Reading the Gospels Together The Storyline of Luke’s Gospel – Part 11 Like Mark, Luke now has Jesus at the summit of the Mount of Olives at the towns of Bethphage and Bethany. Luke follows Mark in telling of the sending out of two disciples to find a colt for Jesus ride upon as he enters the city. Luke’s story of Jesus entering into Jerusalem is somewhat more dramatic than Mark’s was and he tells his readers that the Pharisees notice and command Jesus to tell his disciples to be silent. Jesus refuses saying that if they were to be silent the stones would cry out. At this point, Luke inserts a reprise of Jesus weeping over the city of Jerusalem. Luke had already told that story once while Jesus was journeying toward Jerusalem, but he reminds his readers of it here. The passion of Jesus is highlighted and Luke’s main theme comes to the fore. Luke tells the story in such a way that he depicts the very scene of the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans in 70 AD. Josephus gives the same description in greater detail. The city is surrounded and siege works are placed against it and the outcome is that not one stone is left upon another. Luke’s first readers would likely have noted the scene and remembered that it did happen in 70 AD just as Jesus had said it would. And then Luke adds the verdict. This has happened because the people “did not recognize the time of their visitation from God!” Luke changes Mark’s storyline a bit by telling of Jesus entering the Temple and cleansing it on the same day as he entered Jerusalem. Luke’s version is shorter than Mark’s and less dramatic and Luke mentions nothing about the fig tree withering. And Luke adds a note to his gospel that seems to indicate that he views Jesus as teaching for many days in the Temple. The way in which Mark told the story Jesus would have entered Jerusalem on a Sunday, cleansed the Temple on Monday, argued with the Religious leaders on Tuesday and perhaps Wednesday, made preparation for the Passover on Thursday, ate the Passover that night which would have become Friday at sundown, was crucified on Friday and raised on the next Sunday. Luke is much vaguer about the timeline and says that Jesus was teaching in the Temple many days. He stretches out the Temple Controversy for a longer period of time. When we come to John’s storyline we will discover that he envisions the Temple Controversy lasting for about five months. We will need to notice this later. Luke does follow Mark quite closely the content of the Temple Controversy; however, he does seem to remove the Pharisees from the scene. The controversy begins with the chief priests, teachers of the Law, and the elders question Jesus about his authority to cleanse the Temple. Next Jesus tells the parable of the owner of the vineyard followed by an attempt of the teachers of the Law to trap Jesus with the question about paying taxes. Next, the Sadducees question Jesus about the resurrection. Luke omits the material in which Jesus identifies the greatest commandment and moves on to Jesus’ own question about how the Messiah can be David’s Lord and son. The controversy ends with Jesus warning of regarding the hypocrisy of the teachers of the Law and Jesus praise of the widow’s offering. All of this is much like Mark’s storyline with the few modifications noted. Jesus now speaks to his disciples about the destruction of the Temple and of Jerusalem. Luke follows Mark quite closely but he omits the part of Mark that he had moved forward in his narrative of the journey to Jerusalem. Luke has been following Mark rather closely for some time. At the very end of the narrative about the destruction of Jerusalem, Luke adds some significant words telling his readers that Jesus had spent days teaching in the Temple and spending his nights at the Mount of Olives. We are reminded once again that Luke has stretched out the Temple Controversy and having Jesus spend much more time in Jerusalem than Mark did. We noted earlier that perhaps Luke was aware of a greater ministry of Jesus in Jerusalem. We will need to note this as we begin comparing the storylines of all four gospels.

Reading the Gospels Together The Storyline of Luke’s Gospel – Part 10 Luke now does an interesting thing with his storyline. He takes some of the material that will be a part of Mark’s dialogue between Jesus and his disciples about the destruction of the Temple and the coming end and moves it forward in his gospel. We have seen before how Luke moves things forward from where they were in Mark’s gospel. Here he is addressing ahead of time the concern about the coming of the kingdom. And Luke’s point is a huge one. He tells his readers that the kingdom that is coming is already now within them. They are not to look for it “out there” but “inside” themselves. Luke is addressing the delay in the return of Jesus. He does not deny that there will be a return but that in the meantime we are to know that the kingdom is already here. Luke will tell two more parables before he will return and pick up Mark’s gospel once again. The first parable is meant to encourage disciples to be persistent in prayer. And the second is about the need for humility before God as a tax collector and Pharisee are the main characters of the parable. Only Luke has these two parables. They are part of a collection of material that Luke wants to share with his readers that is not found in Mark’s gospel. So, we have observed that Luke has interrupted Mark’s tightly constructed narrative of Jesus instructing his disciples regarding the need to understand that Jesus will be the Crucified Messiah and that in seeing this reality their eyes will be opened. Since Luke has inserted such a large amount of material into Mark, Mark’s intentions all but disappear. But we are far better off with all the wonderful material Luke provides us. With the story of Jesus blessing the children, Luke returns to Mark’s storyline and will stick closely to it for the rest of his gospel. Like Mark, Luke follows the story of the blessing of the children with a story about the dangers of wealth – a familiar theme for Luke. Then he continues with Mark’s third “passion prediction” only this time Luke leaves out Mark’s story of how Jesus’ prediction of his death is misunderstood since Luke does not tell the story of James and John wanting the places of honor his Jesus’ kingdom. We have noticed how Luke places the disciples in a far more positive light than Mark. He also left out the story of Peter’s rebuke. But, having left out James and John, Luke continues with Mark’s story of the healing of a blind man at Jericho. Luke’s version is shorter and leaves out the name, Bartimeaus, but we can be sure it is the same story. Mark had told the story of the healing of the blind man as Jesus was leaving Jericho. Luke tells the story as Jesus enters and then goes on to tell a story only he provides his readers – the story of Zacchaeus, a rich tax collector who become as follower of Jesus. Luke is often tough on the rich and told the sad story of a rich man who ends up in the fires of hell because he does not notice the poor man, Lazarus; and also the story of another rich man who leaves in sadness rather than give up his wealth to follow Jesus. The story of Zacchaeus has a different outcome and brings hope that even the rich can find a place in God’s kingdom. At this point Luke inserts into Mark’s storyline a story he shares with Matthew. But Luke’s and Matthew’s versions of this story are very different and likely have opposite outcomes. Luke adds to the story the news of a tyrant who goes to a far country to receive his kingdom. In the meantime he has charged the people of his would be kingdom to earn money for him. Upon his return he blesses two who have earned money for him and condemns a third who has not. And when Jesus tells his audience that the tyrant will take even what the third person has and give it to the one who made the most, they protest, “God forbid!” Most of the time we think of the two who earned more as the heroes of the story, but perhaps we need to read Luke more closely. Could it be that Luke is really turning this story around? The story sounds a lot like Herod Archelaus going to Rome to receive the kingdom after the death of his father, Herod the great. In that story the people did not want Archelaus to become their ruler, but he does receive at least a part of the kingdom and upon his return kills many who had opposed him. Perhaps Luke has this story in mind and his point is not to make more in order to be a hero but to resist the tyrant and not do his bidding. An interesting story we will need to ponder more at a later time.

Reading the Gospels Together The Storyline of Luke’s Gospel – Part 9 At this point Luke creates for his readers one of the most powerful chapters in the Bible. The audience is the religious leaders who are grumbling because Jesus welcomes outcasts and sinners. In answer to their grumbling, Luke joins together three parables of Jesus. The first parable Luke shares with Matthew. It is about the shepherd who searches for the one lost sheep even though he already has 99 sheep safely in the fold. The second parable is found only in Luke but it sounds a lot like the first. A woman tears her house apart to find one lost coin even though she already has 9 others. And the third parable is the most powerful of all. A father has two sons. The younger asks his father for his inheritance even before his father is dead and gets it. He leaves home and squanders all he has. In desperation he returns hoping to become a slave in his father’s house. But the father welcomes him back as a son. And here is the point of the parable. The older brother who stayed home refuses to welcome his brother back as a brother. Will he finally come and join the celebration? Luke leaves the question open-ended for his readers. And the point is that Jesus welcomes sinners and outcast. Will his followers welcome them too? Welcoming the visitation of God to his people turns on whether or not we are willing to receive God as a gracious forgiver of sinners or not. The next parable that Luke tells is as ambiguous as the last three parables were clear and forthright. No one seems to be able to understand this parable. Luke’s purpose for placing that parable at this point in his story slips by his interpreters – at least at this point in time. Perhaps his first readers understood, but most of us are left wanting. Luke ends the parable by telling us once again of the threat of wealth to keep one from the kingdom. And the Pharisees react in rejection of Jesus because they loved money. This leads Luke into another parable only he will tell his readers. The dangers of wealth are abundantly apparent in this parable. The rich man has the opportunity to help a man in need but he fails to see him. And so he ends up in torment while the poor man ends up in the bosom of Abraham. Even there the rich man sees himself in charge as he asks that the poor man be sent to care for him. But that is no longer possible. And then, in words that drip with irony, he asks that the poor man be sent back to his brothers to warn them. Certainly if someone rose from the dead people would listen. But Jesus ends the parable by saying that if they are not willing to listen to Moses then they will never listen if someone were to rise from the dead. Of course Jesus will rise – will they listen? The collection of stories continues. Luke dips back into Mark briefly to tell of the dangers of becoming a stumbling block and of the need to forgive someone who asks forgiveness even if you need to forgive him seven times. Readers might remember that Mark had placed this material in a different context and called for forgiving seventy times seven times. Near the end of his gospel when the disciples were marveling over the withered fig tree Jesus had told his disciples that if they had faith like a mustard seed they could tell a mountain to get up and move into the sea. Here Jesus tells them if they have such faith they can tell a bush to do the same. Luke is focusing on discipleship and so he tells his readers that they are to be servants who expect nothing from their master. They are to do what they are called to do. Luke now reminds his readers once again that Jesus is journeying to Jerusalem, once again on the border between Samaria and Galilee. On the way he is met by ten lepers. Jesus directs them to go and show themselves to the priests and on the way they are healed. One, a Samaritan, returns to give thanks to God.

Reading the Gospels Together The Storyline of Luke’s Gospel – Part 8 The next story is about some people who tell Jesus about some Galileans who were killed by Pilate and is joined with a story about some people killed when a tower accidently falls upon them. Jesus interprets both actions as opportunities to repent. And then Luke tells the parable of the man who wants to destroy a fig tree that has been unproductive. The gardener convinces him to give it one more year. This story is followed by another in which a woman who has been bent over for eighteen years who is healed by Jesus on the Sabbath. The event brings the condemnation of the religious leaders. All of these stories are unique to Luke and likely serve him to provide evidence once again of reception and rejection. Luke now picks up a couple of parables, one of which he had omitted earlier from Mark’s storyline and another he shares with Matthew. Both are about the way in which the kingdom of God, though small and perhaps unimportant in appearance, is nonetheless powerful and will accomplish what God intends. We were wondering when Luke would get back to the journey of Jesus to Jerusalem. As if he was aware that his readers might be wondering about this, Luke interjects that Jesus was traveling through town and villages on his way toward Jerusalem. Luke does not tell his readers whether these towns and villages were in Galilee or not. One can’t help but wonder if Luke had at his disposal a whole host of stories about Jesus that were not set in Galilee and were thus eliminated from Mark’s collection of stories. It is tempting to come to a conclusion like this since John will provide for his readers a storyline in which Jesus will spend a great deal of time in Judea and not Galilee. And we may have noticed that Luke does seem to have some connection to John that the other synoptic writers do not have. But perhaps this is too much conjecture since Luke does not provide locations for these stories. Having given this information, that Jesus is indeed still on his journey to Jerusalem, Luke returns to his theme of rejection or reception. The question is asked if few or many will be saved. The implication of Jesus’ answer is that there will be few. That may be a troubling answer for Luke’s readers. How will his readers know if they are among those who will enter? Luke’s answer is that the first will be last and the last first. Jesus came to preach good news to the poor, to set the captives free, and to proclaim liberty to the oppressed. If his readers do not see themselves among those in need then they likely will not see themselves as entering the kingdom. Once more Luke reminds his readers of the destiny of Jesus as he tells a story of some Pharisees who come to warn Jesus that Herod is out to kill him. It is interesting that those who come to warn Jesus are Pharisees. We are reminded of Luke’s earlier concern that there were those among the people of Israel who did welcome Jesus and look for his coming. Luke will tell us of more Pharisees who will be believers – chief among them is Paul, but that is the story of Acts. Here the warning provides Jesus with an opportunity to point toward Jerusalem and repeat that Jerusalem is his destiny. The words are suggestive. Three days are mentioned. The whole story points toward the passion narrative Luke will tell. And in the midst of this story Luke provides the passionate words of Jesus as he laments over Jerusalem. Matthew also knew these words and he has Jesus share them in the midst of Jerusalem just before he is betrayed. Luke will repeat this scene as Jesus comes to the brow of the Mount of Olives and overlooks that city. But even here, in the midst of the journey Jesus laments that those who God wanted to gather would not. They were not able to recognize the visitation of God to his people – and so they are lost. For a third time Luke tells his readers that Jesus went to eat in the house of a Pharisee. Once again it is the Sabbath and Jesus heals a man with swollen arms. The story sounds a lot like the story Luke had told earlier when he was following Mark’s storyline. That story was of a man with a withered hand. There the religious leaders had become intent on doing Jesus harm. Here the story ends only with amazement. Still at the banquet Jesus addresses the question of social hospitality. Jesus tells his followers that they are to invite those who cannot repay the social grace of a meal. Again the concern for the poor is at the forefront of the story. Luke remembers the purpose of Jesus’ coming – to preach good news to the poor. And the meal concludes with the parable of the man who arranged a banquet and invited his guests. Some of those guests refused to come since they had other more important things to do. And Jesus reminds his readers that the same may be true for those who do not welcome God’s coming. The parable is once again about rejection of reception. Luke joins to this banquet some words of Jesus to his followers about the cost of being a disciple and warns them to count the cost – that cost will be everything.

Reading the Gospels Together The Storyline of Luke’s Gospel – Part 7 Luke moves on to a new day and tells of the disciples of Jesus asking him to teach them to pray just as John the baptist taught his disciples to pray. This is one more connection between Jesus and John. Jesus proceeds to teach his disciples a simply prayer we have come to know as the Lord’s Prayer. Luke’s version is shorter than Matthew’s but it recognizably the same prayer and likely was found in the material Matthew and Luke shared. Matthew had placed this prayer in the first of Jesus’ discourse in his gospel – the Sermon on the Mount. Luke emphasizes the need for persistence and trust in prayer by telling a parable of a man who is finally convinced to answer the need of his friend. And Luke says God is far more willing to answer prayer than this friend. He adds to the parable some words he shares with Matthew about asking, seeking, and knocking and how just as a parent gives good things to their children so God gives good things to those who ask. Luke now goes back in picks up an episode from Mark’s gospel he had dropped out earlier. It’s the story of the religious leaders accusing Jesus of casting out demons by the power of Satan. We may remember that Mark had imbedded the story of Jesus’ own family thinking he was crazy in the midst of this story which is likely one of the main reasons Luke dropped the story earlier. But he finds use for it now – without the part about Jesus’ family. Rejection and welcome are two themes of this section of his gospel and this is a prime story of rejection. Luke will add to it a story he shares with Matthew about the unclean spirit that returns to his former home and matters are worse than before. Luke now adds a short story only he tells. It’s of a woman who thinks the woman who bore Jesus is blessed. Jesus tells her that the truly blessed are those who hear the word of God and obey. Once again the theme is welcoming the visitation of God. Luke now begins a long section on the rejection of Jesus by the religious leaders. Most of this material he shares with Matthew. The first story is of the demand of the people of that day that Jesus give them a miracle. Jesus has already done lots of miracles. But miracles do not necessary lead to faith or reception of Jesus. And Jesus refuses to give them a miracle but does give sign – the sign of Jonah whose word to the people of Nineveh brought repentance to them. Jesus also points to the Queen of Sheba who saw the greatness of Solomon. Gentiles were able to see when God’s own people did not. The story is one of rejection. Jesus now uses what might be thought of as a parable to point out that if the eye is sound the whole body is full of light. Again the point has to do with reception or rejection. And then Luke tells of Jesus going to another meal – this time in the home of a Pharisee. Jesus has been at a meal in the house of a Pharisee before. Only Luke puts Jesus in these settings. In the house a dispute arises about ritual cleanliness. We might remember that in the “great omission” from Mark, Luke had omitted a similar situation from Mark’s gospel. Perhaps this is a shortened version of what we find in Mark, or perhaps Luke has another source from which he received this material. At any rate the point is once again the rejection by the religious leaders of Jesus. Again sharing words that are found in Matthew, Luke provides his readers with a series of woes given by Jesus regarding the hypocrisy of the teachers of the Law. The episode ends with the teachers of the Law plotting to trap Jesus. Jesus now addressed his followers and warns them about the hypocrisy of the religious leaders and tells them that they are not to fear them but rather to fear God. And the whole section ends with Jesus assuring his followers that those who welcome him will be welcomed by him in heaven. Welcome and rejection are the twin themes of this section. At this point Luke moves on to address another threat to discipleship – the threat of wealth. He begins with a parable of Jesus about a rich man who is abundantly blessed. But he is not rich toward God and in the end he loses all he has. Luke’s Jesus is very aware of the power of wealth to captivate and overcome those who possess it. Only Luke tells this parable of the wealthy man who gains the whole world but loses his soul. Luke adds to this parable the words of Jesus to his followers not to worry about food or clothing or any of the other need of this world but rather to seek God’s kingdom trusting that God will provide. And then Jesus tells his followers not to be afraid but to rejoice that it is his father’s good pleasure to give them the kingdom. Jesus says the powerful words – “where you treasure is there will your heart be also.” How we regard the things of this world matters. Luke now moves on to the concern about the end of all things. He tells his readers of Jesus’ command to his follower to be ready at all times and to have their lamps burning. Readers of Luke gospel can’t help but remember Matthew’s parable about the ten virgins as they hear this story. Is there perhaps a common story that lies behind both Luke and Matthew? Luke’s point is to be ready at all time since we cannot know when the master will come. This story is followed by another like it with the same theme. And that is followed by a warning that Jesus does not come to bring peace but division. After telling his readers to be wise regarding the times Luke concludes this section with a call to settle affairs with ones opponents. Much of this material Luke shares with Matthew although Matthew has put it all in various places in his gospel. Readers of Luke’s gospel may have noticed by now that Luke is drawing together a whole series of episode that seem somewhat unrelated and events which would fit into almost any context. The “journey motif” seems to have been left to the side and one wonder if this is a “travelogue” or something else. Luke will continue to provide stories and teachings for a while until he will finally return to the destiny of Jesus.

Reading the Gospels Together The Storyline of Luke’s Gospel – Part 6 After the first and second sequence of Jesus telling of his impending suffering, death, and resurrection followed by the transfiguration and the healing of the epileptic boy followed by a second prediction of suffering, death, and resurrection followed by the disciples’ arguing about who is the greatest and John’s suggestion that someone driving out demons in Jesus’ name should be stopped because he is not part of the inner group, Luke will move away from Mark’s story in significant ways. Mark had told his readers that Jesus had taken his disciples to the farthest north section of Galilee where Peter had made his great confession and then slowly began to move through Galilee toward Jerusalem. Luke does not mention the journey to Caesarea Philippi or provide any location for the first events. But after the second passion prediction Luke tells his readers that Jesus and his disciples are already at the border between Galilee and Samaria. Luke will now insert a large section into Mark’s storyline most of which is unique to Luke although some of it he also shares with Matthew. Matthew had put much of this material in his Sermon on the Mount. In many ways, beginning with this episode and continuing through the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem, Luke has created a lengthy “travelogue” that serves at least three purposes in his narrative. First of all Luke makes clear that Jesus is destined to go to Jerusalem to accomplish God’s will for him and for all people – this destiny is “the visitation of God to his people.” The second purpose is to provide examples of some who welcome that visitation and others who do not. And a third purpose is to provide for his readers a definition of what discipleship consist. In this third purpose, Luke is doing something a little like Matthew did in his five discourses. We will need to pay attention to how Luke works these purposes into his narrative. Luke begins by providing his readers with some important information only they will know – the characters in the story are not privileged to have this information. Luke tells his readers that the time was drawing near when Jesus would be taken up into heaven and that Jesus had made up his mind to go to Jerusalem. In his version of the transfiguration story Luke had given the content of the message that Moses and Elijah had delivered to Jesus on the mountain – Jesus was told of the “exodus” that he would accomplish in Jerusalem. So Luke makes it clear that the destiny of Jesus is Jerusalem and that he will accomplish the deliverance of God’s people there. Jesus begins the journey to his destiny. The beginning is without success. Jesus is rejected by the Samaritans in this story precisely because he is heading for Jerusalem. Luke is very aware of the hostility between Samaritans and Jews and will need to see how he deals with that hostility. Luke now provides his readers of three examples of people who seem to desire to be followers of Jesus but they are unable because they underestimate how challenging that will be. Matthew had also provided his readers with the challenges of being a missionary. He and Luke share this material. Next Luke tells his readers of a second missionary journey. This time seventy-two others – not part of the Twelve – who are sent as missionaries. Only Luke tells of this second missionary journey and it sounds a lot like the first journey of Jesus’ disciples which was also told by Mark and Matthew. Readers may remember that Matthew had introduced that missionary journey by telling his readers of Jesus’ lament that the harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Here Luke provides his readers with that lament. In the middle of this second missionary journey Luke shares Jesus’ condemnation of the cities of Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum which is material he also shares with Matthew. Much of Jesus’ ministry had happened in these cities but unfortunately, it seems, they had not welcomed his visitation. After sharing the words of condemnation Jesus returns to report on the success of the seventy-two. They misinterpret their success and Jesus warns them to be glad not so much because they have power over evil spirits but because their names are written in heaven. Again sharing words that are also found in Matthew, Luke tells his readers that only those whom he chooses will know the Father and he has chosen them. These words, as we noted when we were looking at Matthew’s storyline sound much like many of the words in John’s gospel. These are not exactly comforting words since they seem to indicate that we do not have anything to do with whether or not we will be included. There is mystery in becoming a disciple. And Jesus tells these disciples that many longed to see what they see but could not. But they are blessed to see. Those who welcome to visitation of God to his people will be blessed to see. Luke now tells two stories that are unique to his gospel. The first is the familiar parable of the Good Samaritan. The last time we heard of the Samaritans they were rejecting Jesus because he was on his way to Jerusalem. But the hero of this parable is a Samaritan. Some reject, some welcome. We have noticed before that one of Jesus’ main concerns in Luke’s gospel is for the poor, the oppressed, and the needy. Jesus came to bring good news to the poor and to set free the captive and oppressed. Luke has not forgotten that concern – it is the main point of the parable. Luke follows up this parable with a story of a visit by Jesus to the home of two sisters – Mary and Martha. Neither Mark nor Matthew ever mentions Mary or Martha. But John does. In fact, Mary and Martha and their brother Lazarus play in important role in John’s gospel. Are Luke and John talking about the same family? The most logical conclusion is that they are. They both know at least Mary and Martha. John tells his readers that Mary, Martha and Lazarus lived at Bethany – a town on the summit of the Mount of Olives, just a mile east of Jerusalem. If Luke and John are talking about the same Mary and Martha then Luke brings Jesus to the outskirts of Jerusalem long before Mark could ever have envisioned him arriving there. But, we need to remember that Luke had already brought Jesus to the border between Samaria and Galilee as he began his “travelogue.” Jesus had also just told a parable of a man journeying from Jerusalem to Jericho which is a journey that would have made much more sense to an audience nearer those two cities than one back in Galilee. Perhaps what this indicates is that Luke is aware that Jesus’ ministry was not as confined to Galilee as Mark characterizes it – something that will become even more evident in John’s gospel. The story of Mary and Martha is really a story of welcoming the visitation of God. Mary has the better part because she sits at Jesus’ feet to learn from him. Martha is not totally rejected but she is warned that those who are too busy with activities might miss out. Is this Luke’s way of pointing out that religious activity for its own sake is useless?

Reading the Gospels Together The Storyline of Luke’s Gospel – Part 5 Luke now introduces his readers to an activity Jesus will engage in more and more as Luke’s gospel unfolds – Jesus attends a meal. This meal is in the house of a Pharisee named Simon. And in the process of the meal a sinful woman comes in and anoints the feet of Jesus with perfume and tears and dries them with her hair. How will Jesus react to this? Simon expects that Jesus will reject her because she is a sinner. Instead Jesus uses her as a prime witness of the joy of forgiveness. Simon is ultimately convicted by his own words. The one who is forgiven much loves much. Jesus sides with the sinners. Where did Luke find this story? Likely he found it at the end of Mark’s gospel where Mark tells of a woman at Bethany who comes and anoints Jesus for his burial. Luke will omit that story when he comes to that part of his storyline. Likely he has moved the story here and changed its meaning to demonstrated Jesus love for sinners – and sinner’s recognition of Jesus who comes to set free those who are bound and to release those who are captive. She is an example of how Jesus fulfills the vision of Isaiah. Luke follows up this story of the anointing of a sinful woman to tell his readers that there were many women who followed Jesus from Galilee and provided for him in his ministry. More than any other gospel writer Luke highlights women in his story. Here he names several, some of whom will appear at the tomb and witness the resurrection. At this point in his storyline Luke is going to return to his use of Mark’s gospel. When Luke was last using Mark it was to provide his readers with the choosing of the twelve Apostles. Following that story Mark moves on to tell his readers about how the religious leaders reject Jesus and accuse him of acting by the power of Satan. And in the middle of that story Mark interjects his surprising story of how Jesus’ own family think he is crazy and come to take him home. That was a shocking and confusing story for readers of Mark’s gospel. Mark’s episode ends with Jesus’ mother and brothers on the outside while Jesus identifies his true family as those who do his will. Once Mark has dropped this bombshell on his readers he moves on to tell of the parables of Jesus. Luke omits the story of the accusation of the religious leaders that Jesus operates under the direction of Satan – a story he will pick up later. And Luke omits completely Mark’s contention that the family of Jesus thinks he is crazy and come to take him home. Like Matthew, Luke will never tell that story. He moves on directly to the parable of the sower and the rest of Mark’s parables. Luke follows Mark very closely at this point. He tells the same parables and the same interpretation of parables as tools of Jesus to conceal rather than reveal. This is very interesting since later on his gospel Luke will tell a number of parables only he tells and all of them will reveal. But the point here is that Luke is following Mark quite closely. At the conclusion of the parable section Luke inserts the story of Jesus’ family coming to see him; but, like Matthew, Luke uses the story more to expand the family of Jesus than to serve as a sign of rejection by Jesus’ family. Still following Mark, Luke now tells the story of Jesus and his disciples on a boat on the sea when a storm arises. Luke follows this story with the healing of the demoniac on the banks of the Sea of Galilee. Still following Mark the story moves back across the sea where Jesus heals the woman with the flow of blood and raises Jairus’ daughter. Since Luke had moved the story of Jesus returning to Nazareth to the beginning of Jesus’ ministry he omits that story here and continues with Mark’s next story of Jesus sending his disciples on a mission. And, again following Mark, Luke tells of the Herod’s notice of Jesus and his confusion that Jesus must be John the baptist raised from the dead since Herod had killed John. Luke does not tell the story of John being beheaded by Herod. And, once more Luke follows Mark’s story by telling his readers the story of the feeding of the 5000. Luke has been following Mark quite closely for some time now. Readers of Luke’s gospel need to be aware that at this point Luke will omit a significant section of Mark’s gospel – from Mark 6:45 – 8:26. None of these stories will be told by Luke. This is a significant part of Mark’s gospel. Gone are Mark’s stories of Jesus walking on the water, the healing of the sick at Gennesaret, Jesus’ debate with the religious leaders about the traditions of the elders regarding what is ritually clean (although Luke will tell a version of this story later in his gospel), the healing of the Syrophoenecian woman’s daughter, the healing of the deaf and mute man, the feeding of the 4000, the asking of a sign by the Pharisees, Jesus and his disciples out in the boat where Jesus berates his disciples for their hardness of heart, and the healing of the blind man at Bethsaida where Jesus had to heal him for a second time. Interpreters of Luke have come to no consensus about why Luke has done this. Was it because he didn’t like the stories he found in Luke? Not likely since the story of the Syrophoenecian woman would have been an ideal story for Luke to tell. Was it because he simply lost his place in Mark’s document and accidentally omitted the material? Again, that seems unlikely since Luke is a careful writer. Was it because Luke had a version of Mark that did not contain these stories – in other words, an early edition of Mark’s gospel? This possibility seems more likely than others, but there is no way to be certain that this was the case. And a case can be made that omitting this material from Mark does damage to Mark’s story. It seems unlikely that Mark would have told his story without this material since much of it leads to the section of Mark’s gospel where Jesus is seeking to give sight to his blind disciples. It is difficult to think of Mark without these stories. We will likely need to simply leave this “great omission” remain a mystery. At any rate, Luke omits this significant part of Mark’s gospel and continues with Mark’s story of Jesus asking his disciples who they think he is and Peter’s great confession that Jesus is the Messiah. We need to remember that Mark had created a tightly constructed story beginning with the double healing of a blind man followed by a three part pattern of Jesus telling his disciples that he must suffer, die, and be raised from the dead, only to be misunderstood by the disciples and ended with the healing of another blind man, Bartimeaus. Luke will maintain most of the material that Mark had given his readers; but, like Matthew he will have inserted so much material that Mark’s point evaporates. Luke has something else in mind in telling these stories and he adds much to Mark’s story. At first Luke follows Mark quite closely. However, he does make a major change to Mark’s story by omitting Peter’s rebuke of Jesus after the first passion prediction and therefore also Jesus’ rebuke of Peter, calling him Satan. Luke portrays the disciples in a far more favorable light.

Reading the Gospels Together The Storyline of Luke’s Gospel – Part 4 Luke now returns to Mark’s story as Jesus moves on to Capernaum. Mark had provided his readers with a day in the life of the ministry of Jesus in Capernaum. Luke follows Mark closely in telling the same things; however, we already know that Jesus has been involved in ministry so Luke does not characterize it as the first day. Luke had also omitted Mark’s story of the call of the first four disciples prior to the beginning of the ministry of Jesus in Capernaum. Luke now moves on to tell his readers about the call of disciples. He uses a story that he shares with the writer of John’s gospel – although John will tell the story as a resurrection appearance of Jesus. This is likely a good example of how independent stories of Jesus are used by gospel writers in different contexts to make their point. The basic story is of disciples fishing without success and Jesus telling them to drop their nets on the other side of the boat and a great catch of fish happens. In Luke’s version of the story, the point is that Jesus’ actions are so powerful that they point out to Peter his sinfulness. Peter recognizes from the very beginning that Jesus is the Lord and that he is not worthy to be his follower. Jesus calls the sinful Peter to be a follower anyway and Peter responds by leaving everything and following Jesus. Luke’s story of the call of the first disciples is in many ways more realistic than Mark’s was. In Mark the disciples are almost passive followers – Jesus calls and they follow. Here, we can identify with Peter far better. Luke goes on to mention Peter’s partners, James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who also become his followers. And although Andrew is not mentioned we might assume that he is also included. So in the end the same first four disciples are welcomed into Luke’s story. Luke now returns to Mark’s storyline and tells the same series of stories that Mark had used to reveal the deadly opposition of the religious leaders. Luke tells the story of the healing of a leper, of the healing of the man brought by four friends, of the call of Levi and the banquet in his house, of the questioning of why Jesus’ disciples do not fast, of the complaint against Jesus’ disciples for “harvesting” on the Sabbath and concluding with the story of the man with the withered hand who Jesus also healed on the Sabbath. As Luke ends this sequence he softens Mark’s story where Mark had told his readers that the religious leaders wanted to kill Jesus. Luke tells his readers that they were enraged and discussed what they could do to Jesus. Their rejection of Jesus will come later – and not all religious leaders will participate. Luke omits Mark’s summary statement of how people from all the surrounding territory came to hear Jesus’ teaching and then picks up Mark again with the choosing of the Twelve Apostles. Like Mark, Luke provides a list of the twelve. His list is quite similar with a couple of changes. Andrew is moved forward to be listed with Simon Peter and Thaddeaus is replaced by an Apostle named Judas son of James. These Apostles will become a critical part of Luke’s larger story playing an important role in his second book, Acts. Luke now interrupts the storyline of Mark’s gospel and tells his readers that Jesus began to teach his followers. Readers soon recognize that Luke’s story sounds much like Matthew’s Sermon on the Mount. Luke places the setting of this story on a plain in Galilee. The content of the teaching is very similar, although Luke’s version is much shorter and the focus is moved from Matthew’s concern for authentic piety to Luke’s concern for the poor and the oppressed. We need to remember that Luke has introduced us to Jesus as one who has come to bring good news to the poor, release to the captives, recovery of sight to the blind, and so that oppressed might go free. That is at the heart of Jesus’ sermon on the plain in Luke’s gospel. Luke’s version of the sermon has both beatitudes and woes. Matthew had used only beatitudes in his sermon on the mount saving the woes for later. Luke does not portray Jesus as one who expands the teaching of Moses and Jesus does not tell his disciples that their righteousness must exceed that of the scribes and Pharisees. But Luke does highlight the love a follower of Jesus must have even toward their enemies. Both speak about the need not to judge others and that the wise man builds his house on solid ground. Luke’s sermon is not as harsh toward the religious leaders as Matthew’s was. Since so much of the material in Matthew and Luke is so similar, it is likely that they both found this teaching of Jesus in the lost document we have theorized that they used. Luke will save some of this teaching for a later point in the story. Or, perhaps it was Matthew who gathered all these teachings together. Both make significant use of this material though in slightly different ways. At the conclusion of his sermon on the plain Luke tells his readers about a Gentile whose servant is in need of healing. This story is one that Luke shares with Matthew and likely with John as well. Each of them uses the story in a completely different context. From the healing of the Gentile’s servant Luke moves on to tell a story only he seems to know. The story is located in the town of Nain in Galilee and centers on how Jesus raises a dead son and gives him back to his mother. The story sounds a lot like similar stories in the OT about Elijah and Elisha healing sons and giving them back to their mothers. In the story Jesus breaks through the barrier of death in two ways – first by touching the dead person and then by raising him to life. Luke likely places this story here because of the next story he will tell – the story of the disciples of John the baptist coming to ask if Jesus is the one of if they should look for another. The evidence given to John includes the raising of the dead and this is a prime example for Luke. Luke shares the story of the disciples of John the baptist coming to Jesus with Matthew using almost the same words as Matthew did. This is one more way in which Luke gives his readers more information about the followers of John the baptist and their lacking in understanding. In his own way Luke is also demoting John the baptist in favor of Jesus with these and other stories about John’s followers he will tell in his gospel in the book of Acts.

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Reading the Gospels Together The Storyline of Luke’s Gospel – Part 3 At this point Luke picks up the beginning of Mark’s gospel and follows Mark’s lead in telling the story of the baptism of Jesus. Like Matthew, Luke expands upon Mark’s terse story in several ways. First of all, he locates the story on the broad stage of Roman history. Tiberius is now the Emperor. Pontius Pilate is introduced as the governor of Judea. Herod Antipas is introduced and the ruler of Galilee and his brother, Herod Philip is the ruler of the area to the north of Galilee. Lysanias is the ruler of Abilene. And Annas and Caiaphas are introduced as the high priests. It is upon this great stage of history that Luke brings John the baptist on stage once again. This time John is a grown man and he comes proclaiming the words of the prophet Isaiah. He comes to prepare the way for the coming of the Lord. Like Matthew, Luke expands the ministry of John the baptist adding material he and Matthew share. And then Luke does a peculiar thing. He tells his readers that Herod is offended by John and shuts him up in prison. This is before Luke tells us the story of the baptism of Jesus by John. Did John baptize Jesus? If we only had Luke’s gospel we may well come to the conclusion that he did not. But, perhaps this is only Luke’s way of putting the spotlight on Jesus. It is worth noting however that Luke does tell a somewhat different story of the baptism. And like Mark, Luke tells his readers that only Jesus hears the voice while his is up out of the water praying. Luke now interrupts Mark’s story to provide his own genealogy of Jesus. When we compare Luke’s genealogy with Matthew’s we notice some big differences. Where Luke moves from the past to the present, Luke moves from the present to the past and Luke takes his list of names further back in time all the way to Adam and in fact to God. Jesus belongs to the whole human race. And the names are not the same – nor do the match the OT completely. Why did Luke insert a genealogy at this point in the story? He doesn’t seem to have as much invested in it as Matthew did with his tight construction of three sets of fourteen. But in his way Luke is establishing for his readers the credentials of Jesus as a true Israelite. We have just heard the voice from heaven say that Jesus is God’s beloved Son. Now we hear that he is by genealogy the son of God as well. As we noted, Luke had interrupted Mark’s story to provide the genealogy of Jesus. Now he returns to tell of the story of the testing of Jesus in the wilderness. Like Matthew, Luke expands Mark’s story and as we listen to both of them it becomes clear that they share a common source; however, the order of the last two temptations is reversed. Likely it is Luke who has made the change since his order puts Jesus in the Temple for the last temptation. The Temple, as we have seen, is important for Luke. With the baptism and testing over, Luke tells his readers that Jesus returns to Galilee where a report of his ministry and acceptance by many is reported. Luke is following Mark in bringing Jesus to Galilee where he will remain for the rest of his ministry until his fateful journey to Jerusalem. We have noticed how Luke is following Mark’s gospel at this time and we expect that we are now going to hear about the beginning of Jesus’ ministry with his claim that the kingdom of God has come near and how Jesus goes on to call his first disciples. But, that is not the way Luke tells his story. Instead, Luke reaches ahead in Mark’s gospel and tells the story of Jesus visiting his hometown of Nazareth. Luke brings this story forward as the first event in the ministry of Jesus. He also expands greatly upon Mark’s version of the story. Mark had told his readers that the people of Nazareth were amazed at Jesus and his bold teaching because they thought they knew who he was and so they reject him. Mark had spoken of the teaching of Jesus. Luke provides us with that teaching – on the Sabbath Jesus reads from the prophet Isaiah and then claims that Isaiah’s words have come true in his coming. Jesus is the one who Isaiah looked for. This is what offends the people of Nazareth and they attempt to put Jesus to death by casting him over the cliff. But Jesus escapes. In this controversy with the people of Nazareth Jesus quotes two OT stories both of which highlight the failure of God’s people to receive the coming of God in the person of God’s prophets and also the reception of God by Gentiles. Mark had made it clear that the religious leaders are the deadly opposition that will put Jesus to death. Luke has subtly made all of the people of Israel who do not welcome the coming of God’s representative as the deadly opposition. Some of that opposition will be from religious leaders but for Luke the opposition is broader. By moving Mark’s story of the visit of Jesus to Nazareth to the beginning of the ministry of Jesus and by expanding upon the story to define the ministry of Jesus in terms of the prophet Isaiah, Luke has created a whole new context for understanding the ministry of Jesus. Luke will fill out that meaning as his story moves forward but for now his readers know why Jesus came – to bring good news to the poor, to bring liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free the oppressed and to announce that the time has come when the Lord will save his people. Will the people respond to the coming of the Lord? As Luke’s story unfolds we will learn that some will and others will not. But the stage is set for the reception or rejection of the Lord.

Reading the Gospels Together The Storyline of Luke’s Gospel – Part 2 We have seen how Mark and Matthew begin their gospels in strikingly different ways. Luke’s beginning is also striking and very different from either Mark or Matthew. Luke begins by introducing his readers to the parents of John the baptist. These are not ordinary people but devout Jewish believers. Zechariah is from the priestly families as is Elizabeth and, in fact, Zechariah functions as a priest. Luke tells his readers that both were “righteous before God, living blamelessly according to the commandments and regulations of the Lord.” They are faithful Jews. But there is a problem – a problem that has arisen throughout the history of God’s people – Elizabeth is barren. Thus she joins the ranks of Sarah and Rachel and Samson’s mother and, as we shall soon see, Hannah who is the mother of Samuel. Luke now proceeds to tell of the announcement of the coming birth of John and of his father’s inability to perceive it. In a story that sounds a bit like that of Isaiah in the Temple, Zechariah is confronted by a vision and told that he will be the father of one who will come in the spirit of Elijah as spoken of in Malachi 5. Zechariah does not perceive what is happening and, as a sign, is made mute. But he and Elizabeth do become the parents of the child John. In the meantime, Luke tells of another occurrence and another visit, this time to a young woman who is a virgin who is engaged to a man named Joseph. Her name is Mary. She is told that she will bear a child from the Holy Spirit and this child will be the one who sits on the throne of David – he will be the Messiah. Mary trusts in the message and places herself in the Lord’s hands. Luke now brings the two mothers together and while they are together Mary sings the first of a series of songs all of which highlight God’s coming action to bring down the high and mighty and raise up the lowly. Once Mary has departed for home in Nazareth, Elizabeth gives birth to John. And Zechariah is given his speech back and now he sings a song similar to that of Mary. And so Luke has brought John the baptist on stage. Luke is now ready to tell the story of the birth of Mary’s child. He sets the stage in the midst of the history of the Roman Empire. Augustus is the Emperor and Luke gives him the role of calling for a census which will bring Mary and Joseph from Nazareth to Bethlehem. When they arrive Luke tells his readers that there was no place for them – no welcome – and that the child was born in a lowly stable. This is the first time that Luke will tell his readers that the people of that time did not welcome the visitation of God to his people. But the birth is not without a witness. Luke tells us that shepherds were greeted by angels who told them to go to Bethlehem and there they would find the Savior of the World. The shepherds go and find the child. And Luke tells us that Mary ponders all these things in her heart. Luke is not quite finished with his beginning. He now tells of the circumcision of Jesus on the eighth day which fulfilled all righteousness. Mary and Joseph are devout believers just as Zechariah and Elizabeth were. And then Luke tells his readers that after another 33 days Joseph and Mary take Jesus to the Temple in Jerusalem where he is presented to the Lord and sacrifices appropriate for a poor family are made to the Lord. While in the Temple two faithful followers of the Lord greet Jesus, Mary and Joseph. One in named Simeon and like Mary and Zechariah he sings a song of the deliverance about to happen to God’s people – and this deliverance will reach to all people as a light to the Gentiles and the glory of Israel. But Simeon also warns of the impending sorrow that will mark the life of Jesus and his mother. Another faithful Israelite, Anna, also greets and welcomes Jesus. Perhaps the visitation of God to his people has not gone unnoticed after all. Once the circumcision and the rites of purification have been completed Luke tells his readers that Mary, Joseph, and Jesus return to Galilee. And then Luke adds one more story – the coming of Jesus to Jerusalem with his parents to celebrate Passover when he is twelve years old. Jesus remains in the Temple and for three days he is lost to Mary and Joseph – three days are perhaps a subtle foreshadowing of Jesus death and resurrection. And so Luke ends his beginning of the story of Jesus. As we listen to this story there are some things that strike us. First of all, this is a very different story from the one that Matthew told his readers. Jesus appears in open view in the Temple. There is no mention of Magi or of Herod’s attempt to kill Jesus. There is no flight to Egypt. We will need to ponder these differences between Matthew and Luke. And, more importantly, as we begin to consider Luke’s story we notice a few very important things. Luke is intent on telling his readers about the faithful followers of the Lord who make up the story – Zechariah, Elizabeth, Mary, Joseph, Simeon, Anna; all of them are faithful and righteous people. They all fulfill the Law. And although Jesus is born in a remote part of Bethlehem the action soon centers on the Temple. Luke’s story begins in the Temple and as we will see it ends there as well. And one more thing of note is that Luke has deliberately constructed his story to mimic the OT stories, especially the story of the birth of Samuel. So, we might say, Luke has placed three portraits side by side by side. We see the birth of John the baptist and of Jesus through the lens of the birth of Samuel. Luke is a brilliant storyteller. He gives us much to consider as we move forward into the story of Jesus.

Reading the Gospels Together The Storyline of Luke’s Gospel – Part 1 Once again I want to remind you that one of the assumptions that I bring to this study is that Luke, like Matthew, has used Mark’s gospel as the basis for his own gospel. Some sort of literal dependency between Mark and Luke must be assumed since there are far too many instances of nearly direct wording and order to defend any other conclusion. The strongest argument is that it is Luke who is dependent upon Mark. As we mentioned with Matthew, there are some ways in which Luke is restricted by Mark’s gospel too. And, as we saw with Matthew, Luke is aware of Mark’s issues but is not hesitant to change them when he feels so compelled. Like Matthew, Luke has confidence in Mark’s gospel; however, he also is aware of a need to say some things in a new way to meet new circumstances. And, a second assumption, that Luke and Matthew share some common material that is not in Mark but was in a document that is no longer available to us needs to be stated. One might ask if Luke was perhaps dependent upon Matthew, or even the other way around to account for the material they share. That is highly unlikely. It makes far more sense to presuppose that Luke and Matthew wrote independently of one another. As with Matthew we might wonder what the circumstances were in which Luke wrote his gospel. Again, we need to assume that Luke is writing some time following Mark’s gospel. Since we have already proposed the late 60’s or early 70’s for Mark it is very likely that Luke wrote in the late 70’s or more likely in the early 80’s just a we have proposed for Matthew. One other factor needs to be taken into account with Luke and that is that he wrote a second book we know as the Book of Acts. As we examine both Luke and Acts one of the things that we discover is that the tension between Jewish people and followers of Jesus in Luke’s circumstances seems diminished. Luke seems to go out of his way to highlight the many Jewish believers in Jesus who are a part of his story. Luke is not hostile toward Judaism. In fact, Luke seems intent on defending Jewish Christians as a legitimate group who follow Jesus. Perhaps this indicates that Luke was writing more for a Gentile audience than for a Jewish one, but that is not fully certain. It could also mean that Luke wants his readers to understand that Christianity is an expression of Judaism – the true Judaism – and therefore his many examples of believing Jews helps to demonstrate the Jewish people did receive the coming Messiah. Once again our task is to trace the story of Jesus that Luke tells his readers. It will, once again, be important to take note of the location of the action, the pace of the story, and the development of characters by Luke. Like the others, Luke writes as an omniscient narrator and treats his readers as being outside the story and thus able to be given information that the characters in the story are not privileged to know. As with Matthew, I will focus mostly on those parts of Luke’s gospel where he differs the most from Mark. So let’s begin to trace Luke’s storyline. Luke begins his story in a way that many ancient historians would begin their writings. His four verse preface is a very important part of his gospel and a gift to us as Biblical interpreters. Luke tells us that he is aware of others who have written an account of the story of Jesus. There is a basis for our assumption that gospel writers are sometimes dependent upon others. At least we can be sure that Luke was dependent upon others, most likely Mark and the material he shares with Matthew, since he tells us so. Luke also tells his readers the motive for his writing which is that they might know the truth. What does Luke mean by truth? Certainly he is does not mean just historical accuracy since such verification is really beyond anyone and actually not that important. Luke is concerned about the authenticity of the story of Jesus – and on a deeper level the authenticity of Jesus, himself. Luke tells us that he has some material he considers to have come from eyewitnesses and other material he receives from other servants of the word. All of this is information Luke wants to share with his readers prior to the actual beginning of his gospel. We can be thankful that Luke has done this for us.

Reading the Gospels Together The Storyline of Matthew’s Gospel – Part 14 So, what have we learned by following Matthew’s storyline? For one thing we have learned that Matthew essentially follows Mark’s storyline interrupting it to provide his readers with words that tell us what it means to be a Christian. Matthew does make some adjustments to Mark’s storyline. He removes Mark’s stark appraisal of the disciples and of the family of Jesus. In fact readers of Matthew’s gospel get no hint that Jesus’ family may not have been fully supportive of him. Matthew is aware of the weakness in the disciples but that is a weakness in all of us. After all at the summit of the mountain all worship and doubt at the same time. So Matthew wants his readers to think far more favorably of the disciples. Matthew has taken the tension out of Mark’s gospel and removed the uneasiness that pervades Mark. Matthew’s storyline provides followers of Jesus with some concrete defenses against their opponents. Jesus has legitimate roots. False rumors about either his birth or his resurrection are addressed by Matthew. Jesus is the new Moses who leads God’s people. But, perhaps most of all we can learn from Matthew’s storyline that being a follower of Jesus means having a piety and a religious life that is not hypocritical and not just on the surface. Following Jesus is having a faith with depth – a faith that lives as Jesus lived.

Reading the Gospels Together The Storyline of Matthew’s Gospel – Part 13 We have now reached the Passion Narrative as Matthew tells it. Matthew follows Mark almost word for word making only a few “corrections” or additions for the sake of clarity. Mark had not told his readers exactly when Judas left the group to betray Jesus. Matthew makes it clear that Judas was present at the Passover meal. Though Matthew is not specific his implication is that Judas left as the group made their way to Gethsemane. As Jesus prays in Gethsemane, Mark had spoken of three times that Jesus went away to pray but only told of two times when Jesus returned. Matthew clears this up by carefully telling his readers of the three goings and comings. Mark had not told his readers of the fate of Judas in the aftermath of his betrayal. Matthew inserts a story of Judas attempting to give back the money he had received and being unable to do so Matthew tells his readers that Judas went and hung himself. And in the context of Judas’ suicide Matthew adds one more of his OT proof texts from Jeremiah. Matthew changes the names of the women who view the crucifixion from afar. He names Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James and Joseph in place of Joses, and then tells his readers that the mother of James and John was the third woman. Mark had called her Salome. Do they have the same person in mind? More than likely since we are never told the name of the mother of James and John. These along with a few more are only minor changes that Matthew makes. His Passion Narrative is essential the same as Mark’s in essentially the same order. At the conclusion of the burial of Jesus Matthew does add one significant thing. He tells us that the religious leaders are worried that the followers of Jesus might come and take his body away thus pretending that Jesus had risen from the dead. To be sure that did not happen Matthew tells us that a guard of soldiers was placed at the tomb. Mark had said nothing about any of this and when the women come to the tomb in Mark’s gospel there are no guards or soldiers, just a young man dressed in white. Interestingly, as we will discover neither Luke nor John speak of any guards or soldiers at the tomb either. Only Matthew places the tomb under guard. And, as we will see, Matthew will refer to these guards again as he tells the story of the resurrection. Matthew’s story of the discovery of the empty tomb does follow Mark with a few very important changes. Mark had told his readers that the women were worried about how to roll the stone away and discovered when they arrived that it was already rolled back. Matthew tells his readers that when the women arrived there was an earthquake and an angel who descended from heaven who rolled back the stone, apparently they saw all this happen. Mark mentioned no guards but Matthew tells his readers that the guards were terrified and became like dead men. Mark spoke of a young man who was sitting inside the tomb who addresses the women with the good news of Jesus’ resurrection. Matthew tells his readers that it was the angel who sat down on the stone outside the tomb who spoke to the women. The message of the young man and the angel are essentially the same. Jesus is going ahead of them to Galilee where they will see him. The women are told to go and tell the disciples what they have seen. There is no mention in Matthew of a special word directed to Peter. We remember that Mark ended his gospel with the women fleeing in silence and not saying a word to anyone. Matthew doesn’t tell his readers anything about the women. The presumption, of course, from what Matthew will say at the end of the gospel is that they went and told the disciples what Jesus had said. But it is significant that Matthew does not “correct” Mark by telling us what the women did. Matthew seems to be very aware of Mark’s abrupt ending! Matthew does add two things to Mark’s ending. First he tells his readers about the guards. As the women are going they also go into the city and tell the religious leaders everything that has happened. Will the religious leaders repent and believe? No. Matthew tells us that they develop a sinister plot to entice the guards to tell a different story then the one they brought to the religious leaders. They are to say that some of the followers of Jesus actually did come and overpower them and steal the body of Jesus. Money is paid to keep the guards silent and a promise is made that they will not get into trouble. Only Matthew tells us of this. And he goes on to remind his readers that this very sinister story has been circulating among the Jews who do not believe in Jesus ever since. Were there Jewish people in Matthew’s community who did not believe Jesus was the Messiah and were spreading this story? More than likely the answer is yes. Matthew’s story counters this rumor and thus was likely of great value to Jewish Christians attempting to make a case for Jesus in a hostile community. Matthew concludes his gospel by telling his readers by implication that the women in fact did go and tell the disciples what the angel had said. The angel had told the women that Jesus had said he was going ahead of them to Galilee and there they would find him. And so Matthew tells of the eleven disciples going to Galilee and finding Jesus at the summit of the mountain. Their reaction was to worship Jesus but it was a worship that was tinged by doubt. It’s not that some worshiped and some doubted but that they all worshiped and doubted at the same time. Faith is a combination of belief and wonder – not an arrogant certainty but a fearful journey of trust. Faith only finally becomes real when we need it and when we exercise it. There on the mountain Jesus tells his disciples to go and teach all nations and to baptize in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. And Jesus promises his followers that he will be with them forever. What happens to Jesus at the end of Matthew’s gospel? Actually Matthew doesn’t really say. Because of what Luke tells us we assume that Jesus ascended. But Matthew doesn’t say that. In his own way Matthew leaves his readers hanging too. Where is Jesus? He is with you.

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Reading the Gospels Together The Storyline of Matthew’s Gospel – Part 12 Matthew begins to follow Mark who at this point goes on to denounce the religious leaders for their false religious behavior, but soon launches into what will become a fifth discourse of Jesus offered to the crowds and eventually to his disciples. In the process Matthew omits Mark’s story about the widow who gave her all. That woman we might remember was a chief witness for Mark of what it means to follow Jesus – to give our whole self to him. Most of the beginning of this fifth discourse is material that Matthew shares with Luke. In the Sermon on the Mount Matthew had offered his readers the Beatitude of Jesus. Here he offers his readers a series of harsh woes against the religious leaders. They are hypocrites whose piety is only on the surface. We may remember that false piety was a dominant point for Matthew in the Sermon on the Mount too. Matthew’s section of woes ends with Jesus lamenting over Jerusalem whose children God so desired to gather under his wings but could not. Matthew now returns to pick up Mark’s narrative regarding the destruction of the Temple and follows Mark quite closely. Matthew’s discourse has now moved to a second topic which is the final judgment by God and the end of the age. Matthew extends Mark’s narrative regarding the destruction of Jerusalem by adding four teachings of Jesus. The first Matthew shares with Luke and is a story of Jesus about who is faithful. Will the slave the master puts in charge of the household take good care of his master’s household and his fellow slaves, or will he act in selfish ways? If he acts selfishly, the master will “cut him to pieces” and cast him out. The parable is aimed squarely at the religious leaders and most likely at those Jewish leaders in Matthew’s own community who have rejected Jesus as the Messiah. Matthew moves on to tell the parable of the ten bridesmaids. Five are alert and waiting for the coming of the bridegroom. Five are foolish and are not prepared. It is interesting that Matthew tells his readers that the bridegroom has been delayed and that is why the five foolish bridesmaids are caught off guard. Were those in Matthew’s community who once thought Jesus was the Messiah and have grown impatient at the delay in the return of Christ in glory and fallen away, letting their lights go out? The third teaching Matthew provides is another parable he shares with Luke. The parable is about the man who is going on a journey and entrusts his property to the care of his slaves – very similar to the first story we have just looked at. Each slave is given his share of the property. What will he do with it? Two slaves make a profit for their master. The third hides the property and produces nothing. Again the problem is that the return of the owner is delayed. And in the end the two who are faithful are rewarded upon his return and the one who is not faithful is cast out. Were those within Matthew’s community who were not faithful with what they have been given and because the return of Christ has been delayed become lazy? Finally, Matthew concludes this discourse with one of the most powerful pictures of judgment in the Bible. Only Matthew tells us about this judgment scene. Everyone is brought before the throne of God and there they are separated from one another. The basis of the separation is determined by how Jesus has been treated. Those who are welcomed into the eternal kingdom are those who have seen Jesus in those who are in need and offered them what they needed. Those who are cast out into the darkness are those who have not seen Jesus in the least of these and have not helped them. One of the most interesting features of this story is that neither the ones who helped nor the ones who didn’t realize at the time that it is Jesus who is coming to them. Both are surprised to find that out. As in the Sermon on the Mount Jesus is dealing with the deep reality of the ethics and piety of those who follow Jesus. Is their piety only skin deep and are their ethical convictions driven only by what is expedient or has their piety and ethical behavior penetrated to the very depth of their being? Again it is likely that Matthew has his own community of first readers in mind as well as those who are his opponents. Those of us who are readers so much later need to hear though that true faith penetrates to the depth of our very being too. It’s not about what we believe as much as how what we believe activates how we act. We have come to the last of Matthew’s discourses that interrupt the flow of Mark’s gospel. It’s time to ask why Matthew has done what he has done. Is there anything in common amidst these discourses? One thing we might say is that Matthew seems in each one of them to be addressing his own community and its needs as he is addressing the situation at the time of Jesus. Each of the discourses is not telling stories of the activity of Jesus but of what Jesus means to the community. The first discourse, the Sermon on the Mount, lays the groundwork for all the rest. What does it mean to follow Jesus? The concern is for a deep sense of piety and an openhanded behavior on the part of those who follow Jesus. Their righteousness must exceed that of the scribes and Pharisees who Matthew sees as only living on the surface and being hypocrites. The second discourse is on the challenge and the harshness of living as a witness for Jesus in a world that is not always welcoming. The third discourse consists of a number of parables of the kingdom which point out that not all are receptive of Jesus. There are weeds in the wheat. The fourth discourse is directed at the church and the need for forgiveness and restoration among those who follow Jesus. And the last discourse directs itself to the end of the age and the final consummation of the kingdom. The last discourse is most like the first, the Sermon on the Mount. Matthew has interrupted Mark’s storyline to insert these discourses with a purpose. They are messages to the community of God in all ages. They function as the Law did in the OT. They are God’s instruction for living. We noticed at the very beginning that Matthew has told the story of the birth of Jesus coloring it with the story of the birth of Moses. Perhaps the reason Matthew has chosen five discourses is to mimic the books of Moses in the OT which are also five. In a very subtle way Matthew has portrayed Jesus as the new Moses – the new lawgiver who is superior to Moses. Again there are hints in the way in which Matthew has told this story that he is concerned about his own community in its struggle against Judaism that is finding its way without the Temple and not believing in Jesus as the Messiah. Matthew’s Jewish Christian community is not inferior to this new and emerging community of Jews. And the discourses are Matthew’s way of confronting this growing tension.

Reading the Gospels Together The Storyline of Matthew’s Gospel – Part 11 Following Mark, Matthew leads his readers up the mountain to the summit of the Mount of Olives. Matthew mentions only the town of Bethphage. Why he drops out reference to Bethany is unknown. And while at the top of the mountain, Matthew tells the same story as Mark of Jesus sending out two of his disciples to find a colt for Jesus to ride upon as they enter the city. We have not heard Matthew use a proof text for a while. Here he adds one to Mark from the book of Zechariah. The proof text makes clear that Jesus enters Jerusalem as the king. Strangely Matthew tells the story as if Jesus is riding on both the donkey and the colt. When Mark told the story he told it in such a way that likely hardly anyone noticed. Matthew modifies that slightly by saying that the event caused turmoil and people began to ask who this was. Jesus’ disciples respond that this is the prophet Jesus from Nazareth in Galilee. Mark had told his readers that upon entering Jerusalem Jesus had went into the Temple and looked around and then left returning the next day to cleanse the Temple. Matthew has Jesus enter directly into the Temple and cleanse it as the conclusion of his entry into the city. Like Mark, Matthew tells his readers that Jesus then retreats for the night to Bethany. The way in which Matthew has told the story leaves one to wonder if he understands Bethany to be at the summit of the Mount of Olives since he did not mention Bethany earlier. Mark had said that Jesus cursed the fig tree as he went down to cleanse the Temple and found it withered the next morning. Matthew condenses the cleansing and withering to one act. Jesus curses the tree and it withers. The disciples notice and are amazed and are told by Jesus that if they have faith they can cast mountains into the sea. Mark had told the same story. Mark is following Matthew as he tells of the Temple Controversy that unfolds where Jesus is in debate with the religious leaders; however, Matthew expands the story by telling three parables not found in Mark. The first episode is the same as Mark’s – the question about what authority Jesus has to cleanse the Temple and Jesus return question about the source of John the baptist’s ministry. Matthew now inserts a parable only he tells. The parable is about two sons. The first son refuses at first to do the will of his father but later does what his father has asked. The second son says that he will do his father’s will but does not. The meaning of the parable is clear. The tax collectors and sinners and outcast who have followed Jesus are like the first son. They begin as outsiders but end up as insiders. The religious leaders are like the second son. They claim to be on the inside but they real are not. The parable provokes the religious leaders. Matthew now picks up Mark’s parable about the vineyard. Then, Matthew inserts another parable he has found in the material her shares with Luke. This parable is about refusing to attend the banquet that God has prepared. The parable is clearly against the religious leaders. Matthew returns to Mark to tell about the question regarding the paying of taxes to Caesar and the question of the Sadducees regarding the woman married to seven brothers followed by the discussion regarding what is the greatest commandment and ending with Jesus own question about how the Messiah can be both David’s son and David’s Lord.

Reading the Gospels Together The Storyline of Matthew’s Gospel – Part 10 At this point Matthew interrupts the storyline of Mark’s gospel for a fourth time. This time the discourse that Matthew provides his readers is on the nature of the church that Jesus has created. Matthew begins with a parable he shares with Luke, the parable of the lost sheep. The force of the parable is the determination of the shepherd to find his lost sheep. Matthew moves on to address how differences and sins are to be dealt with within the church. Matthew uses the word church for a second time. The point Matthew is attempting to make is one of restoration. The intent is that those who are estranged are restored to fellowship. Matthew repeats Jesus words regarding the keys to the kingdom again, clearly this time extending their use to all those who are a part of the church. The intent is to bring forgiveness. Matthew tells his readers that Peter wonders about how broad this forgiveness is to be and is told that it is beyond measure. Peter’s question prompts Jesus to tell a parable about an unforgiving servant. Only Matthew tells us this parable. The point of the parable is quite clear. Forgiveness is not an option but a requirement within the church. The tone of this discourse is much like that in the Sermon on the Mount with Jesus creating a new ethic for a new community. Matthew sums it up with the word, “So my heavenly Father will also do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother or sister from your heart.” Matthew now returns to Mark’s storyline with the story of Jesus leaving Galilee and entering into Judea for the first time since the baptism. Like Mark, Matthew has located the ministry of Jesus almost exclusively within the bounds of Galilee with a couple of minor excursions to the edges and into Gentile territory. The controversy story with the religious leaders regarding divorce told by Mark is repeated with nearly the same words by Matthew. And like Mark, Matthew goes on to relate how Jesus blesses the children. And then he relates, without significant changes Mark’s story of the encounter of Jesus with a rich man who cannot let go of his riches and thus excludes himself from the kingdom of heaven. At this point Matthew inserts a parable only he will tell about the generosity of God. The parable of the laborers in the vineyard has the same tone as the material in the Sermon on the Mount in turning the world upside down and creating a new ethic and a new understanding. Matthew is still following Mark quite closely as he tells the story of Jesus for a third time predicting his suffering, death, and resurrection. And it is clear that Matthew has the same story in mind as Mark regarding James and John and their request to have the places of honor in Jesus’ kingdom. However, Mark softens the blow by blaming their mother for the selfish request. Matthew is intent on putting the best light he can on the disciples. Or, was it Mark who was intent on putting them in the worst light? At any rate we need to take note of Matthew’s change of Mark’s storyline at this point. Matthew concludes this section of his gospel by telling the story of Jesus healing two blind men as he enters Jericho. Clearly this is the same story that Mark had told about Bartimeaus. This is the second time Matthew has turned a story of Mark in which one man is healed into the story of the healing of two men. The other story was of the demoniac whose name was Legion and from who the demons were sent into the pigs. Why Matthew changes the story from one man to two has befuddled every modern interpreter.

Reading the Gospels Together The Storyline of Matthew’s Gospel – Part 9 We may remember that at this point in his storyline Mark constructs and story through which Jesus is attempting to open the eyes of his blind disciples. Mark’s story began with the healing of a blind man who needed to be healed twice. Matthew omits this story. Perhaps the seemingly “muffed” miracle is too much for Matthew. We have already noted that Matthew does tell the story of the healing of a blind man earlier, but if that is this story it has been significantly reworked by Matthew and placed in an entirely differ context. Having omitted the healing of the blind man which really sets up Mark’s construction at this point, Matthew does follow Mark’s gospel quite closely. He tells of Jesus taking his disciples to Caesarea Philippi and asking them who people think he is and then who they think he is. The scene unfolds just like in Mark except that Matthew emphasizes the correctness of Peter’s response, “You are the Messiah.” Matthew tells his readers that Jesus praises Peter by telling him that “flesh and blood,” in other words human understanding has not revealed this to Peter but the revelation has come directly from God. And at this point Matthew explains why Simon’s name was changed to Peter. Because Peter has been given insight by God to know that Jesus is the Messiah, he is a rock. And Jesus goes on to say that the church of Jesus is built on the rock and nothing will prevail against it. Jesus goes on to say that he has given the keys of the kingdom to heaven to Peter or the church and that Peter or the church has the power to bind and loose. Just what Jesus meant at this point is disputable. The Roman Catholic Church has sided with the interpretation that the rock is Peter and that it is to Peter that the keys were given. Thus the authority of the church rests in the hands of Peter’s successor – the present pope. Those who are not Roman Catholic have mostly sided with the interpretation that Peter’s confession is the rock and that it is the church that holds the keys. Likely this was not a problem either for Matthew or for his community. However one decides about this it is really significant that Matthew names the “church” in his gospel. None of the other gospels will refer to “the church” at all. Matthew is envisioning a gathered community of followers of Jesus, something the others may not have considered. Following Mark, Matthew provides his readers with the first of three predictions by Jesus of his impending suffering, death, and resurrection. And like Mark, Matthew reports Peter’s refusal to accept Jesus words and the consequent rebuttal of Peter by Jesus. This is one of the first times that Matthew has preserved Mark’s harsh appraisal of a disciple. Matthew does not soften Mark’s words one bit. We have been noting how Matthew softens Mark’s exposure of the tragic rejection of Jesus by his disciples. But Matthew is aware that he must deal with their weakness. And perhaps that reality begins now. Again, Matthew will follow Mark in the message of Jesus that his followers must take up their crosses and follow him. Matthew tells the story of the Transfiguration in almost the exact same words as Mark and he tells of Jesus revealing to his disciples that John the baptist was Elijah just as Mark did. The same is true about the story of the healing of the epileptic boy. Matthew follows Mark in telling of the second prediction by Jesus that he must suffer, die, and rise from the dead, adding that upon hearing these words the disciples were greatly distressed. Next, Matthew adds a story that none of the other gospel writers tell their readers. The story takes place in Capernaum where the center of Jesus ministry has been located. The story is a peculiar one. The tax collectors ask Peter whether or not Jesus pays his taxes. Peter says that he does. When Peter arrives home Jesus asks Peter who is required to pay for the luxury of the kings, their children or other. Of course Peter knows the answer is that others support the king. Jesus says that the children are then free. The only children Jesus knows, of course, are his own followers. Yet, Jesus instructs Peter to not provide an offense and to pay the taxes anyway and sends Peter fishing. The first fish Peter catches has a coin in its mouth and Peter is to use this to pay taxes for Jesus and himself. This is a really peculiar story that is difficult to understand. I would guess that Peter’s first readers may have been as baffled as we are. Matthew goes back to pick up Mark’s story. Like Mark he tells his readers that the disciples have been arguing about who is the greatest. But, did you notice how the intervening story about taxes, Peter, and the fish have almost led Matthew’s readers to forget about Jesus prediction of his impending death? Perhaps that is the function of that strange story. Jesus responds to his disciples arguing about who is the greatest by putting a child in their midst. It’s the same story Mark told. As Mark told the story, at this point John confronts Jesus with a man who is doing mighty deeds in Jesus’ name even though he is not part of the inner circle. Matthew omits this story from Mark and picks up Mark again in talking about the need to avoid being a stumbling block for others.

Reading the Gospels Together The Storyline of Matthew’s Gospel – Part 8 Still following Mark, Matthew now tells the story of Jesus teaching by use of parables. Matthew follows Mark nearly word for word in the telling of the parable of the sower and its explanation. He also follows Mark’s peculiar statement that Jesus uses parable not to reveal but to conceal. Matthew now drops out Mark’s parables about the lamp on the lampstand and the seed growing on its own and inserts a deadly parable about weeds growing in the wheat along with its explanation. Matthew retains Mark’s parable about the mustard seed and adds to it another parable he shares with Luke about yeast in the flour. And Matthew finishes off this section with three more parables only he will tell. While it is not as clear as the previous two discourses, Matthew’s expansion of Mark effectively turns this section into a third discourse of Jesus. This time its point is aimed mostly at the rejection of the Jewish people of Jesus. The parable of the weeds in the wheat is a parable only Matthew tells and its explanation speaks of children of God and children of the devil. Matthew’s own community is made up of the children of God and their opponents, the Jewish people who have rejected Jesus as the Messiah are the children of the devil. Even the parable of the sower is now likely directly mostly at those who do not receive Jesus as the Messiah. Matthew has subtly shifted the emphasis of this parable section warning his disciples, and through them Matthew’s own community, that not everyone receives the kingdom of heaven. Yet Jesus also promises them that the kingdom will indeed come. As Jesus concludes this discourse he asks his disciples who have been his audience if they understand all of this. They say they do and we have no reason to doubt that Matthew thinks that is in fact the truth. Such a thing would never have been said by Mark regarding the disciples, but as we have noted Matthew has characterized the disciples in a much more positive light. Since Matthew had already reordered Mark’s stories of the deeds of power done by Jesus and moved Mark’s stories of Jesus stilling the storm, the healing of the man possessed by demons who lived in Gentile territory across the seas, and the healing of Jairus’ daughter and the woman with the flow of blood earlier in his gospel, he now picks up Mark’s story of Jesus’ return to his hometown of Nazareth. Matthew tells this story in essentially the same way Mark. And since Matthew had moved his account of the missionary journey of the disciples to an earlier time, he omits it here but does tell his readers the account of the murder of John the baptist which Mark had inserted into the missionary venture. Matthew is following Mark quite closely at this time and changes nothing in Mark’s stories. From the murder of John the baptist, Matthew moves on to the story of the feeding of the 5000 which is essential the same as Mark’s and then on to Mark’s story of Jesus walking on the water – two stories as we have noted that are shared in this exact same order by Mark, Matthew and John. Matthew does make some significant changes to the story of Jesus walking on the water. First of all Matthew expands the story in a way that none of the other three gospel writers do by telling of Peter walking on the water with Jesus. Matthew has also changed Mark’s perspective by removing from it the notion that Jesus was attempting to reveal himself to the disciples by “passing them by.” Matthew and John tell their readers that the disciples are terrified at the sight of Jesus. Finally, and this is the most important change, Matthew tells his readers that when Jesus gets in the boat his disciples worship him and say to Jesus, “Truly you are the Son of God.” Matthew places the disciples in a very positive light. Once again Matthew has not retained Mark’s view that the disciples are total failures. Following Mark, Matthew ends this section by telling of the healing of many at Gennesaret. Matthew continues to follow Mark without any change as he relates the contentious discussion with the Pharisees and scribes about the tradition of the elders and the Gentile woman who lives in the region of Tyre. Mark had called her a Syrophoenician woman and Matthew changes that to a Canaanite woman which is only a minor change although calling her a Canaanite does seem to make her even more ineligible for help. At this point Matthew omits Mark’s story of Jesus healing the deaf mute man by putting his fingers in his ears and saliva on his tongue and provides a summary statement of the ministry of Jesus along the shores of the Sea of Galilee. We might remember that Mark had used some rather strange geography to bring Jesus to the Decapolis on the south side of the Sea of Galilee which is Gentile territory via Sidon. Matthew omits this journey and simply brings Jesus back to Galilee. That means that the second feeding of the 4000 takes place in Galilee and not Gentile territory. Only Matthew and Mark tell us this story of a second feeding of 4000 people. Luke and John have only one feeding story which matches Mark’s and Matthew’s earlier story. As we begin to look at these storylines together we will need to ask the question if perhaps there was only one feeding story that Mark chose to tell twice to highlight the ineptitude of the disciples or if there were actually two feeding stories. Matthew does not soften Mark’s portrayal of the disciples in this second feeding. One can only wonder why they can’t figure out how Jesus is going to feed these people since he has just a short time ago fed the 5000. But that does not seem to be a concern for Matthew. He found the story in Mark and repeats it. Matthew also follows Mark in telling of how the religious leaders demand a sign in spite of the miraculous feeding. Matthew concludes this section by following Mark in telling of the disciples out in the boat. We may remember that Jesus is incredibly frustrated with the disciples in Mark’s story and bombards them with a series of questions that highlights their dullness. Matthew repeats most of Jesus questions and comments; however, Jesus does not wonder if his disciples’ hearts are hardened as in Mark and in the end Matthew tells us that the disciples do understand.

Reading the Gospels Together The Storyline of Matthew’s Gospel – Part 7 Matthew now returns to Mark and picks up a couple of stories he had omitted earlier. Both of these stories are centered on the Sabbath. The first is Mark’s story of the disciples “harvesting” on the Sabbath which leads to conflict with the religious leaders. The second is of Jesus healing the man with the withered hand on the Sabbath. This last story had been the final blow in Mark’s exposure of the deadly opposition of the religious leaders to Jesus. Matthew has let it be known that the religious leaders were in opposition and here and in the material that follows Matthew will make that abundantly clear. They are out to destroy Jesus. Matthew is also aware as was Mark that the crowds have welcomed the ministry of Jesus and are pitted against the religious leaders. Matthew finds in the OT a proof text to back up this observation. Using his formula, “This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet …,” Matthew quotes one of what have become known as the Servant Songs of Isaiah. Another of those Servant Songs had been used in the words of God at the baptism of Jesus. Following the exposure of the religious leaders as the deadly opposition in the stories Mark had brought together culminating with the story of the man with the withered hand, Mark had proceeded to tell his readers about the selection of the twelve and he was moving into the uncomfortable task of unveiling the tragic opposition of Jesus’ family and eventually his own disciples. Matthew has already told us about the selection of the twelve so he moves forward to tell of the religious leaders’ accusation that Jesus is a tool of Satan. It was at this point that Mark had dropped the bomb on his readers that Jesus’ own family thought he was “out of his mind” and came to take him home. Matthew eliminates any mention of this and he will not speak of it later. Like modern readers, and perhaps even Mark’s first readers, Matthew likely finds this talk of Jesus’ family thinking he is crazy as unacceptable, maybe even offensive. We will discover that Luke makes the same omission. Neither one will touch this revelation in Mark! Matthew does not spare his harshness toward the religious leaders however, calling them a brood of vipers. In words he shares with Luke, Matthew tells his readers that the religious leaders ask Jesus for a sign. How inappropriate. Matthew has related plenty of stories of the mighty deed of Jesus. Jesus’ response is harsh and enigmatic. The only sign they will get is that of Jonah and the people of Nineveh will rise in judgment against them. The religious leaders do not understand the connection between Jonah in the belly of the sea monster and Jesus in the tomb, but Matthew’s readers surely do. Not only will the Gentiles of Nineveh bear witness against the religious leaders, so will the Gentile queen of the South who came to visit Solomon. We hear once again Matthew telling stories of how the Gentiles can recognize and receive Jesus while Jewish people cannot. Again using words he shares with Luke, Matthew tells of an unclean spirit that goes out of a person only to return when he finds the person empty and brings with him seven more spirits that are even more evil than the first. Matthew aims his words at the Jewish people who do not welcome Jesus as Messiah. We have noticed how Matthew omits Mark’s words about Jesus’ family thinking his is crazy, but Matthew is not unaware of what Mark had written. Now, following Mark he tells of the mother and brothers of Jesus standing outside wanting to speak to him. Matthew will tell his readers that Jesus expands his family to include his disciples, in fact anyone who does his Father’s will. They are all his family. But Matthew has stripped the story of its controversial elements. Though Matthew is somewhat vague we might conclude that Jesus is not speaking against his family but simply expanding the understanding of family.

Reading the Gospels Together The Storyline of Matthew’s Gospel – Part 6 Matthew is about to interrupt his use of Mark with a second discourse. He sets up this discourse by adding to one of Mark’s summary statement the words of Jesus who looks around and sees a great harvest awaiting but laments the lack of harvesters. Matthew shares this story with Luke, but he also shares it with John. All three versions are somewhat different from one another. Perhaps all three found this story independently in the traditions of Jesus that were available to them. Matthew leads into this discourse by telling his readers about the selection of the twelve from among the followers of Jesus. Matthew is following Mark at this point though his list differs slightly. Matthew has moved Andrew up to be listed with his brother, Peter; and most significantly, Matthew has noted the Matthew is the tax collector who was called as the fifth disciple. Matthew now tells his readers that Jesus sends these disciples on a missionary venture. Matthew is following Mark in the sending of the disciples on a missionary venture though Mark will tell of that mission a while later in his gospel and in a much shorter version. Matthew expands Mark’s story significantly. In fact, the story changes from a report about the mission to a discourse on being a missionary. What will it be like to witness for Jesus? This is Matthew’s deep concern. In his discourse Matthew pulls some material forward that he will find near the ending of Mark’s gospel when Jesus is commenting to his disciples about the destruction of the Temple. Matthew adds some material he finds in the material he shares with Luke and ends by taking some more material found much later in Mark to conclude the discourse. This is the second time Matthew has interrupted the flow of the story to provide his readers with an expanded teaching of Jesus. If we are correct in thinking that Matthew is writing for a community of mostly Jewish Christians who are tension with Jewish who do not accept Jesus as the Messiah, then we can see how this material reflects that context. In the final analysis it is clear that being a missionary for Jesus will be a challenging and even dangerous calling. Where Mark has been leading his readers to the awful reality that Jesus’ own disciples do not understand and will be total failures, Matthew is leading his readers to become sympathetic toward the disciples who are faced with an incredibly difficult task. Matthew will still need to deal with the weakness of the followers of Jesus, but Matthew is far more sympathetic toward them and wants his readers to be so too and even to identify with them. Matthew’s readers were also likely challenged by the task of witnessing in a dangerous situation. Mark had told his readers that the disciples’ mission had been a success, perhaps in spite of the ineptitude of the disciples. Matthew does not mention anything about success or failure. Mark had also inserted into his story of the mission of the disciples the story about the fate of John the baptist and the awful story of John’s murder by Herod. Matthew will tell that story later, but he does follow Mark’s lead by bring John the baptist into his story at this time. This is material about John the baptist that Matthew shares with Luke but is not found anywhere in Mark. The first story Matthew tells is of John the baptist sending some of his followers to Jesus to ask if Jesus is the Messiah or if they should look for another. Mark had so compressed the ministry of John the baptist that his readers would hardly have noticed him. By telling this story Matthew, as he did in the story of the baptism of Jesus, suppresses John the baptist as inferior to Jesus by portraying him as one who doubts. The evidence Jesus provides for those who come from John to ask is to look at the miracles that Jesus has done. The words Matthew uses allude to the very words that the prophet Isaiah had spoken about the one who was to come. As we will see when we look at Luke, Luke will make much more of this, but we should not miss Matthew’s connection of the ministry of Jesus with the ministry of the coming one as spoken of by Isaiah. Matthew goes on to evaluate the ministry of John the baptist using words from the material he shares with Luke. Matthew makes it abundantly clear to his readers that John the baptist is Elijah who was to come at the end of the age to usher in the time of the Messiah. Jesus is superior to John but John is an important figure in the story. Matthew has set a scene in which being a missionary is difficult and dangerous. Many will not respond. Matthew now tells his readers that many had not responded to Jesus either. In material he again shares with Luke, Matthew tells his readers of Jesus condemnation of the cities where most of his deeds of power had been done. The language is not pleasant. But the situation into which Matthew was writing was also likely not pleasant and was filled with much rejection from people who would not accept Jesus as the Messiah. Matthew’s community should not be surprised at the tension between them and their neighbors. It was like that in the ministry of Jesus and it is like that now. Matthew now turns to an interesting comment regarding the disciples. The words are now tender and assuring. In words that Matthew shares with Luke and words that also sound distinctly like the way in which the writer of John speaks of Jesus, Matthew tells his readers that God has chosen to reveal God’s self to the lowly and the weak and that no one can come to the Father except through the Son. This sounds so much like John that one can’t help but wonder if some of the early material from John was not circulating amid the traditions about Jesus in an oral form. We will need to examine this connection later. For Matthew, these words and his words about coming to Jesus and taking his yoke upon them are words addressed as much to Matthew’s community as they are to the context of the story Matthew is weaving for his readers. And they are words that bring comfort to us as we seek to witness for Jesus in our world as well.