Jesus, the Stand Up Comedian.
Gramps49
Shipmate
Luke 18: 1-8
Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. He said: "In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared about men. And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, 'Grant me justice against my adversary.'
"For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, 'Even though I do not fear God or care about men, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she will not eventually wear me out with her coming!'"
And the Lord said, "Listen to what the unjust judge says. And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?"
— Luke 18:1–8, New International Version
I can imagine the disciples howling with laughter over this story. Most of them probably knew of women who would go so far as to harangue a judge like this story. Maybe many of them could see that in their mothers, even wives do this with their husband/themselves.
A personal experience. I had long owned a boat that had not seen water for over twenty years. It had been occupying our carport during this time. Over the years my wife had been after me to get rid of it. But I was not willing to let go of it since it was purchased by my dad when I was in the fifth grade, so it had been a part of me for 60 some years. Recently, the "suggestions" had been increasing almost to the point of being persistent. So, when I read this story, I can see how Mrs Gramps could be that woman. I can imagine the judge dreading the thought of her once again begging or demanding justice.
Have you had similar experiences with your significant others?
Are there other stories that Jesus told that would have tickled the funny bones of his first listeners?
Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. He said: "In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared about men. And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, 'Grant me justice against my adversary.'
"For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, 'Even though I do not fear God or care about men, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she will not eventually wear me out with her coming!'"
And the Lord said, "Listen to what the unjust judge says. And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?"
— Luke 18:1–8, New International Version
I can imagine the disciples howling with laughter over this story. Most of them probably knew of women who would go so far as to harangue a judge like this story. Maybe many of them could see that in their mothers, even wives do this with their husband/themselves.
A personal experience. I had long owned a boat that had not seen water for over twenty years. It had been occupying our carport during this time. Over the years my wife had been after me to get rid of it. But I was not willing to let go of it since it was purchased by my dad when I was in the fifth grade, so it had been a part of me for 60 some years. Recently, the "suggestions" had been increasing almost to the point of being persistent. So, when I read this story, I can see how Mrs Gramps could be that woman. I can imagine the judge dreading the thought of her once again begging or demanding justice.
Have you had similar experiences with your significant others?
Are there other stories that Jesus told that would have tickled the funny bones of his first listeners?
Comments
Not sure if the parallel totally adds up, though, because Joisey boys aren't foreign to Judaism and Catholicism in the same way that Samaritans presumably were to the the culture of the priest and the Levite. The Episcopal bishop might work, but I don't think that faith and its adherents have really been part of NYC's cast of characters for awhile now. So maybe some WASPY men-about-town(template: George Plimpton and William F. Buckley) for the clerics.
Though maybe not midwest, because I think the unfortunate traveler was supposed to be someone viewed as culturally similar to Jesus' in-group audience? The bible says he was going from Jerusalem to Jericho, so if he's a resident of the former, I'm guessing he's some city-slicker, though I don't know what's implied by Jericho as his destination.
AFF
The NIV has him saying: "
Other translations
The NRSV includes two translations of 5b:
• so that she may not wear me out by continually coming (text)
• so that she may not finally come and slap me in the face (footnote)
The ESV has: “so that she will not beat me down by her continual coming.”
The CEB has: “Otherwise, there will be no end to her coming here and embarrassing me.”
The Message: “otherwise I’m going to end up beaten black-and-blue by her pounding.”
But it is even more explicit
Robert Tannehill (Luke) comments about this phrase:
So, for my 1980s update, the NYC subway.
Road the subway from downtown to Queens College once. Had an interview. I think they thought of me as too much of a country pumpkin. Frankly, I felt like a fish out of water.
AFF
You would have thought the first one would have seen it.
Caissa
A: Two. One to light it, and the other to stone him to death after remembering it's the Sabbath.
Good ones. My father never wanted my mother to wear a two piece. I would get killed if I told Mrs Gramps to put on a shirt.