Gospel of Matthew Summary

How It All Goes Down

The life of Jesus starts out pretty well, with awesome birthday presents from some wise men who
track him down by following a star. But thanks to a jealous and murderous King Herod, Jesus and
company have to flee from Judea to Egypt until God gives them the green light to return home.
Unfortunately, that never happens. And instead, Jesus and his parents make their home in the
Northern district of Galilee.
Flash forward a few decades, and Jesus is preparing to teach his version of Jewish law and preach
all about the kingdom of heaven. First things first, though: he gets baptized by John the Baptist (who,
by the way, has to do a double-take because John somehow already knows who Jesus is and thinks
that he himself should be the one getting baptized by Jesus). After spending forty days and nights in
the desert and getting tempted by the devil, Jesus is finally ready to begin his ministry.
First, Jesus picks out a posse of twelve to join him on his Tour de Israel. They go with him
everywhere, listening to him preach, watching him heal people, and even witnessing Jesus's battles
of wits with the Pharisees and high priests. Jesus teaches in so many places and performs so many
miracles that eventually he becomes the biggest celebrity aroundgroupies included. But Jesus's
growing popularity causes the Pharisees and high priests to consider him a dangerous threat. And
that's when they start plotting to have Jesus arrested and killed.
Like most evil plots go, the chief priests need an inside man. Enter Judas. It only takes thirty pieces
of silver to buy a Kiss of Death, and Jesus begins the last days of his human life. After some intense
interrogation by Pilate, the Roman governor, Jesus is handed over to be crucified; a slow, horrible
death that's generally reserved for criminals.
For mere mortals, death is normally the end of the story. But, not for Jesus. Nope. Three days later,
Jesus comes back for Round 2. Don't worry, he's not looking for revenge on the guys who put him to
death. Instead, Jesus immediately sends word to his posse that he's back. The Gospel ends with a
grand reunion among friends and the final marching orders given by Jesus to his disciples: to go and
"make disciples of all nations."
Quite the request, if we do say so ourselves.

Gospel of Matthew Themes

Little Words, Big Ideas

Simon Peter
Figure Analysis
Claim to fame: Jesus's right-hand man.

More than any of the other gospel writers, Matthew really digs Peter. We almost wonder if he drew
little hearts around Peter's name while he was writing (note: Shmoop has no historical proof of that.
It's just a hunch). The author gives us loads more information about Jesus's closest disciple, plus
Peter gets some pretty impressive credentials laid on him.
Okay, let's dive right in.

The Family Guy

Matthew's story tells us a bit about Peter right from the beginning. First, he lives in Galilee and works
as a fisherman with his brother, Andrew (family business, anyone?). Both the brothers join Jesus's
entourage together (4:18), but Peter quickly moves to the head of the class and claims the position
of leader of the disciples. Sorry, Andrew. It's tough living in the shadow of a famous sibling.
The Gospel also tells us that Peter had a mother-in-law whom Jesus healed (8:14), which means
Peter was married. Mazel tov! Of course, Matthew doesn't mention anything about Peter's wife or if
he had any kids. Maybe that's because the Mrs. had passed away. Or else she didn't approve much
of her husband spending all his free time with that good-for-nothing Jesus. Guess Peter's hoping that
no one needs to take the trash out in the kingdom of heaven.

Peter's Time to Shine

Because Matthew thinks Peter is the bomb, he also has loads of stories about Peter that you won't
find anywhere else. These include:

The time Peter tried to walk on water (14:28-31). Epic fail.

The time Peter asked Jesus how many times he should forgive someone (18:21-22). Is
seven good? Nope, sorry. Try seventy.

The time Peter gets to pay Jesus's taxes with a magic coin from the mouth of a fish (17:2427). Um, awesome.

Churching It Up
Matthew's Gospel is also the only in which Peter is given special church leadership powers. Jesus
says that Peter is the rock that on which he's going build the church (16:18). (Fun fact: the name
"Peter" means rock. Nice word play, Jesus.) He's also going get "the keys to the kingdom of heaven"
(no taking it out for a late-night joy ride, though!) and special authority to make laws on earth and
heaven (16:19). Whoa.
So why does Peter get all this extra attention from Matthew? It's not just because the author of the
Gospel thinks the leader of the disciples has mad fishing skills (he does). Matthew is really into the
role of the church. After all, Matthew is living in an age without Jesus and he sees a need for the

church to shepherd the faithful. And what's a church without a leader? And who better to fill that role
than Jesus's second in command? Peter, you're it.

He's Still a Dunce Sometimes

It's clear we're supposed to like Peter and see him as a bona fide leader. Someone worthy of being
the one who heads the church once Jesus dies. You know, the keeper of the keys. But there's
another side to Peter. Chew on these:

The time Peter told Jesus he wouldn't die and Jesus called him Satan (16:22-23). Harsh.

The time Peter freaked out during the transfiguration (17:1-6). To be fair, so did James and
John. Plus, things did get kind of weird.

The time he (and the other disciples) didn't have enough faith to cast out a demon (17:1920). Peter, all you needed was a mustard-seed-sized amount, bro!

The time Peter nodded off while Jesus was fretting about his impending death (26:40). Hey,
watching other people die makes a man tired.

Okay, so none of this really looks good for Peter, but we still think he's swell. Sure, he can be a
bonehead, but so are all the other disciples. Peter's still got the moral high ground, right?

Don't Try to Deny It

Well, maybe not. Peter's biggest gaffe comes when he famously and conveniently pretends not to
know Jesus. Ouch. This looks bad. On the night he's arrested, Jesus predicts, "before the cock
crows, [Peter] will deny [him] three times" (26:34). Sure enough, within a few hours, Peter is
shrugging his shoulders and saying, "Jesus who?" to some persistent questioners.
Why does Peter deny Jesus? Well, maybe because he's scared. Can we really blame him? The
Messiah has been arrested on capital charges and Judea is not known for having a long and
thorough appeals process. And even though he totally promised Jesus he would die for him"Even
though I must die with you, I will not deny you" (26:35)once the smell of death starts creeping in,
Peter has second thoughts and his survival instincts kick in big time.

Redemption Island
Matthew gives Peter a tiny redemption after his three denials. Once Peter realizes that Jesus was
totally right (as usual), he "wept bitterly" (26:75). Sure, he doesn't try to find Jesus, or go to his trial,
or help him in any way, but weeping is good, right? And, don't forget, it's a step up from a Peter who
does nothing, which is what happens in all the other gospels.
The tears do seem to be enough, because when Peter and Jesus meet again, all has been forgiven.
Jesus addresses Peter with the other disciples (sans Judas) and tells them to go out and spread his

message to the world (28:16-20). Peter keeps the keys to the kingdom of heaven and all is well.
Forgive and forget. It's kind of how Jesus rolls.

In a Nutshell
So it's obvious that Peter goes through some highs and lows during his relationship with Jesus.
Sometimes he's offering to pitch a tent during the transfiguration (so helpful!), but other times, he
ends up almost drowning in the Sea of Galilee (wear a life vest next time, dude). Overall, the guy's
heart is definitely in the right place. Sometimes he fails, but don't we all? Jesus hits the nail on the
head when he tells Peter that "the spirit willing, but the flesh is weak" (26:40). Oh, that Jesus.

Peter Is Out There

Matthew's portrayal of Peter has been hugely important for Christians. The Catholic Church,
especially, loves the whole exchange between Jesus and Peter in Chapter 16. They think that all
points to the formation of the Christian church, with Peter as its head as the First Pope. Quite the
neat little package (source).
You'll see a nod to this verse on the flag of Vatican City: it has two keys to the kingdom of heaven on
it. There's also theBasilica of St. Peter, where Peter's remains are supposed to be buried, and which
is home to some of the most stunning art and architecture the world has ever known. So, yeah,
Catholics kind of dig the guy.
The plot of the movie Dogma also hangs on Jesus's words in Matthew 16:18. The two rogue angels
can reenter Heaven because Jesus went and gave Peter (and thus the Catholic Church) authority to
make rules that God must follow. Might want to think that one through a little better next time, Jesus.

Judas Iscariot
Figure Analysis
Claim to infamy: Betrays Jesus
And alternate title for the New Testament could be Everyone Hates Judas. We know, he's a creep.
He hands his friend, teacher, and messiah over to be arrested and executed. But is Judas really all
that bad?
Spoiler alert: yes. Yes, he is.

The Last Shall Be Last

Early on, Matthew doesn't seem to have much use for Judas. He doesn't even mention him until
Chapter 10, when he gives us a full account of all the disciples. And there's Judaslast in line, with
the helpful added descriptor, "the one who betrayed him" (10:4). A little evilforeshadowing to set the
mood.

It's not until very late in the story that Judas gets a chance to shine. And by shine, we mean repulse
everyone with his villainy.

Money, Money, Money

Compared to the other gospels, Matthew gives Judas some pretty terrible motivations for betraying
Jesus. Luke and John are sure to tell us that Satan entered Judas (so it's not totally his fault,
right?). Markjust claims that Judas goes to the Pharisees and offers to give Jesus up free of charge.
But Matthew adds money to the equation, making cash the motive for his dastardly deed. How much
for the Messiah's head on a cross? The going price for that is apparently thirty pieces of silver
(26:15), which if you're doing your ancient monetary conversions correctly is hardly anything at all. It
certainly wouldn't have made Judas rich, though we're guessing it will still make it pretty hard for him
to get into Heaven. Camel-through-the-eye-of-a-needle hard (19:24).

Phony Baloney
Just like Holden Caulfield before us, we know a phony when we see one. And in Matthew's Gospel,
Judas is king of the phonies. When Jesus outs Judas at the last supper, Judas tries to play it off like
he's still one of the inner circle (26:25).Who, me? Betray you for thirty pieces of silver? I would
never but just in case, I think I'll take this bread and wine to go.
He ups the phony factor even more when he comes back with that angry posse to arrest Jesus.
"Greetings, Rabbi!" (26:49) he says and plants a big kiss right on Jesus. All this nonsense really
seems to be exhausting Jesus (you know how much he hates hypocrites). His response is dripping
with irony and impatience: "Friend, do what you are here to do" (26:50). In other words: Cut the crap,
Buddy. Let's just get this show on the road.

The Devil's Advocate

Yet, after Matthew gives Judas all this bad press (he's greedy, he's a fake), suddenly Matthew has
him do an about-face.
When Judas sees that Jesus has been condemned to die (um, what did you think was going to
happen, Judas?), he suddenly starts freaking out. He brings back the money and tells the chief
priests, "I have sinned by betraying innocent blood" (27:4). You think? The religious authorities play
the world's tiniest violin for him, so Judas goes and hangs himself (27:5). A tragic exit.
Matthew is actually the only one who gives Judas this pass (if you consider it a pass). The other
gospels all just let Judas go on to live in infamy. Acts of the Apostles even has him die a miserable
death just to make us smile. Judas is in his field one day when he falls, bursts open, and "all his
bowels gus[h] out" (Acts 1:18). Talk about getting your comeuppance.

So does Matthew's ending change our view of Judas? The Gospel says "he repented" and the
language seems to indicate that he truly does feel genuine sorrow (source, 883). So is Judas
forgiven? Are things cool between him and Jesus? The Gospel never says, and Christian tradition
usually has Judas doomed to destruction.

Didn't Judas Help?

When you think about it, Judas played a really important role in a really important event. After all,
Jesus does tell us over and over again that dying is a pretty big part of this whole messiah gig. Jesus
kind of needs Judas in order to fulfill God's plans for the world. Judas is sort of a VIP of evil.
Jesus may need Judas, but he doesn't like him much. Even though Jesus is still following through
with God's plan, his betrayer is still going to suffer: "Woe to the one by whom the Son of Man is
betrayed!" he says. "It would have been better for that one not to have been born" (26:24). Yikes.
Things are not looking good for Judas.

Infamous
Judas is right up there among the most popular folks in the gospels. Authors and artists love to write
and talk about his role in Jesus's life and death.
Some of them go the "ultimate betrayer" routelike Dante who puts Judas in The Inferno in the
ninth circle of hell being chewed on for all eternity by Satan himself. The musical Jesus Christ
Superstar uses lots of the Matthew story line, and even includes a whole musical number that ends
with Judas hanging himself. It's upbeat. Lady Gaga even has a song called Judas, about the way
people are constantly pulled towards the bad guys.
Don't worry, Judas. When Lady Gaga has a song about you, you know all isn't lost.

The Other Disciples

Figure Analysis
Claim to fame: Jesus's band mates and traveling buddies
Aside from Peter and Judas (boo, Judas!), there are lots of other guys hanging around Jesus and
making it their mission in life to follow his teachings. So who are they?

Starting Line-Up
Matthew gives a list of the twelve as follows: Peter, Andrew (Peter's brother), James son of Zebedee,
John (James's brother), Philip, Bartholomew, Thomas, Matthew (the tax collector), James son of
Alphaeus, Thaddeus, Simon the Cananaean, and Judas (boo, Judas!) (10:2-4).

We Are Family
And why are they so important to Jesus? Other than the fact that it gives him someone to talk to
during long walks between villages, they're also Jesus's de facto family.
When he's in his hometown talking to the crowds, his mom and brothers come looking for him,
probably to tell him to stop all this messiah foolishness. But, Jesus tells everyone that his disciples
are his kin now. In fact, "whoever does the will of [his] Father in heaven is [his] brother and sister and
mother" (12:50). Ah, family.
Why is family so important to Matthew? Because he's helping create the bonds of the church. After
all, sometimes your family will let you down (by not believing you that Jesus is the Messiah). But, the
family of God? They're always there for you.

They've Got the Power

And what do the disciples get for being in Jesus's inner circle? Only the ability to exorcise demons
and to heal everyone (10:1). Pretty sweet deal, right?
Just a minute. These perks come with a price. The disciples will be persecuted, tormented, and
reviled in some of the places they go. Basically, Jesus tells them they "will be hated by all because of
[his] name" (10:22). Wonder what the return policy is on those exorcising and healing powers.
Maybe this is why, when Jesus is arrested, the disciples see the writing on the wall and get a little
scared. Matthew tells us that when the twelve (well, eleven at this point) see Jesus on trial for his
life, "all the disciples deserted him and fled" (26:56). Loyalty? Forget that.

Everything's All Right

Overall, even given their failings, Matthew is a whole lot nicer to the disciples than the other gospel
writers. Sure, they misunderstand Jesus and ask silly questions sometimes. Maybe they
occasionally think Jesus is a ghost (14:26) or lack even faith the size of a mustard seed (17:20). But
they're good guys. Really. Jesus doesn't usually get on their case too badly about these screw-ups.
In fact, sometimes their questions and mishaps move the story forward. They're very useful
blunderers.
That's probably why, in the end, the eleven remaining disciples rejoin him and all is forgiven and
forgotten. Jesus even gives them The Great Commission. They're supposed to go out and "make
disciples of all nations" (28:19). They get to heal and preach and baptize all in Jesus's name. Pretty
good for a bunch of guys from Galilee.

The Jewish Religious Leaders

Figure Analysis

Claim to fame: Out to destroy Jesus

If Jesus is Optimus Prime, these guys are the Decepticons. They're the big baddies in the story. And
they aren't exactly fans of Jesus. In fact, one of their hobbies is following him around and trying to
trip him up by asking questions:

Why is Jesus eating with tax collectors and sinners (9:11)? You are who you eat with, after
all.

Why aren't the disciples washing their hands before they eat (15:2)? That's just unclean.

Why is Jesus healing on the Sabbath (12:2)? Less helping, more resting!

Too bad for them, Jesus always swats down their questionsand points out their hypocrisy for good
measure. That probably didn't help them have warm fuzzy feelings for the guy.

All They Need Is Hate

So why do they hate Jesus so much? Well, their gripes with him are twofold. First, he's claiming to
have some kind of special authority from God to preach and teach and (seemingly) override Jewish
law. Not cool in the Pharisees' book. They also call Jesus out for claiming to be God's son. That's
blasphemy, friends.
Sure, they loathe the guy with the passion of a thousand burning suns, but then they have to take it
to the next level and plot to kill him. Actually, it's even worse. They frame him, bribe his follower to
turn him over, arrest him in the dead of night, force the governor to have him crucified, and then
mock him as he's on the cross. Not very nice, guys.

Woe Is Them
In every gospel, Jesus runs up against the religious authorities, but Matthew has a special place in
his heart for denouncing these guys. Only he and Luke devote entire chapters to Jesus verbally
bashing the Pharisees. And Matthew's is way harsher.
Let's review the seven "woes" he offers up for them in reward for their huge hypocrisy:

The Pharisees are keeping people from God's kingdom, so they definitely won't be getting in
(23:13-14).

They convert people, but the converts are worse off because the Pharisees are oh-so very
wrong about everything (23:15).

They say oaths can be made on gold of the temple but not the temple itself (23:16-22).
Come on guys, don't you know that the temple is more sacred than gold?

They pay tons of attention to tiny laws, but don't worry their pretty little heads about being
actual good people (23:23-24).

They worry so much about being clean, but they're filled with evil and greed (23:25-26).

They look like pious men, but they're really hypocrites (23:27-28).

They claim they'd know a prophet when they see one, but they're totally turning their backs
on Jesus (23:29-36). Not cool.

Matthew also lays a pretty serious curse on the religious authorities, along with the Jewish people
who are sympathetic to them. When Jesus is being tried before Pilate, the crowd begins to call for
blood. Pilate tells them that Jesus's death is on them and they shout back, "His blood be on us and
on our children!" (27:25) So, not only are the people who plotted to kill Jesus responsible, but so are
their children. It's pretty tough stuff.

But Are They Really That Bad?

It's clear that Matthew has no love for the Pharisees and their sympathizers, but maybe we can have
a little sympathy for them. Just a tiny bit? After all, it's true they're power hungry hypocrites, but
they're also just trying to follow God the best they can, right?
They've got all these rules that they believe can make you holy. Now some guy comes along and
claims that's all bunk. Not only is this making them look bad, it's overturning everything they know
and hold dear. And do they really want to take a chance and follow this guy? After all, he could have
been sent from Satan here to lead them down the wrong path (9:34). What's a Pharisee to do?

Historically Speaking
Matthew name drops a lot of different Jewish groups throughout the Gospel. To modern readers,
these guys all seem to blend together, but in reality, they would have had a lot different roles and
viewpoints.

Pharisees: Jesus's main foes. They're actually kind of the forerunners of modern Judaism.
They also took a more moderate approach to dealing with Rome.

Sadducees: These guys are the ruling elite. The 1%. They're pretty pro-Roman and in no
hurry to change things. They did not get along with the Phariseesat all.

Chief Priests: These are the peeps who run the temple, but they also have lots of political
and social influence.

Scribes: They're all about Jewish law. Understanding it, teaching it. The Torah is definitely
their friend (Source, 281-82).

It's clear from the Gospel that no matter what conflicts these different groups had with each other,
they put them all aside to plot Jesus's downfall. Hey, no one brings people together like Jesus.

Why Is Matthew So Hard on Them?

Sure, there was probably some animosity between Jesus and the religious elites of his day. The
people in power generally don't take kindly to people who say they have no power. But Matthew has
a lot more bad feelings towards these guys. Why so down, Matt?
At the time this gospel was written, Christians, like Matthew and the people who read his gospel,
would have seen themselves mainly as Jews following the Jewish messiah. For them, Jesus was a
natural extension of Judaism. In their opinion, every Jew in the world should be following the path
that Jesus laid out. Unfortunately for Matthew, not every Jew in the world agreed.
This gospel was written after the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem in 70 CE. The people of
Judah were occupied by the Roman Empire and they had risen up and tried to throw off their
oppressors. It didn't work. And, since the Romans could be pretty big jerks, they destroyed the
temple, which was the religious, social, and political center of Jewish life. It was a huge blow to the
Jewish people.
After that tragedy, it was up to the religious authorities, like the Pharisees, to decide just how Jews
should progress in the future. Because they emphasized unity among the people, they couldn't have
all kinds of little offshoot groups saying whatever they liked about being Jewish. That means
Christians were outother Jews didn't consider them Jewish any more (source, 845)
Matthew is just a tiny bit ticked about this. You can tell because he takes every chance he can get to
have Jesus call out the Pharisees on their lack of faith, hypocrisy, and ignorance of God. And even
though the Pharisees probably saved the Jewish people by establishing a cohesive identity, Matthew
manages to turn their name into a dirty word.

Pop Culture Shout-Outs

The Pharisees and their friends have managed to work their way into most contemporary films,
books, and television shows about the life and death (especially death) of Jesus. Usually, their
portrayal isn't too flattering. Go figure.
In Jesus Christ Superstar they get to sing several awesome musical numbers, one of which is
called This Jesus Must Die (if that tells you where they stand on the issue). In The Passion of the
Christ, they're equally wicked. The 1927 silent movie The King of Kings portrays them a bit more
sympathetically. But come on, it's silent. All the easier for them not to say nasty things.

Joseph

Figure Analysis
Claim to fame: Adopted dad of Jesus. Stands by his woman while she's pregnant.
Matthew's Gospel is Joseph's time to shine. Even though his story only runs through the first two
chapters of the book, we're assuming he was in there changing diapers for years afterwards. He was
a real hands-on kind of dad.

His Heritage
Joseph comes from pretty good stock. He's a descendent of both Abraham and David (1:16), which
is pretty impressive. The fact that he comes from such a long line of Jewish patriarchs seals Jesus's
claims of messiah-ship.

He IsNot the Father!

But, wait! Joseph isn't actually biologically related to Jesus. Before he lived with Mary, "she was
found to be with child from the Holy Spirit," (1:18) remember? They never "knew" each other in the
biblical sense (wink, wink). So, how can his lineage pass down to Jesus?
Well, it looks like Matthew is just using that genealogy to add icing to Jesus's messianic cake. His
family descends from a long and proud line, so Jesus does, too. Right? Plus, Joseph took
responsibility for the child and raised him as his own, so it's possible some of that good DNA rubbed
off.
You know what? Just try not to think about it too hard.

Any Dream Will Do

Speaking of taking responsibility, Joseph really takes charge of the situation with Jesus. When his
fiance comes to him and says she's pregnant, Joseph doesn't want to "expose her to public
disgrace" (1:19), so he does the noble thing and plans to break it all off on the down low. What Mary
does with the baby is her own problem though, we suppose.
Luckily, an angel of the Lord appears to him to let him know that everything is cool. In fact, dreams
and angels are Joseph's primary way of making major life decisions:

Your wife is pregnant with an illegitimate child? God has a dream for that (1:20).

Need to make a quick escape to Egypt? God has a dream for that (2:13).

Thinking it might be time to come back to Israel? Yup, God has a dream for that (2:20).

God just loves popping in during people's REM cycles.

Shout-Outs
You'll generally see Joseph hanging around in artwork featuring the baby Jesus. In olden times, he
was usually portrayed as an older guy with gray hair. Kind of creepy, since Mary looks like a teenage
girl in those same paintings. Today, it's much more common to see a youthful, hands-on dad type
Joseph. He's often got a hammer in one hand (because, as Matthew points out, he's a carpenter)
and tiny baby Jesus in the other. What a multitasker. (Source.)
In the Catholic Church, Joseph is the patron saint of dads. And for some reason, there are people
who think that if you bury a statue of St. Joseph upside down in your front yard, you'll be able to sell
your house quickly (source). Apparently the guy was a real estate agent, too.

Mary
Figure Analysis
Claim to fame: Gives birth to Jesus and keeps her virginity, to boot
The lady is the mother of God. Literally. It's not every day that a woman can be a mother and a virgin
(at least not at the same time), but that's just what Mary does. How does she juggle it all?

A Passive Play
Compared to Joseph, Mary doesn't really get much attention in Matthew's Gospel. She's just the one
who births the living God into the world. No big deal, right? We can see why Matthew would have
overlooked her.
In fact, Mary is totally passive in this gospel. She doesn't get to say anything. She doesn't even get
to do anything. She has things done to her. Notice the language:

"Mary had been engaged to Joseph" (1:18).

"She was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit" (1:18).

Joseph "took her as his wife" (1:24).

He "had no marital relations with [Mary] until she had borne a son" (1:25).

Joseph is told to "take the child and his mother" and run (2:13).

We never know what Mary thinks about any of this. About being pregnant, getting married, having a
son, and fleeing from danger. Nada. In fact, the things Matthew doesn't say about Mary could fill a
book. It's called the Gospel of Luke, actually. Check it out for another take on Mary and her role in
the life of Jesus.

There's Something About Mary

Because of the way she's portrayed in Matthew's Gospel, Mary may even be considered by some to
be "the ideal woman." She never speaks. She never complains. She never resists. She represents
both "perfect" statuses of womanhood at the same time: virgin and mother. She's quite the package.
(To misogynists, that is.)
But Mary is also an impossibility. Women speak and complain and resist. Women cannot be both
virgins and mothers. Mary is often held up as the ideal woman, but she is also an ideal that no
woman can ever achieve. Sorry, Mary. Maybe you're not all you're cracked up to be.

Shout-Outs
Mary is kind of everywhere. Aside from Jesus, she's probably one of the most well-known and
popular figures from the New Testament. Catholics adore her. Literally. Marian adoration and
reverence are central to the Catholic faith. Hey, it's nice to see the ladies getting their due.
Mary is so prolific, she even made an appearance on a grilled cheese sandwich once. But, wait. The
best part is that someone managed to sell it on eBay for $28,000. We told you she was popular.

King Herod
Figure Analysis
Claim to fame: Tries to kill baby Jesus. Fails. (Huzzah!)
Jealousy, thy name is Herod. This guy is so insecure, even the birth of a baby makes him freak out.
To be fair, he is told by three pretty wise-looking men that the kid is gonna grow up to be King of the
Jews (2:2). That might put a little crimp in Herod's retirement plans.

Rage Against the Baby

Matthew's Gospel tells us that after hearing about the birth of Jesus, Herod "was frightened" (2:3).
Babies don't usually strike fear into people's hearts, so what's up?
Herod understands that this child is going to be a new ruler for the Jewish people. Since Herod has
already been set up by Rome as the Jewish leader in Judah, that is not something that he's
welcoming. See, Herod's got the power and no one, definitely not some drooling infant, is going to
take it from him.

So how bad does he want to maintain his vice-like grip on authority? Um, enough to massacre "all
the children in and around Bethlehem who were two years old" (2:16). Luckily for Jesus, he and his
family get out of Bethlehem just in time. Of course, we can't say the same for all the other children.
Herod does die without ever getting Jesus, though, so there's that. Evil foiledjust a little too late to
save a bunch of innocent kids.

Was He Really That Bad?

It's clear that the Gospel doesn't have nice things to say about Herod, but was the real Herod the
terrible guy Matthew makes him out to be?
Yeah, kind of. He's known throughout history as Herod the Great, but many scholars regard that
epithet as kind of a joke. Herod the Homicidal Maniac would have been a more accurate description.
Though it wouldn't look as nice on a commemorative plaque.
The real Herod was set up as a puppet ruler in Judah by the Roman government. This was their way
of saying, "Hey, look, we've got Jews in power. We're not so bad." But in reality, when Rome said,
"Jump," Herod said, "How high? And how many people do you want me to kill while doing it?"
Herod was pretty much a bad dude. He was ambitious, cruel, paranoid, brutal, and ruthless. He
killed both of his sons and his brother-in-law out of jealousy for their growing popularity. He even
ordered his own beloved wife, Miriam, murdered in a fit of jealous rage. And he had countless
numbers of his own people killed for their refusal to submit to Roman rule. Cheery. (Source.)
So, yeah, he totally could have murdered all those kids. But scholars think it's unlikely that Matthew's
massacre ever happened. For one, if tons of children were killed in and around Bethlehem, you can
bet other Jewish writers of the time (who didn't have nice things to say about Herod) would have
included a story like that. Matthew is the only ancient source for the story, so it's much more likely
that he's just trying to draw a parallel between the slaughter of the first-borns during the first
Passover (Exodus 12:12).

That's His Boy

It's worth noting that Herod the Great should not be confused with his son, Herod Antipas. The
younger Herod got the honor of putting John the Baptist to death and giving the thumbs down to
Jesus at the end of his life. Like father, like son.

Pontius Pilate
Figure Analysis

Claim to fame: Has the power to pardon Jesus. Like Herod, also fails.
Even though Pilate is actually the one who sentences Jesus to die, he tends to get off pretty light in
all the gospel accounts. Matthew mainly puts the blame on Judas and the blood-thirsty crowd that's
egged on by the religious authorities. Yet somehow, the guy actually ordering the crucifying gets off
scot-free. That's kind of weird.

He's the Decider

In Matthew's Gospel, the religious authorities hand Jesus over to Pilate to seal the deal. The trouble
is, Pilate can't quite figure out what Jesus has done wrong. In fact, he seems a lot more impressed
with Jesus than the Jewish people do:

"The governor was greatly amazed" (27:14).

"[Pilate] realized that it was out of jealousy that they had handed him over" (27:18).

"He asked, 'Why, what evil has he done?'" (27:23)

Even Pilate's wife gets in on the action. In a short little aside, unique to Matthew, she tells him, "have
nothing to do with that innocent man," and explains that she had a dream totally exonerating Jesus
(27:19). Dream hints again. Pilate knows what to do, right?

We Predict a Riot
Not quite. Even though Pilate clearly doesn't want to put Jesus to death, he starts to get a little
worried about the unrest in the crowd. In fact, a riot is starting to break out (27:24). In the end, Pilate
decides that it will be much easier to just to crucify Jesus and make the crowd happy. After all, he's
just an insignificant Jewish peasant, right?
Pilate does something that only happens in Matthew: he washes his hands (27:24). Literally. He gets
out a big bowl of water, dips his hands in, and basically tells the crowd: This is totally on you
guys. Way to dodge responsibility, Pilate.
Essentially, Pilate's role in the story is to vouch for Jesus's credibility and to highlight just how awful
the religious authorities truly are. But is that what really happened?

More Than Meets the Eye

But Pilate isn't just a stock literary bad guy. He's also a very real person, who actually served as the
Roman governor of Judea from 26 to 36 CE and sentenced Jesus to death (source). And though he
comes off as sort of a nice guy in Matthew's Gospel, in reality, he was anything but.

Pilate managed to keep rule over the Judean province for ten years, but his relationship with the
Jewish people was often strained. The Jewish historian, Josephus, tells us that Pilate repeatedly
tried to put Roman emblems in the temple(a violation of Jewish law because they commemorated
other gods). That didn't make for very happy subjects.
Another Jewish historian, Philo, wrote that Pilate "was a man of a very inflexible disposition, and very
merciless as well as very obstinate" (On the Embassy to Gaius, 38:301). Not exactly a ray of
sunshine. He was ultimately removed from Judea by the Roman Emperor after he ordered some
powerful Samaritans to be killed.
Would the real Pilate have given a second thought about sentencing Jesus to death? Maybe. If his
relationship with the Jewish authorities was hostile, he might have refused to play a part in their little
game. He does what he does because he can see that the crowd isn't going to give up and that they
might even turn violent. After all, they outnumber him and his job is to keep the peace. Why not just
execute this guy and get it over with? Pilate takes the easy way out.

Gospel of Matthew Analysis

Literary Devices in Gospel of Matthew

Symbolism, Imagery, Allegory

Gospel of Matthew Genre

Gospel
The Greek word for "gospel" is evangellion, which roughly means "good news." And that's what all
four of the gospels claim to share: the good news that God has sent Jesus into the world.
A gospel is different from a standard biography because it isn't just a record of a someone's life.
Nope, a gospel has a clear purpose: it wants to make you believe. If you walk away after reading
one of the gospels and your life hasn't been changed, then the gospels will hang their papery heads
in sadness because they've failed to do their jobs.
The early Christians invented the idea of a gospel; up until then, nothing like it had ever been written.
And their invention worked. Big time. In the last 2,000 years, the gospels have helped convince
billions of people all over the world that Jesus is someone worth putting your faith in. (Source.)

Whats Up With the Title?

This one's pretty easy to wrap our minds around. The title lets us know that the story we're about to
read is a gospel (see "Genre") and that it was written by someone named Matthew. Ta-da!
Christian tradition has always regarded this Matthew as one of the twelve disciples (check him out in
9:9). Of course, this theory doesn't really make much sense. Why would one of the original disciples,
an eyewitness to the life of Jesus, have copied nearly 90% of his stories from Mark and other
sources (source)? You'd think he'd have tales of his own to tell. And that they'd be pretty good ones.
What's clear at least is that the author was a Jewish Christian. He quotes from the Hebrew Bible all
over the place, knows his Torah inside and out, and has really specific thoughts about different
Jewish groups. But we'll probably never know exactly who he was, how he became Christian, or
what his relationship to Jesus was (source).
Looks like the "Matthew" of our title is a bit of a mystery.

Whats Up With the Ending?

He came. He saw. He died and rose again. Now Jesus is planning on heading home to his Father in
heaven, where we're guessing he'll get a pretty sweet welcome party. But before he bounces, Jesus
has one more thing to do: pass the ministry torch onto his disciples.
All throughout the Gospel, Jesus says that he came mainly for the Jewish people. It's like he tells the
Canaanite woman, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel" (15:24). Right. But that
doesn't go so well in the end.
Now Jesus is looking to branch out. In the last lines of the Gospel, he gives one final command the
remaining eleven in the posse: "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations" (28:19).
That's all nations. Including the Gentiles. That's Matthew setting the stage for the future growth of the
church right there.
The way Jesus presents himself here is also pretty interesting. He comes right out and says, "All
authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me" (28:18). That's a lot of responsibility. It's
quite different from the Jesus who dodges the messiah questions from high priests (26:64) and
completely refuses to answer Pilate (27:14). Looks like the Resurrection really agrees with the guy.
Matthew's Gospel is the only one that features this "Great Commission" at the end. It's also the only
one that instructs the disciples to baptize people "in the name of the Father and of the Son and of
the Holy Spirit" (28:19). Fun fact: these are the words that are still used in most Christian baptisms
today.
Way to make history, Matt.

Gospel of Matthew Trivia

Brain Snacks: Tasty Tidbits of Knowledge
Thanks to a prophecy (1:23), Matthew sometimes calls Jesus "Immanuel." In Hebrew, that
means "God with us." And hey, remember how some of Jesus's final words to his disciples were "I
am with you always"? Yeah, we have a feeling Jesus did that on purpose.
Five women (including Jesus's mother, Mary) are included in Matthew's genealogy of Jesus: Tamar,
Rahab, Ruth, and the wife of Uriah. Head on back to the Hebrew Bible to get the full scoop on these
ladies. (Source.)
Each gospel author has a traditional symbol attached to it (commonly attributed to Ezekiel 1:10
and Revelation 4:7). Matthew's is a winged man symbolizing Jesus's humanity and reason.
(Source.)
It's possible that Matthew had a name change, too. In Mark and Luke, when Jesus calls Matthew to
follow him, his name is Levi.

Gospel of Matthew In Practice

Getting Biblical in Daily Life

Gospel of Matthew Theological Point Of View In Practice

Getting Biblical in Daily Life
This one's about Jesus. But we're guessing you already knew that.
Matthew's Gospel is one of four books about Jesus's life and teachings that wound up in the official
Bible. Sure, there are three other books that sound pretty similar, but this one's still unique. Matthew
puts his own special spin on Jesus that's a lot different from his friendsMark, Luke, and John. What
can we say? Matthew's just a special snowflake.

Author, Author!
Christian tradition has always held that Matthew's Gospel was written by none other than Matthew,
one of the twelve original disciples (9:9). If that's true, it's a pretty big point in its favor. An eyewitness
to the life of Jesus writing about exactly what happened during the Messiah's lifetime? Score!

Wait, not so fast. Most scholars don't think the Gospel was written by the disciple Matthew, let alone
by someone who actually knew Jesus. After all, if a member of Jesus's inner circle wrote this book
down, why would he have included the same stories as the other gospel writers? You'd think he'd
have his own material and that he wouldn't be copying from Mark so much (source, 844).

Intellectual Property 101

But that does bring up a good point. Matthew's stories are pretty similar to Mark's and Luke's. In fact,
these three are known as the synopticgospels because they're all kind of the same. (John, on the
other hand, is just out there in his own little world. He's just a rebel.)
Why are they all so similar? Well, scholars have a theory for that, too. Coming up with theories is
sort of their thing. One possibility is that Mark was the first gospel to be written (probably around 75
CE at the latest). Once Mark had a chance to circulate around Christian circlesand people gave it
the big thumbs upother authors got the idea to write their own versions of the story of Jesus.
Enter Matthew and Luke. These two gospels are probably written around the same time (85 CE) and
include lots of the same exact stories as Mark. Matthew has put over 90% of Mark's stories in his
gospel for example (source, 198). But, don't worry. It's only plagiarism if God doesn't give you
permission. (Don't try that excuse at school, though.)
The trouble is, there are some stories and sayings that don't appear in Mark, but that do show up in
both Matthew and Luke (such as "ask, seek, knock" [7:7]). That makes scholars think both Matthew
and Luke used another source. They call it Q.

Q is for the Stuff You Don't Copy from Mark

Q stands for "quelle," which is the German word for "source" (and since German biblical scholars
came up with it, they got naming rights. Try harder next time, English-speaking scholars). Basically,
the thought is that there was once another document that was just a collection of things Jesus said
and did. Sadly, if this ever existed, it is lost to us now. Papyrus just isn't meant to stand the test of
time.
So what did Matthew do? He took some stories from Mark, some stories from Q added them all
together, spiced it up with a bit of his own commentary, andvoila biblical masterpiece was born
(source, 816).
So Mark's Gospel wasn't good enough for Matthew, was it? And why not? Well, he does make some
changes from the original.

High Holy Book

Matthew is writing mainly for a Jewish-Christian audience in transition. These folks embraced Jesus
as the messiah, but still wanted to hold onto their Jewish roots. However, many Jews didn't think that

the followers of Jesus were properly Jewish anymore. Matthew's community had probably been
kicked out of the synagogue and called heretics by their fellow Jews. So, they were pretty down
about that.
Because Matthew still sees himself as Jewish, he's very focused on making a case for Jesus as the
Jewish messiah (source, 868). He's got Jesus fulfilling biblical prophecies, quoting the Torah,
arguing the law with the Pharisees, and living a fully Jewish life. If only there'd been some matzo ball
soup at the Last Supper, he'd have been all set.

Churching It Up
At the same time that Matthew is looking at his the past and his roots, he's also moving toward the
future. His gospel is the only one that goes into detail about the emerging Christian church. He gives
rules for being in a Christian community with others. Good stuff like, "If another member of the
church sins against you, go and point out the fault when the two of you are alone" (18:15). It's clear
that the people needed a little instruction in these areas.
His stories are also chock full of encouragement for the early church (source, 870). Sure, there are
tough times ahead. Sure, everyone in the church "will be hated by all because of [Jesus's] name"
(10:22). But, fear not. Their reward in heaven in coming. Just hold on for the end of time, guys.
Matthew is branching out a bit past the Jewish community. Other Jews have rejected him and his
friends, so now they're beginning to look to Gentiles to spread the good word about Jesus (source,
845) Yes, Jesus came primarily to save Israel, but that didn't totally work out as expected. Now,
we're going to Plan B: non-Jews, you're up.

A Style of His Own

Style-wise, Matthew is on his own. His writing is more polished (at least we think it isour ancient
Greek is sort of rusty). His stories are often shorter and clearer than Mark's, and he also adds in a lot
of commentary. In fact, Matthew's typical pattern is to have a whole bunch of stories or parables,
followed by a section of theological reflections (source, 869).
Matthew also turns up the volume on the characters quite a bit. The good guys, like Jesus, Peter,
and the disciples, get a whole lot more awesome. Jesus is much more dignified and authoritative,
and Peter gets added responsibility (though Matthew can't completely ignore important things, like
the time he denied knowing Jesus. Whoops). Meanwhile, the bad guys, like the Pharisees, get a
whole lot worse. Think of the curse they place on themselves at Jesus's trial. Matthew's not so much
for leaving in shades of gray.

Gospel of Matthew Perspectives From Faith Communities In Practice

Getting Biblical in Daily Life

The Gospel of Matthew is primarily embraced by Christians. But does that mean that people of other
faiths have nothing to say about it? No way.

Jewish Perspective
Though contemporary Jewish people don't accept Matthew's main propositionthat Jesus is the
Jewish messiahJudaism is still front and center in this gospel. As Jewish New Testament scholar
Amy-Jill Levine puts it, "I think Jews need to know this material, because [] much of the New
Testament is actually Jewish literature" (source).
Reading Matthew's Gospel is like peeking through a window into the state of 1st-century Judaism.
You have a picture of a community that was once part of Judaism, but is slowly breaking off. You
also have a portrayal of a popular Jewish groupthe Phariseesfrom an entirely different
perspective. Pretty fascinating stuff.
The one big negative about Matthew's Gospel is the way it's been used against the Jewish
community over the years. For example, the moment during Jesus's trial when Matthew portrays the
religious authorities and the other Jews in the crowd calling out, "His blood be on us and on our
children!" (27:25) has been used by anti-Semites throughout history. It not only lets them label 1stcentury Jews as "Christ killers," but they think it gives them license to blame all Jews (past, present,
and future) for the crime.
Um, we're gonna go out on a limb and say they're wrong.
If you think that Matthew's Gospel is anti-Jewish, then you're forgetting one tiny little fact: Matthew,
Jesus, and his followers were Jewish. You'll see Jesus mixing with other Jews, teaching in the
temple, quoting the Torah, debating Jewish law, and even celebrating Passover. So, yeah, we're
pretty sure that Matthew was not intending to lump all Jews for all time in with the mean group at
Jesus's trial.

Muslim Perspective
Most Christians probably don't know how much Muslims dig Jesus. In true name-dropping form, the
Qur'an mentions him about 25 times, as 'Iesa, a prophet and messenger. Muslims claim that the
gospels actually lay the groundwork for Muhammad to introduce Islam to the world (3:3) and that all
Muslims must believe in what Jesus has revealed (3:84).
But there is that whole crucifixion discrepancy. What's the difference? Well, Muslims don't think
Jesus was ever crucified. Here's how it goes down in the Qur'an:
[The enemies of Jesus would boast,] "Indeed, we have killed the Messiah, Jesus, the son of Mary,
the messenger of Allah." And they did not kill him, nor did they crucify him; but [another] was made
to resemble him to them. [] And they did not kill him, for certain. Rather, Allah raised him to
Himself. (4:157-58)

Basically, Muslims think Jesus is far too cool to have been executed. Instead, Islamic tradition
teaches that Allah just made it look like Jesus died on the cross, even though he actually ascended
into heaven unharmed. The whole crucifixion story means that someone faithful would be allowed to
suffer and die, and Muslims don't think God would let that fly.
One other thing. You know the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit situation that the Gospel of John goes on
about? Muslims don't agree with that tenet of Christian faith either. They tend to be pretty firm about
there being only one God:
Do not say, "Three," desistIt is better for you. Indeed, Allah is but one God. Exalted is He above
having a son. (4:171)
Translation: it's a no-go for the Trinity.

Roman Catholic Perspective

Catholics are into Matthew's Gospel because it's the basis for a lot of great Catholic doctrine. Take
the special authority Jesus gives to his favorite disciple:
"You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church [] I will give you the keys of the kingdom of
heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth
will be loosed in heaven." (16:18-19)
Catholics think of this moment as the institution of the church. This is the exact point at which Jesus
decided that this whole messiah thing should keep on going. Jesus even appointed Peter as the first
Pope in there somewhere. Or at least that's what Catholics believe. (Psst. Don't tell the current
Pope, but Peter was married when he took the gig.)
The Catechism of the Catholic Church also says that "The power to 'bind and loose' connotes the
authority to absolve sins, to pronounce doctrinal judgments, and to make disciplinary decisions in the
Church." This means that the Church is effectively Jesus's divine enforcer on earth. It's a pretty big
responsibility.
Of course, Matthew also mentions the virgin birth, which is a huge deal to Catholics. Again, the
Catechism says, "The Gospel accounts understand the virginal conception of Jesus as a divine work
that surpasses all human understanding and possibility." Okay, that's sounds like what we're used to
hearing. But, Catholics also take the whole virgin thing a little bit farther.
Not only do they believe that Mary conceived without ever having sex, but that even Mary
herself was conceived without the "stain of original sin." It's called the Immaculate Conception and
its one of the four dogmas the Church teaches about Mary. It also means one extra vacation day in
Italy.

On top of that, Catholics believe that Mary is "ever-virginal." The basic idea is that, even after she
had Jesus, and even after she married Joseph, Mary never, ever (even once in her life as a married
woman) had sex. As the Church puts it, "The deepening of faith in the virginal motherhood led the
Church to confess Mary's real and perpetual virginity even in the act of giving birth to the Son of God
made man." So there you go.

Protestant Perspective
Protestants have quite a bit to say about the Catholic interpretation of these passages.
Sure, Protestants are down with the virgin birth, but they don't think that Mary abstained from sex for
the rest of her life. We're guessing Joseph wouldn't have liked that so much. Matthew's Gospel is
probably on their side for this one, too.
Matthew says that Joseph "had no marital relations with [Mary] until she had borne a son" (1:25).
Most Protestants would say "until" is the key word there. He also mentions Jesus's brothers by name
James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas (13:55). Unless those were virgin births, too, that's some pretty
tough evidence to refute.
Many Protestants also point to this passage, unique to Matthew: "Call no one your father on earth,
for you have one Fatherthe one in heaven" (23:9). They believe this contradicts the Catholic
tradition of calling priests "Father." Of course, Protestants still call their male parent a "father," too, so
they're slacking a bit on this one.
Protestants also find some support for the idea of (big theological idea alert!) justification by faith in
Matthew's Gospel. This just basically means that Protestant Christians (like Lutherans) tend to
believe that all you have to do is put your faith in Jesus, and God will be happy. Catholics, on the
other hand, think you need to believe and do lots of good stuff here on earth. Just being faithful won't
cut it.
Matthew's pretty divided on the issue. At times, he seems to support the idea that good deeds alone
won't get you to the pearly gates: "Many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not [] do many deeds of
power in your name?' Then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; go away from me, you
evildoers'" (7:22-23). There's also the parable of the workers in the vineyard, where the landowner
gives generously to those who haven't worked as hard (20:1-16).
On the other hand, Matthew also emphasizes our actions a whole lot. "Let your light shine before
others, so that they may see your good works" (5:16). There's also this gem: "The Son of Man is to
come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay everyone for what has been
done" (16:27).
Who's right? Who's wrong? Only the Big Guy knows for sure.

Baha'i Perspective

Baha'i places Jesus in a group alongside some other huge names in the business like Moses,
Buddha, and Muhammad. Some real heavy-hitters. And they all get to be part of a pretty exclusive
club: manifestations of God. This basically means they're divine messengers who have a little
something extra that regular human being don't.
But Baha'i makes a point to note the difference between the spirit of Jesus and the humanity of
Jesus. And as for the divinity of Jesus, Baha'i is pretty much on board with that, too.
The oneness of religion is a huge concept in the Baha'i faith. So it makes sense that the sacred texts
of the world religions would also be important in Baha'i. One of their sacred scriptures, The Kitab-iIqan, even talks about the second coming of Jesus as described in The Gospel of Matthew (The
Kitab-i-Iqan, 24). It's always nice to get a shout-out.

Gospel of Matthew Current Hot-Button Issues And Cultural Debates In

Practice
Getting Biblical in Daily Life

Wealth and Poverty

For a guy who doesn't have much money, Jesus sure talks a whole lot about it. On second thought,
maybe that's why he mentions it so much. So what does Jesus think about income inequality?

Blessed Are the Poor

Time after time, Jesus comes down pretty firmly on the side of the have-nots. Here are just a few
select verses that don't look so highly on the rich:

"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where
thieves break in and steal" (6:19).

"You cannot serve God and wealth" (6:24).

"The cares of the world and the lure of wealth choke the word" (13:22).

"If you wish to be perfect, go, sell your possessions, and give the money to the poor" (19:21).

"It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to
enter the kingdom of God" (19:24).

Those are some pretty firm words. It's clear that Jesus is really suspicious of those who put their
effort into making money, rather than serving God. Get your nose out of those checkbooks and into
some scripture, guys.

Free Market Messiah

It's not that wealth, in and of itself, is immoral. Take the Parable of the Talents (25:14-30). A master
gives his slaves some money (or "talents," in the biblical parlance). The ones who invest and double
their money are rewarded, but the ones who fearfully squirrel their money away are thrown into the
darkness where there will be "weeping and gnashing of teeth" (25:30). Does this mean Jesus wants
us to put all our money in the stock market? Just point us toward the right ticker symbol.
Jesus also seems to shrug off the problem of poverty at one point. He tells the disciples, "You always
have the poor with you" (26:11). It sounds like, try as we might, there's nothing we can really do
about income inequality. Heck, even God is throwing his hands up.

Who's Right?
Though Jesus doesn't seem to be saying that money is the root of all evil, he does pretty much
agree with another biblical author: "Love of money is the root of all evil" (1 Timothy 6:10). Jesus
wants us to put all our energy toward God, and that can be pretty hard if we're busy counting our
piles of cash.
Sure, rich people can be socially and morally responsible. It's just a lot harder for them. And,
naturally, everyone thinks they're the generous rich guy. Even Ebenezer Scrooge thought he was
nice for giving Bob Cratchit one day a year off with pay.
So, are the wealthy doomed? Are the poor going to inherit the earth? It remains to be seen.

Divorce
When speaking of the sacred bonds of marriage, Jesus said, "What God has joined together, let no
one separate" (19:6). Yeah. Tell that to the 50% divorce rate.

Quit Being a Quitter

Jesus is pretty clear when it comes to divorcejust don't do it. He acknowledges that Jewish law
has permitted a man to divorce his wife in the past, but then says that, from here on out, that's not
how we should roll (5:31). He even goes on to say that anyone who divorces his wife and marries
someone else is nothing more than a big ol' adulterer (5:32).
Even the disciples are taken aback by this teaching. No divorce? Then, "it is better not to marry,"
they tell Jesus (19:10). Wow. They really seem kind of commitment-phobic for a group of guys who
are prepared to go to their deaths for what they believe in.

Exceptions, Exceptions

But there is some wiggle room with this rule. Jesus says not to divorce your wife, "except on the
grounds of unchastity" (5:32, 19:9). So there's a loophole. If you catch your lady cheating, feel free to
throw her to the curb. This seems to make sense even in the case of Joseph and Mary. When
Joseph finds out that Mary is pregnant, he plans to break off their engagement because she's been
unfaithfulor so he thinks (1:19).
Does this mean that Jesus would recognize other exceptions to this no divorce rule? What if your
spouse is physically abusive? Verbally abusive? An addict? A criminal? Or what if, after lots of trying,
you just can't get along anymore? Should Christian couples be released from their marriage bonds if,
like adultery, something else crops up that harms the relationship?

How Do Christians Sort All This Out?

Though most Christian denominations frown upon divorce today, many of them also accept the view
that sometimes stuff just happens. Catholics, for one, don't allow divorce and regard remarriage after
divorce as adultery. But you can also be awarded an annulment which means that, according to
Church law, "a marriage was invalid from the beginning." Though this is not considered "divorce" per
se, it does show that many denominations are willing to bend the rules past what Jesus said.

Slavery
This one seems like a no-brainer. How could anyone think slavery is a good idea? It's not something
Jesus could have supported, what with his love for the poor and downtrodden, right? Well, let's take
a look.

Jesus Said What?

Jesus actually talks quite a bit about slavery in Matthew's Gospel.

He tells several parables that feature slaves and their masters. One involves a slave who is
punished by his master for being unforgiving (18:23-35). Another features a whole bunch of
slaves who are killed, and no one bats an eye (21:33-41).

He also tells us that "slaves are not above their masters" (10:24).

And then there's this gem: "Blessed is that slave whom his master will find at work when he
arrives" (24:46). Yikes.

Jesus never once takes any opportunity to condemn slavery. Even a little bit. Jesus talks about
slaves as if they are a fact of life. People are just owned by other people. No big deal. Nothing to see
here. Carry on.

He's a Slave for You

Okay, but there is one verse where Jesus compares himself to a slave. Now we're getting
somewhere. He says, "the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve" (20:28). Here Jesus
seems to be saying that a life of servitude is laudable and that slaves have a Christ-like quality. Sure,
it's not the same thing as abolishing slavery, but it's a start.

How Christians Have Handled It

Sadly, these verses from Matthew and elsewhere in the Bible have been used to defend slavery in
the past. Jefferson Davis, the President of the Confederate States of America said, "[Slavery] was
established by decree of Almighty God [...] it is sanctioned in the Bible, in both Testaments, from
Genesis to Revelation" (source). He's right that slavery was around in biblical times, but you know
what? Too bad.
There were also Christians who used the Bible to support abolition efforts (source). Eventually, the
majority of Christian churches would come out against slavery as well:

In 1696, Quakers in Pennsylvania stood in opposition to the slave trade (source).

John Wesley, the founder of Methodism and life-long opponent of slavery, declared that
"liberty is the right of every human creature" (source).

In 1839, Pope Gregory XVI issued a statement saying that slavery was "contrary to the laws
of justice and humanity" (source).

Northern and Southern Baptists even severed ties with each other over the issue of slavery
(source).

Thought slavery is more or less a thing of the past in developed countries around the world, there
are still places wherethe institution lives on. Even in the United States, human trafficking, a type of
slavery, is still a terrible problem. We're guessing Jesus wouldn't have been down with it.

Gospel of Matthew Questions

Bring on the tough stuff - theres not just one right answer.
1. If The Gospel According to Matthew wasn't the earliest Gospel written, why does it appear
first in the Bible?
2. Matthew 16:13-23 shows Peter flip-flopping from faithfully proclaiming Jesus as the Messiah
to then rebuking Jesus's prediction of his death and crucifixion. Because of this, Jesus goes
from promising Peter the keys of heaven to calling him Satan and a stumbling block. Why
are these two very different stories placed one right after the other in the Gospel?
3. Why does Jesus use his power to curse the fig tree so that it dies instead of just causing it to
bear fruit (21:18-22)?

4. Jesus tells his disciples that with faith they could tell a mountain to be lifted up and thrown
into the sea (21:21). Who in the Gospel shows the greatest amount of faith? Why?
5. When Jesus prays in Gethsemane before the crucifixion, he asks that God to "let this cup
pass" (26:39). What does this indicate about the identity of Jesus?
6. On multiple occasions, Jesus heals someone but then requests that they not tell anyone.
Why the hush-hush?
7. What if Judas had never betrayed Jesus to the chief priests? Would things have ended
differently?
8. Which of Jesus's miracles seems most, well, miraculous?
9. What do you think would be included in the Gospel according to Jesus?