Each Gospel author attempts to portray the characteristics they want to emphasize in Jesus. For author of the Gospel of Matthew, this Jesus is portrayed as a “suffering” Messiah. The audience he writes for is mostly Jewish, but some are Gentiles. Matthew wants to encourage Jews to see Jesus as the Messiah they have been waiting for, and wants the Gentiles to be encouraged to follow this man who claims to be the Son of God. The Jewish tradition has described the coming Messiah to be a great warrior king who will bring the people of Israel back to their earlier glory. However, Jesus is not seen as this great king; he came to suffer and die for his people. Matthew therefore must cultivate an image of Jesus as the Messiah they have been waiting for, just different from their expectations, and encourage new followers to join.
Matthew’s most important connection to Jewish tradition is the comparison of Jesus to the beloved prophet Moses. Assumed to be from the Q source, since some parts of these passages are scattered throughout Luke, the Sermon on the Mount portrays Jesus as “the new Moses, come to set his people free from bondage and give them the new Law, his teachings” [1]. Though Jesus presents new teachings, it is emphasized that he is not dismissing the Hebrew Laws, but only giving a new interpretation on them: “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them, but to fulfill them” [2]. Matthew wants the Jews to approve of Jesus as their awaited Messiah, but wants them to also understand the teachings of Christ, and how they can both bring glory to God. Matthew urges his followers to adhere to Jewish law, but more rigorously than before. The ideal standard is to keep the literal laws, but to keep a stronghold on the root of the Law: to love others and God above all else. The laws however are usually seen as very strict and almost impossible to commit to fully. Ehrman addresses this point, saying: “It is commonly suggested that Jesus means to set up an ideal standard that no one can possibly achieve to force people to realize that they are utter sinners in need of divine grace for salvation.” Though Ehrman points out that “[Matthew’s] point seems to be that overly scrupulous attention to the detail of the Law is not what really matters to God” [3] which is a criticism of the Hebrew leaders of that time. Matthew hints that the real purpose of the Law is the Golden Rule (Matthew 7: 12).
For Christians interpreting this Gospel passage, the importance of Jewish Law does not apply according to traditions. However, if the Sermon on the Mount is such an important aspect of the Christian faith, how can only part of Jesus’ teaching be included in traditions? Of course, the obligations regarding Jewish Law were abolished in Councils within the first few centuries after Jesus’ death, how can we look to the Gospels for reference if we don’t follow all of the teachings, just picking and choosing? If we follow the root of Jesus’ teaching, the commandment of love / the Golden Rule, does this mean that we just keep this in mind, while ignoring other passages of Jesus’ teachings, especially ones that are used for discriminatory purposes? How do we interpret the teachings of Jesus in relation to our own lives? These are questions we must answer through our faith.
[1] Ehrman, B.D. The New Testament (New York: Oxford University Press, 2004), 106.
[2]Matthew 5: 17 (TNIV)
[3] Ehrman, B.D. The New Testament (New York: Oxford University Press, 2004), 113.
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