1. Matthew was written about twenty years after the destruction of the temple in 70 CE. In the intervening period, the Pharisees were in the process of becoming the most powerful sect within Judaism. Matthew’s group envisions itself as a rival to the Pharisees and representatives of the “true” form of Judaism. In this contentious atmosphere, Jesus becomes the spokesperson for Matthew’s brand of Judaism—a type that acknowledges Jesus as the messiah. Examine 16:13-20; 18:1-35, and 23:1-39, passages that address questions about group leadership and community rules (16:13-20; 18:1-35) and attack opponents (23:1-39).

a. How has Mt 16:13-20 revised Mk 8:27-30 and why do you think Matthew makes these changes?

Matthew 16:13-20 and Mark 8:27-30 are Matthew and Mark’s accounts of Peter’s confession about Jesus. In Matthew’s account, we see the first instance of Jesus praising Simon Peter (or any of his disciples for that matter) when he says “Blessed you, Simon son of Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it. 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.” He then tells his disciples not to tell anyone that he is the Messiah. On the contrary, Mark’s account of Peter’s confession does not include any praise, but instead, Jesus sternly orders his disciples not to tell anyone about him. I think Matthew included these changes because they show how the disciples have grown in their faith and have come to know Jesus as the true Son of God. This could establish credibility for the disciples (especially Peter) because Jesus proclaims that he will give Peter the keys of the kingdom of heaven, meaning that Peter has been given the authority to oversee admission to the new church that Jesus mentions, which may be a symbolic representation of heaven and what we’ve come to know as the pearly gates.

b. What are the prominent themes in the sermon on community life in 18:1-35 and why do you think Matthew includes this section?

The prominent themes in the sermon on community life include humility, the temptation to sin, and forgiveness. Jesus says, “Whoever becomes humble like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven,” which demonstrates the importance of humility for going to heaven. Jesus condemns the temptation of sin and says it would be better to cut off the hand that causes you to sin and go to heaven maimed than to have both hands and be thrown into eternal fire because of your sins. Finally, in the parable about the lord and the slave, the lord pardons the slave after the slave pleads for mercy, releasing him and forgiving his enourmous debt, but then the slave goes to a fellow slave and asks for that slave to pay his debt, but when he pleads for more time, the forgiven slave shows no mercy and orders him to be imprisoned until the much smaller debt can be paid. The lord finds out about this and summons the slave that he had forgiven earlier, saying “You wicked slave! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. Should you not have had the mercy on your fellow slave, as I had mercy on you?” This shows that mercy is a virtue and that, without it, you will be punished for eternity in the kingdom of God.

c. Why is Matthew’s Jesus so hostile toward the Pharisees (23:1-39): what are they doing wrong and how does Matthew characterize them as opponents of God (23:29-39)?

Matthew’s Jesus is so hostile toward the Pharisees because he sees them as hypocrites and lawless individuals. He says in verse 4, “They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on the shoulders of others; but they themselves are unwilling to lift a finger to move them.” He then goes on to discredit the Pharisees’ titles, saying that they are not to be called rabbi, fathers, or instructors because there is only one teacher and one father who is God, and one instructor who is the Messiah. He also criticizes them for turning new converts into children of hell. Matthew characterizes the Pharisees as opponents of God by calling them snakes, which eludes to the evil snake in the story of Adam and Eve.