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Matthew

 

             How would we know of his life without the Gospels? The Gospels give people insight to the way Jesus lived his life, and how it was taken away so that we all may live. There are four different Gospel writers, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, and each has their own unique vision of Jesus's life. Matthew's Gospel is the most read, his is also the longest and most complete of the four. Also, Matthew wrote for the Jews of the time to try to get them to convert. He refers a lot to their own traditions to help them bridge the gap from Judaism to Christianity. One passage in particular sticks out as a wonderful example of how Matthew tried to bridge this gap, the "Tradition of the Elders". .
             Matthew's main goal was to show the Jews of the time that Jesus was the true Lord and Messiah, the one that they had been waiting for. He uses a lot of references to the Old Testament to give a sort of familiarity to his Gospel. He also picks out a lot of specific scripture to show that Jesus is indeed the one that they have been waiting for. Matthew begins his Gospel with Jesus's genealogy, which can be traced back to the Jewish king, David. This right away establishes Jesus as both the King of the Jews and the Messiah. These kinds of examples of Matthew's writing style are present through out his gospel. The "Tradition of the Elders" passage fits in perfectly. It incorporates Old Testament teachings in with one of Jesus's parables. To get and idea at how Matthew does this, read this brief summary of the passge.
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             The Pharisee's and the scribes are questioning Jesus. They want to know why the disciples break the tradition of the elders. They do not wash their hands before meals. Jesus in return asked them why they disobey God. They are supposed to honor their father and mother, and if they curse them they should die. But what they really say is any support you might have had from me is dedicated to God, need not honor his father.


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