Understanding the Story of Matthew

Understanding the Story of Matthew

In order to view this Gospel as a story, let’s break down a story we all recognize as a story: Little Red Riding Hood.

            Sender                        à                    Object             à                    Receiver

(Little Red’s Mother)                                (Basket of Food)                         (Grandmother)

            Helper                         à                    Subject            ß                    Opponent

      (Woodcutter)                                  (Red Ridding Hood)                        (Big Bad Wolf)

Matthew has the same basic elements as this story:

            Sender                        à                    Object             à                    Receiver

(God)                                                (Salvation)                                     (Israel)

            Helper s                      à                    Subject            ß                    Opponent

          (Disciples)                                               (Jesus)                   (Satan & Leaders)

The story of Matthew then will have to do with the way God (the sender) accomplishes salvation (the object) for Israel (the recipient) through Jesus (the subject), who has been sent by God to deliver His people from their state of sin and exile.

Matthew draws a comparison between His followers and the Opposition in ch. 11-16:20

• Like the Bad News Bears vs. the New York Yankees
• Looks hopeless and doesn’t get any better
• 16:22-23 Peter becomes part of the opposition
• 20:20-28 Jockeying for position
• 26:8-9 They try to rebuke the woman who anoints Jesus for His burial
• 26:36-46 Unable to stay awake with Jesus in Gethsemane
• 26:39 Ultimately their desertion of the one they have been called to follow

The disciples at this time provide Jesus with very little help and are even drawn into Satan’s role on two occasions.

• Peter
• Judas

During this time only on two occasions where they seen as successful

• 21:1-7 Fetching a donkey
• 26:17-19 Arranging for the Passover Meal

Yet we are moved by Jesus faith in them!

• 16:27-28 Some will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God come
• 17:9 They will tell others about the transfiguration
• 17:24-27 They, like Jesus, are sons of the kingdom
• 18:18-20 They will have authority in the church to bind and to loose
• 19:28 They will “sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.”
• 24:14 They will be the ones that proclaim the Good News of the Kingdom throughout the world

Thus throughout this section we are given various indications that despite their weakness and failure, the disciples will eventually be cast into helping role after all