Problem: One class is oppressing and exploiting the poor classes, keeping the power to themselves due to corruption and greed.
Q. Why is this system of oppression and exploitation successful?
A. The system of oppression is successful because the elites use their powers in certain ways that the under class does not necessarily notice or see it as explotation. The under class has no power to talk against to the authority and the powerful, it is not the right thing to do. The people being exploited and abused are afraid of speaking up against them because of the consequences there might be.
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Monday, November 26, 2007
1st Draft
Prodigious amounts of stories in the bible, are like comparisons and similes between real life stories and the kingdom of God. The parable of the workers in the vineyard is one of the many stories in the Gospel of Matthew that help Christians understand and unfold the great mystery of what the kingdom of God really is. In all parables there is a conflict or situation that we must learn from, and the conflict or situation is history that is why is written down in a book, and even now in the year 2007 some of the conflicts seen or heard about from the bible are still existing today.
The parable of the workers in the vineyard is an example of confrontation between to different social classes. The lesson of the parable is far beyond, “The last shall be first, and the first shall be last.” Jesus stretches truth in order to show what is reality. The overarching question in this parable is mostly about why did the land owner did what he did. Why did he go to the market several times during the day? Why did he go himself, rather than his steward. The parable is comparison between the story and the kingdom of God. Since the landowner was the one that made the deal with the workers directly and there was no middle person, this showed the interaction that happened when both groups met without people of lower class only talking to those whom are just right above them, but rather with the highest power. The parable shows that the landowner is a wealthy and powerful man. When the landowner bargains with the day laborers, whom he first picked up, he said to them that he shall pay them whatever was right. This showed that the landowner has the power to determine what was right. The day laborers are clearly people whom are poor, and do not have any source of income and would be happy with what they were given. It is interesting the fact that the landowner was the one that made all the deals with the day workers, but when it came the time for them to get paid he sent his steward to do it. It is like the comparison between the kingdom of God is a place where many different and types of people confront each other for the first time.
The story tells that the day laborers are gathered until the eleventh hour of the day, why would someone want to even pick up workers at that time, knowing that they shall be paid the same amount as those whom worked for longer. The parable shows that the landowner is just trying to get the job done, while at the same time he is trying to help those whom he has seen need the job. One denarius is the quantity they bargained on, but when it was pay time, those whom had come first did not expect that amount for all the work they had done. They wanted more, according to their judgment whatever was fair. The parable shows the relationship between the elite and the poor, how the elite used and exploited those whom couldn’t stand up against them due to the differences in their economical standings. The parables reveals the truth of how the pyramid of powers is a interdependent pyramid, because if the day laborers did not exist the job the land owner, an elite, needed to be done would have not been done and he would have to do the job that he paid for it to be done. This helps reveal and define what the kingdom of God is, and who is part of it. The parable opens new doors and ways to interpret the kingdom of God as a place where we are all welcome and economical or powerful standing does not matter.
The parable of the workers in the vineyard is an example of confrontation between to different social classes. The lesson of the parable is far beyond, “The last shall be first, and the first shall be last.” Jesus stretches truth in order to show what is reality. The overarching question in this parable is mostly about why did the land owner did what he did. Why did he go to the market several times during the day? Why did he go himself, rather than his steward. The parable is comparison between the story and the kingdom of God. Since the landowner was the one that made the deal with the workers directly and there was no middle person, this showed the interaction that happened when both groups met without people of lower class only talking to those whom are just right above them, but rather with the highest power. The parable shows that the landowner is a wealthy and powerful man. When the landowner bargains with the day laborers, whom he first picked up, he said to them that he shall pay them whatever was right. This showed that the landowner has the power to determine what was right. The day laborers are clearly people whom are poor, and do not have any source of income and would be happy with what they were given. It is interesting the fact that the landowner was the one that made all the deals with the day workers, but when it came the time for them to get paid he sent his steward to do it. It is like the comparison between the kingdom of God is a place where many different and types of people confront each other for the first time.
The story tells that the day laborers are gathered until the eleventh hour of the day, why would someone want to even pick up workers at that time, knowing that they shall be paid the same amount as those whom worked for longer. The parable shows that the landowner is just trying to get the job done, while at the same time he is trying to help those whom he has seen need the job. One denarius is the quantity they bargained on, but when it was pay time, those whom had come first did not expect that amount for all the work they had done. They wanted more, according to their judgment whatever was fair. The parable shows the relationship between the elite and the poor, how the elite used and exploited those whom couldn’t stand up against them due to the differences in their economical standings. The parables reveals the truth of how the pyramid of powers is a interdependent pyramid, because if the day laborers did not exist the job the land owner, an elite, needed to be done would have not been done and he would have to do the job that he paid for it to be done. This helps reveal and define what the kingdom of God is, and who is part of it. The parable opens new doors and ways to interpret the kingdom of God as a place where we are all welcome and economical or powerful standing does not matter.
Sunday, November 18, 2007
Updates of Parable Documentation
1: Read - Note every detail, look up vague or unknown words.
Landowner owns a large vineyard.
He went to the market every hour looking for laborers.
He would pay them one denarius, he had said that to those on the first hour.
At the third hour he told the workers that he shall give them whatever was right.
During the 11th hour he just told them to go, did not mention any money.
The workers from the first hour thought they were going to get more than those whom had just came from the 11th hour and on.
The landowner told his steward to pay the laborers their wages, from last to 1st.
The steward knew to give all laborers the same amount of denarius.
The laborers were complaining about the fact that they worked for a longer time, but those whom worked less received the same amount as them.
Landowner instructs them to take what is theirs and go.
He implies to the day laborers that he is already being generous, because he is giving them an opportunity and a chance to get some source of income.
"The last shall be first, and the first shall be last."
2: Historical Context - Research the time period- politics, economy, and society.
Massive amount of unemployment- states kept on expanding, kicking off those with less money- making them "expendables"(life span was 5-7 years) - shown by how many laborers are just hanging out at the market every time landowner goes.
One denarius-
Landowners usually stayed out of affairs.
3: General Context - Who is the audience? Who is it directed to/ about? Read passage before for greater understanding.
The audience was most likely to be those whom can do something about the corruption of the elite towards those with less.
Jesus designs confrontation between two groups that in reality would not confront. He expands the truth in order to show the truth.
4: Character Analysis - Explain their motives/ ask questions. The character’s Role in society or parable.
Landowner - wealth, power and authority to establish "what is right," has land that produces luxury items that would be too expensive for daily laborers to consume.
Q: Why does he bargain earlier rather than at night when he just sends them to work?
A:
Q: Why does he pay them from last to first, rather than first to last?
A: He
Q:Why does he pay all the same amount?
A:This is an act of humiliation towards the landowners and
Laborers- poor, underclass, unemployed
Q: Why do the laborers complain?
A: They have been ashamed and do not feel as if they have been treated as they should have.
5: Anomalies - Unanswered cracks in story, ask questions about why things are as they are.
Why does the landowner only address one of the workers?
6: Conflict - What is causing controversy?
The parable is revolving around the issue of exploitation and misuse of power, the parable address the fact that the owner does something that goes against what society says to do.
7: Formulate a question - that answers the parable/opens up new doors.
How is this like the
8: Connection - to current events.
9: Solution - What can we do? What should we do?
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Parable Documentation
1: Read - Note every detail, look up vague or unknown words.
Landowner owns a large vineyard.
He went to the market every hour looking for laborers.
He would pay them one denarius, he had said that to those on the first hour.
At the third hour he told the workers that he shall give them whatever was right.
During the 11th hour he just told them to go, did not mention any money.
The workers from the first hour thought they were going to get more than those whom had just worked a couple hours.
The landowner told his steward to pay they laborers their wages, from last to 1st.
The steward knew to give all laborers the same amount of denarius.
The laborores were complaining about the fact that they worked for a longer time, but those whom worked less received the same amount as them.
Landowner instructs them to take what is theirs and go.
He implies to the day laborers that he is already being generous, because he is giving them an opportunity and a chance to get some source of income.
"The last shall be first, and the first shall be last."
2: Historical Context - Research the time period- politics, economy, and society.
Massive amount of unemployment- states kept on expanding, kicking off those with less money- making them "expendables"(life span was 5-7 years) - shown by how many laborers are jsut hanging out at the market every time landowner goes.
One denarius-
Landowners usually stayed out of affairs.
3: General Context - Who is the audience? Who is it directed to/ about? Read passage before for greater understanding.
The audience was most likely to be those whom can do something about the corruption of the elite towards those with less.
Jesus designs confrontation between two groups, that in reality would not confront. He expands the thruth in order to show the truth.
4: Character Analysis - Explain their motives/ ask questions. Role in society or parable.
Landowner - wealth, power and authority to establish "what is right," has land that produces luxury items, that would be too expensive for daily laborers to consume.
Q: Why does he bargain earlier rathen than at night when he just sends them to work?
A:
Q: Why does he pay them from last to first, rather than first to last?
A: He
Q:Why does he pay all the same amount?
A:This is an act of humiliation towards the landowners and
Laborers- poor, underclass, unemployed
Q: Why do the laborers complain?
A: They have been ashamed and do not feel as if they have been treated as they should have.
5: Anomalies - Unanswered craks in story, ask questions about why things are as they are.
Why does the landowner only address one of the workers?
6: Conflict - What is causing contraversy?
The parable is revolving around the issue of exploitation and misuse of power, the parable address the fact that the owner does something that goes against what society says to do.
7: Formulate a question - that answers the parable/opens up new doors.
How is this like the Kingdom of Heaven?
8: Connection - to current events.
9: Solution - What can we do? What should we do?
Landowner owns a large vineyard.
He went to the market every hour looking for laborers.
He would pay them one denarius, he had said that to those on the first hour.
At the third hour he told the workers that he shall give them whatever was right.
During the 11th hour he just told them to go, did not mention any money.
The workers from the first hour thought they were going to get more than those whom had just worked a couple hours.
The landowner told his steward to pay they laborers their wages, from last to 1st.
The steward knew to give all laborers the same amount of denarius.
The laborores were complaining about the fact that they worked for a longer time, but those whom worked less received the same amount as them.
Landowner instructs them to take what is theirs and go.
He implies to the day laborers that he is already being generous, because he is giving them an opportunity and a chance to get some source of income.
"The last shall be first, and the first shall be last."
2: Historical Context - Research the time period- politics, economy, and society.
Massive amount of unemployment- states kept on expanding, kicking off those with less money- making them "expendables"(life span was 5-7 years) - shown by how many laborers are jsut hanging out at the market every time landowner goes.
One denarius-
Landowners usually stayed out of affairs.
3: General Context - Who is the audience? Who is it directed to/ about? Read passage before for greater understanding.
The audience was most likely to be those whom can do something about the corruption of the elite towards those with less.
Jesus designs confrontation between two groups, that in reality would not confront. He expands the thruth in order to show the truth.
4: Character Analysis - Explain their motives/ ask questions. Role in society or parable.
Landowner - wealth, power and authority to establish "what is right," has land that produces luxury items, that would be too expensive for daily laborers to consume.
Q: Why does he bargain earlier rathen than at night when he just sends them to work?
A:
Q: Why does he pay them from last to first, rather than first to last?
A: He
Q:Why does he pay all the same amount?
A:This is an act of humiliation towards the landowners and
Laborers- poor, underclass, unemployed
Q: Why do the laborers complain?
A: They have been ashamed and do not feel as if they have been treated as they should have.
5: Anomalies - Unanswered craks in story, ask questions about why things are as they are.
Why does the landowner only address one of the workers?
6: Conflict - What is causing contraversy?
The parable is revolving around the issue of exploitation and misuse of power, the parable address the fact that the owner does something that goes against what society says to do.
7: Formulate a question - that answers the parable/opens up new doors.
How is this like the Kingdom of Heaven?
8: Connection - to current events.
9: Solution - What can we do? What should we do?
Monday, November 12, 2007
Herzog
I.Parable of the Laborers in the Vineyard:
The parable of the Laborers in the Vineyard is not just a parable ideally talking about how the "last shall be first" concept that we have heard many times before.
This parable presents a typical scene in the agrarian world of
To understand what that scene is, first, one must analyze the characters in the parable, which will give the social background to the scene.
The parable is divided into two scenes where a landholder hires laborers and when they get paid.
At first, one would be puzzled regarding what social class this man is in, he could seem like a wealthy peasant or a man with property.
Who is this landholder, or oikodespotes? The term oikodespotes "immediately implies sovereign authority."
The presence of a steward, it implies that this landowner would have prodigious holdings, this man owns a vineyard, and at this time period elites were more likely to own because the crop is converted in a luxury article.
And one can also look at the fact that he takes multiple trips to go hire laborers for his vineyard. The fact that he does not even seem to count the amount of laborers he is taking, one can infer that the land was big enough that he did not even know the amount of workers he would need.
On the first trips, he compromises with day laborers for the wage and leaves it as “whatever is right, I will give you,” but as he goes through more trips he does not mention it. He shows that he has the authority to determine "what is right."
It is known that elites are "invisible" and prefer not to get in contact with laborers.
But Jesus has the purpose of creating the parable and demonstrating that the man is doing his own job, and it shows the confrontation between two social groups.
II.Who are the day laborers?
These people are known as the "expendables."
They suffer with unemployment and low wages.
Their life expectancy is brief and they are lucky to even find jobs or wages to live on and are seem to be people that have no way out of the poverty.
The big question- Why does the landholder pay the laborers from last to first?
What is the purpose in doing this versus just paying them in a regular manner? When this occurs, the first laborers complain. Why?
They have been shamed, because the landowner disregards the time and labor that they spent in the land and shows that their labor is no more valued than those who only worked for an hour or two.
They feel as they have been shamed because since the labor is worthless it shows that these laborers are worthless.
It gives the landowner a sense of arrogance and power.
What was the purpose for his action? This is a strategy to keep the oppressed under control by humiliating and degrading them.
The landowner denies this charge and calls the "leader" of this "friend," saying that he did no wrong. "Did you not agree with me for a denarius?" He uses the pretense of bargaining against them.
At the end the landowner can overrule anything they shall say.
III. What does the parable highlight?
The parable highlights the confrontation between two groups and how the ones with the most power oppress those in the bottom to keep them without power, and how they humiliate them to remind them what is their status in society.
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
Final Reading Method
1: Read - Note every detail, look up vague or unknown words.
2: Historical Context - Research the time period- politics, economy, and society.
3: General Context - Who is the audience? Who is it directed to/ about? Read passage before for greater understanding.
4: Character Analysis - Explain their motives/ ask questions. Role in society or parable.
5: Anomalies - Unanswered craks in story, ask questions about why things are as they are.
6: Conflict - What is causing contraversy?
7: Formulate a question - that answer the parable/opens up new doors.
8: Connection - to current events.
9: Solution - What can we do? What should we do?
2: Historical Context - Research the time period- politics, economy, and society.
3: General Context - Who is the audience? Who is it directed to/ about? Read passage before for greater understanding.
4: Character Analysis - Explain their motives/ ask questions. Role in society or parable.
5: Anomalies - Unanswered craks in story, ask questions about why things are as they are.
6: Conflict - What is causing contraversy?
7: Formulate a question - that answer the parable/opens up new doors.
8: Connection - to current events.
9: Solution - What can we do? What should we do?
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