MATTHEW for EVERYONE PART 1 CHAPTERS 1-15 MATTHEW for EVERYONE PART 1 CHAPTERS 1-15 N. T. WRIGHT (SPCK) Westminster John Knox Press Copyright © 2002, 2004 Nicholas Thomas Wright First published in Great Britain by Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge 36 Causton Street London SW1P 4ST Second edition copublished in 2004 by the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, London, and Westminster John Knox Press, Louisville, KY 40202. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, 36 Causton Street, London SW1P 4ST. 08 09 10 11 12 13- 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. ISBN: 978-0-281-05301-8 (U.K. edition) United States Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file at the Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. ISBN: 978-0-664-22786-9 (U.S. edition) Typeset by Pioneer Associates, Perthshire Printed in Great Britain at Ashford Colour Press Produced on paper from sustainable forests CONTENTS Introduction ix Map XI Matthew 1.1-17 Jesus' Genealogy 1 Matthew 1.18-25 The Birth of Jesus 4 Matthew 2.1-12 The Magi Visit Jesus 8 Matthew 2.13-23 Travels to Egypt 12 Matthew 3.1-10 The Preaching of John the Baptist 16 Matthew 3.1 1-17 Jesus' Baptism 19 Matthew 4.1-11 Temptation in the Wilderness 23 Matthew 4.12-17 Announcingthe Kingdom 27 Matthew 4.18-25 Jesus Callsthe Disciples 30 Matthew 5.1-12 The Beatitudes 34 Matthew 5.13-20 Fulfilling the Law 38 Matthew 5.21-26 On Murder and Reconciliation 42 Matthew 5.27-37 On Adultery and Oaths 46 Matthew 5.38-48 Loving Yo ur Enemies 49 Matthew 6.1--6 Piety in Secret 53 Matthew 6.7-15 The Lord's Prayer 56 Matthew 6.16-24 On Fasting and Lasting Treasure 60 Matthew 6.25-34 Do Not Worry 64 Matthew 7.1--6 On Judging Others 67 Matthew 7.7-12 On Prayer 71 Matthew 7.13-23 The Two Ways 74 Matthew 7.24-29 True Obedience 78 CONTENTS Matthew 8.1-13 The Healing of the Leper and the Centurion's Servant 81 Matthew 8.14-22 On Following Jesus 85 Matthew 8.23-27 The Calming of the Storm 88 Matthew 8.28-34 The Healing of the Demoniacs 91 Matthew 9.1-8 The Healing of the Paralytic 95 Matthew 9.9-17 The Call of Matthew 99 Matthew 9.18-26 The Raising of the Little Girl 103 Matthew 9.27-37 Jesus' Fame Increases 107 Matthew 10.1-15 The Twelve Are Sent Out 110 Matthew 10.16-23 Sheep among Wolves 114 Matthew 10.24-3 1 Warnings and Encouragements 117 Matthew 10.32-42 Jesus Causes Division 120 Matthew 11.1-6 Jesus and John the Baptist 124 Matthew 11.7-15 The Identity of John the Baptist 127 Matthew 11.16-24 Jesus Condemns the Cities 131 Matthew 11.25-30 Jesus' Invitation 134 Matthew 12.1-14 Lord of the Sabbath 138 Matthew 12.15-2 1 The Servant 141 Matthew 12.22-32 Jesus and Beelzebul 144 Matthew 12.33-42 The Sign of Jonah 148 Matthew 12.43-50 Jesus' True Family 152 Matthew 13. 1-9 The Parable of the Sower 155 Matthew 13.10-17 The Reason fo r Parables 159 Matthew 13.18-23 The Parable of the Sower Explained 163 Matthew 13.24-35 The Parable of the Weeds 167 Matthew 13.36-43 The Parable of the Weeds Explained 170 Matthew 13.44-53 Other Parables 174 Matthew 13.54-58 Opposition in Nazareth 178 Matthew 14.1-12 The Death of John the Baptist 181 Matthew 14.13-22 The Feeding of the Five Thousand 184 Vl CONTENTS Matthew 14.23-36 Jesus Walks on Water 188 Matthew 15.1-9 Discussions of Clean and Unclean 191 Matthew 15.10-20 The Parable of Clean and Unclean 195 Matthew 15.21-28 The Canaanite Wo man 198 Matthew 15.29-39 The Feeding of the Four Thousand 202 Glossary 207 Vll For Christopher Philip Unwin, priest and teacher of the faith, with gratitude for the love, support and prayers of over fifty years INTRODUCTION On the very first occasion when someone stood up in public to tell people about Jesus, he made it very clear: this message is fo r everyone. It was a great day - sometimes called the birthday of the church. The great wind of God's spirit had swept through Jesus' followers and filled them with a new joy and a sense of God's presence and power. Their leader, Peter, who only a few weeks before had been crying like a baby because he'd lied and cursed and denied even knowing Jesus, fo und himself on his fe et ex­ plaining to a huge crowd that something had happened which had changed the world fo r ever. What God had done fo r him, Peter, he was beginning to do fo r the whole world: new life, fo rgiveness, new hope and power were opening up like spring flowers aftera long winter. A new age had begun in which the living God was going to do new things in the world - beginning then and there with the individuals who were listening to him. 'This promise is fo r you: he said, 'and fo r your children, and fo r everyone who is far away' (Acts 2.39). It wasn't just fo r the person standing next to you. It was fo r everyone. Within a remarkably short time this came true to such an extent that the young movement spread throughout much of the known world. And one way in which the everyone promise worked out was through the writings of the early Christian leaders. These short works - mostly letters and stories about Jesus - were widely circulated and eagerly read. They were never intended fo r either a religious or intellectual elite. From the very beginning they were meant fo r everyone. ix INTRODUCTION That is as true today as it was then. Of course, it matters that some people give time and care to the historical evidence, the meaning of the original words (the early Christians wrote in Greek), and the exact and particular fo rce of what different writers were saying about God, Jesus, the world and themselves. This series is based quite closely on that sort of work. But the point of it all is that the message can get out to everyone, especially to people who wouldn't normallyread a book with footnotes and Greek words in it. That's the sort of person fo r whom these books are written. And that's why there's a glossary, in the back, of the key words that you can't really get along with­ out, with a simple description of what they mean. Whenever you see a word in bold type in the text, you can go to the back and remind yourself what's going on. There are of course many translations of the New Te stament available today. The one I offer here is designed fo r the same kind of reader: one who mightn't necessarily understand the more fo rmal, sometimes even ponderous, tones of some of the stan­ dard ones. I have of course tried to keep as close to the original as I can. But my main aim has been to be sure that the words can speak not just to some people, but to everyone. Matthew's gospel presents Jesus in a rich, many-sided way. He appears as the Messiah of Israel, the king who will rule and save the world. He comes before us as the Te acher greater even than Moses. And, of course, he is presented as the son of man giving his life fo r us all. Matthew lays it all out step by step and invites us to learn the wisdom of the gospel message and the new way of life that results from it. So here it is: Matthew fo r everyone! To m Wright X MATTHEW 1.1-17 Jesus' Genealogy 1This book contains the fa mily tree of Jesus the Messiah, the son of David, the son of Abraham. 2Abraham was the fa ther of Isaac, Isaac of Jacob, Jacob of Judah and his brothers, 3Judah of Peres and Zara by Tamar, Peres of Esrom, Esrom of Ararn,4 Aram of Am ina dab, Arninadab of Naason, Naason of Salmon, 5Salmon of Boaz by Rahab, Boaz of Obed by Ruth, Obed of Jesse, 6and Jesse of David the king. David was the father of Solomon (by the wife of Uriah), 7Solomon of Rehoboam, Rehoboam of Abijah, Abijah of Asaph, 8Asaph of Jehosaphat, Jehosaphat of Joram, Joram of Uzziah, 9Uzziah of Joatham, Joatham of Ahaz, Ahaz of Hezekiah, 10Hezekiah of Manasseh, Manasseh of Arnoz,Arnoz of Josiah, 11Josiah of Jeconiah and his brothers, at the time of the exile in Babylon. 12After the Babylonian exile, Jeconiah became the fa ther of Salathiel, Salathiel of Zerubbabel, 13Zerubbabel of Ab ioud, Abioud of Eliakim, Eliakim of Azor, 14Azor of Sadok, Sadok of Achim, Achim of Elioud, 15Elioud of Eleazar, Eleazar of Matthan, Matthan of Jacob, 16and Jacob of Joseph the husband of Mary, from whom wasborn Jesus, who is qilled 'Messiah'.