New Testament Studies
Matthew
By
Apr 25, 2004

Matthew's Gospel
We deduce that Matthew was Levi,the Tax Collector, from Capernaum (Matthew Chapter 9 verse 9) and he specifically focussed the impact of Jesus of Nazareth onto the Jews. His favourite phrase (used 16 times) is "This took place to fulfil what the Lord had said through the prophet .....". This rabbinic characteristic accepted by all orthodox Jews, is that the events he describes are all prophesied in the Old Testament.
Input
Matthew breaths the air of the early Jewish Christian Community which saw Jesus not only as Saviour of the whole world, (Chapter 28 verse 19) but also as a descendant of King David's line and the bringer of the Kingdom, or Rule of God, to all the world. (Chapter 1 verses 1 to 17 states the "Birth credentials'.) Note that he goes back to Abraham, Luke goes to Adam). It is Matthew alone who tells us about the visit of the Magi and shows why, to Jews, Bethlehem was significant (Matthew 2 verse 8).
At this session, we will focus on the Manifesto of the Kingdom of God, Matthew's report, which we call "The Sermon on the Mount". It reconstructs the most sacred Law of Judaism and describes the Ideal Eight-fold personality-profile of each new covenant revolutionary.
Output
Chapter 5 verses 1 to 12
Compare, from your own total experience, how we teach our children the complete opposite of Jesus' teaching with what He says:
We say:
1-Security is Bliss
2-Happiness is what we are here for
3-Ambition is spur
4-Seek satisfaction
5-Be a bit ruthless
6-Be smart
7-Be detached (cover your tracks)
8-Above all - conform!
Chapter 5 verse 17 to Chapter 7 verse 29
Check how Jesus' teaching makes keeping the law possible.
Remember the diagram of the first three gospels and check Matthew's account of the great turning point in the life of Jesus on each (Matthew 16 verse 13). Jesus called himself Bar'nasha, son of Man. Here he asks those who knew him best to say whom they thought he was (verses 14 to 15).
Chapter 16 verses 15 to 16
Peter (speaking for them all) confesses that Jesus is the Messiah. Jesus then begins to define precisely the kind of Messiah he is (Chapter 16 verses 21 to 23) and even defines the qualities required of his followers (Chapter 16 versus 24 to 26).
Question - Have we made being Christians altogether too cosy and self-preserving?
Have we changed "The Church" from an army defying death (Matthew 16 verses 18 to 19) into an organisation of private membership clubs?
Suggestion
There is so much more in Matthew's Gospel, why not read through Chapters 17 to 28 as a private discipline and delight?

Don't forget your prayer time together.





© Copyright 2004 by Frank Cooke