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Matthew Parable

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Throughout the Gospel According to Matthew, Jesus teaches his disciples the tenets of a new faith through the use of parables. However, the messages that they convey may often be blurred by the language and the imagery, and at times, event contradict each other. Such is the case with the parable of the seed and the parable of the vineyard workers. The former compares the aftermath of seeds that had fallen on different types of soil, suggesting a judgmental God who determines a human’s fate by their actions. On the other hand, the latter suggests a benevolent, loving God who generously rewards all those who believe and follow him. Why would Jesus present two contradictory views of God, detracting from his overall message? Through the language used in the parables and connections they form with the rest of the Gospel, the two parables are revealed to be complementary, playing an important role in defining what it means to be faithful to the God that Jesus preaches about. …show more content…

In telling the parable of the seed, Jesus establishes the idea that the Pharisees are the lost seeds that have fallen on the path and failed to grasp the scriptures. Jesus reinforces such a portrayal throughout the Gospel by constantly decrying the Pharisees for not doing as God intended. In one such criticism, Jesus says, “woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because you shut the kingdom of heaven against men” (23:13). Jesus, in calling them “hypocrites,” implies that proselytization has always been a facet of the faith. The Pharisees have strayed from the path that God had intended, and should thus not be followed. Thus, in depicting the constant challenges by the Pharisees, the Gospel strengthens the juxtaposition of the old and the new. However, in telling the two parables, Jesus renders the old obsolete, and welcomes outsiders to the

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