Question

Read the following Bible passage:

"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but
inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence! Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the
cup so the outside of it may also become clean.
"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which
appear beautiful on the outside, but inside are full of dead men's bones and every impurity. In
the same way, on the outside you seem righteous to people, but inside you are full of
hypocrisy and lawlessness." (Matthew 25:25-27)
How is the theme of this passage similar or different to themes from Oedipus the King? In your
answer, use at least 2-3 examples from the text of the play. You may also include examples from
other Bible passages you have studied. Your answer should be at least 2-3 paragraphs.

Answer 1

Matthew 25:25-27 disclosed the ignorance of the scribes and Pharisees until Jesus Christ, the Oracle of God, exposed them as whitewashed tombs, who were living in hubris from their limited relationship with God. In the same way, King Oedipus remained blind that he was married to his mother, having earlier killed his own father, until the Oracle exposed the reason behind the sufferings of Thebes. Therefore, ignorance from hubris vs knowledge from revelations make the themes similar.

The difference in the themes arises from the fact that after the preaching of Jesus Christ, the scribes and Pharisees remained obstinate and even murdered the Oracle that revealed the truth to them. But in the case of Oedipus, he fully recognized his hubris and sacrilege. For these, he punished himself by gorging his eyes out so that he could be physically blind. Most importantly, he did not kill the Oracle that divinized the truth. Another difference is that the scribes and Pharisees suffered from willful ignorance (they should be in the know because they are children of God), while King Oedipus's ignorance was not willful (how could he have known that Laius was his father and his wife, his mother?).

Explanation:

The Bible also says that "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge" (Hosea 4:1). This "lack of knowledge" means willful ignorance of the teachings of God. Thebes suffered because the person guilty of the murder of King Laius has not been brought to justice. When he brought himself to justice, the sufferings abated. But the people of God have remained stubborn, therefore, they continue to perish.