Background
- Known as the “first gospel”
• Not the first gospel composed
• Matthew’s gospel was the first book listed in the New
Testament Canon
• Placed first of the four gospels
- Doubts about the authorship:
1.) Contains about 80% of Mark’s
Gospel
2.) Was originally written in Greek

Background
Why was it printed as the first gospel?
- Christians believed it was composed by one of Jesus’ own apostles
- Well ordered
- Contains detailed teaching lessons
• Especially in Christian ethics
- Emphasis on fulfillment of Old
Testament prophesy
• Great link between Old and New
Testament

Background
- Written after the gospel of Mark
- Composed by a Jewish-Christian for a predominantly Jewish-Christian audience
- The author assumes that his audience knows Jewish customs
• Number symbolism
• Uses Hebrew terms without explanation

Background
Themes in Matthew’s Gospel:
-Judgement
-Jesus is Emmanuel
-Discipleship
-Church
-Right Instruction

Comparing Mark & Matthew
Mark
- Begins with Jesus’ public ministry
- Jesus reluctantly accepted Peter’s confession of him as the Christ
- Apostles are slow to understand Jesus is the Messiah
- Ends with no resurrection appearance by Jesus
Matthew
- Begins with genealogy of Jesus, tracing him to David and Abraham
- Next is the infancy narratives
- Peter identifies Jesus as Messiah and Son of God. Jesus praises Peter
- Apostles understand after “walking on water”
- Concludes with two resurrection appearances

Jesus the Teacher
- Matthew portrays Jesus as
•
Sole teacher worthy of our obedience
• A new Moses who brings a new law to God’s people
- Gospel arranged into five discourses:
1.) Love and forgiveness
2.) Standing up to ridicule
3.) Pursuing God’s kingdom with single-minded devotion
4.) Trusting God
5.) Prayer and sharing with the needy

Jesus the Teacher
Discourse One - Sermon on the Mount
- First and most important of the five discourses in gospel
- Summarizes the New Law of the gospel
• A law of love, grace, and freedom
- Collects Jesus’ ethical teachings in one place
- Directed towards Christians and those who have accepted the gospel

Jesus the Teacher
Discourse One - Sermon on the Mount, Cont.
Six examples to show importance of a changed heart (an interior attitude for love of God and neighbors):
1.) We must not murder
2.) We must not commit adultery
3.) We must not take idle oaths or swear
4.) We must not seek revenge
5.) We must have a right attitude
6.) We must not judge others/ pray in trust

Jesus the Teacher
Discourse Two - Sharing the Faith with Others
- Jesus instructs his apostles to imitate his ministry
• To preach the kingdom to the Chosen People in a spirit of poverty
- Apostles are promised:
• Holy Spirit will help them stand firm and testify courageously
• God will watch over them with love and tenderness
We should never forget that belonging to Jesus means that we will inevitably suffer for him

Jesus the Teacher
Discourse Three - Parables about the Kingdom
- Parable: short story drawn from ordinary life that makes a comparison with a religious message
• Discourse contains seven parables that reveal the nature of the kingdom of heaven
Allegory: sustained comparison where many story elements correspond to some reality outside the story (Parable of Sower)

Jesus the Teacher
Discourse Three -
Parables about the Kingdom, Cont.
- Parables found in Matthew’s Gospel
• Parable of the mustard seed
• Parable of the yeast
• Parables of the treasure in the field and the
“pearl of great price”
• Parables of the weeds among the wheat
• Parable of the Sower

Jesus the Teacher
Discourse Four - Jesus Founds and Instructs the Church
- Jesus is the head of the Church: its guide and model
• He continues to rule, guide, teach, and sanctify it through his appointed leaders
- Matthew 16:18-19
• Jesus instituted the Catholic Church
• Appoints Peter as its earthly leader
- Christ’s clear intent was to establish a hierarchical Church
- Today, the Holy Father is the successor to Peter

Jesus the Teacher
Discourse Five - The Final Judgement
- “Eschatological” discourse
• Means end time
• Theme of discourse involves the end of the Temple, end of the world, and judgement on the Last Day
-We should always be ready for the Lord’s return
-Parable of the talents
• Make good use of the time the Lord has given us
-Concludes with famous parable of judgement at the end of time, unique to Matthew

Challenging Judaism
- Mathew has the most references to the Old Testament and Judaism
• Critical of Judaism in several places
-Anti-Semitism is a form of prejudice
• Pope John Paul II made it clear that to be anti-Semitic is to be anti-Christian
-Matthew 23 reflects the religious turmoil within Judaism
• Matthew is trying to win over his fellow Jews to the view that Jesus fulfills the promises made to Israel