Meeting God in Matthew

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Sometimes we find it difficult to come to terms with the fact that all the Gospels are anonymous. No one claimed to have written them. Of course, for centuries certain individ­uals were credited with authorship: Matthew’s and John’s Gospels were understood to be written by Jesus’ apostles of those names. Mark’s Gospel was penned by the secretary of St Peter, and Luke’s Gospel was the account of ‘the beloved physician’ who travelled with St Paul (and also authored the Book of Acts). Yet these were attributed a century after the Gospels were written, influenced by key Christian figures like Papias (AD 60–130) and Irenaeus (AD 130–202). Papias declared, ‘Matthew put together the oracles [of the Lord] in the Hebrew language and each one interpreted them as best he could.’ ⁸ Seen in contemporary context, it’s not much of an offer, you might say. And yet these ordinary regular working men took it, and followed him — the first of millions upon millions of disciples yet to come.

Simple yet profound, Meeting God in Matthew is an invitation to anyone wanting to deepen their understanding of the Gospel of Matthew and through it to meet the God that is revealed in Jesus Christ. Contemporary discipleship is also rather more promising. Lord Sugar says, “Follow me, and in this world you’ll be a millionaire.” Jesus says, “Follow me, and in this world you will have tribulation.” Matthew’s earliest audience would have seen the opening genealogy as spellbinding. The Evangelist’s intention was to show the conclusive links between this child born in Bethlehem and their own prophetic writings. He wanted to confirm Jesus’s identity as the long-awaited Anointed One of Israel.

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As well as the saying, there were the warnings: “Be on your guard — beware the leaven of the Pharisees” (Matthew 16.6); “No one can serve two masters; you cannot God and mammon” (Matthew 6.24); “Enter by the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction” (Matthew 7.13); “Every tree that doesn’t bear good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire” (Matthew 7.19); “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God.” (Matthew 19.23) The Gospel according to St Matthew has inspired people for centuries, whether as preachers and Bible students or as musicians and artists. It has had a crucial impact on commu­nities and cultures throughout Christian history. When we consider its message, that is not surprising. In both its beginning and ending the same compelling note is sounded: the assurance that God is present in human life in the person of Jesus. In the very first chapter we’re reminded that the name of Jesus is to be ‘Emmanuel, God with us’. In the very last chapter Jesus himself tells his disciples, ‘And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.’ From start to conclusion, Matthew’s Gospel is centred on Jesus, the Christ, the anointed one of God who, in person or through the Holy Spirit, abides with us. Matthew piles prophecy upon prophecy — from Isaiah, Hosea, Jeremiah, Micah, Zechariah — opening up the scriptures to those who knew them so that they might recognise without doubt that those scriptures point to Jesus. The prophecies were not necessarily predictive; their fulfilment often pointed to something deeper than was evident in the original text,. But in Matthew’s hands they reinforce the identity of Jesus: his name, the place of his birth, his kingship, and his purpose in God’s redemptive plan. And, finally, it is to realise that we are not disciples on our own. We live with the ever-present power of the Holy Spirit, who can change people’s hearts and minds, structures and governments, and bring freedom from bondage.

Each chapter includes discussion questions and reflection, making Meeting God in Matthew a perfect book for Bible study both for individuals and small groups. With a focus on the Passion narrative in Matthew’s Gospel, it is also ideal for use as a Lent devotional for 2023. We find Luke’s version of the Nativity is as gripping as any event in history, with the dramatic Annunciation to Mary, her elderly cousin’s pregnancy, the census of Caesar Augustus, a population on the move, and subsequent crowded birth quarters. So, Christian discipleship was thus forged by Christ 2000 years ago. It was forged with 12 people who became a great multitude that no one can number. It was forged not in abstraction, but in time and history, and in a culture. And this is also important; for all of life is enculturated. What Jesus was shaping, then, was a way of following him which was going to lead his own disciples in that day and age into hardship, struggle, fear, bewilderment, and oppression. It would also lead them into new life, joy, blessing, amazement, victory, truth, and power through the Holy Spirit.

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One New Testament scholar articulates this position well. Graham Stanton believes that for Matthew’s community, indeed for much of early Christianity, the relationship between Christianity and Judaism was a central issue for the­ology and understanding God’s will for our lives. By now, the Christian believers had parted company with Judaism, but only after a period of prolonged hostility. The strong language we see in Matthew reflects their ongoing experi­ence of pain and separation. He explains: ‘Opposition, rejection and persecution from some Jewish quarters is not just a matter of past experi­ence; for the evangelist and his com­munity the threat is still felt strongly and keenly.’ ⁵ This new Chris­tian minority com­mu­nity was carrying out the commission from ­Jesus to take the good news to all nations. Yet its members had to do this while struggling with the trauma of separ­ation and the pain of denunciation from their own Jewish kinsfolk.⁶ We should not be surprised then to find that the rejection of Jesus by the scribes and Pharisees becomes a focus in the Gospel, and that Matthew’s language is strong. And so disciples would listen with great attention as the rabbis spoke to each other, argued the toss about the interpretation of the ancient writings, shared the narratives, expounded Torah. Disciples were those who were being schooled. And there was so much to learn. So many times in the Gospels we are told that Jesus taught his disciples. Meeting God in Matthewexplores what the Gospel of Matthew teaches us about the revelation of God in the person of Jesus Christ. Essential reading for anyone wanting to understand the gospel message better, it will leave you with a new appreciation of and enthusiasm for the riches of Matthew's writing, and the desire to return to it over and over again. Its straightforward, enlightening approach also makes it eminently helpful for new Christians just starting out on their faith journey. What Matthew is presenting us with in the nativity narrative is less of a detailed account of the circumstances of Jesus’s birth than a reinforcement of his origin, identity, name, and link with prophecy. Like the genealogy, the nativity serves to establish Jesus’s legal lineage and his divine conception. It is to stand against the abuse of children, of minorities, of the vulnerable, of women, of the marginalised and unseen. It is to call for justice for those who are victimised, broken through sexual violence, brutalised through inhumanity and torture. It is to be disciples of Jesus, who understand what his warnings and woes mean for our age and our world.

The Evangelist makes sure to point out Joseph’s feelings at his fiancé’s pregnancy, knowing that the child is not his. The angel confirms that Mary has not betrayed him but carries a child through the power of the Holy Spirit, who will save people from their sins. Each chapter includes questions for discussion and reflection, makingMeeting God in Matthewa perfect book for Bible study, both for individuals and small groups. With a focus on the Passion narrative, it is also ideal for use as a Lent devotional. It came from the realization that my pain was pulling me into a story greater than our own small story of tragedy — a story of a Father who had endured the suffering of His own Son and who felt, who understood, who could sympathize with and comfort me in my pain. How does blessing come through mourning?On those few occasions when I should have mourned — like after my grandfather died — it seemed everything that could be done to numb the pain of death was done already. I walked into a funeral home that was made to look and feel like a normal home. The rooms inside looked like calming bedrooms. The casket resembled a fancy mahogany bed frame with a silk-lined memory foam mattress inside. And my grandfather, who lay there sleeping, was dressed more nicely and looked significantly better than the last time I had seen him.

Beyond the debates with the Scribes and Pharisees, then, Jesus had two levels of teaching: one for the crowds who heard his words, and were left to puzzle through the implications for their own lives and calling; and the other, for his chosen disciples — those who knew that they were called, and had already responded. And to them he explained more, he opened up the meanings and took them further.

It is not to insist on the best for oneself, but to look after the needs of others. It is not to return evil for evil, but to be the place where the chain is broken. It is not to turn a blind eye to injustice and dishonesty among leaders, even when those leaders have the power of life and death, but to speak out prophetically with truth and wisdom, prepared to pay what it costs. Matthew establishes his descent through the royal line of the tribe of Judah. He identifies him decisively as the Son of Abraham and the Son of David, the one spoken of by the prophets.