The Jerk Who Stole My Dante -- Mimetic Theory and Literary Study

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Date Posted: 22:45:10 02/27/08 Wed
Author: Hwaet!
Subject: The Jerk Who Stole My Dante

I don�t recall reading this in Girard or in class, so forgive me (self-sacrifice for me?) if I am rehashing�.

Preceding the Jews� question about the tower that fell on and killed eighteen people at Siloam, Jesus says, �And why do you not judge for yourselves what is right? Thus, when you go with your accuser before a magistrate, on the way make an effort to settle the case, or you may be dragged before the judge, and the judge hand you over to the officer, and the officer throw you in prison. I tell you, you will never get out until you have paid the very last penny� (Lk 12:57-59 NRSV).

At first this seems like Jesus is dealing out nothing more than street smarts. Better to settle things outside of court, because in court the stakes go way up. One wonders, though, why Jesus would conclude about 45 verses of impassioned teaching with this oddly timed bit of practical advice.

On second thought, it appears that Jesus offers the courtroom scenario as an illustration of the futility of acting on self-interest. By the same token, then, this passage advocates self-sacrifice. Jesus associates settling in court with paying every penny of a miserable juridical debt. One may presume, then, that Jesus would associate settling with one�s neighbor outside of court with freedom from juridical debt. In both cases, one can expect to have the same rules applied to oneself as one applies to one�s neighbor. The last verse, �I tell you, you will never get out until you have paid the very last penny,� has an eerie ring to it of being trapped in a cycle of constantly looking out for one�s own rights (I think of Wergild because Jesus� example involves money). Conversely, freedom from this cycle is to not be concerned for one�s own rights. This means that when Jesus says, �make an effort to settle the case,� he does not mean �try to persuade the jerk who stole your Dante to give you your property back,� but �release the jerk from his debt.� (Besides, grafters go to the tar pit in circle 8, Malebolge, ditch 5, and thieves turn into serpents just two ditches farther.)

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Replies:

Re: The Jerk Who Stole My Dante -- Cara, 07:59:33 02/29/08 Fri
- Re: The Jerk Who Stole My Dante -- Hwaet!, 10:32:52 02/29/08 Fri
  - Re: The Jerk Who Stole My Dante -- Cara, 20:57:43 02/29/08 Fri