What We Don’t Know of Jesus’ Times Deflates the Impact
The Pharisee and Publican Praying in the Temple
https://textsincontext.wordpress.com/2013/11/03/the-publican-only-half-a-surprise/
The Publican, a Jewish tax collector, was a traitor, being hated as one who worked for the occupation force of a pagan power, Rome. In rabbinic literature “hatred was to be extended even to the family of the tax collector” (ISBE).
Just pointing to a tax collector praying in the Temple would have been a shock!
The Scandal of the Samaritan
https://textsincontext.wordpress.com/2013/08/08/the-scandal-of-the-samaritan-2/
Jews despised Samaritans and viewed them as unclean foreigners. This went back in history to Assyria’s conquest of the Northern Kingdom….
Preface to The Good Samaritan : Of Lawyers, Language, and Learning (Link)
The Parable of the Dishonest Manager
https://textsincontext.wordpress.com/2013/10/29/parables-surprise-and-the-american-mind/
“What?! The master praised this servant???”
A Yoke? (link)
A Mustard Seed
https://textsincontext.wordpress.com/2012/04/17/a-mustard-seed/
“…smaller than all seeds…”
For the technical mind, “all” must mean “all.” But for a parable, it is a literary device to convey the point
The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant
https://textsincontext.wordpress.com/2017/09/18/jesus-parable-unforgiving-sin-forgive/
Ten Thousand Talents–Have you ever heard a tall tale, or an outlandish story to which you exclaimed, “WHAT???”
The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant, Part Two
https://textsincontext.wordpress.com/2018/02/10/its-a-parable-part-two/
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