Blog 3 Nic Lefebvre

    Throughout the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus used four different styles of teaching God’s Law for three different audiences.
    To the audience consisting of Pharisees, scribes, and other Jewish authorities, Jesus teaches that the laws they established have become traditions that are independent from the will of God. When speaking about one of these traditions Jesus says, quotes Isaiah saying, “‘This people honors me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching human precepts as doctrines.’” (1) Jesus challenges the intent of their enforced practices, and calling them hypocrites for teaching a rule to regulate behavior rather than to fulfill the will of God. Later, He will call these authorities hypocrites again for not practicing the rules they teach. Jesus exposes flaws within their doctrines, and emphasizes the need for pure intent in their practices.   
    For the gentiles, Jesus puts an emphasis on the importance of faith. The gentiles who come to Jesus are able to be saved by him because of their faith. When a gentile woman asks Jesus to save her daughter, at first he denies her because they are not children of Israel, but after demonstrating her faith, he says, “‘Woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish.'” (2) He does not say whether they must follow all the Jewish traditions, but he does emphasize for them the golden rule; to love ones neighbor as oneself, and the need for a strong love of God.
    To his Jewish audience, probably the majority of Matthew’s audience, Jesus teaches both extreme commitment to faith as well as the Mosaic Law, but he restates the Mosaic Laws in a more strict manner. He says that the laws are to be followed more strictly then the Pharisees and Scribes if this followers with to enter the kingdom of heaven.
    To his disciples, Jesus is the most strict. Because of the parables and teachings he explains to them, he expects more from them and he tells them, “... ‘If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up the cross and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit them if they gain the whole world but forfeit their life? Or what will they give in return for their life?” (3) By “bear the cross” , Jesus does not mean to merely deal with ones suffering, but rather to actively pursue suffering because of faithfulness to him. (4)
    These various styles of teachings can be seen as levels of commitment to God. It starts with traditions that are little more than mundane actions and ends with giving up all the desires of oneself and replacing their desires with the teachings of Jesus.


Works Cited




1. Matthew 15:8 (NAB)
2. Matthew 15: 28 (NAB)
Mathew 16:24-26 (NAB)
Poteet, Michael S. "Focus: Matthew 16:21-28: (Take Up Your Cross)." (Clergy Journal 84, no. 7, 2008), 47


Bibliography

Poteet, Michael S. "Focus: Matthew 16:21-28: (Take Up Your Cross)." (Clergy Journal 84, no. 7, 2008), 47