The reading repeats this verse which ended the Gospel last Sunday. The crowd is not only not prepared to grant the worth being claimed but also they felt totally dishonored by Jesus declarations. Honor can be understood as the status one claims in the community together with the all-important recognition of that claim by others. It thus serves as an indicator of social standing . Honor can be ascribed or acquired .
Ascribed honor derives from birth .
Acquired honor, by contrast, is the result of skill in the never-ending gave of challenge and response. To claim honor that the community does not recognize is to play the fool. Since honor is a limited good, if one person wins honor, someone else loses . Challenges to one s honor could be positive or negative. Giving a gift is a positive challenge and requires reciprocation in kind.