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Matthew 13
Later that day, one of the Disciples pulled Jesus aside and quietly suggested that his angry "Either you are with me or you are against me," approach was alienating people. "Perhaps if you toned it down a bit, and spread your message through parables instead of commandments?" Jesus agreed, so they went back into town and called for the crowds to gather. So many came to hear the teachings that Jesus had to step into a small boat and address the crowd from offshore. He told them stories about sowing wheat and using nets to catch fish, hoping they would understand his message via analogy. Still, Jesus couldn't help but end his talk by saying, "And then the angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous and throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth!" His aides groaned. ----- Having finished his talk, Jesus rode the boat back to his home town of Nazareth, wandered into his local synagogue, and began to lecture. People recognized him, saying, "Isn't that the little boy Jesus, Mary's son? My, how he's grown, and listen to him pretend he's a preacher now! How quaint!" Few took him seriously, remembering him as "that carpenter's son who lived down the street." Frustrated, Jesus muttered, "Only in his hometown and in his own house is a prophet without honor." And he did no miracles there because of their lack of faith.
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