Matt and Luke: STUDY GUIDE
Gospel of Matthew: Called to be like Jesus
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The first book and Gospel in the New Testament;
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Matthew is the Bridge connecting the Hebrew and Christian Scriptures (OT and NT)
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Matthew's Gospel traces Jesus' genealogy back to Abraham and David to show his Jewish audience how Jesus
fulfills the prophecies of the Old Testament.
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Jesus is the Christ the Greek word for "anointed".
Vocabulary
(a) Christ: the Greek word for "anointed"
(b) Incarnation: "God made flesh"
(c) Kingdom of Heaven: belongs to those who perform the spiritual and corporal works of mercy.
Background
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Matthew is a Jewish Author writing his Gospel primarily to Jewish Christians, who were well acquainted with the
Hebrew Scriptures.
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Matthew uses many Old Testament references throughout his Gospel to 'prove' his argument that Jesus is the
Messiah through his teaching.
The Temptation Narrative:
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Three values of Jesus:
(a) obeying the word of God
(b) faith in God's power and promises
(c) worship and service to God
The Infancy Narratives in Matthew and Luke:
(a) Jesus is the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecies. Jesus is the Messiah, the fulfillment of the divine plan.
(b) Jesus is both fully human and fully divine. The incarnation (God made flesh) calls us to share in this mystery, to
become like Jesus.
(c) God loves us so much that God became one of us to show us how to love each other, as God loves us.
(d) God became one of us to lead us back to God.
(e) Through Jesus, the mystery of the incarnation, humanity and divinity are joined together.
Similarities between Matthew and Luke’s Gospels:
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Genealogy:
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MT traces to Abraham & David;
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LK traces to Adam
Infancy Narratives:
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MARY conceives Jesus through the power of the Holy Spirit
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Jesus is born in Bethlehem and raised in Nazareth
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MT:Magi, LK:shepherds come to adore baby Jesus
Beatitudes:
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MT: Sermon on the Mount;
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LK: Sermon on the Plain
The Beatitudes: The Sermon on the Mount
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The values of Jesus:
(a) dependence on God
(b) compassion, humility, righteousness, mercy, honesty
(c) peace and service
(d) standing up for the truth
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Matthew presents Jesus at The Sermon on the Mount; The Beatitudes to draw a parallel to Moses on Mount Sinai;
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The Ten Commandments (Jesus is the New Moses)
Beatitude Values: According to the Beatitudes, true happiness is found in God, not things.
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As the value system taught and lived by Jesus,
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Beatitudes express how God expects people to live in relationship with one another.
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The Beatitudes are an expression of the law of the Ten Commandments.
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Both teachings offer practical guidance for living in faithfulness to God. While the Ten Commandments express the
fundamental law of God, the Beatitudes yield an understanding of the law of love that promotes attitudes of
justice and compassion.
The Judgment of the Nations: (The Parable of the sheep & goats)
(a) The kingdom of heaven belongs to those who perform the spiritual and corporal works of mercy. It is a kingdom of
peace, love, joy, and justice.
(b) According to the parable, we are to be agents of justice in the world.
(c) We are to treat every human as our neighbor, made in the image and likeness of God.
(d) the sheep represent people who base their lives on the values of Jesus
(e) the goats represent people who base their lives on the values of the world
The Gospel of Luke: Called to take Risks
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According to Luke; Jesus is the universal savior of the world.
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Luke's Gospel stretches us to open our heart, soul, strength, and mind to remove any boundaries that hinder us
from seeing the presence of GOD.
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Luke is a Gentile author writing to a primarily Gentile audience.
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Jesus’ genealogy demonstrates that Jesus’ family can be traced back to Adam, showing that Jesus is the savior of
all humankind, Jews and Gentiles alike.
Background:
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Many Jews in the days of Jesus equated living as God’s people with keeping the law, specifically the Ten
Commandments. The Pharisees especially espoused the importance of strict obedience to the law. There was
another tradition from the book of Deuteronomy that equated living as God’s people with loving God and one’s
neighbor.
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Jesus taught that love should be the basis for keeping God’s law.
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What is most important is that we live with love toward God and toward our neighbor.
Vocabulary:
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Shema: a Jewish profession of faith that is recited daily by all Jews. It says to love God with all one’s heart, soul,
and might.
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Anawim: are those who are materially and spiritually poor and seeking God. Among the anawim in Luke’s Gospel are
the outcasts of society, the poor, rejected, persecuted, sick, sinners and women. According to Luke, God chooses
the humble and powerless, (anawim) to bring about salvation.
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Parousia: a Greek word meaning "presence." In the New Testament, this word is used to describe the Second
Coming of Christ at the end of the world. At the parousia, final judgment will take place. Unlike the order in our
world, the rich and powerful will not necessarily occupy the best places in God’s Kingdom. Instead, the
expectations of the world will be reversed. God will choose the humble and powerless to bring about salvation.
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Table Fellowship: those who shared a meal were considered to be extended family. Sharing food (table fellowship)
was a sign of acceptance, unity and closeness.
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Companion: It refers to someone with whom bread is shared or someone with whom you share a meal. "with bread"
Luke focuses on the following themes:
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The Power of The Holy Spirit: The Spirit worked throughout the life and ministry of Jesus.
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The Spirit continues to work in our midst as we live the mission of Jesus and the mission of the Church in our daily
lives. Just as the Holy Spirit was present in creation and throughout the Old Testament, so the Holy Spirit is
present in the life and person of Jesus. The same Spirit continues to work in the Church throughout history. Luke
cites the Holy Spirit at every step of Jesus’ journey, from conception through infancy, childhood, baptism,
temptation, to the beginning of his public ministry.
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Mary in Luke’s Gospel:
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When Mary was chosen as the mother of Jesus, although she was afraid, she trusted God and put her faith in him
and said "yes." Mary is the link in salvation history between the Old and New Testaments. Mary is a model of
discipleship for Christians. Mary is a symbol that we are called to be God’s servants and bring Jesus to the world,
with trust in God and our hearts full of praise and joy.
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Mary’s Song of thanksgiving states her confidence that God will change the conditions that cause people to be
victims of poverty and injustice. Very similar to Hannah’s Son in the Old Testament. (Hannah’s Song: 1 Samuel 2:110 and Mary’s Song of Praise: Luke 1:46-55)
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Jesus brings good news to the poor by his words, actions and table fellowship. Table fellowship is a way that Jesus
connects the anawim with God’s kingdom. They are invited to the heavenly banquet.
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The social world during Jesus’ time was arranged according to power and privilege. God was thought to favor the
rich and powerful, because they were healthy and wealthy, and thought to be blessed by God.
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Women: play a prominent role in Luke’s Gospel and it is unusual because women were oppressed and excluded from
many occupations and groups in the days of Jesus. Luke shows that women, too, are made in God’s image, are saved
by Jesus and play a prominent role in carrying Jesus’ mission.
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Meals: in Luke’s Gospel: Jesus shared meals with Pharisees, scribes, tax collectors, sinful women, and other
sinners. The critics complained that Jesus was too inclusive.
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Loving your neighbor in Luke’s Gospel:
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The story of the Good Samaritan shocked Jesus’ listeners because they distrusted and hated Samaritans, and the
Samaritan was the good neighbor and the hero of the story. Some people (especially the Pharisees) believed that
religious righteousness was tied with keeping strict observance of the law. Religious purity and other laws
regarding people who were "unfaithful" or "not worthy" were much more important to them than interpreting these
laws in light of God and love of neighbor.
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We "pass by" people in our society because of sexism, racism, ageism, or prejudice about disabilities, and
socioeconomic class. We are also too busy to care or take the time for those in need. Through the example and
ministry of Jesus, we can break the barriers of social division with love, compassion, and generosity of spirit
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Jesus gave the Apostles "The Lord’s Prayer" when they asked him to teach them to pray.