GOSPEL: St. Matthew's Gospel

http://stfaiths-burwood.org.au/matthew.html

St. Matthew's Gospel
Matthew is a manual of instruction for a way of life in the Kingdom of God. It stresses Jesus as the authoritative Teacher. The Gospel is rich in the sayings of Jesus. These sayings are grouped into five blocks of text: 5.1-7.29 (Sermon on the Mount); 10.1-42 (Charge to the Twelve Disciples; 13.1-52 (Parables about the Kingdom); 18.1-35 (Teaching on discipleship); 23.1-25.46 (End of the age and the coming of the Kingdom). In addition there are many sayings in other parts of the Gospel.

Matthew lays great stress on the fulfilment of the promises of the Old Testament. He was writing when there was a revival of the Pharisees after the disaster of the destruction of the Jerusalem temple and nation by the Romans in 70 A.D. The Pharisees were hostile to the Jewish Christians and Matthew's reaction to this accounts for the strong anti-Jewish tone of the Gospel. Christians were accused of abandoning the Jewish faith and were rejected from the synagogues and Matthew is anxious to prove that Christians uphold the ancient law, as re-interpreted by Jesus. Matthew also asserts that, as the Jews had rejected Jesus as the Messiah, the Christian church was now the true fulfilment of the Old Testament prophecies.

Matthew in the main follows Mark's order but makes various modifications to it. It adds the birth stories (Ch.1 & 2) and the resurrection appearances (Ch. 28). It gives a vivid picture of Jesus as the compassionate Messiah, as the royal Son of God and of the Son of Man who will ultimately bring in the Kingdom of God in all its fullness.

The contents of the Gospel are as follows:

1.1-2.23. Birth of Jesus.
Genealogy of Jesus (1.1-17)
Birth of Jesus (1.18-25)
Visit of the Astrologers (2.1-12)
Escape to Egypt (2.13-15)
Massacre of the infants (2.16-18)
Return from Egypt (2.19-23)

3.1-4.25. Beginning of the Public Ministry
Preaching of John the Baptist (3.1-12)
Baptism of Jesus (3.13-17)
Temptation of Jesus (4.1-11)
Beginning of Galilean ministry (4.12-17)
Call of the Disciples (4.18-22)
Ministry in Galilee (4.23-25)

5.1-7.29. Sermon on the Mount
Beatitudes (5.1-12)
Salt and Light (5.13-16)
New teaching (5.17-48)
Almsgiving (6.1-4)
Prayer (6.5-15)
Fasting (6.16-18)
Various instructions (6.19-7.23)
Conclusion (7.24-29)

8.1-9.38. Miracles Stories
Healing of the leper (8.1-4)
Healing Roman officer's servant (8.5-13)
Healing of Peter's mother-in-law (8.14-15)
Healing many people (8.16-17)
Cost of discipleship (8.18-22)
Calming of the storm (8.23-27)
Jesus exorcises demons (8.28-34)
Healing of paralysed man (9.1-8)
Jesus calls Matthew (9.9-13)
Controversy on fasting (9.14-17)
Healing of the ruler's daughter (9.16-26)
Healing of two blind men (9.27-31)
Healing of the dumb man (9.32-34)
Compassion of Jesus (9.35-38)

10.1-42. Mission of the Twelve
Commissioning of the apostles (10.1-4)
Instructions for the mission (10.5-15)
How to face persecution (10.16-25)
Whom to fear (10.26-31)
Confessing and rejecting Christ (10.32-39)
Rewards (10.40-42)

11.1-12.50. Mounting Criticism of Jesus
John the Baptist and Jesus (11.1-19)
Woes on the cities (11.20-24)
Invitation of Jesus (11.25-30)
Controversy about the Sabbath (12.1-8)
Healing of paralysed man (12.9-14)
Jesus fulfils prophecy (12.15-21)
Dispute over Jesus' powers (12.22-32)
A tree and its fruit (12.33-37)
Demand for a miracle (12.38-42)
Return of demons (12.43-45)
Jesus and his family (12.46-50)

13.1-52. Parables of the Kingdom
Sower and the purpose of the parables (13.1-23)
Weeds in the wheat (13.24-30)
Mustard seed (13.31-32)
Yeast in the flour (13.33)
Jesus' use of parables (13.34-35)
Parable of weeds explained (13.36-43)
Buried treasure (13.44)
Pearl (13.45-46)
Fish net (13.47-50)
New truths and old (13.51-52)

13.53-17.27. Further Ministry in Galilee
Rejection at Nazareth (13.53-58)
Death of John the Baptist (14.1-12)
Feeding of the five thousand (14.13-21)
Walking on the water (14.22-33)
Healing the sick at Gennesaret (14.34-36)
Teaching in purity (15.1-20)
Canaanite woman (15.21-28)
Healing of many people (15.29-31)
Feeding of the four thousand (15.32-39)
Demand for a miracle (16.1-4)
Yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees (16.5-12)
Peter's Confession (16.13-20)
First prediction of the Passion (16.21-28)
Transfiguration (17.1-13)
Healing of the epileptic boy (17.14-21)
Second prediction of the Passion (17.22-23)
Paying the temple tax (17.24-27)

18.1-35. Teaching on Discipleship
True greatness (18.1.5)
Causing others to sin (18.6-9)
Parable of lost sheep (18.10-14)
Church discipline (18.15-17)
Church procedures (18.18-20)
Parable of unforgiving servant (18.21-35)

19.1-20.34. Journey to Jerusalem
Teaching on divorce (19.1-12)
Blessing little children (19.13-15)
The rich young man (19.16-30)
Workers in the vineyard (20.1-16)
Third prediction of the Passion (20.17-19)
Request of special privileges (20.20-28)
Healing of two blind men (20.29-34)

21.1-22.46. Activities in Jerusalem
Entry into Jerusalem (21.1-11)
Cleansing of the temple (21.12-17)
Cursing of the fig tree (21.18-22)
Challenge to Jesus' credentials (21.23-27)
Parable of the two sons (21.28-32)
Parable of wicked tenant-farmers (21.33-46)
Parable of wedding feast (22.1-14)
Question of paying taxes (22.15-22)
Question of rising from the dead (22.23-33)
Great Commandments (22.34-40)
Question about the Messiah (22.41-46)

23.1-25.46. The End of the Age
Woes on the Pharisees (23.1-36)
Lament over Jerusalem (23.37-39)
End of the age (24.1-44)
Faithful and unfaithful servant (24.45-51)
Parable of the ten young women (25.1-13)
Parable of the talents (25.14-30)
Last judgement (25.31-46)

26.1-27.66. Passion Narrative
Plot to kill Jesus (26.1-5)
Anointing at Bethany (26.6-13)
Judas agrees to betray Jesus (26.14-16)
Last Supper (26.17-30)
Prediction of Peter's denial (26.31-35)
Gethsemane (26.36-46)
Arrest of Jesus (26.47-56)
Trial before the Council (26.57-68)
Peter denies Jesus (26.69-75)
Jesus taken to Pilate (27.1-2)
Death of Judas (27.3-10)
Jesus before Pilate (27.11-26)
Soldiers mock Jesus (27.27-31)
Crucifixion (27.32-44)
Death of Jesus (27.45-56)
Burial of Jesus (27.57-61)
Guard at the tomb (27.62-66)

28.1-20. Resurrection
Resurrection (28.1-10)
Report of the guard (28.11-15)
Jesus' appearance and the great commission (28.16-20)