Archives for February 2023

Commentary: The Coffee Shop Assistant (Luke 17: 7-10)

February 25, 2023 by P A Downs Leave a Comment

The Coffee Shop Assistant is based on Luke 17: 7-10

Does this Parable Need Retelling?

This master-servant parable can no longer be told without an explanation. Without some kind of commentary, sermon, or discussion, the hearers are likely to think that the master is cruel and demanding. The poor servant is both unfairly treated and downtrodden, with no sense of self-worth.

When there is time to unpack the parable, this is fine. When there isn’t time to unpack, to show that this isn’t the case, an ‘instantly understandable’ version might get closer to Jesus’ meaning.

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The Coffee Shop Assistant (Luke 17:7-10)

February 18, 2023 by P A Downs Leave a Comment

The Coffee Shop Assistant is based on Luke 17: 7-10

Suppose you went into a coffee shop, with an assistant serving behind the counter. Would you tell the assistant, “Oh, get yourself a coffee and take a break?” No, you’d say, “I want a coffee and a sandwich and bring it to my table,” because they can go on their break when they’ve done that. And would you think you owed the assistant a special favour because they filled your order correctly?

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Commentary: Left in Charge (Matt. 24: 45-51)

February 11, 2023 by P A Downs Leave a Comment

Left in Charge is based on Matthew 24:45-51

Retell?

The setting of this parable would have been understandable up to the beginning of the Twentieth Century. Nowadays, it’s more likely that people will have to handle their own catering. But, even today, fans of TV programmes like Downton Abbey could recognise the scenario – especially when ‘slave’ is translated as ‘servant’. That leaves us with the question of whether the parable even needs retelling.

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