sign in sign up
<<
Home , Genealogy of Jesus, Matthew 12

PREACHING THE LECTIONARY: THE OF MATTHEW ANNOTATED OPENING REMARKS: The first three parts will receive the primary emphasis: 1. Part One: a. Comments about preaching b. General comments about Matthew’s context, structure, and themes 2. Part Two, ’ three ways of teaching: a. Wisdom b. Parable c. Miracle 3. Part Three: The church in . The passion and resurrection narratives will be deferred until the talk on Mark, and we will conclude with the infancy narratives: “Matthew’s Gospel in Miniature.” INTRODUCTION: The Act of Preaching 1. The tasks of the preacher in the liturgy: a. To interpret the lives of the assembled people in terms of the scriptures they have heard and b. To lead them into the celebration of the Eucharist. NOTE: “..the person and mission of Jesus, culminating in his Death and Resurrection, is ultimately the central content of all the scriptures”; thus “Every scriptural text on which [the preacher] preaches leads to that center and sheds light on the mystery of that principal deed of from different biblical perspectives” (Preaching the Mystery of Faith, p.19). “[T]he indispensable key to interpreting [Jesus] was nothing other than the self-emptying love of the revealed in his Death and Resurrection. Everything that taught and all of his actions were conditioned by this outpouring of life on behalf of others, the heart of the Paschal Mystery” (Preaching the Mystery of Faith, p. 14).

1 2. The resource of the preacher = the words of the gospel, which is NEWS, not just information and the words of all of the scriptures, that adumbrate (shadow forth) the gospel: a. Words that are capable of opening up new and wonderful horizons for people in “prison” or in “hospital” (see Dei Verbum, #11 and 12); b. New ways of seeing what our lives are really about (“the life that is truly life”); c. Real food for the hungers of the heart, for people with appetite (which may need to be awakened). 3. The method of the preacher: Incarnational, not Platonic a. To find what to say, be guided i. By the arrangement of the words of the gospel within the pericope, ii. By the arrangement of the pericopes to one another, and iii. By the relation to all pericopes to all of the scriptures: The OT and NT. b. Adduce witnesses to the word by examples of the word made flesh: For example in the lives of the saints and in everyday life. 4. The readings from Matthew in Year A: note the clusters of related Sundays and the prevalence of parables. Be guided by the “big picture” in order to see what is happening in any one episode.

PART ONE: Context and Themes 1. The World Behind the Gospel, for which the gospel is “news”: a. Estimated date of composition: c. 80 AD, which is post-temple and a time of tension with the . b. Location: Antioch in Syria; READ Acts 11: 19-26. i. A church with Jewish roots that was attracting Gentiles (see Acts 11:19-26: Paul in Antioch) and Gal 2:11-14 (Peter in Antioch) ii. A church that was mid-way between James and Paul on the applicability of Jewish law, with Peter as bridge builder (see Acts

2 15: 6-12, based on his experience in Acts 10 with Cornelius and the dream of the clean and unclean animals) iii. A church that is also a “new family” and is more egalitarian than the hierarchical order of the synagogues of Antioch. Questions implied by the themes and emphases of the text:  How much of the law applies, if any of it? Who has authority to interpret the law?  What is the scope of the church’s mission? Is the mission to gentiles as well as to Jews?  How is church life to be governed? The role of forgiveness.  How steer through turmoil both from within (7:1-23: false prophets and internal dissensions) and from without (24: the fall of the temple and messianic expectations)? The gospel as word and as news addressed the hearts of people long ago and by analogy addresses people today. 2. Outline: a. Birth and passion narratives b. Five, Torah-like sections, divided into narrative and discourse, with emphasis on the reign of God, proclaimed by Jesus and the church. 3. Themes: Jesus sums up the hope of Israel and is, at the same time, something new. a. THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN IS NOW. Like , Jesus announces the closeness of the kingdom: “Repent”: change your attitude in order to see something new; “the kingdom of heaven is at hand”: “Thy kingdom come.” Matthew’s gospel vibrates with the shaking of foundations and impending (“eschatological”) judgment. The kingdom of heaven makes radical claims on disciples NOW: To do “on earth as it is in heaven.” NOTE: “The kingdom of heaven” is “a way of speaking of God’s own redeeming presence and therefore would mean healing and forgiveness, true justice and lasting peace” (Preaching the Mystery of Faith, p.10).

3 b. THE FULFILLMENT OF HOPE IS NOW. Jesus “fulfills” the hope of the prophets, hence the many citations of OT scripture. This strategy is important in order to overcome the objection that Jesus died as a criminal and cursed because he hung upon a tree. c. JESUS IS A NEW MOSES: THE AUTHORITATIVE TEACHER OF THE LAW. Jesus teaches what “righteousness” requires: obedient response to the requirements of God’s justice and rule. Jesus the teacher stands in contrast to other authorities, especially the scribes and the “Pharisees.” d. HIS AUTHORITY IS ROOTED IN HIS IDENTITY: JESUS IS “SON” IN A NEW SENSE i. “Whose son is he?” is the subject of the fifth and climactic controversy of passion Week. ii. As “son of God” and “son of ,” Jesus is a “messiah” like David and . iii. As “son of man” (the title he uses for himself), Jesus encompasses the full range from human being (as in Ezekiel) to divine emissary and judge of the nations (as in Daniel); he qualifies the militant connotations of messiah in popular expectations iv. He is altogether something “new”: This is the emphasis of Benedict XVI’s in Jesus of Nazareth, Part 1: “Jesus always speaks as the son…the relation between Father and Son is always present as the background of his message” (p, 63). e. THE CHURCH IS A NEW FAMILY. The church, founded on the 12, is the family of Jesus and the new Israel: see :46-49 “The nexus between Christ and his people, between Christology and ecclesiology, is the specific message of Matthew’s gospel”: The Vision of Matthew, John P. Meier f. PETER IS A KEY FIGURE. Peter is rock, scandal, and bridge builder: a hero of Matthew’s church and a salutary example. 4. SUMMARY of THEMES: Chapter 3: The preaching of John and the

4  In fulfillment of and in the desert, by the river Jordan, John preaches the imminent coming of the kingdom of heaven, the need to “prepare,” and judgment on the Pharisees and : Mt 3: 1-3.  Jesus is baptized by John: Matthew edits Mark to emphasize the theme of “righteousness” and the proclamation of Jesus to all.  John shows Jesus as “the point of the story,” the fulfillment of hope.  Allusions to Jesus from the OT emphasize Jesus as Son (like and David) and Servant ()  The setting: Like Moses; Jesus is ready to enact a “new exodus” for a new people of God: through the river to the desert to the preaching of the kingdom, the new law. PART TWO: Three Ways of Teaching in Matthew’s Gospel NOTE: The challenge to the preacher is to get people to think within a biblical framework: To take up the challenge of the to “repent” – to see everyday life in new TERMS; to see wisdom in the patterns and root metaphors of biblical narratives.

1. Wisdom and Law: The (MT 5-7): The call for a heavenly, eschatological standard: “On earth as it is in heaven.” “When man begins to see and to live from God’s perspective, when he is a companion on Jesus’ way, then he lives by new standards, and something of the eschaton, of the reality to come, is already present” (Jesus of Nazareth, I, p, 72). a. Setting: The mountain top; in the , Jesus summarizes the hope of Israel, God’s people; he fulfills the law (5: 17). b. Jesus is the new Moses and the teacher of wisdom, which is “the meaning and the manner of achieving the well-lived life” (Joan Chittister in The Rule of Benedict, xii): That is, how to be “blessed,” “righteous,” and (in contemporary terms) free of “addictions”; note that the blessings that are pronounced are rooted in OT hope, especially the wisdom psalms, such as Psalm 1 about the “two ways” (5:1-16) c. The disciples are to be “salt” and “light.” On being “perfect,” see Lohfink, p. 99.

5 d. Going deeper into the Law, uprooting the causes of unrighteousness (anger, lust, and swearing), Jesus contrasts his authority with what “was said to your ancestors.” (5:17-48) e. Jesus teaches the true = authentic way to “perform righteous deeds”: Almsgiving, prayer, and fasting and the need to “seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness” (6). f. Miscellaneous teachings and warnings, and a reminder to build WISELY on rock (7). g. From the example of Paul and of Jesus himself, the beatitudes “express the meaning of discipleship” (Jesus of Nazareth, I p. 73); they “present a sort of veiled interior biography of Jesus, a kind of portrait of his figure” Jesus of Nazareth, I (p.74); as such, they are a “road map for the church” (Jesus of Nazareth, I p,74) and an example of the self-emptying life, given with love, that is summed up the Death and . h. NOTE: Because there is an “eschatological” or “not yet” dimension to the Kingdom of Heaven, one needs discernment and casuistry to translate the eschatological vision into everyday practice. For assistance, see the lives of the saints: “The saints are the true interpreters of Holy Scripture. The meaning of a given passage of the becomes most intelligible in those human beings who have been totally transfixed by it and have lived it out” (Jesus of Nazareth, I, p.78). See the example of St. Francis for poverty; “what has been, can be.” i. On the other hand, since the words of the Sermon on the Mount are an example of words from the wisdom tradition, they should be seen as practical guides to “good living” and not just as idealistic goals for later. j. The beatitudes offer words of promise, criteria for discerning spirits, and directions for finding the right path (Ratzinger, Jesus of Nazareth, I, p. 71). As words of wisdom, they have a positive emphasis – the promise of LIFE if one follows the path that is pointed out. Suggestion: Avoid moralizing and emphasize the glory of the resurrection as the goal of “righteousness.”

6

2. Parables: about the kingdom of heaven NOW, life in the church, and the kingdom to come: a. Unlike fables, parables evoke surprise at something new or surprising (MT 13); See Preaching the Mystery of Faith: The Sunday Homily (USCCB, 2012), p.28. b. The reason for teaching in parables: i. Wariness of enemies and deep trust for friends (10-17); ii. To fulfill the prophets (34-35). c. : Parables of the Kingdom NOW: i. The weeds among the wheat (not in Mark: 24-30); the end is delayed, therefore be wary of judging precipitously. ii. The mustard seed (31-32): from small to large and the yeast (33): Small but influential on the matrix/the ambient culture. See “Gaudium et Spes, #40” for the use of these metaphors to describe the church in the modern world. iii. The treasure in the field, the pearl: Surprising and valuable discoveries – right in front of your eyes (44-46). See Lohfink’s commentary, p.235. iv. The net thrown into the sea: “Fish of every kind” (47-48) – a reflection of Matthew’s community? v. NOTE: The scribe of the kingdom of heaven brings out of the storehouse “both the new and the old” (51-53): A commentary on what Matthew is doing? d. Parables of “Final” (ultimate) Judgment, even NOW: i. The parable of the tenants (21:33-46): Note the role of the “cornerstone” a KEY text to show the “world turned upside down” after the resurrection. ii. The parable of the talents (25: 14-30): The need to do what one CAN; see St. John Chrysostom, who was passionate on this topic:

7 Liturgy of the Hours, Lent and Easter volume, p. 2146; note the tie to “yeast.” iii. The judgment of the nations (25: 31-45): It is from this parable that we derive the “works of mercy”: see Chrysostom in Vol. IV, pp. 182-183. 3. Miracle = The Message in deed a. A work of power and a sign, not a “violation” of nature; a “Visual Aid” of the Preaching (MT 8 and 9; also, 12:28, “The kingdom has come upon you”); at the word of Jesus, people receive more ample scope for life: a movement that is like the movement from death to resurrection, from sin to grace, from slavery to freedom. b. A miracle allows people to infer who Jesus is in himself and for us by what he does (“functional Christology”: someone “new”). c. Matthew edits Mark to de-emphasize the marvelous and to focus on the “who” and “why” of the act, not the “how.” See Mt 8:14-17, Peter’s mother-in-law and all in the village. d. Note the allusion to Isaiah as a “hermeneutical key” to interpret the significance of the miracles: Mt 8:16 e. Various reactions to Jesus’ deeds show that the message is contested: from citizens (8:34) from the scribes (9:3) and from the Pharisees (9:34); see Richard Wilbur’s poem, “Matthew VIII, 28 ff.” f. See Rembrandt’s summary of Jesus’ ministry according to : i. Many are cured (1-2); (see also Mt 15:29-31) ii. The Pharisees discuss divorce with Jesus (3-12) iii. Children are welcomed and blessed, despite the disciples’ attempt to prevent them (13-15): In Rembrandt’s picture, the disciples are represented by Peter iv. The rich young man is disappointed (16-30) PART THREE: The Church, the New Family of Jesus

8 “Many texts in the gospels can only be understood against the background of the eschatological – constantly endangered and yet incomprehensibly blessed – existence of the disciples”” Gerhard Lohfink, Jesus of Nazareth, p.79; see also pp. 237 and 238.

1. The cal of Matthew (9:9) – a paradigm of discipleship and a way of reading a pericope (following the words); illustrated by Caravaggio’s “The Call of St. Matthew.” 2. The choice of the 12 (10:1-4) in the context of the (9:35-38) signals continuity with Israel and the time of fulfillment at hand. 3. The mission of the disciples (10:1 and 5-6), primarily to Israel, is to do as Jesus did: for example, in chapters 8 and 9; the disciples are warned to be prepared: a. To be persecuted, with references to persecution in the synagogues and courts of governors and kings in Matthew’s time (16-18) b. To give fearless and open witness (19-20) c. To cause dissension (21-22) d. To renounce all in order to follow Jesus (37-39) e. Those who receive the gospel messengers will receive a reward (40-42) 4. The roles of Peter: An exemplar of faith, a bridge builder, and a “satan”: a. To want to walk on water and to fail at it (14: 22-33) b. To proclaim Jesus’ true identity (16:13-20): Note that the gates of hell shall not prevail – hold out – against it, implying an active church, c. To deny the cross (16:21-23) d. To pay the temple tax – a mediating office (17: 24-27) e. To fall asleep in the garden (26: 36-46) f. To testify against Jesus while Jesus testifies before the high priest and before Pilate (26: 57-68/ 26: 69-75)/27:1-2) g. To repent of his betrayal, unlike Judas (26:75 vs 27: 1-10), who hanged himself – a contrast between hope and despair. 5. Parables of life in the church (MT 18)

9 a. The lost sheep (18:10-14) compare with : 1-7; Matthew’s context is an instruction to pastors; Luke’s context is Jesus’ defense of his table fellowship with sinners; Matthew emphasizes the law; Luke, the joy. b. The unforgiving servant (18: 21-35): Tie in with the “Our Father” and see Shea’s commentary, p. 278.

PART FOUR: Jesus the Teacher and Rival Teachers 1. As a new Moses, Jesus fulfills and interprets the law: a. The new law of the Sermon on the Mount (5) b. The right to forgive sins (9:1-8) c. The right to pick grain on the Sabbath (12:1-8); compare with :23- 28 d. The right to cure on the Sabbath (12: 9-14) 2. Jesus cleanses the temple, showing that the temple sacrifices will be replaced, and enters into five debates with the religious authorities concerning: a. His authority (21:23-27) b. Tribute to Caesar (22: 15-22) c. The resurrection of the dead (22: 23-33) d. The greatest commandment (22: 34-40) e. Jesus as son and Lord of David (22: 41-46) 3. Jesus denounces the rival teachers: Scribes and Pharisees (23) 4. Jesus and the Jewish context of Matthew’s gospel: pastoral notes: a. Matthew presents a harsh verdict on the leaders of Judaism, especially the scribes and the Pharisees (see chapter 23), because of the conflict between synagogue and church in the post-Temple Antioch community. b. He ALSO presents Jesus as fulfilling the law and the prophets and interpreting it with authority, not abrogating it. c. In preaching, care must be taken NOT to identity contemporary Jews with the leaders of the people and SOME of the Jews at the time of Jesus, especially in way that would seem to justify bigotry and anti-Semitism or

10 even simplistic contrasts between the “justice” of the law and the “mercy” of the gospel. d. Even the words of the crowd to Pilate: “His blood be upon us and upon our children,” (27:25) might be understood ironically, in that Jesus said that he gave his blood for “the many” (26:28). In any case, the phrase “our children” should be taken very restrictively. e. For assistance, see Harrington’s commentary in Sacra Pagina, which addresses the Jewish roots of Jesus and of Matthew’s community and makes careful distinctions between criticism of the leadership and of the whole people. f. See also, The Jewish People and Their Sacred Scriptures in the Christian Bible, published by the Pontifical Biblical Commission, 2002, which establishes general principles and comments on each book of the NT.

PART FIVE: The Passion and Resurrection of Jesus 1. The Passion Narrative: The longest sustained narrative in all of the synoptic gospels and John: The end that explains the significance of the beginning: every episode of the gospel is an implicit movement from death to resurrection. a. Matthew emphasizes the fulfillment of the scriptures: i. Zechariah: 30 pieces of silver (11) and striking the shepherd (13) ii. Psalm 22: the wine mixed with gall, dividing the garment, the taunting of the two robbers and the people, the first word of Jesus from the cross: The suffering of the righteous one – who will be vindicated b. Matthew uses the language of apocalyptic to emphasize the significance of Jesus’ death: Apocalyptic (“unveiling”) writing shakes the foundations and reveals the depths: i. The darkness at noon ( 8:9,ff) ii. The tearing of the temple veil: a judgment on a Judaism represented by the Temple (27:51); access to the holy of holies (see )

11 iii. The earthquake and the rising of the dead: new life is available to the saintly dead of Israel (27:51b-53) iv. The confession of the centurion: the gentiles are coming in (27:54) c. Note the silent, persistent witness of the women followers, sitting opposite the tomb (27:61): This is often the place of the church under conditions of oppression. 2. The Resurrection Narratives: The point of the story: The future here and now. a. Matthew uses apocalyptic language to describe the risen Jesus and the fear of the guards. b. Matthew uniquely emphasizes that there was a conspiracy to say that the body was stolen. c. The reality of Jesus’ resurrection is emphasized: “clasping his feet, they did him homage.” d. Matthew’s emphasis falls on the “” in , 28: 16-20: To baptize and preach the good news to all nations: i. Set on a mountain top ii. The (realistically) mixed response to Jesus: some fell down; others hesitated iii. His authority is asserted. iv. The mission of the disciples is rooted in the command of Jesus to baptize and to teach what he has commanded. This is Jesus’ way of addressing his disciples’ doubts – to trust them with a mission. v. Jesus pledges his continued presence with the church. 3. The Infancy Narratives: The Gospel in Miniature a. The roots him in the people of Israel, with ancestors that include gentile women (, , (?), and ). b. The comes to Joseph, a man of dreams, like Joseph of Genesis. c. The magi from the east are guided by a star and by the scriptures to seek the newborn king of the Jews; the star fills them with “great joy,” and when they find Jesus, they do him homage.

12 d. As with Moses, the birth of Jesus is accompanied by the massacre of innocents: The forces of evil seek to destroy the innocent but do not prevail. e. Jesus recapitulates the story of Israel by going down into Egypt and coming out again. NOTE: Jesus embodies the hope of Israel and of all the nations. He is the new Moses. He is born among the poor and among the Jews, but he is also worshipped by gentiles. `His birth is overshadowed by the threat of death, but death does not prevail.

13