Stories With Intent: A Comprehensive Guide to the Parables of Jesus by Klyne Snodgrass

Author:Klyne Snodgrass [Snodgrass, Klyne]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Reference
ISBN: 9780802842411
Google: kFyt0VhErywC
Amazon: 0802842410
Barnesnoble: 0802842410
Goodreads: 2565301
Publisher: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing
Published: 2008-01-11T00:00:00+00:00

Decisions on the Issues

As will be evident, I do not find much basis for the suggestions that the parable is generally about seeking justice or about what is found by any of the “novel” approaches, but all that depends on decisions on the issues. Although the problems in v. 7b cause consternation, the intent of the parable is clear. Regardless of how decisions are made on the issues, Jesus addressed this parable to his disciples, 78 and it is a “how much more” parable using the standard reasoning “from light to heavy.”79 If even an unjust judge will vindicate a widow who keeps coming to him, how much more will God answer the cries for vindication from his people? With this picture of the elect crying to God for vindication, one should compare Rev 6:10.

1. Do vv. 2-8 belong together as a unit, or are vv. 6-8 later additions to the parable? The coherence of the material in these eight verses is debated, and a decision about the inclusion of vv. 6-8 is determinative. If they are included, the parable has to do with prayer in some way; if they are removed, little direction remains for the interpretation of the parable. Since v. 1 is clearly a Lukan introduction80 and vv. 6-8 are an explanation, scholars often isolate vv. 2-5 as the parable, to which vv. 6-7, 8a, and 8b were added at a pre-Lukan stage. Various suggestions are made,81 including a few who argue that the parable is from an early Christian prophet or from Luke,82 but other scholars argue forcefully that vv. 2-883 or at least 2-8a belonged together from the first and derive from Jesus.Vv. 1 and 6a (“The Lord said”) are clearly from Luke. The rest of v. 6 is nothing more than an attention-getter, a call for discernment similar to “Let the one who has ears to hear hear,” which is an obvious feature of Jesus’ teaching. 84 The wording of vv. 6-8 is not Lukan and has Semitic features. The possibility exists that vv. 2-5 are the original parable, to which the other sayings were later joined, but the problem is that vv. 2-5 by themselves are enigmatic and give no hint as to the referent(s) of the parable. The parable needs some explanation, 85 and vv. 7-8a provide an explanation that is not forced. They make explicit that to which the parable points.

Another reason to think vv. 7-8 (or at least 8a) belong with the parable is the parallel with Sir 35:14-25(11-23). The more that text is seen as providing the building blocks for the parable, the less one can separate the parable from the words that follow it. The parallels between the two show that the parable has borrowed from and adapted the features of the earlier text.

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