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.