Meeting God in Matthew

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When his disciples wanted to know how they would detect greatness, and how they could assess who was great in the Kingdom of God (a not unusual question for Hebrew learners. It’s around today in theological colleges and churches: whom do we trust, who do we learn from? Who are the sound people? Who are the important ones worth our time?)

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. Yet, those who followed Jesus did not learn theology in the normal sense — not even in the normal rabbinic sense. Jesus did not take them into exegetical analyses of minute details of the Law and the Prophets. In fact, unlike most of the other religious leaders, he doesn’t seem to have been that excited about disputing over the law — not that he couldn’t. 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. From the moment I saw her standing curbside at the airport until the moment I saw her eyes well up with tears when she stood bedside with Zach — her best friend as well as brother — I sensed a growing awareness of fomenting sorrow brewing inside me — a force more and more difficult to contain. I held it in throughout the morning visit. Barely. When we left the hospital and drove to a nearby restaurant for lunch, I dropped Chelsea and my wife, Tammy, at the entrance and went in search of a place to park.By the time they get to the exile in Babylon, where Shealtiel begat Zerubbabel, Zerubbabel begat Abihud and Abihud begat Eliakin, some of Matthew’s contemporary readers might move sneakily on to the story of Mary and Joseph. Even then, with no Annunciation, no census, no manger, no angelic chorus, and no shepherds, the stories of the angel in Joseph’s dream and the visit of the Magi from the East have a lot of work to do in carrying the narrative forward. Whether you are completely new to Matthew's Gospel or have read it many times before, Meeting God in Matthew will help you see the First Gospel with fresh eyes and better understand its essential meaning and purpose. As the baby is laid in his borrowed crib, and angel hosts confront the overawed shepherds sending them to be eye-witness to the truth of his birth, the reality of the Incarnation hits us yet again: God is entering the upheaval and trauma of human life. The moment my wife and daughter got out of the car and entered the restaurant, I began to weep. I sobbed uncontrollably. For the first time in my life, I wailed and moaned in emotional anguish. It was as if observing Chelsea’s deep sadness gave me permission to feel my own. I surrendered to an uncontainable sorrow. For the first time, I was mourning.

When I did experience suffering and loss, my heart would be able to take refuge in knowing what Jesus said about mourning. Mourning can bring us into a deeper understanding of the gospel. The blessedness of God’s comfort (the peace, joy, love, life) does not circumvent mourning.Matthew’s Gospel has other credentials that mark it out as distinct from the other Gospels. It is strongly identified as the ‘Jewish’ Gospel. We recognize the evangelist as an authentic Jewish believer, reaching out to people who share his legacy. Even in the way Matthew structures his account, we can see his desire to engage with those who know the history of the people of Israel and value their heritage.

We are also members of one another, part of a great company of people, which stretches through history and across the globe. We share discipleship with brothers and sisters, fellow trainees in every culture, climate, and language group. And, when we begin to not just know, but feel, what it means to belong to each other, to love one another, to share communion together, and to be there for one another, we are beginning to learn what Paul means in his metaphor of disciples. We are the body of Christ. Jesus has little time for the instructions of those who see themselves as close to God, but predominantly in an advisory capacity. Jesus embodied in his very person the shape that Christian discipleship must take: the willingness to go the extra mile, the compassion for others who are needy or in pain, the gentleness with which those caught up in brokenness and sin should be treated, the forgiveness for those who repent. But our sin has marred that image. Evil and death are not just at work out there in the world; they exist inside of me. Through mourning, we linger over the effects of our sin on others, including the Son of God. The resulting sorrow leads to repentance and change.The juxtaposition of the integrity of Jesus and the waywardness of his forebears may carry the message that, though our ancestry can identify us, it does not define us. Only our relationship with God does that. Whether you have suffered, are suffering, or one day will suffer, you can take comfort in knowing that our crucified God will be there in the midst of it.