Luke the Social Critic

It is disturbing that any Biblical passage has been used to support the institution of slavery and violence against slaves. The slave parables (Luke 12:35-48; 17:3-10 and 19:11-27) were so utilized in defense of slavery in the United States by Christian clergymen. In fact clergymen owned slaves. One such example, his name escapes me, was the president of Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.

Therefore I am pleased when someone cites Luke in support of some social cause. The article, Burger King does the right thing included a quote from the Gospel of Luke:

Jesus said: ‘In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor had respect for people. In that city there was a widow who kept coming to him and saying, “Grant me justice against my opponent.” For a while he refused; but later he said to himself, “Though I have no fear of God and no respect for anyone, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will grant her justice, so that she may not wear me out by continually coming.” ’

Burger King

Copyrighted 2008

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Gospel of Luke