The following is a documentation of correspondence between myself and my good friend Iqbal, who is currently out of the country. To begin at the beginning is advisable, but unnecessary, as the nature of our conversation is, by all accounts, deeply universal and fundamentally relatable.

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Dearest Iqbal-

Something needs to be addressed from the previous letter I wrote. 

Luke quotes Christ as saying "Are not five sparros sold for two pennies?"  Suggesting that 2.5 sparrows can be had for a penny.  That's absurd!  Is Luke suggesting that Christ thought you could buy half a sparrow?  Sparrows are chosen in this anecdote because they are small and essentially indivisible.  

And then Matthew further complicates things: "Are not two sparrows sold for a penny?"  I don't know, you tell me!  If they are, then the price of 2 sparrows is one penny, which is not the same price that Luke quotes.  Now if they can't keep the price of sparrows straight, maybe they're wrong about other stuff?  Maybe Matthew meant that Christ said: "Some of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your father" or Luke: "God lost count of the hairs on your head."  

Now you're an intellectual; please help!

-Robert de Saint-Loup


Posted by at

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)