beat that
other one as well. Then the master sent his son (and) said: 'Perhaps they
will show respect for my son.' (But) those farmers, since they knew that he
was the heir of the vineyard, seized him (and) killed him. 'Whoever has
ears should hear.'
A Critique of Power and the Pursuit of Wealth
In Thomas the story is part of a cluster of parables criticizing
the aggrandizing, acquisitive schemes of the wealthy:
• The rich fool who died - Thomas 63
• Merchants cannot inherit the kingdom of God - Thomas 64
• The usurer who lost his heir - Thomas 65
Mark 12:1-12
Then he began to speak to them in parables. "A man planted a vineyard,
put a fence around it, dug a pit for the wine press, and built a watchtower;
then he leased it to tenants and went to another country. 2 When the
season came, he sent a slave to the tenants to collect from them his share
of the produce of the vineyard. 3 But they seized him, and beat him, and
sent him away empty-handed. 4 And again he sent another slave to them;
this one they beat over the head and insulted. 5 Then he sent another, and
that one they killed. And so it was with many others; some they beat, and
others they killed. 6 He had still one other, a beloved son. Finally he sent
him to them, saying, 'They will respect my son.' 7 But those tenants said to
one another, 'This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will
be ours.' 8 So they seized him, killed him, and threw him out of the vineyard.
9
What then will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy
the tenants and give the vineyard to others. 10 Have you not read this
scripture: 'The stone that the builders rejected has become the
cornerstone; 11 this was the Lord's doing, and it is amazing in our eyes'?"
12
¶ When they realized that he had told this parable against them, they
wanted to arrest him, but they feared the crowd. So they left him and went
away. And they tried to arrest him, but feared the multitude, for they
perceived that he had told the parable against them; so they left him and
went away.
An Allegory of the Death of Jesus and the Prophets
In Mark the parable has become an allegory of the death of
Jesus and the prophets before him. It is told to the Chief
priests, Scribes and Elders as the plot leading to Jesus' death
begins to emerge.
History of the use of the parable
Irenaeus (Adversus Haereses 4.36.1-2, ca. A.D. 180) - an allegory of
human history and its failures until the death and resurrection of Christ.
Eusebius (Commentaria in Esiam, ca. A.D. 324) - an allegory of the
rejection of Christ by the Jews and the eventual triumph of Christianity at
the time of Constantine.
Aquinas - the vineyard is the soul of each believer that requires faithful
tending rather than rebellious disobedience.
Luther - the vineyard was the Kingdom of God which God took from the
former tenants (the papists) and gave to the churches of the Reform and to
the German princes.
Calvin - a double allegory: (1) Jewish rejection/Christian triumph and (2) of
the cultivation and control of the self.
Geneva Translation, A.D. 1599 - After the execution of Charles, during
the reign of Cromwell and the anti-royalists.
Anti-monarchists allegorized the biblical idea of the "chosen" people,
arguing that the new chosen ones were the English people and the
"reign of the saints" was the utopia that would emerge when the king was
overthrown. "Cain" represented the English landlords and generals, the
anti-Christ was the Pope and his bishops or Charles I and his
magistrates.
Marginal notes in the Geneva Bible on verse 12: "Jesus sheweth the
plague that shall befale these ambitious and covetous rulers, whose hearts
are hardened against Christ.
King James, A.D. 1611
At the time of the Restoration in 1660, the "Authorized" Version (KJV),
promoted by the resurgent royalists, eliminated the marginal notes of the
Geneva Bible. The new (mandatory) Book of Common Prayer (1662)
used the parable of the Tenants in the liturgy of January 30, the date
commemorating the death of the "martyr," Charles I, establishing the
crime of regicide as an offence against God and Christ.
William Arnot, A.D. 1884, The Parables of our Lord - argued the parable
situation was like that of colonial India under British rule, and especially
during the Great Revolt of 1857-59 when Muslim and Hindu forces rebelled
against British rule.
What has Happened?
• The parable originally was a critique of wealth and power
• Mark turned it into an allegory of the death of Jesus
• From the time of Luther to the present it has been used to justify
and legitimate power and property
The Big Conclusion
The situation of the interpreters, not the intention of Jesus, has
been the governing factor in the interpretation of the parable
Social World of Early Christianity Bibliography
1. Bennett, Milton J. and Edward C. Stewart, American Cultural Patterns: A CrossCultural Perspective. Yarmouth, ME: Intercultural Press, 1991.
A classic in the field of cross-cultural understanding. Describes in great detail how and why
Americans misunderstand people from other cultures.
2. Elliott, John H., What is Social-Scientific Criticism? Guides to Biblical Scholarship,
New Testament Series. Minneapolis: Fortress, 1993.
A good intro the field. Demonstrates why it is necessary to understand the culture to which the NT is
addressed if one is to hear it correctly.
3. Esler, Philip F., The First Christians in their Social Worlds. London: Routledge,1994.
A series of essays by the best scholars in the field. Wide variety of topics.
4. Herzog, William, Parables as Subversive Speech. Louisville: Westminster/John
Knox, 1994.
The most extensive (and provocative) socio-cultural examination of the parables of Jesus.
5. Malina, Bruce, The New Testament World: Insights from Cultural Anthropology (3rd
edition). Louisville: Westminster/John Knox, 2001.
Good basic primer on the cultural world of Jesus and the Gospels. Highly readable.
6. Neufeld, Dietmar and DeMaris, Richard, Understanding the Social World of the New
Testament. London: Routledge, 2010.
Essays by 15 scholars on the basic topics of Mediterranean anthropology that are relevant to New
Testament study. A good primer for the whole field of social scientific criticism.
7. Neyrey, Jerome, The Social World of Luke-Acts. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 1991.
A series of groundbreaking essays on the social/cultural world of Luke.
8. Pilch, John J. and Bruce J. Malina (eds.), Biblical Social Values and Their Meaning: A
Handbook. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson,1993.
An alphabetically arranged series of short capsules on a wide variety of social/cultural topics. A small
dictionary of cultural info.
9. Pilch, John, The Cultural World of Jesus: Sunday by Sunday, Cycle A. Collegeville,
MN: The Liturgical Press, 1997.
Brief cultural commentary on each lectionary text in the cycle.
10. Pilch, John, The Cultural World of Jesus: Sunday by Sunday, Cycle B. Collegeville,
MN: The Liturgical Press, 1997.
Brief cultural commentary on each lectionary text in the cycle.
11. Pilch, John, The Cultural World of Jesus: Sunday by Sunday, Cycle C. Collegeville,
MN: The Liturgical Press, 1997.
Brief cultural commentary on each lectionary text in the cycle.
12. Pilch, John, Healing in the New Testament. Minneapolis: Fortress, 2000.
The healing stories of the New Testament are examined with the aid of medical and Mediterranean
anthropology.
13. Pilch, John, ed., Social Scientific Models for Interpreting the Bible. Leiden: Brill,
2001.
Essays by 14 scholars from around the world, each describing a different anthropological model for
use in biblical interpretation.
14. Stegemann, W., Malina, B. and Theissen, G., eds., The Social Setting of Jesus and
the Gospels. Minneapolis: Fortress, 2002.
Essays by 19 of the best scholars in the world on the social/cultural world of Jesus.
15. Rohrbaugh, Richard (with Bruce Malina), Social Science Commentary on the
Gospel of John. Minneapolis: Fortress: 2001.
The first cultural commentary on the Gospel of John. Meant as a supplement to traditional
theological/historical commentaries.
16. Rohrbaugh, Richard (with Bruce Malina), Social Science Commentary on the
Synoptic Gospels (2nd edition). Minneapolis: Fortress: 2003.
The first cultural commentary on the Synoptics. Meant as a supplement to traditional
theological/historical commentaries.
17. Rohrbaugh, Richard, The New Testament in Cross Cultural Perspective. Eugene,
OR: Cascade Books, 2007.
A collection of groundbreaking articles on the social/cultural world of Jesus and the Gospels.