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.