Chapters 2: 13: 1-13

1. Matthew, most likely, wrote in Greece and his target audience was Greek speaking people. His writings were based on more than one source to compose his writing, that’s why it differs from the gospels of Mark and Luke. To add to that, Matthew was Jewish, but he also was a believer in Jesus, therefore he made sure that his audience was mainly Jewish and he made it his goal to prove that Jesus was the messiah. One of the examples of how Matthew relates to the Jewish community, is by giving references from the Old Testament. For example, in verse 35 of chapter 13 he quotes a prophecy from the book of Psalms (78:2): “I will open my mouth in parables, I will utter things hidden since the creation of the world.” Even though the gospel of Matthew

2. This part of the gospel mainly consists of parables. What is a parable? According to the New Bible Dictionary (1962), a parable is similar to an allegory – it’s a way of saying something with an illustration or in comparison with something (p. 932). The purpose of a parable is to make a vivid image in the reader’s or listener’s head for him to understand and imagine the story better, and also, for the story to have a long-lasting effect. The news that Jesus brought might have been confusing and incomprehensible to his listeners, therefore he compared what he had to say to things that would be relatable to the people, for example seeds, yeast, fish or fields. However, no matter how relatable Jesus’ illustrations were, not all understood them, but that wasn’t His goal. Why was Jesus speaking in parables then? In the beginning of chapter 13, Jesus is asked by His disciples why he speaks in parables, and he answers: “Because

The parables teach several significant lessons even today. Firstly, it shows an an example of virtuous living. It shows how we, as Christians, should act (live righteously until the day of judgment, spread the good news as we’ve been taught), in this particular passage, it focuses on what our attitude towards the kingdom of heaven should be (that we have to seek it and treasure it once we’ve found it). Secondly, the relationship between Jesus and his disciples shows an example of a behaving and respectful relationship that we should have with God. The disciples saw Jesus as their teacher, but also the Messiah and they had unimaginable respect for Him. They were feeding off of His word and taking in everything he had to say, later putting His teachings into actions. That is exactly what we should implement in our lives as Christians. Thirdly, the teachings of Jesus give an idea of what a good teaching should look like. Jesus’ parables were never boring because they were illustrated lessons. Even today, listening to stories full of examples and illustrations make them not only more interesting, but also more relatable and memorable than listening to dry facts. Jesus had a way of telling stories in a way that would engage and interest those who are curious and that is something every speaker could learn from. (Blomberg, 1992, p.