Honor and Shame in the Time of Palestine Essay Sample
In first century Palestine. award and shame were of import to societal elites because the two values defined the position within the communities. Honor is an of import position because it is what separates the higher categories from the lower categories. Shame is the antonym of award because it can take down societal position through humiliation and shame. Once one loses his award. it becomes hard to recover it. if at all. In the Gospels of Matthew and Mark. the main priests and the seniors attempted to happen grounds to inquiry and happen mistake in Jesus without conveying shame upon themselves or losing their ain award. The concluding behind the main priests’ and elders’ inquiries and behaviour are uncovered by using the historical context of what award and shame meant in Jesus’ clip.
In this state of affairs. there are two types of award. ascribed and acquired award. Ascribed award is when 1 is born with award. Ascribed award is inherited from one’s posterities. ( Hanson and Oakman. 183 ) Acquired award is when one establishes his award. unlike ascribed award. the acquired award is non inherited. Acquired award is earned by accomplishment ( Hanson and Oakman. 183 ) . In the Gospels of Matthew and Mark. the main priests and the seniors question Jesus’ award. They questioned whether his award was ascribed or acquired and wondered who in an essay. should the rubric be underlined or citation Markss? mlagave him such authorization to execute his responsibilities. While Jesus performed his miracles. he ne’er brought shame upon himself.
Because a person’s award is defined by who and what they are. it is sensible to understand why the head priests questioned Jesus’ authorization. The main priests were seeking to convey shame upon Jesus and to see as if Jesus was truly the Messiah. Jesus responded back with a inquiry of his ain: “I will besides inquire you one inquiry. If you answer me. I will state you by what authorization I am making these things. John’s baptism— where did it come from? Was it from heaven. or of human beginning? ” ( Matthew 21:24-25 ) . Jesus so mocked the seniors because they did non cognize how to reply his inquiry. Therefore. they made a sap of themselves and brought shame upon themselves due to the fact that they tried to dishonor Jesus and derive award.
In Mark 7:1-22. the Pharisees and the instructors of the jurisprudence tried to dishonor Jesus they thought he was non following the traditions. Since Jesus was eating with his adherents who had “defiled” custodies. the Pharisees and the instructors of jurisprudence pointed out that Jesus and his adherents were non following traditions. Then Jesus responded back with. “Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you dissemblers ; as it is written: ‘These people honor me with their lips. but their Black Marias are far from me. They worship me in vain ; their instructions are simply human regulations. ’ You have let travel of the bids of God and are keeping on to human traditions” ( Mark7:6-8 ) . Jesus made a sap of the Pharisees and the instructors of the jurisprudence by stating them that they do non follow the Torahs of the Lord. but follow of the Torahs they created themselves. They do non love or idolize the manner they should. They worship because they are forced to. non because they want to. Mark 7:6-8 shows that Jesus did non set shame upon himself. but on the Pharisees and the instructors for oppugning his manner of practising his faith. Jesus brought himself award because he did non fall into the class of the Pharisees and the instructors of jurisprudence.
However. in Mark 14:1-2 the main priests were seeking to collar Jesus when the twenty-four hours of Passover and Unleavened Bread was merely a couple yearss off. The main priests knew that if they were to collar Jesus yearss before the Passover and Unleavened Bread. they could set shame upon themselves and be humiliated. The main priests says “Not during the festival. otherwise there might be a public violence of people” ( Mark 14:2 ) During this clip in history. the twenty-four hours of Unleavened Bread and Passover was really of import to the people Jewish community because of their ascendants past. The banquet of the Unleavened Bread is a impeccant forfeit. whereas Leavened Bread is a type of wickedness. Passover is one of the many of import spiritual celebrations in the Jewish community. They celebrate Passover to retrieve the freedom of the people of Israel after they were led out of Egypt by Moses. If the main priests were to collar Jesus before. during. or after the celebrations. the citizens would do an tumult and interrupt the peace they originally had. Not merely would they interrupt the peace. they still would non hold found any ground why they would hold arrest Jesus and if they were to do a sap out of themselves once more. so they would convey more shame upon themselves and Jesus would hold gained more glorification and award.
In the terminal. award and shame played a major function in the first century of Palestine because the repute depended upon their award. Shame would merely do the seniors and priests look immodest and others will look down on them. Shame affects award because the seniors and priests can do themselves look bad by dishonoring themselves. To derive honor back from perpetrating a black act. they have to execute a responsibility that will hold them gain their award back. Thats where the ascribed and acquired award comes in. they both reflect on the behaviour of the priests and seniors. Both award and shame were of import in the clip of Palestine because they defined to what socialite group they belonged to and if they disgraced themselves. they would hold a difficult clip mounting back up the ladder to their original place. Shame and award will ever be of import in the Jewish community because it was what they were raised with. There are still some Jewish community that still use the same type of traditions and believe that if they lose their award. so they are disgraced by the action that has been committed.
Bibliography
Coogan. Michael David. . Marc Zvi. Brettler. Carol A. Newsom. and Pheme Perkins. “Mark 7:1-22. ” The New Oxford Annotated Bible: With the Apocryphal/Deuterocanonical Books. New York: Oxford UP. 2001. N. pag. Print.
Coogan. Michael David. . Marc Zvi. Brettler. Carol A. Newsom. and Pheme Perkins. “Mark 14:1-2. ” The New Oxford Annotated Bible: With the Apocryphal/Deuterocanonical Books. New York: Oxford UP. 2001. N. pag. Print.
Coogan. Michael David. . Marc Zvi. Brettler. Carol A. Newsom. and Pheme Perkins. “Matthew 21:23-27. ” The New Oxford Annotated Bible: With the
Apocryphal/Deuterocanonical Books. New York: Oxford UP. 2001. N. pag. Print.
Hanson. K. C. . and Douglas E. Oakman. Palestine in the Time of Jesus: Social Structures and Social Conflicts. Minneapolis: Fortress. 1998. N. pag. Print.
