The Gospel of Matthew

... • Jun 21, 2018

THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO MATTHEW

The position of the Gospel according to Matthew as the first of the four gospels in the New Testament reflects both the view that it was the first to be written, a view that goes back to the late second century A.D., and the esteem in which it was held by the church; no other was so frequently quoted in the noncanonical literature of earliest Christianity. Although the majority of scholars now reject the opinion about the time of its composition, the high estimation of this work remains. The reason for that becomes clear upon study of the way in which Matthew presents his story of Jesus, the demands of Christian discipleship, and the breaking-in of the new and final age through the ministry but particularly through the death and resurrection of Jesus.

The gospel begins with a narrative prologue ( Mt 1:12:23 ), the first part of which is a genealogy of Jesus starting with Abraham, the father of Israel ( Mt 1:117 ). Yet at the beginning of that genealogy Jesus is designated as “the son of David, the son of Abraham” ( Mt 1:1 ). The kingly ancestor who lived about a thousand years after Abraham is named first, for this is the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the Messiah, the royal anointed one ( Mt 1:16 ). In the first of the episodes of the infancy narrative that follow the genealogy, the mystery of Jesus’ person is declared. He is conceived of a virgin by the power of the Spirit of God ( Mt 1:1825 ). The first of the gospel’s fulfillment citations, whose purpose it is to show that he was the one to whom the prophecies of Israel were pointing, occurs here ( Mt 1:23 ): he shall be named Emmanuel, for in him God is with us.

The announcement of the birth of this newborn king of the Jews greatly troubles not only King Herod but all Jerusalem ( Mt 2:13 ), yet the Gentile magi are overjoyed to find him and offer him their homage and their gifts ( Mt 2:1011 ). Thus his ultimate rejection by the mass of his own people and his acceptance by the Gentile nations is foreshadowed. He must be taken to Egypt to escape the murderous plan of Herod. By his sojourn there and his subsequent return after the king’s death he relives the Exodus experience of Israel. The words of the Lord spoken through the prophet Hosea, “Out of Egypt I called my son,” are fulfilled in him ( Mt 2:15 ); if Israel was God’s son, Jesus is so in a way far surpassing the dignity of that nation, as his marvelous birth and the unfolding of his story show (see Mt 3:17 ; 4:111 ; 11:27 ; 14:33 ; 16:16 ; 27:54 ). Back in the land of Israel, he must be taken to Nazareth in Galilee because of the danger to his life in Judea, where Herod’s son Archelaus is now ruling ( Mt 2:2223 ). The sufferings of Jesus in the infancy narrative anticipate those of his passion, and if his life is spared in spite of the dangers, it is because his destiny is finally to give it on the cross as “a ransom for many” ( 20:28 ). Thus the word of the angel will be fulfilled, “…he will save his people from their sins” ( Mt 1:21 ; cf. Mt 26:28 ).

In Mt 4:12 Matthew begins his account of the ministry of Jesus, introducing it by the preparatory preaching of John the Baptist ( Mt 3:112 ), the baptism of Jesus that culminates in God’s proclaiming him his “beloved Son” ( Mt 3:1317 ), and the temptation in which he proves his true sonship by his victory over the devil’s attempt to deflect him from the way of obedience to the Father ( Mt 4:111 ). The central message of Jesus’ preaching is the coming of the kingdom of heaven and the need for repentance, a complete change of heart and conduct, on the part of those who are to receive this great gift of God ( Mt 4:17 ). Galilee is the setting for most of his ministry; he leaves there for Judea only in Mt 19:1 , and his ministry in Jerusalem, the goal of his journey, is limited to a few days ( Mt 21:125:46 ).

In this extensive material there are five great discourses of Jesus, each concluding with the formula “When Jesus finished these words” or one closely similar ( Mt 7:28 ; 11:1 ; 13:53 ; 19:1 ; 26:1 ). These are an important structure of the gospel. In every case the discourse is preceded by a narrative section, each narrative and discourse together constituting a “book” of the gospel. The discourses are, respectively, the “Sermon on the Mount” ( Mt 5:37:27 ), the missionary discourse ( Mt 10:542 ), the parable discourse ( Mt 13:352 ), the “church order” discourse ( Mt 18:335 ), and the eschatological discourse ( Mt 24:425:46 ). In large measure the material of these discourses came to Matthew from his tradition, but his work in modifying and adding to what he had received is abundantly evident. No other evangelist gives the teaching of Jesus with such elegance and order as he.

In the “Sermon on the Mount” the theme of righteousness is prominent, and even at this early stage of the ministry the note of opposition is struck between Jesus and the Pharisees, who are designated as “the hypocrites” ( Mt 6:2 , 5 , 16 ). The righteousness of his disciples must surpass that of the scribes and Pharisees; otherwise, in spite of their alleged following of Jesus, they will not enter into the kingdom of heaven ( Mt 5:20 ). Righteousness means doing the will of the heavenly Father ( Mt 7:21 ), and his will is proclaimed in a manner that is startling to all who have identified it with the law of Moses. The antitheses of the Sermon ( Mt 5:2148 ) both accept ( Mt 5:2130 , 4348 ) and reject ( Mt 5:3142 ) elements of that law, and in the former case the understanding of the law’s demands is deepened and extended. The antitheses are the best commentary on the meaning of Jesus’ claim that he has come not to abolish but to fulfill the law ( Mt 5:17 ). What is meant by fulfillment of the law is not the demand to keep it exactly as it stood before the coming of Jesus, but rather his bringing the law to be a lasting expression of the will of God, and in that fulfillment there is much that will pass away. Should this appear contradictory to his saying that “until heaven and earth pass away” not even the smallest part of the law will pass ( Mt 5:18 ), that time of fulfillment is not the dissolution of the universe but the coming of the new age, which will occur with Jesus’ death and resurrection. While righteousness in the new age will continue to mean conduct that is in accordance with the law, it will be conduct in accordance with the law as expounded and interpreted by Jesus (cf. Mt 28:20 , “…all that I have commanded you”).

Though Jesus speaks harshly about the Pharisees in the Sermon, his judgment is not solely a condemnation of them. The Pharisees are portrayed as a negative example for his disciples, and his condemnation of those who claim to belong to him while disobeying his word is no less severe ( Mt 7:2123 , 2627 ).

In Mt 4:23 a summary statement of Jesus’ activity speaks not only of his teaching and proclaiming the gospel but of his “curing every disease and illness among the people”; this is repeated almost verbatim in Mt 9:35. The narrative section that follows the Sermon on the Mount ( Mt 8:19:38 ) is composed principally of accounts of those merciful deeds of Jesus, but it is far from being simply a collection of stories about miraculous cures. The nature of the community that Jesus will establish is shown; it will always be under the protection of him whose power can deal with all dangers ( Mt 8:2327 ), but it is only for those who are prepared to follow him at whatever cost ( Mt 8:1622 ), not only believing Israelites but Gentiles who have come to faith in him ( Mt 8:1012 ). The disciples begin to have some insight, however imperfect, into the mystery of Jesus’ person. They wonder about him whom “the winds and the sea obey” ( Mt 8:27 ), and they witness his bold declaration of the forgiveness of the paralytic’s sins ( Mt 9:2 ). That episode of the narrative moves on two levels. When the crowd sees the cure that testifies to the authority of Jesus, the Son of Man, to forgive sins ( Mt 9:6 ), they glorify God “who had given such authority to human beings” ( Mt 9:8 ). The forgiveness of sins is now not the prerogative of Jesus alone but of “human beings,” that is, of the disciples who constitute the community of Jesus, the church. The ecclesial character of this narrative section could hardly be more plainly indicated.

The end of the section prepares for the discourse on the church’s mission ( Mt 10:542 ). Jesus is moved to pity at the sight of the crowds who are like sheep without a shepherd ( Mt 9:36 ), and he sends out the twelve disciples to make the proclamation with which his own ministry began, “The kingdom of heaven is at hand” ( Mt 10:7 ; cf. Mt 4:17 ), and to drive out demons and cure the sick as he has done ( Mt 10:1 ). Their mission is limited to Israel ( Mt 10:56 ) as Jesus’ own was ( Mt 15:24 ), yet in Mt 15:16 that perspective broadens and the discourse begins to speak of the mission that the disciples will have after the resurrection and of the severe persecution that will attend it ( Mt 10:18 ). Again, the discourse moves on two levels: that of the time of Jesus and that of the time of the church.

The narrative section of the third book ( Mt 11:212:50 ) deals with the growing opposition to Jesus. Hostility toward him has already been manifested ( Mt 8:10 ; 9:3 , 1013 , 34 ), but here it becomes more intense. The rejection of Jesus comes, as before, from Pharisees, who take “counsel against him to put him to death” ( Mt 12:14 ) and repeat their earlier accusation that he drives out demons because he is in league with demonic power ( Mt 12:2224 ). But they are not alone in their rejection. Jesus complains of the lack of faith of “this generation” of Israelites ( Mt 11:1619 ) and reproaches the towns “where most of his mighty deeds had been done” for not heeding his call to repentance ( Mt 11:2024 ). This dark picture is relieved by Jesus’ praise of the Father who has enabled “the childlike” to accept him ( Mt 11:2527 ), but on the whole the story is one of opposition to his word and blindness to the meaning of his deeds. The whole section ends with his declaring that not even the most intimate blood relationship with him counts for anything; his only true relatives are those who do the will of his heavenly Father ( Mt 12:4850 ).

The narrative of rejection leads up to the parable discourse ( Mt 13:352 ). The reason given for Jesus’ speaking to the crowds in parables is that they have hardened themselves against his clear teaching, unlike the disciples to whom knowledge of “the mysteries of the kingdom has been granted” ( Mt 13:1016 ). In Mt 13:36 he dismisses the crowds and continues the discourse to his disciples alone, who claim, at the end, to have understood all that he has said ( Mt 13:51 ). But, lest the impression be given that the church of Jesus is made up only of true disciples, the explanation of the parable of the weeds among the wheat ( Mt 13:3743 ), as well as the parable of the net thrown into the sea “which collects fish of every kind” ( Mt 13:4749 ), shows that it is composed of both the righteous and the wicked, and that separation between the two will be made only at the time of the final judgment.

In the narrative that constitutes the first part of the fourth book of the gospel ( Mt 13:5417:27 ), Jesus is shown preparing for the establishment of his church with its teaching authority that will supplant the blind guidance of the Pharisees ( Mt 15:1314 ), whose teaching, curiously said to be that of the Sadducees also, is repudiated by Jesus as the norm for his disciples ( Mt 16:6 , 1112 ). The church of Jesus will be built on Peter ( Mt 16:18 ), who will be given authority to bind and loose on earth, an authority whose exercise will be confirmed in heaven ( Mt 16:19 ). The metaphor of binding and loosing has a variety of meanings, among them that of giving authoritative teaching. This promise is made to Peter directly after he has confessed Jesus to be the Messiah, the Son of the living God ( Mt 16:16 ), a confession that he has made as the result of revelation given to him by the heavenly Father ( Mt 16:17 ); Matthew’s ecclesiology is based on his high christology.

Directly after that confession Jesus begins to instruct his disciples about how he must go the way of suffering and death ( Mt 16:21 ). Peter, who has been praised for his confession, protests against this and receives from Jesus the sharpest of rebukes for attempting to deflect Jesus from his God-appointed destiny. The future rock upon whom the church will be built is still a man of “little faith” (see Mt 14:31 ). Both he and the other disciples must know not only that Jesus will have to suffer and die but that they too will have to follow him on the way of the cross if they are truly to be his disciples ( Mt 16:2425 ).

The discourse following this narrative ( Mt 18:135 ) is often called the “church order” discourse, although that title is perhaps misleading since the emphasis is not on the structure of the church but on the care that the disciples must have for one another in respect to guarding each other’s faith in Jesus ( Mt 18:67 ), to seeking out those who have wandered from the fold ( Mt 18:1014 ), and to repeated forgiving of their fellow disciples who have offended them ( Mt 18:2135 ). But there is also the obligation to correct the sinful fellow Christian and, should one refuse to be corrected, separation from the community is demanded ( Mt 18:1518 ).

The narrative of the fifth book ( Mt 19:123:39 ) begins with the departure of Jesus and his disciples from Galilee for Jerusalem. In the course of their journey Jesus for the third time predicts the passion that awaits him at Jerusalem and also his resurrection ( Mt 20:1719 ). At his entrance into the city he is hailed as the Son of David by the crowds accompanying him ( Mt 21:9 ). He cleanses the temple ( Mt 21:1217 ), and in the few days of his Jerusalem ministry he engages in a series of controversies with the Jewish religious leaders ( Mt 21:2327 ; 22:1522 , 2333 , 3440 , 4146 ), meanwhile speaking parables against them ( Mt 21:2832 , 3346 ), against all those Israelites who have rejected God’s invitation to the messianic banquet ( Mt 22:110 ), and against all, Jew and Gentile, who have accepted but have shown themselves unworthy of it ( Mt 22:1114 ). Once again, the perspective of the evangelist includes not only the time of Jesus’ ministry but that of the preaching of the gospel after his resurrection. The narrative culminates in Jesus’ denunciation of the scribes and Pharisees, reflecting not only his own opposition to them but that of Matthew’s church ( Mt 23:136 ), and in Jesus’ lament over Jerusalem ( Mt 23:3739 ).

In the discourse of the fifth book ( Mt 24:125:46 ), the last of the great structural discourses of the gospel, Jesus predicts the destruction of the temple and his own final coming. The time of the latter is unknown ( Mt 24:36 , 44 ), and the disciples are exhorted in various parables to live in readiness for it, a readiness that entails faithful attention to the duties of the interim period ( Mt 24:4525:30 ). The coming of Jesus will bring with it the great judgment by which the everlasting destiny of all will be determined ( Mt 25:3146 ).

The story of Jesus’ passion and resurrection ( Mt 26:128:20 ), the climax of the gospel, throws light on all that has preceded. In Matthew “righteousness” means both the faithful response to the will of God demanded of all to whom that will is announced and also the saving activity of God for his people (see Mt 3:15 ; 5:6 ; 6:33 ). The passion supremely exemplifies both meanings of that central Matthean word. In Jesus’ absolute faithfulness to the Father’s will that he drink the cup of suffering ( Mt 26:39 ), the incomparable model for Christian obedience is given; in his death “for the forgiveness of sins” ( Mt 26:28 ), the saving power of God is manifested as never before.

Matthew’s portrayal of Jesus in his passion combines both the majestic serenity of the obedient Son who goes his destined way in fulfillment of the scriptures ( Mt 26:5254 ), confident of his ultimate vindication by God, and the depths of fear and abandonment that he feels in face of death ( Mt 26:3839 ; 27:46 ). These two aspects are expressed by an Old Testament theme that occurs often in the narrative, i.e., the portrait of the suffering Righteous One who complains to God in his misery, but is certain of eventual deliverance from his terrible ordeal.

The passion-resurrection of God’s Son means nothing less than the turn of the ages, a new stage of history, the coming of the Son of Man in his kingdom ( Mt 28:18 ; cf. Mt 16:28 ). That is the sense of the apocalyptic signs that accompany Jesus’ death ( Mt 27:5153 ) and resurrection ( Mt 28:2 ). Although the old age continues, as it will until the manifestation of Jesus’ triumph at his parousia, the final age has now begun. This is known only to those who have seen the Risen One and to those, both Jews and Gentiles, who have believed in their announcement of Jesus’ triumph and have themselves become his disciples (cf. Mt 28:19 ). To them he is constantly, though invisibly, present ( Mt 28:20 ), verifying the name Emmanuel, “God is with us” (cf. Mt 1:23 ).

The questions of authorship, sources, and the time of composition of this gospel have received many answers, none of which can claim more than a greater or lesser degree of probability. The one now favored by the majority of scholars is the following.

The ancient tradition that the author was the disciple and apostle of Jesus named Matthew (see Mt 10:3 ) is untenable because the gospel is based, in large part, on the Gospel according to Mark (almost all the verses of that gospel have been utilized in this), and it is hardly likely that a companion of Jesus would have followed so extensively an account that came from one who admittedly never had such an association rather than rely on his own memories. The attribution of the gospel to the disciple Matthew may have been due to his having been responsible for some of the traditions found in it, but that is far from certain.

The unknown author, whom we shall continue to call Matthew for the sake of convenience, drew not only upon the Gospel according to Mark but upon a large body of material (principally, sayings of Jesus) not found in Mark that corresponds, sometimes exactly, to material found also in the Gospel according to Luke. This material, called “Q” (probably from the first letter of the German word Quelle, meaning “source”), represents traditions, written and oral, used by both Matthew and Luke. Mark and Q are sources common to the two other synoptic gospels; hence the name the “Two-Source Theory” given to this explanation of the relation among the synoptics.

In addition to what Matthew drew from Mark and Q, his gospel contains material that is found only there. This is often designated “M,” written or oral tradition that was available to the author. Since Mark was written shortly before or shortly after A.D. 70 (see Introduction to Mark), Matthew was composed certainly after that date, which marks the fall of Jerusalem to the Romans at the time of the First Jewish Revolt (A.D. 66–70), and probably at least a decade later since Matthew’s use of Mark presupposes a wide diffusion of that gospel. The post-A.D. 70 date is confirmed within the text by Mt 22:7 , which refers to the destruction of Jerusalem.

As for the place where the gospel was composed, a plausible suggestion is that it was Antioch, the capital of the Roman province of Syria. That large and important city had a mixed population of Greek-speaking Gentiles and Jews. The tensions between Jewish and Gentile Christians there in the time of Paul (see Gal 2:114 ) in respect to Christian obligation to observe Mosaic law are partially similar to tensions that can be seen between the two groups in Matthew’s gospel. The church of Matthew, originally strongly Jewish Christian, had become one in which Gentile Christians were predominant. His gospel answers the question how obedience to the will of God is to be expressed by those who live after the “turn of the ages,” the death and resurrection of Jesus.

The principal divisions of the Gospel according to Matthew are the following:

  1. The Infancy Narrative ( 1:12:23 )
  2. The Proclamation of the Kingdom ( 3:17:29 )
  3. Ministry and Mission in Galilee ( 8:111:1 )
  4. Opposition from Israel ( 11:213:53 )
  5. Jesus, the Kingdom, and the Church ( 13:5418:35 )
  6. Ministry in Judea and Jerusalem ( 19:125:46 )
  7. The Passion and Resurrection ( 26:128:20 )




By Webmaster 24 Mar, 2024
GOOD FRIDAY WALK OF WITNESS: Takes place on 29th March , gathering at Wakefield Cathedral from 9:30am -  to conclude with a short service at the Cathedral after the walk at about 10:30.
By Webmaster 24 Mar, 2024
Today we begin Holy Week, the days during which we journey with Jesus on his way of the cross and anticipate his Resurrection on Easter. Today’s liturgy begins with the procession with palms to remind us of Jesus’ triumphant entrance into Jerusalem. At the Liturgy of the Word on Palm Sunday, the events of Jesus’ passion are proclaimed in their entirety. Throughout this Gospel, Mark challenges the reader to consider the claim with which the Gospel begins: Jesus is the Son of God. When we read Mark’s account of the passion, we begin to comprehend the deeper theological statement being made about Jesus’ death. In Mark’s telling of the passion narrative, Jesus understood his death to have been preordained, and he accepted this death in obedience to God’s will. Jewish Scripture is quoted only once, but there are several references to the fulfilment of the Scriptures. Jesus understood his anointing in Bethany as an anticipation of his burial, and he announced that this story would be told together with the Gospel throughout the world. Jesus predicted his betrayal by Judas as well as Peter’s denial. At his arrest, Jesus acknowledged that the preordained time had arrived. Jesus was both confident and silent before his accusers. After he was sentenced to death, Jesus did not speak again until his final cry from the cross. The bystanders misunderstood and believed that he was calling for Elijah. The Roman centurion, however, affirmed what Mark has presented throughout this Gospel: Jesus is the Son of God. Nowhere was this revealed more fully than in his death on the cross.  During Holy Week, we prayerfully remember the events of Jesus’ passion and death. As we meditate on the cross, we ask again and anew what it means to make the statement of faith that Jesus, in his obedient suffering and dying, revealed himself to us as God’s Son.
By Webmaster 24 Mar, 2024
Friday 5th - Thursday 11th July From Leeds/Bradford Airport: The theme is ‘and that people should come in Procession’. Booking now open and places are filling up. Please book with Tangney Tours T: 01732 886666 or online: https://www.tangney-tours.com/tours-and-pilgrimages/diocese-leeds/ Further info is available at https://www.dioceseofleeds.org.uk/lourdes-pilgrimage/ If you are interested in volunteering, (especially appealing for doctors, particularly GPs and nurses) please contact: lourdes.enquiries@dioceseofleeds.org.uk  Dates for your diary: Sunday 14th April Meet the pilgrims, Hinsley Hall, 2-4pm. Saturday 8th June Pre-departure Mass 11:30am Leeds Cathedral.
By Webmaster 24 Mar, 2024
Preparations are now underway for the second session of the XVI Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops in Rome this October. The Synod Office in Rome has asked the local Churches to reflect on the following specific question: ‘HOW can we be a synodal Church in mission?’ For further information on this stage of the synodal process and to submit any reflections please visit the diocesan synodal webpages: https://www.dioceseofleeds.org.uk/parish-to-mission/
By Webmaster 15 Mar, 2024
Chapter 12 of John’s Gospel is a preparation for the beginning of the passion narrative to follow. Jesus has just raised Lazarus from the dead—an important sign in John’s Gospel, which inspired many people to believe in Jesus. This event also marks the turning point in Jesus’ conflict with the Jewish authorities. The Sanhedrin met after this event and made plans to kill Jesus. Jesus is anointed at Bethany and enters Jerusalem in triumph. Following his triumphant entry into Jerusalem, Jesus predicted his suffering, death, and Resurrection and prepared his disciples to believe in the salvation that his death would accomplish. Using the metaphor of the grain of wheat, Jesus presented the idea that his dying would be beneficial. He also taught that those who would be his disciples must follow his example of sacrifice. This theme will be repeated in John’s account of the Last Supper, when Jesus washed the feet of his disciples as an example of how they must serve one another.  The final section of today’s Gospel might be read as John’s parallel to the agony in the garden. Unlike the Synoptic Gospels, the Gospel of John does not record Jesus’ anguished prayer in the garden of Gethsemane before his arrest. Although comparable words are found in today’s reading, Jesus gives a confident response to the question he raises when asking God to save him from his impending death. After announcing his conviction that it is for this purpose that he came, a voice from heaven speaks, as if in answer to Jesus’ prayer. This voice, like the one heard at Jesus’ baptism and at Jesus’ Transfiguration - events reported in the Synoptic Gospels but not in John’s - affirms that God welcomes the sacrifice that Jesus will make on behalf of others. In John’s Gospel, Jesus teaches that this voice was sent for the sake of those who would believe in him. In today’s Gospel, we also hear Jesus speak about the cosmic framework against which we are to understand his passion, death, and Resurrection. Through his death and Resurrection, Jesus conquered Satan, the ruler of this world. In this way the world is judged, but the judgment is not condemnation. Instead, through Jesus’ dying and rising, salvation is brought to the world.
By Webmaster 10 Mar, 2024
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By Webmaster 10 Mar, 2024
This year our retreat at The Briery will take place over the weekend of 18-20 October and will again be shared with a parish from Lancashire. This was fully subscribed last year and those of us who went had a really great time. If you think you may be interested then please contact the parish office.
By Webmaster 02 Mar, 2024
In today’s Gospel we read about how Jesus overturned the tables of the merchants and the moneychangers in the Temple at Jerusalem. In order to understand the relevance of Jesus’ action, we must learn more about the activities that were going on in the temple area. Worship at the Temple in Jerusalem included animal sacrifice, and merchants sold animals to worshipers. Moneychangers exchanged Roman coins, which bore the image of the Roman emperor, for the temple coins that were needed to pay the temple tax. Jesus’ action at the Temple in Jerusalem is often understood to be among the events that led to Jesus’ arrest and Crucifixion. Reflecting upon the destruction of the Temple of Jerusalem (A.D. 70), John recalls Jesus’ cleansing of the Temple and uses that story to interpret this later event. John explains to his audience, an early Christian community, that temple worship would no longer be necessary because it was surpassed in the passion, death, and Resurrection of Jesus. With greater frequency than the other Evangelists, John intersperses post-Resurrection reflections of this Christian community in his narrative. After clearing the Temple of the merchants and the moneychangers, John’s Gospel tells us that the people asked for a sign of Jesus’ authority to do such an audacious act. In response, Jesus predicted his death and Resurrection. Throughout John’s Gospel, the language of signs is distinctive. Jesus’ miracles are called signs, and the people look to these signs for proof of his authority. Here we learn that the sign par excellence will be Jesus’ passion, death, and Resurrection.  During Lent we reflect upon the meaning of this sign for us and for our world. We might take this opportunity to consider the quality of our prayer and worship. In our prayers we seek to deepen our relationship with the person of Christ. In our worship with the community, we gather to experience anew the passion, death, and Resurrection of Jesus and its significance in our lives. Christ promises to be present with us when we gather for prayer
By Webmaster 24 Feb, 2024
On the second Sunday of Lent the Gospel reading proclaims the story of Jesus’ Transfiguration. Jesus takes three of his disciples—Peter, James, and John—to a high mountain. While they are there, Elijah and Moses appear with Jesus and there is reference to a conversation among Jesus, Elijah, and Moses. Elijah and Moses are significant figures in the history of Israel. Moses led the Israelites from slavery in Egypt and received from Yahweh the Ten Commandments. In appearing with Jesus at his Transfiguration, Moses represents the Law that guides the lives of the Jewish people. Elijah is remembered as one of the most important prophets of Israel who helped the Israelites stay faithful to Yahweh. Some Jews believed that Elijah’s return would signal the coming of the Messiah for the Jewish people. This belief is evidenced in the question posed by Jesus’ disciples after they have witnessed the Transfiguration. The appearance of these two important figures from Israel’s history with Jesus signifies Jesus’ continuity with the Law and with the prophets and that Jesus is the fulfilment of all that was promised to the people of Israel. Seeing Jesus with Elijah and Moses and having witnessed his Transfiguration, Peter offers to construct three tents for them. Mark reports that the disciples are terrified by what they have witnessed, and that Peter’s offer is made out of confusion. As if in reply to Peter’s confusion, a voice from heaven speaks, affirming Jesus as God's Son and commanding the disciples to obey him. This voice from heaven recalls the voice that was heard at Jesus’ baptism.  In his Transfiguration, we see an anticipation of the glory of Jesus’ Resurrection. In each of the reports of the Transfiguration, Jesus instructs the disciples to keep secret what they have seen until after the Son of Man has risen from the dead. The disciples’ confusion continues as they wonder what Jesus means by rising from the dead. The disciples cannot possibly understand Jesus’ Transfiguration until they also witness his passion and death. We hear the story of Jesus’ Transfiguration early in Lent, but we have the benefit of hindsight. In our hearing of it, we anticipate Jesus’ Resurrection, even as we prepare to remember Jesus’ passion and death.
By Webmaster 17 Feb, 2024
On the first Sunday of Lent, the Gospel reading is about Jesus’ temptation in the desert. This year we read Mark’s account of this event. Compared to the other Gospels, the details throughout Mark’s narrative are sparse. This is evident in Mark’s account of Jesus’ temptation in the desert. Mark tells us only that Jesus was led into the desert by the Spirit and that for 40 days he was tempted by Satan. Only the Gospels of Matthew and Mark report that angels ministered to Jesus at the end of his time in the desert. In each of the Synoptic Gospels, the temptation of Jesus follows his baptism by John the Baptist. In Mark’s Gospel, we are told that Jesus went into the desert immediately after his baptism, led by the Spirit. Jesus’ public ministry in Galilee begins after his temptation in the desert. Mark’s Gospel makes a connection between the arrest of John the Baptist and the beginning of Jesus’ ministry. Jesus’ preaching about the Kingdom of God is in continuity with the preaching of John the Baptist, but it is also something new. As Jesus announces it, the Kingdom of God is beginning; the time of the fulfilment of God’s promises is here. The fact that Jesus spent 40 days in the desert is significant. This recalls the 40 years that the Israelites wandered in the desert after being led from slavery in Egypt. The prophet Elijah also journeyed in the desert for 40days and nights, making his way to Horeb, the mountain of God, where he was also attended to by an angel of the Lord. Remembering the significance of these events, we also set aside 40 days for the season of Lent.  In Mark’s Gospel, the desert marks the beginning of Jesus’ battle with Satan; the ultimate test will be in Jesus’ final hours on the cross. In a similar way, our Lenten observances are only a beginning, a preparation for and a reinforcement of our ongoing struggle to resist the temptations we face in our lives. During Lent, we are led by the Holy Spirit to remember the vows of Baptism in which we promised to reject sin and to follow Jesus. Just as Jesus was ministered to by the angels, God also supports us in our struggle against sin and temptation. We succeed because Jesus conquered sin once and for all in his saving death on the cross.
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