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Matthew: The Most Systematic & Influential Gospel
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Readings for Sunday Masses in Ordinary Time, Year A
Jesus gives the "Parabolic" Discourse (Matthew 13:1 - 53) - artist unknown
On all Sundays in Year A of Ordinary Time, except Week 2, our gospel passages are from the Gospel of Matthew. (We also hear from Matthew at daily Masses in weeks 10-21 of Ordinary Time, at many daily Masses in Advent and in the first half of Lent, and at other Masses throughout the liturgical year.) The first readings are related to the gospel passage of the week, and the Psalm is in response to the first reading. The second reading is independent of the others, so that we systematically sample the corpus of New Testament epistles over the three-year Sunday cycle.Second readings in Year A:
Weeks 2-8: 1 Corinthians, chapters 1-4
Weeks 9-24: Romans
Weeks 25-28: Philippians
Weeks 29-33: 1 Thessalonians
There are four Sundays in Ordinary Time, one feast and three solemnities, when the readings relate to the theme of the celebration.
Baptism of the Lord
The Feast of the Baptism of the Lord is celebrated on the Sunday or Monday of Week 1. Year A readings are Isaiah 42:1-4, 6-7; Acts 10:34-38; and Matthew 3:13-17.
Trinity Sunday
The Sunday after Pentecost is the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity, a.k.a. Trinity Sunday. Year A readings are Exodus 34:4b-6, 8-9; 2 Corinthians 13:11-13; and John 3:16-18.
Corpus Christi
In the United States, the Sunday after Trinity Sunday is the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, a.k.a. Corpus Christi. Year A readings are Deuteronomy 8:2-3, 14b-16a; 1 Corinthians 10:16-17; and John 6:51-58.
Christ the King
The Sunday of Week 34 is the Solemnity of Christ, King of the Universe, a.k.a. Christ the King Sunday. Year A readings are Ezekiel 34:11-12, 15-17; 1 Corinthians 15:20-26, 28; and Matthew 25:31-46.
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AUTHORSHIP
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For most of history, the Gospel of Matthew was the foremost gospel influencing Christian thought. From the end of the 2nd century until the beginning of the 20th, it was believed to have been the first gospel written. Even though it shares 80% of its material with the Gospels of Mark and/or Luke, Matthew still holds a place of privilege, as it presents Jesus’ teachings in the most systematic fashion of the four gospels.
The Gospel of Matthew is traditionally associated with the Apostle Matthew, but besides the brief story in 9:9 of Jesus calling a man named Matthew “sitting at the customs post” to be a disciple, there is no other indication that the author was a member of Jesus’ inner circle. (Compare this story with Mark 2:14 and Luke 5:27-28, where the wording is almost exactly the same, except that the man is named Levi.) Nevertheless, for the sake of convenience, scholars usually call the author of this gospel “Matthew.”
Scholars generally believe that Matthew was written between the years 80 and 90 AD, since Matthew bases his narrative on the Gospel of Mark (written circa 65-70 AD) and 22:47 seems to indicate knowledge of the destruction of the Jerusalem temple in 70 AD.
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THE MATTHEAN COMMUNITY: DOUBLY REJECTED?
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Matthew’s narrative shows an odd combination of both deference to and disdain for Jews. Why this apparent ambivalence? Most scholars believe that Matthew is writing to a community of Jewish Christians who feel rejected both by other Jews for being Christian and by other Christians for being Jews.
We remind our readers of the Church’s emphatic declaration at Vatican II: “The Church… decries hatred, persecutions, displays of anti-Semitism, directed against Jews at any time and by anyone” (Nostra Aetate, #4). For a longer discussion about the apparent anti-Semitism in the Gospel of John – and in a few passages in the Gospel of Matthew – and the Church’s earlier promotion of anti-Semitism, please refer to the “Other Observations” section of our page on the Gospel of John.
While there is no definitive proof, some scholars suggest that Matthew’s gospel may have originated within the Christian community in Antioch, capital of the Roman province of Syria. As Acts 11:19-26 reports, this was the first place where followers of Christ – including a large number of Greeks – were called Christians. And as Paul notes in Galatians 2:1-14, this was a place of conflict between Greek and Jewish Christians.
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SHARED VS. ORIGINAL MATERIAL
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Matthew is one of the three synoptic gospels, sharing much of the same structure, content, and phrasing as Mark and Luke. According to the Two-source Hypothesis, Matthew took 55% of the content for his gospel from Mark, correcting some of Mark’s grammatical and historical errors. Another 25% of Matthew comes from “Q,” a hypothesized-but-never-found written collection of Jesus’ teachings that are found in both Matthew and Luke, as well as in the gnostic Gospel of Thomas, but not in Mark. The other 20% of Matthew is unique, perhaps from traditions passed down from the earliest disciples to Matthew’s local community. Matthew rearranges the order of materials he shares with Mark and Luke – especially throughout the first 12 of his 28 chapters – to bring a fresh interpretation to Jesus’ later teachings and actions.
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OVERARCHING NARRATIVE STRUCTURES IN MATTHEW
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Scholars identify many different structural/organizational forms within the Gospel of Matthew, but two are commonly applied to the gospel as a whole.
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The two-part structure: clash of kingdoms. Matthew uses the phrase “the kingdom of heaven” 32 times in his gospel. (He probably chooses the word “heaven” because of the Jewish custom of not writing out the word “God.”) The kingdom of heaven is breaking into the world in this new and final age of humanity, ushered in especially through Jesus’ passion, death, and resurrection. Matthew contrasts this with “the kingdom of Satan,” led by “this generation” of scribes and Pharisees, who plot to kill Jesus. -
The dramatic turning point in Matthew occurs at 12:22-27, when the Pharisees accuse Jesus of using the power of the demon Beelzebul to drive demons out of a man who is blind and mute. (From here forward, Matthew shares the order of events with Mark and Luke, although much of the material unique to him or his community comes later.) At this point, the disciples form a community separate from those who oppose Jesus. The scribes and Pharisees succeed in killing Jesus, but this success becomes the defeat of the kingdom of Satan. -
The five-part structure: the teaching discourses. Matthew deliberately groups most of Jesus’ teachings into five major discourses (ending each with a phrase similar to “when Jesus had finished saying these things”). He probably chose the number five to explicitly parallel the Pentateuch, the first five books of the Jewish Scriptures. By having Jesus deliver the first and longest discourse from the top of a mountain, Matthew is drawing clear parallels with Moses, who received the Law at the top of Mount Sinai. After each discourse, it appears as if Matthew demonstrates Jesus putting the teachings into action. The five discourses are often named and delineated as:-
Sermon on the Mount (5:1- 7:29)
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Missionary Discourse (10:1 – 11:1)
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Parabolic Discourse (13:1-53)
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Discourse on the Church (18:1-19:1)
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Discourse on the End Times (23:1 – 26:2)
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After each of the first four discourses, Jesus’ actions can be seen as illustrating the teachings of the previous discourse. For example, Matthew probably intends for us to interpret the feeding of the five thousand (14:13-21) in terms of the Parable of the Mustard Seed (13:31-32) and the Parable of the Yeast (13:33). The final discourse, however, leads directly into the Last Supper, the Passion and Crucifixion, and the Resurrection. Perhaps Matthew asks us to evaluate how the actions of the people around Jesus in his last days – disciples and foes alike – indicate which kingdom they have chosen to follow.
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JESUS’ TEACHING IN STORIES: PARABLES AND ALLEGORIES
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Because Matthew is the teaching gospel, it is not surprising that Year A of the Sunday lectionary features Jesus telling many stories, including weeks 13-15, 22-26, and 32-34 in Ordinary Time. A parable is not merely a simple story with a moral. It is a story with an unexpected conclusion that often defies a single, short explanation. Parables are meant to be contemplated and wrestled with for a lifetime. Consider, for example, the Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard, 20:1-16. The human concepts of “mercy” (giving people more than they deserve) and “justice” (rewarding everyone in proportion to their actions) seem to be in opposition to one another, but not in the eyes of God. It becomes even more confusing when we consider that in this parable, it is the landowner (representing God) who chooses which workers enter his vineyard in the morning and which ones enter after the heat of the afternoon. It is also the landowner’s decision to give his generous payments to the late arrivals in a very public way. We can ask ourselves how we are each like the late-arriving workers, like the early-arriving workers, and like the landowner himself.
In our study of Matthew, we must be careful not to confuse parables with allegories. An allegory is another simple story form with a moral, but usually each character/object is intended to represent only one idea. For example, the so-called “Parable of the Unforgiving Servant” (18:21-35) may begin as a parable explaining the compassion of a king whom we should presumably try to emulate. By the end of the story, however, when the king tortures one of the debtors, it seems as if Jesus is no longer giving an answer about how we need to forgive those who sin against us repeatedly!
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ELEMENTS UNIQUE TO MATTHEW
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Some of the notable passages unique to Matthew’s gospel are:
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The birth of Jesus told from the perspective of Joseph (1:18-25)
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The visit of the magi to the newborn Jesus, Herod’s jealousy, Joseph’s dreams, and the resulting flight of the Holy Family to Egypt (2:1-23)
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Jesus’ teachings about the Law, anger, adultery, and oaths (portions of 5:17-43)
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Jesus’ teachings about almsgiving (6:1-8) and fasting (6:16-19)
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A summary about the compassion of Jesus (9:35-38)
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“My yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (11:28-30)
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Many parables – including the Parable of the Weeds Among the Wheat (13:24-30), the Parable of the Merchant (13:44), the Parable of the Treasure (13:45-46), the Parable of the Net (13:47-50); the Parables of the Workers in the Vineyard (20:1-16), the Parable of the Two Sons (21:28-32)
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Other story-based teachings that do not quite fit the category of parables – including the Unforgiving Servant (18:15-35), the Wise and Foolish Maidens (25:1-13), and the Last Judgment (25:31-46)
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Peter’s attempt to walk on water (14:28-31)
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Woes to the scribes and Pharisees (most of chapter 23)
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Judas’ suicide (27:3-10), the dream of Pilate’s wife (27:19), Pilate’s washing of his hands (27:24)
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Earthquakes and other events at the death and resurrection of Jesus (27:51-54, 62-66 & 28:2, 11-15)
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The Great Commission, including the only use of the Trinitarian formula in the Bible (28:16-20)
Randy Dixon, artist. Used with permission.Some passages that Matthew shares with other sources but tells in significantly different ways are:
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The genealogy of Jesus (1:2-17; compare with Luke 3:23-38)
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The Beatitudes (5:3-15; compare with Luke 6:20-26)
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The Lord’s Prayer (6:9-15; compare with Luke 11:1-4)
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Jesus’ teaching on false prophets and the fruits of the tree (7:15-20 & 12:33-37; compare with Luke 6:43-45)
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Most of the Missionary Discourse (chapter 10; compare with Mark 3:13-19; Luke 6:12-1, 9:1-5, 10:1-12, 12:2-9, 12:51-53 & 14:26-27, and John 13:20)
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Peter’s confession about Jesus (16:13-23; compare with Mark 9:27-30 and Luke 9:18-20)
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Much of the Community Discourse (chapter 18; compare with Mark 9:33-37, 42-48 and Luke 9:46-48, 15:4-7 & 17:1-4)
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The Parable of the Wedding Feast (22:1-14; compare to Luke 14:15-24) and the Parable of the Talents (25:14-30; compare with Luke 19:11-27)
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THE NEW KINGDOM, AS EMBODIED BY THE CHURCH
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Matthew is the only gospel to use the word “church” (Greek: ekklesia at 16:18 and 18:17). Matthew describes specific characteristics of the Church:-
Universalist... The newborn Jesus is rejected by the Jewish King Herod but accepted by the Gentile magi. An angel directs Joseph to take the infant Jesus into Egypt, a Gentile country (2:1-16). Matthew’s Jesus declares “Great is your faith!” to the Gentile Canaanite woman (15:28) and commissions the Apostles after his resurrection to “make disciples of all nations” (28:19).
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… yet particularly Jewish. Matthew quotes the Jewish Scriptures repeatedly to demonstrate that Jesus fulfills all the prophecies about the Christ. Jesus proclaims that he has “come not to abolish but to fulfill” the Jewish Law (5:17). Before sending the Twelve out to preach the gospel, he instructs them, “Do not go into pagan territory or enter a Samaritan town. Go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel” (10:5-6).
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Fraternally correcting those who err… Matthew’s Jesus acknowledges that members of the community may get angry with one another (5:22) or go astray (18:10-17), but he offers detailed instructions on how they can reconcile (5:23-24; 18:21-22). -
… yet not excluding anyone… Jesus makes it clear it is not the disciples’ responsibility to decide who belongs to the kingdom of heaven. Every community – including Jesus’ own ancestors – include great saints and egregious sinners (1:2-17; 5:44-45). God and the angels will make the determination at the end of the age (13:24-30, 47-50; 20:1-16; 25:31-46).
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… while also facing off against false leaders and prophets. Jesus repeatedly condemns those Jewish leaders who strictly adhere to minutiae of the Law without reflecting God’s love in their actions (6:1-8, 16-19; 7:12, 15-19; 16:11-12; 22:34-40; 23:1-33). As he declares during the Sermon on the Mount, “Unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter into the kingdom of heaven” (5:20).
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These elements are not contradictory. They are dialectic tensions that give us additional insights into Matthew’s understanding of the relationship between Judaism and Christianity. Some of the Jewish religious and political leaders are acting in ways that contradict the will of the Father. Some Gentiles are accepting Jesus as their Lord and Savior. In a community such as Antioch where there are both Jewish and Gentile Christians, and both Christian and non-Christian Jews, there will be conflict
(10:34-36).
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According to Matthew, it is not the concern of the disciples to determine who will be excluded from the kingdom of heaven; even with Jesus’ death and resurrection, humanity entered the age before that kingdom is fully realized (27:51-54; 28:2). Or, in the words of Arland J. Hultgren, “As the dawn precedes the rising of the sun… its effects can be seen as lighting up the present.” While we await the kingdom of heaven, Christians should treat every person with the love, humility, mercy, and forgiveness of Jesus (5:3-12; 9:35-38; 11:28-30; 20:26-30), making disciples of all nations (28:19).
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