Jesus was the master teacher. Having invited his disciples to see what the rule of God looks like through the parables in chapter 13, Matthew brings this next section of the gospel to a climax with some pointed questions. Throughout this section (13:54–16:12) as we have seen, Jesus has been interpreted by the likes of Herod, the Canaanite woman and the crowds. He has been rejected by religious leaders and his fellow citizens in Nazareth.