THIRST & HUNGER IN LUKE: What Can the Third Gospel Teach Us about Jesus' Vision for Justice?

1. THIRST & HUNGER IN LUKE: What Can the Third Gospel Teach Us about Jesus' Vision for Justice? Fr. Felix Just, S.J., Ph.D. - http://catholic-resources.org R.E. Congress - Session 8-13 - Sunday, March 24, 2019

2. Thank You! • For participating in R.E. Congress! • For sharing our faith as catechists! • For helping in many other ministries! • For being a disciple of Jesus Christ!

3. This Workshop's Handout So many meals, much Food & Drink in Luke's Gospel:Eating Your Way through Luke's Gospel (R. Karris, 2006) I) Jesus Participates in Meals in Luke's Gospel II) People "Serve" or "Provide" for Jesus and His Disciples in Luke's Gospel III) Parables and Major Teachings of Jesus Involving Food & Drink in Luke's Gospel IV) Hunger and Fasting in Luke's Gospel V) Metaphorical Uses of Food & Drink in Luke VI) Briefer References to Food & Drink in Luke

4. I) Jesus at Meals in Luke 5:29-32 – Levi hosts a banquet for Jesus; some Pharisees complain that Jesus eats with tax collectors & sinners. 7:36-50 – Jesus eats at Simon the Pharisee's house; a sinful woman anoints his feet. 9:10-17 – Jesus feeds 5000 with five loaves & two fish; twelve baskets leftover. 11:37-52 – Jesus eats at home of another Pharisee; complains Jesus didn't wash first. 14:1-24 – Jesus eats at leading Pharisee's house; heals a man & teaches w/ parables. 22:1, 7-13 – Jesus tells two disciples to prepare for the Passover meal. 22:14-38 – Last Supper: Jesus &disciples eat Passover; he talks of eating & drinking in God's Kingdom, institutes the Eucharist, foretells Judas' betrayal & Peter's denials. 24:30-35 – Risen Jesus "breaks bread" with two disciples at Emmaus; they return to Jerusalem & report that they recognized him "in the breaking of the bread". 24:41-43 – Risen Jesus eats some fish as he appears to his disciples in Jerusalem.

5. First Big Meal: Luke 5:27-35 27After this he [Jesus] went out and saw a tax collector named Levi sitting at the customs post. He said to him, "Follow me." 28And leaving everything behind, he got up and followed him. 29Then Levi gave a great banquet for him in his house, and a large crowd of tax collectors and otherswere at table with them. 30The Pharisees and their scribes complained to his disciples, saying, "Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?" 31Jesus said to them in reply, "Those who are healthy do not need a physician, but the sick do. 32I have not come to call the righteous to repentance but sinners." 33And they said to him, "The disciples of Johnfast often and offer prayers, and the disciples of the Pharisees do the same; but yourseat and drink." 34Jesus answered them, "Can you make the wedding guestsfast while the bridegroom is with them? 35But the days will come, and when the bridegroom is taken away from them, then they will fast in those days."

6. I) With Whom Does Jesus Eat? • Tax Collectors & Sinners (apologies to I.R.S. employees!) • 5:29-32 – Banquet at Levi's house w/ tax collectors & sinners • 7:33-34 – "John the Baptist came neither eating food nor drinking wine, and you said, 'He is possessed by a demon." 34The Son of Man came eating and drinking and you said, 'Look, he is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.'" • 15:1-2 – "The tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to listen to him, / but the Pharisees and scribes began to complain, saying, 'This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.'" • 19:7(Zacchaeus) – "When they all saw this, they began to grumble, saying, "He has gone to stay at the house of a sinner." • Crowds of Ordinary People • 9:10-17 – Feeding of 5000 (par. Mk 6:32-44 & Mt 14:13-21) • Note: Luke omits Mark 8:1-10 – Feeding of 4000(but Lk omits all of Mk 6:45–8:26)

7. I) With Whom Does Jesus Eat? (cont.) • Pharisees & Leaders • 7:36-50 – at Simon the Pharisee's house (woman anoints Jesus' feet) • 11:37-52 – at home of another Pharisee(complaints about not washing) • 14:1-24 – at a leading Pharisee's house (a healing & several parables) • His Closest Disciples • 22:1, 7-13 – Jesus tells two disciples on the Feast of Unleavened Bread to prepare for the Passover meal. • 22:14-38 – Last Supper: Jesus & his disciples share a Passover meal, at which he talks of eating & drinking in God's Kingdom, institutes the Eucharist, foretells Judas' betrayal and Peter's denials, and teaches further. • 24:30-35 – Risen Jesus "breaks bread" with two disciples at Emmaus; they return to Jerusalem and report to the other disciples that they recognized him "in the breaking of the bread" (cf. Acts 2:42, 46; 20:7-11). • 24:41-43 – Risen Jesus eats some fish as he appears to his disciples in Jerusalem, to show he's not a ghost.

8. II) People "Serve" or "Provide" for Jesus and His Disciples in Luke's Gospel 4:38-39 – After Jesus heals Simon's mother-in-law, she "serves them" (usually diakonew = serving food, like a "waiter" in a restaurant) 8:1-3 – [The twelve were with Jesus, and Mary Magdalene] "and Joanna, the wife of Herod's steward Chuza, and Susanna, and many others, who provided for them out of their resources." 10:38-42 – Jesus is welcomed in the home of Martha & Mary; Martha does "much serving" (diakonia) 19:5-7 – Jesus sees Zacchaeus; asks to "stay at your house" (hospitality implies sharing food & drink) 22:26-27 – Jesus tells his disciples at the Last Supper: "But not so with you; rather the greatest among you must become like the youngest, and the leader like one who serves. 27For who is greater, the one who is at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one at the table? But I am among you as one who serves."

9. III) Parables and Major Teachings of Jesus Involving Food & Drink in Luke's Gospel 5:36-39–Garments & Wineskins: "no one puts new wine into old wineskins…" 6:43-44 – Trees with Good or Bad Fruit: can't pick figs from thorns… 8:5-8, 11-15–Sower & Seed; also the Interpretation of this Parable. 10:29-37– Good Samaritan: uses "oil and wine" to treat the injured man's wounds; tells innkeeper to "take care of him" (i.e. providing food & drink). 11:3–Lord's Prayer: "Give us each day our daily bread." 11:5-8 – Friend Asking Help at Midnight:"...lend me three loaves of bread." 12:16-21 – Rich Fool:"I will build larger barns… relax, eat, drink, and be merry." 12:35-38–Faithful Servants: Master returns from wedding banquet; then serves his faithful servants. 12:42-46–Faithful Manager: gives food at proper times to other servants.

10. III) Parables and Major Teachings of Jesus Involving Food & Drink in Luke's Gospel 13:6-9 – Barren Fig-Tree: fruitless 3 years; tend it more, see if it bear fruit. 13:18-19, 20-21 – Mustard Seed & Leaven: parables about God's Kingdom. 14:7-14 – Places at Wedding Banquet Tables: choose the lowest places, not the places of honor (cf. 20:46). 14:15-24 – Great Supper: "Blessed is anyone who will eat bread in the kingdom of God!" (cf. 13:29; 22:30). Those who were first invited refuse to come, but many others are then invited to the supper. 15:11-32 – Lost/Prodigal Son: feeds pigs, but has nothing to eat; remembers his father; his father then kills fatted calf & throws a big party! 16:1-8 – Unjust Steward: negotiates bills of client who owe his master stuff. 16:19-31 – Rich Man & Lazarus: one feasts sumptuously; but ignores poor hungry beggar at his door. 17:7-10 – Servant's Reward: first prepare supper for master; then eat later. 20:9-18 – Wicked Tenants: refuse to share vineyard's produce with owner.

11. IV) Hunger and Fasting in Luke's Gospel 1:53 – Magnificat: "he has filled the hungry with good things & sent the rich away empty." 4:1-4 – Jesus fasts 40 days;devil says, "If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become a loaf of bread." 4Jesus replies, "It is written, 'One does not live by bread alone.'" 4:25 – "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;" 5:33-35 – "John's disciples… frequently fast and pray, but your disciples eat and drink." 34Jesus said to them, "You cannot make wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them, can you? 35The days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast in those days." 6:3-4 – "when David & his companions were hungry, they ate "the bread of the Presence." 6:21, 25 – First of four Beatitudes & Woes: "Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you will be filled…. / "Woe to you who are full now, for you will be hungry…." 7:33-34 – "For John the Baptist has come eating no bread and drinking no wine, and you say, 'He has a demon'; 34the Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, 'Look, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!'" 15:17– Son recalls father's servants have enough bread, "but here I am dying of hunger!" 18:9-14 – Parable of Pharisee & Publican: Phar. boasts about fastingand tithing.

12. V) Metaphorical Uses of Food & Drink in Luke 3:8a, 9 – "Bear fruits worthy of repentance… / every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire." 9:27 – "…there are some standing here who will not tastedeath before they see the kingdom of God." 12:1 – Jesus warns his disciples: "Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees, that is, their hypocrisy." 14:34 – "Saltis good; but if salt has lost its taste, how can its saltiness be restored?" 17:6 – Apostles ask: "Increase our faith." Jesus replies: "If you had faith the size of a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it would obey you." 22:31 – "Simon, Simon, listen! Satan has demanded to sift all of you like wheat." 22:42 – "Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me; yet, not my will but yours be done."

13. VI) Briefer References to Food & Drink in Luke 2:7, 12, 16 – The newborn Jesus is laid "in a manger" (an animal feeding trough) 3:11 – John the Baptist tells the crowds: "Whoever has two coats must share with anyone who has none; and whoever has food must do likewise." 5:1-10 – Jesus calls Simon & other fishers as his first disciples, after a miraculous catch of fish. 6:1 – "One sabbath while Jesus was going through the grainfields, his disciples plucked some heads of grain, rubbed them in their hands, and ate them." 8:55 – After Jesus raises Jairus' daughter to life: "Then he directed them to give her something to eat." 9:3 – "Take nothing for your journey, no staff, nor bag, nor bread, nor money—not even an extra tunic." 10:7-8 – "Remain in the same house, eating and drinking whatever they provide, for the laborer deserves to be paid…. / Whenever you enter a town and its people welcome you, eat what is set before you;" 11:11-12 – "Is there anyone among you who, if your child asks for a fish, will give a snake instead of a fish? / Or if the child asks for an egg, will give a scorpion?" 12:22-29 – Jesus teaches his disciples: "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat, or about your body, what you will wear. 23For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing… / 29And do not keep striving for what you are to eat and what you are to drink, and do not keep worrying." 13:29 – "Then people will come from east and west, from north and south, and will eat in the kingdom of God." 17:35 – "There will be two women grinding meal together; one will be taken and the other left." 22:30 – Jesus confers a kingdom on his faithful apostles, "so that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and you will sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 23:36 – "The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine,"

14. VI) Briefer References to Food & Drink in Luke Not on the Handout, but on my website: http://catholic-resources.org 1:15b – Angel tells Zechariah about his son, John the Baptist: "He must never drinkwine or strong drink." 3:17 – John Baptist preaches: "His winnowing fork is in his hand… to gather the wheat into his granary." 8:32 – "Now there on the hillside a large herd of swine was feeding; and the demons begged Jesus to let them enter these. So he gave them permission." 13:15 – Jesus replies to a complaint: "You hypocrites! Does not each of you on the sabbath untie his ox or his donkey from the manger, and lead it away to give it water?" 13:26 – Those standing outside the shut door: "We ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets." 15:2 – Pharisees and scribes grumble: "This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them." 17:27-28 – "They were eating and drinking, and marrying and being given in marriage, until the day Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed all of them. / Likewise, just as it was in the days of Lot: they were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building," 20:46 – "Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes, and love to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces, and to have the best seats in the synagogues and places of honor at banquets." 21:11 – there will be great earthquakes, and in various places famines and plagues; and there will be dreadful portents and great signs from heaven." 21:29 – Then he told them a parable: "Look at the fig tree and all the trees;" 21:34 – "Be on guard so that your hearts are not weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of this life, and that day catch you unexpectedly,"

15. "Jesus' Vision for Justice" • What is "Justice"? • Whose Justice? • Criteria for Justice? • What is "Jesus' Vision" • Based on OT Prophets • Jesus' "Inaugural Sermon"in Luke 4:16-30 "18The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, 19and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord (Jubilee)."

16. "Justice" – Modern Definitions From Dictionary.com: • the quality of being just; righteousness, equitableness, or moral rightness: to uphold the justice of a cause. • rightfulness or lawfulness, as of a claim or title; justness of ground or reason: to complain with justice. • the moral principle determining just conduct. • conformity to this principle, as manifested in conduct; just conduct, dealing, or treatment. • the administering of deserved punishment or reward • the maintenance or administration of what is just by law, as by judicial or other proceedings: a court of justice. • judgment of persons or causes by judicial process: to administer justice in a community. • a judicial officer; a judge or magistrate.

17. "Justice" – Modern Definitions • Two Main Categories: • What is just, right, moral • What is legal, lawful, judicial • How should Judges (& juries) make decisions? • Legality? Written Laws? Legally-binding Contracts? • Individual Rights? Common Good? • Moral Considerations? People's Needs?

18. $ $ $ Justice: Example $ $ $ • Equal Pay for Equal Work? • $15 per hour  $30 for 2 hrs, $120 for 8 hrs, $600 for 40 hrs • Should Men and Women get equal pay for equal work? • Should CEO & Managers & Receptionist & Janitor? • But what is "equal work"? • Equal time? Equal effort? Equal responsibility? • Equal talent? Equal knowledge? Equal experience? • Think carefully! This all gets very complicated!

19. "Justice" – Biblical Definitions kρίσις / krisis 1) the action of a judge: decision, judgment(Jn 5:30);especially as the activity of God: day of judgment (Mt 10:15);in an unfavorable sense: condemnation, punishment (Rv 18:10) 2) a personal evaluation of someone else's actions: judgment (Jn 7:24) 3) the standard by which judgments are to be made: right, justice(Mt 12:18) 4) the basis on which judgment is made: reason for a judgment (Jn 3:19) Related words: • kritēs = "a judge"; krinō = "to judge" • katakrinō = "to condemn"; katakrisis = "condemnation" • dikaios, dikaioō, dikaiosyne = "right, righteous, righteousness" • adikos, adikia, adikeō = "unrighteous, unjust, to be unjust" • aphesis, aphiemi = "forgiveness, to forgive"

20. Biblical Justice: One Example • Parable of the Vineyard Workers(Matt 20:1-16) • Those who worked all day (12 hours) get one denarius • Those who worked 9, or 6, or 3, or only 1 hour get the same! • Is that Just? Fair? Right? – Of course NOT! (economically) • God cares not only about justice, but also mercy! • Those who worked fewer hours still have children to feed, still need a denarius to buy food to feed their families! • God doesn't care about calculated mathematical "fairness"! • Rather, God cares about the basic needs of all humans!

21. "BOTH / AND" Approach • Best Answer to ANY Theological Question • Always "both/and", never "either/or" • "Not only A, but also B" • "Yes in some respects, No in other respects" • For Theology & Scripture; also Life & Relationships • Two sides (or more) to every issue: • Coins: both heads and tails • Earth: both North Pole and South Pole • Batteries: both positive and negative terminals • Humans: joys & sorrows, good & evil, right & wrong,strength & weakness, success & failure

22. "BOTH / AND" Approach Examples from THEOLOGY: • God is both transcendentandimmanent • Jesus is both fully humanand fully divine • Eucharist is bothmealandsacrifice • Salvation is based on both faithandgood works • Faith is bothbelief/doctrineandbelieving/action • Bible is bothdivinely inspiredand humanly written • Church is both communityand institution Problems/Errors with One-Sided Over-emphases: • "A coin only had heads!?" or "A coin only has tails!?"

23. BothJustice AndMercy • Justice: "Everyone gets what they deserve!" • The good deserve to be rewarded. • The bad deserve to be punished. • Mercy: "God's action toward sinners (who repent)." • Everyone gets what they don't deserve! • Everyone doesn't get what they do deserve! • All of us are sinners! But in God's desire: • We don't get the punishment that we deserve. • We do get the forgiveness that we don't deserve • SO: Do we want God's "justice"? Or don't we need God's mercy?

24. Widow & Unjust Judge (18:1-8)

25. Parable of Widow & Unjust Judge Luke 18:1-8 - Then he told them a parable about the necessity for them to pray always without becoming weary. He said, 2"There was a judge in a certain town who neither feared God nor respected any human being. 3And a widow in that town used to come to him and say, 'Render a just decision for me against my adversary.' 4For a long time the judge was unwilling, but eventually he thought, 'While it is true that I neither fear God nor respect any human being, 5because this widow keeps bothering me I shall deliver a just decision for her lest she finally come and strike me.'" 6The Lord said, "Pay attention to what the dishonest judge says. 7Will not God then secure the rights of his chosen ones who call out to him day and night? Will he be slow to answer them? 8I tell you, he will see to it that justice is done for them speedily. But when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?"

26. The Pharisee& the Publican (18:9-14) by Gustave Doré

27. Parable of Pharisee & Publican (Lk 18) 9He then addressed this parable to those who were convinced of their own righteousness and despised everyone else. 10"Two people went up to the temple area to pray; one was a Pharisee and the other was a tax collector. 11The Pharisee took up his position and spoke this prayer to himself, 'O God, I thank you that I am not like the rest of humanity-- greedy, dishonest, adulterous-- or even like this tax collector. 12I fast twice a week, and I pay tithes on my whole income.'13But the tax collector stood off at a distance and would not even raise his eyes to heaven but beat his breast and prayed, 'O God, be merciful to me a sinner.' 14I tell you, the latter went home justified, not the former; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted."

28. What is a Parable? • Common Understanding: "A short story or simple image used to illustrate a deeper message." • Scholarly Definition: "At its simplest a parable is a metaphor or similedrawn from nature or common life,  arresting the hearer by its vividness or strangeness,and leaving the mind in sufficient doubt about its precise application to tease it into active thought." (C. H. Dodd, 1961. The Parables of the Kingdom.)

29. Implications of this Definition: • The meaning of most parables is notso obvious • If we assume we know what Jesus is talking about, we are probably missing the main point • If we are too familiar with the story, we might not think carefully enough about its real meaning. • Most parables contain something strange or unusual. • They should cause you to say, "Wait a minute! That's not how farmers do their work! That's not what kings usually do!" And this strange element should cause you to think! • Parables do notdefinethings precisely • Rather, they use comparisons to describe some aspect of how God acts or interacts with human beings. • To say "A is like B" does not mean that "A is identical to B in all respects" • So be careful not to misinterpret or misapply the parables

30. Parables in the Four Gospels • Mark: only about 10 parables & related images • Typical form: "The Kingdom of God is like…" • Matthew: total of 28 parables • 8 from Mark; 10 also in Luke; 10 in Matt alone • LUKE: upwards of 36 parables • 9 from Mark; 10 also in Matt; 17 in Luke alone • John:no parables; only two related images • John 10: Sheep & Shepherd • John 15: Vine & Branches • But here Jesus says, "I am…"

31. "Parables" by James C. Christensen

32. Parables in Mark's Gospel

33. Parables from the "Q" Source

34. Parables only in LUKE's Gospel • Two Debtors (7:41-43) • Good Samaritan (10:25-37) • Friend Asking for Help at Midnight (11:5-8) • Rich Fool (12:16-21) • Faithful Servants (12:35-38) • Barren Fig-Tree (13:6-9) • Closed Door (13:24-30) • Choice of Places at Table (14:7-1l) • Tower-Builder & King Planning for Battle (14:28-32)

35. Parables only in LUKE's Gospel • Lost Coin (15:8-10) • Prodigal Son (15:11-32) • Unjust Steward (16:1-8) • Rich Man & Lazarus (16:19-31) • Servant's Reward (17:7-10) • Unjust Judge (18:1-8) • Pharisee & Publican (18:9-14) • Throne Claimant (19:12, 14, 15a, 27)

36. Two Debtors (7:41-43)

37. Dinner in Simon the Pharisee's House Luke 7:36-50 – "A Pharisee invited him to dine with him, and he entered the Pharisee's house and reclined at table. 37Now there was a sinful woman in the city who learned that he was at table in the house of the Pharisee…" • This woman enters and anoints Jesus’ feet… • The Pharisee thinks: 39"If this man were a prophet, he would know who and what sort of woman this is who is touching him, that she is a sinner." • In reply, Jesus tells the Parable of Two Debtors: 41"Two people were in debt to a certain creditor; one owed five hundred days' wages and the other owed fifty. 42Since they were unable to repay the debt, he forgave it for both. Which of them will love him more?" 43Simon said in reply, "The one, I suppose, whose larger debt was forgiven." He [Jesus] said to him, "You have judged rightly." • Jesus then compares the woman’s loving actions to Simon’s lack of hospitable welcome when Jesus had arrived. Jesus concludes:"So I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven; hence, she has shown great love. But the one to whom little is forgiven, loves little."

38. The Good Samaritan (10:25-37)

39. Parable of the Good Samaritan • Question began about the "Greatest Commandment" • Love God & Love Your Neighbor! • "But who is my neighbor?" • In response, Jesus tells this well-known parable: • A traveler is robbed, beaten, and left half-dead. • A priest and a Levite pass the injured man by. • A Samaritan stops to help, uses "oil and wine" to treat the wounds of the injured one; then tells an innkeeper to "take care of him" (implicitly also providing food & drink). • Parable is not about "justice," but about "mercy" • 36"Which of these three, in your opinion, was neighbor to the robbers' victim?" 37He answered, "The one who treated him with mercy." Jesus said to him, "Go and do likewise."

40. Friend Asking for Help at Midnight (11:5-8)

41. Luke 11:1-13 – On Prayer 11:1-4 – Jesus prays; then a disciple asks: "Lord, teach us to pray…"2He said to them, "When you pray, say: Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come. 3Give us each day our daily bread4and forgive us our sins for we ourselves forgive everyone in debt to us, and do not subject us to the final test." 5And he said to them, "Suppose one of you has a friend to whom he goes at midnight and says, 'Friend, lend me three loaves of bread, 6for a friend of mine has arrived at my house from a journey and I have nothing to offer him,‘ 7and he says in reply from within, 'Do not bother me; the door has already been locked and my children and I are already in bed. I cannot get up to give you anything.‘ 8I tell you, if he does not get up to give him the loaves because of their friendship, he will get up to give him whatever he needs because of his persistence.

42. The Importunate FriendSir John EverettMILLAIS  1864

43. Luke 11:1-13 – On Prayer (cont.) 9"And I tell you, ask and you will receive; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 10For everyone who asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. 11What father among you would hand his son a snake when he asks for a fish? 12Or hand him a scorpion when he asks for an egg? 13If you then, who are wicked, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the Father in heaven give the holy Spirit to those who ask him?" Cf. Matt 7:9-11 – "Which one of you would hand his son a stone when he asks for a loaf of bread, 10or a snake when he asks for a fish? 11If you then, who are wicked, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good things to those who ask him."

44. Contents of Luke 12 • 12:1 – Beware the Leaven of the Pharisees • 12:2-9 – Have courage under persecution • 12:10-12 – Sayings about the Holy Spirit • 12:13-15 – Sayings against Greed • 12:16-21 – Parable of the Rich Fool • 12:22-34 – Dependence on God (food/clothing; birds/flowers) • 12:35-40 – Parable of Vigilant Servants • 12:41-48 – Parable of Faithful & Unfaithful Servants • 12:49-53 – Jesus as a Cause of Division • 12:54-56 – Signs of the Times • 12:57-59 – Settlement with an Opponent

45. The Rich Fool (12:16-21)

46. The Rick Fool – Luke 12:16-21 13Someone in the crowd said to him, "Teacher, tell my brother to share the inheritance with me." 14He replied to him, "Friend, who appointed me as your judge and arbitrator?" 15Then he said to the crowd, "Take care to guard against all greed, for though one may be rich, one's life does not consist of possessions." 16Then he told them a parable. "There was a rich man whose land produced a bountiful harvest. 17He asked himself, 'What shall I do, for I do not have space to store my harvest?‘ 18And he said, 'This is what I shall do: I shall tear down my barns and build larger ones. There I shall store all my grain and other goods 19and I shall say to myself, "Now as for you, you have so many good things storedup for many years, rest, eat, drink, be merry!"‘ 20But God said to him, 'You fool, this night your life will be demanded of you; and the things you have prepared, to whom will they belong?‘ 21Thus will it be for the one who stores up treasure for himself but is not rich in what matters to God."

47. Faithful Servants (12:35-48)

48. Luke 12:35-38 – Parable of Vigilant Servants 35"Gird your loins and light your lamps 36and be like servants who await their master's return from a wedding, ready to open immediately when he comes and knocks. 37Blessed are those servants whom the master finds vigilant on his arrival. Amen, I say to you, he will gird himself, have them recline at table, and proceed to wait on them. 38And should he come in the second or third watch and find them prepared in this way, blessed are those servants. Really? Compare Luke 17:7-10!

49. "Unprofitable" Servants (17:7-10)

50. Luke 17:7-10 – Another Parable of Servants 7"Who among you would say to your servant who has just come in from plowing or tending sheep in the field, 'Come here immediately and take your place at table'? 8Would he not rather say to him, 'Prepare something for me to eat. Put on your apron and wait on me while I eat and drink. You may eat and drink when I am finished'? 9Is he grateful to that servant because he did what was commanded? 10So should it be with you. When you have done all you have been commanded, say, 'We are unprofitable (?) servants; we have done what we were obliged to do.' " achreioi = “useless, unprofitable, worthless”? Or “not being used, idle, ready for the next task”?