The rich, the poor, and the law

This article explores the social and religious dynamics of parables of Jesus in which “rich” and “poor” are juxtaposed. It focuses on Luke 16:19-31 (the parable of the rich man and the poor beggar Lazarus) and on Luke 18:9-14 (the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector). The core of the explo...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Dieter H. Reinstorf
Format: Article
Language:Afrikaans
Published: AOSIS 2004-10-01
Series:HTS Teologiese Studies/Theological Studies
Online Access:https://hts.org.za/index.php/hts/article/view/512
Description
Summary:This article explores the social and religious dynamics of parables of Jesus in which “rich” and “poor” are juxtaposed. It focuses on Luke 16:19-31 (the parable of the rich man and the poor beggar Lazarus) and on Luke 18:9-14 (the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector). The core of the exploration relates to questions concerning “wealth” and “poverty” in a limited-good society such as first-century Palestine. The article aims to expose the legitimisation provided by the Israelite elite to ensure the collection of taxes placed on the peasant population by the Roman Empire.
ISSN:0259-9422
2072-8050