The Wandering Heretic

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In setting up the judgment of the ethnic groups through their response to “the least of his brothers,” Jesus has usurped the place of Israel and attached it to himself and his brothers. Those of the ethnic groups that bless Jesus’ brothers will be blessed; those that do not will be cursed.

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What is not known is that Luther lost the argument. He did not lose it immediately. It took some time. Nor did he lose it in the estimation of Roman Catholics (after all, they had to hold the Council of Trent in response and curtailed many of the abuses against which Luther protested). No, the argument was lost to the children of the Reformation: the Protestants.

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Context is the lost art of Biblical interpretation. I am not talking about the historical context, as being expounded and popularized by the Context Group scholars. This time, I am talking literary context. It seems that both liberal and conservative analysts of the Biblical text do not explore the literary placement of the passage they review. In short, they do not say how the passage fits into the “grand narrative” of the entire book? Most deny there is a grand narrative.

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The group that is specifically identified as “brothers of the Lord” under this interpretation is not allowed to be identified specificially as Christians. Instead, they transform into a general group: all those who are in need at all times an in all places. But the text clearly says, “my brothers [even] to the least.” I cannot get around the fact that this is a specific identification. The good works are done to brothers of the Lord.

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