Notes on Matthaiah

Part One

Authorship and Date

Both Papias (c. 130?) and Irenaeus (c. 190) affirm that Matthaiah the tribute taker wrote an account of Jesus' life in Hebrew/Aramaic. The Shem-Tob (Shem-Tov) tradition of Matthaiah, which appears to be mostly independent of the Greek tradition, supports the notion that this account was written by the tribute taker, first in Hebrew and then in Greek. The author's account of the conversion of Matthaiah the tribute taker, the strongly Jewish style, the testimony of Lukas that some of his sources were eyewitnesses, and certain of the themes add to the likelihood that it was this Matthaiah who wrote the account of Jesus' work on earth. Those who believe in Markan priority, however, reject Matthean authorship for the gospel.

The earliest manuscript of "According to Matthaiah" has its date currently in dispute, and that is p⁶⁴⁺⁶⁷. Carsten Thiede has argued for a date during the 1st century, but he has received significant opposition to this dating. The time of writing, however, is not very much in dispute, since Lukas (c.60-63) uses it as a source to some degree, since Mt. was reported to have circulated in Hebrew before it was passed around in Greek, and since the themes are so strongly Jewish as to render the gentile world virtually irrelevant (or at least unknown to the author).

Given apostolic authorship, the writing called "According to Matthaiah" was probably written during the 40's CE.

Theory of Composition

Given that over 90% of the account attributed to Markus is reproduced somewhere in either Matthaiah's or Lukas' version, there is clearly a literary relationship between the three. Lukas openly claims to have used sources, so no problem exists in claiming that he used one or both of the other Synoptics when he compiled his own account of the events.

Since there are cases wherein each pair of the Synoptics agrees with one another in the details but differs with the third, the third must have employed the other two as sources. It is also distinctly likely that the first employed the second as a source. Whether Markus was written before or after Lukas cannot be so readily determined; however, there are factors leading us to the conclusion that Markus copied Matthaiah and not the other way around. Here is a brief argument that Markus was written last, and that Lukas used Matthaiah as a source, meaning that Matthaiah's account was written first.

Not wishing to dismiss the patristic testimony, we favor Augustine's hypothesis: that Matthaiah was written first. His account was condensed by Markus, and then Lukas compared both accounts as sources.

Commentary

The lineage of Jesus

Therefore, all the generations from Abraham until David were fourteen generations, and from David until the Babylonian captivity there were fourteen generations, and from the Babylonian captivity until the Anointed One there were fourteen generations.

The author does not intend for the lineage to be complete. Instead, he lists prominent members of each time group. The first time group is from Abraham (from whom the covenant originated) to David (who was a type of the Anointed One [Messiah]). The second time group stretches from David until the captivity (c.587 BCE), and the third covers the period that we would largely call intertestamental.

The three periods are divided into fourteen "generations". The use of the number 14 is generally attributed to the fact that David's name in Hebrew characters adds to 14. Thus, the author is deliberately making an allusion to David, and therefore to Jesus being the promised Anointed One. This is a literary teaching tool, not a comprehensive genealogy.

The Birth of Jesus

Now Yosef got up from sleeping and did as Yahweh's messenger had put it to him, and he took aside his wife, and he did not know her sexually until she gave birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus.

Miriam (probably named after Moses' sister) and Yosef are deliberately presented to us as engaged, not married. That is to say, they had not consummated the relationship. The author states this bluntly for emphasis. Miriam was a virgin. Therefore, we can understand Yosef's reaction when she turns up pregnant! All we are told in Matt's account is that she became pregnant "out of holy breath" -- that is, as the result of a miracle. There are no details laid out for us in advance. She's pregnant, and therefore Yosef has the right to have her stoned to death (according to Dt 22:23-24). Nice guy that he was, he chose to divorce her secretly, so as not to "make her a public spectacle."

At this time, all was revealed to Yosef through Yahweh's messenger. Yosef is called "son (descendant) of David" -- again referring to an important identifier of the lineage of the Anointed One. He was comforted by being told of the miracle and is instructed to name the boy Yeshua. The name comes from the same root as "Joshua" and means "Yahweh is salvation." We are told that Jesus will be given his name on account of his role. That is, he is the promised Anointed One.

The Magians

2:1 Now after Jesus was born in Beth-Lehem of Judea during the days of Herod the king, look, magians from the East happened by Jerusalem, saying, "Where is the newborn King of the Jews? For we saw his star while in the East, and we have come to bow down to him."

But when he heard, King Herod alarmed, and all Jerusalem was alarmed with him. And he gathered all of the high priests and scribes of the people and asked from them where the Anointed One would be born. Now they said to him, "In Beth-Lehem of Judea. For it was so written through the prophet:

""And you, Beth-Lehem," land of Judah, "by no means are you last among the governors of Judah. For out of you will come a governor who will feed my people Israel.""

Then Herod called the magians privately, and by them he obtained the time of the star's appearing. And he sent them into Beth-Lehem and said, "Go and obtain information accurately about the young child. Now as soon as you have found him, relate it to me, so that I too may come and bow down to him."

Now after hearing the king, they went. And look! The star that they had seen while in the East was in front of them until it came and stood on top of the place where the young child was. Now when they noticed the star, they rejoiced with an exceedingly great joy. And they came into the house and saw the young child with Miriam his mother, and they dropped down and bowed to him. And after opening their treasuries, they offered him gifts: gold, and incense, and myrrh.

And since they had been divinely warned by a dream not to find their way back to Herod, they went off into their country by another road.

Now after they withdrew, look: Yahweh's messenger appeared to Yosef by a dream and said, "Get up, and take along the young child and its mother, and flee into Egypt, and be there until I tell you. For Herod is about to seek the young child, to destroy it." Now he got up, took along the young child and its mother by night and withdrew into Egypt. And he was there until Herod's completion, so that the declaration by the Lord to the prophet would be fulfilled, saying, "Out of Egypt I called my son."

Then when Herod noticed that he had been mocked by the magians, he was enraged greatly. And, sending people forth, he killed all those boys who were in Beth-Lehem and all its borders, from two years old and down, according to the time that he had obtained from the magians. Then the declaration that was through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled, saying, "A voice was heard in Ramah, crying and much mourning. Rachel is crying for her children, and she does not want to be comforted, because they are not."

Now when Herod was completed, look: Yahweh's messenger appeared to Yosef in Egypt by a dream, saying, "Get up and take along the young child and its mother, and go into Israel. For the ones who were seeking the young child's life have been completed." Now he got up, took along the young child and its mother, and entered into the land of Israel. But when he heard that Archelaus reigned in Judea instead of his father Herod, he was afraid to go back there. But since he was divinely warned by a dream, he withdrew into Galilaian parts.

And when he came into a city called Nazareth, he dwelt there, so that the declaration through the prophet might be fulfilled, that "He will be called a Nazarene."

This set of events takes place within the first two years of Jesus' life, probably closer to age two than to his birth.

Jesus had been born in Beth-Lehem, we are now told, and this was David's city -- a point that would be important to readers wishing to identify the Anointed One. In the event that the reader is unfamiliar with the passage, the author includes a citation from Micah. The passage (beginning in 5:2) continues with a forecast of the Messianic role: And he will stand and feed his flock with Yahweh's might, in the majesty of the name of Yahweh his God. And they will live safely, for now he will be great -- to the ends of the land; and he will be the one of peace. As Micah continues, he predicts that the Anointed One would purify the worship of Yahweh (vv. 10f.), and that God would bring judgment on those Jewish people who did not follow him (v. 15). As will continue to be the case, the reader is expected to be familiar with the context of any passage cited from the Hebrew Bible -- or he is expected to look it up. Here, Matthaiah points out that the Anointed One, a governor who will feed Israel, was born in Beth-Lehem.

"King Herod" or "Herod the Great" was not Jewish. However, shortly after the death of Julius Caesar, he was appointed Tetrarch of Galilaiah. By 37 BCE (after the deaths of both Fasael and Antigonus), Herod stood as ruler of all Palestine, where he took on the title of king. He aggravated the Jewish people by taxing them, by erecting a golden eagle in the temple, and (according to rumor) by robbing the temple of certain artifacts. The king was known as someone who favored Roman ways over Jewish ones. Therefore, Herod ordered the magians to discover the child under the pretext of bowing down to him -- an act that would have indicated that Jesus was his superior. The reader would recognize that having Jewish children executed was within Herod's character.

The magians found Jesus' family at home and offered gifts worthy of the king of Israel, but God (?) had told them not to return to Herod.

Meanwhile, Herod was going ballistic. He ordered all children in the area around Beth-Lehem of Jesus' approximate age to be slain. No king would rise up to take his place. This is supposed to shock the reader, but it is also meant to prepare the reader for the fact that the leaders of Jesus' people -- indeed, the most religious of the day -- would eventually attempt to have Jesus killed, so that Jesus' death would prove no more unjust than Herod's baby-killing.

But a messenger had warned Yosef to get his family out of there and to flee to Egypt -- an action which reminded the author of a saying. That saying comes from Hosea 11:1, where it is written:
When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son. The passage describes God's faithfulness to the people of Israel. The young Messiah was like Israel as a child, without the unfaithfulness that would cause God to say, "They will return to the land of Egypt" (v. 5). Therefore, our author likens God's rescue of Jesus to his rescue of Israel, and in a sense he was rescuing Israel here by saving the life of his Anointed One.

The slaughter of the youths was said to fulfill a section of Jeremiah 31 (v. 15), which also takes on a Messianic character. Rachel's weeping for her children was symbolic (in Jeremiah) of the exile of the northern tribes. Here, "they are no more" (or "they are not") refers to the deaths of literal Jewish children. Just as Jeremiah continues with the promise of restoration, so also Matthaiah most likely looks ahead to the vindication of the Jewish people (such as vv. 31ff.).

After Herod's death in 4 BCE, Yosef's family returned, choosing to be located in Nazareth. The saying, "He will be called a Nazarene," appears to have been a popular saying that was circulated by oral tradition. There is nothing directly like it in the Hebrew Bible, and the author does not claim that it is a direct quotation. It is possible that a play on words is intended, for "nazarene" is similar to the word "netzar," which signifies a tender (or green) branch. This is the word used to describe the Messiah in Isa 11:1 -- "a shoot will come out from the stump of Yeshai, and a branch will grow out of his roots."

By this time, the Jewish reader would be well aware of Jesus' identity. He is the Anointed One. Now, that theme will submurge, so that the author can bring up other matters, such as why the Anointed One came and what information he left behind.

John the Baptizer

"I indeed am baptizing in water into mental change. But the one who is coming after me is stronger than me, whose sandals I am not strong enough to carry. He will baptize you with holy breath and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clean out his threshing floor. And he will gather the wheat into the storehouse, but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire."

In this section, the author introduces one of his central themes, and he does so in dramatic form.

All we are told about John was that he "happened along, heralding in the desert of Judea." How he came to be doing what he was doing, the author does not tell. But WHY he was there we do know:

"Change your minds, for the kingdom of the heavens is near."

The statement has two parts, a warning and a reason. The warning is that the Jewish listeners who had come to the desert to hear him required a mental change. What made this so urgent? The kingdom is near. John may have explained this "kingdom," but Matthaiah leaves it until later. His warnings become even stronger.

Matthaiah interjects, though, to remind the Jewish reader that it was predicted by Isaiah that John would come before the Anointed One. John was dressed in traditional prophets' garb and ate off the land.

The Jewish religious structure believed that all genuine prophecy had ceased (based on their interpretation of Zech 13). They would later use this belief in order to close the canon (c.65, 90 CE). Apparently, this caused them to question vigorously all those who claimed to be prophets. These people (such as John and Jesus) existed outside the established political structure. Therefore, it is not surprising that groups of them approached to try to trap him. These consisted of:

Perushim (what we call "Pharisees" -- the word roughly signifies a stickler for details. They were the strongest advocates of Rabbinical Judaism, the form of belief that came to replace Priestly Judaism after the fall of the temple in 70 CE.)

Zadokites (what we call "Sadducees" -- if the etymology is correct, these named themselves after Zadok the priest. They were the strongest advocates of Priestly Judaism.)

So anyway, he calls them a "brood of vipers." Why? Because they were hypocrites who did not "make fruit worthy of the mental change." They claimed to be spiritual, but their lives said otherwise. They were also the "good old boys"--the ones who would resist the changes brought about by the Anointed One. John says..."Who pointed out to you to flee from the coming anger?"

This is the first clear indication the reader has that the whole system is about to come down. John is referring ahead to the events of the First Revolt (66-73 CE), during which the nation of Israel would be wiped out, the Temple would be destroyed, and the lineage to the priesthood cut off. Thus, from what little we know about John, he was calling people to national reformation, for soon their nation would come to an end.

But John continues to warn them that their lineage (which was so important to the Jewish people) would not save them. Why not? "God is able to raise up children for Abraham from these stones!" In saying that, John plays a word game in Aramaic. The word for sons is "banim," and the word for stones is "abanim." God can turn these abanim into banim if he needs to! Your lineage is worthless to you!

"But the axe is already lying toward the roots of the trees." It's too late! The Jewish system is coming down. The trees that get "cast into fire" are the trees that don't experience "mental change". We will see later, especially in chapters 5 - 7 that this means shucking off the shackles of a system of activities and rituals in favor of God's internal, spiritual, code.

Then John makes his famous prediction. The Anointed One was coming soon, and what would he accomplish? "His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clean out his threshing floor...." He was coming to separate the spiritual worshipers from the ritual-followers! The defenders of the orthodoxy, including those he's speaking to, were going to be destroyed. Everything they stood for would not exist under the new covenant. Matthaiah has not yet mentioned this covenant, but the Jewish readers understand that the Anointed One brings a new covenant that is not like the old (Jer 31). The readers have their first warning, which ought to instill fear in the hearts of those who have not accepted their Messiah.

The Baptism of Jesus

Now when Jesus had been baptized, he came up immediately away from the water, and look! The heavens were opened to him, and God's Spirit was there, coming down like a dove and coming upon him. And look, a voice from the heavens, saying, "This is my son, the beloved, in whom I delight."

The account here is brief. John had initiated a covenant of mental change. Jesus found it necessary to publically acknowledge the way of mental change, and so, he was baptized in the Jordan River by John.

Then came a sign, understood by many as Jesus' official anointing as the Anointed One. God provided an audio-visual sign to everyone watching that he was anointing Jesus. "This is my son, the beloved, in whom I delight." The statement, "This is my son," meant the same as "This is the Messiah," for one title of the Anointed One was "God's son." God left no doubt as to Jesus' identity, an identification that was also witnessed by John and (as we see in the 'fourth' gospel) by several of John's students.

Matthaiah has been sketching out for us what it means for the Anointed One to come. First of all, he proved that Jesus of Nazareth was the Messiah. Second, he claimed that the purpose of the Messiah's coming involved a complete replacement of the old system (Priestly Judaism) with something new. After one interlude, Matthaiah will present his readers with a sample of the teachings that explain this new system.

The Testing

Then the Accuser went away from him, and look, messengers came to him and served him.

In this section the Enemy appears in his traditional Jewish form as the Accuser of the people. Translating diaboloV as "devil" instead of "accuser" completely obscures this fact. Normally, in the OT, the Enemy takes on the role as an Accuser (e.g., Job), testing humanity. Here, he applies a triple test to the Anointed One.

The first test began with "If you are God's son," which is to say, "If you're really the Anointed One." The Accuser then asked him to use his spiritual gifts to provide food for himself. After all, although this is not mentioned explicitly here, the OT prophets could call upon God to provide sustenance. God always provided for his people (e.g., the manna in the desert). Rather than use his relationship with God for self-directed purposes, Jesus replied that humanity is to live by God's declarations (Dt 8:3), and not merely by food. In that, he indicated that God has provided for him already.

Then Jesus was made to view Jerusalem from the Temple. The setting itself may have been a test. If anything could have made Jesus feel like assuming a role of authority, being positioned in the "holy city" at the temple itself would have done so. And the Accuser asked Jesus to use his authority to direct the messengers to protect him (from falling)...if he really was the Anointed One. Here, the Enemy explicitly mentioned that the Anointed deserved such authority (Psa 91:11-12). But Jesus considered this a test not of himself but of God. He had no doubt that God would protect him if need be, and so he replied that it is wrong to test Yahweh God (Dt 6:16).

The third test by the Accuser is to give up his anointed status for political authority, for bowing to the Accuser would have signified him as a superior. Jesus replies that only God deserves bowing (worship) and religious service. (Dt 6:13)

All three passages are answered by citations from Deuteronomy, and all of them offer Jesus authority: first, over nature; second, over spiritual beings; third, over the kingdoms of the earth. In every case, Jesus refuses to sieze authority. It is intimated that to do so would run contrary to his identity as God's Anointed One. Matthaiah's Jesus will later establish that the followers of Jesus are to have no authority structure; this passage, in which Jesus denies certain forms of authority, paves the way for that teaching.

When the Accuser left, messengers went to Jesus and served him; yet this is not by Jesus' order but of their own volition and purpose.

Preparing to Teach

Lukas' chronological account shows that other things happened before this. Comparison to Johannes' account shows that Jesus already had students following him by this time. In fact, those mentioned in this section were already his followers. Yet this represents something important in Matthaiah's set of reasons for writing his treatise.

Jesus left Nazareth and traveled to Kafar-Nahum (the village of Nahum), fulfilling another prophecy as he went. This stems from Isa 9:1-2 and introduces the Anointed One as the ideal king. V.6 contains the well-known segment: "For a child has been born for us, a son given to us; authority rests on his shoulders; and he is named "Wonderful Advisor"; "God is Mighty"; "the Father is Everlasting"; "Prince of Peace." His authority will grow continually, and there will be endless peace for David's throne and kingdom."

17 From then, Jesus began to herald and to say, "Change your minds, for the kingdom of the heavens is near."

Matthaiah reports that Jesus began heralding a message similar to that of John: "Change your minds, for the kingdom of the heavens is near." He too was forecasting doom for the state of Israel.

18 Now as he walked by the Sea of Galilaiah, he saw two brothers, Simon (the one called Peter) and Andreas his brother, casting a dragnet into the sea. For they were fishers. And he said to them, "Come, behind me, and I will make you fishers of human beings." Now they let the nets go immediately and followed him. And he went forward from there and noticed two others who were brothers, Jacob the son of Zebediah and Johannes his brother, in the ship with Zebediah their father, repairing their nets. And he called them. Now they let the ship go immediately, and their father, and they followed him.

Matthaiah appears to include the statements Jesus made to his students because something important was about to happen -- something that his soon-to-be envoys would need to be a part of. From a group of followers, Jesus selected a few fishermen, telling them that they would catch human beings from that point on. We see in John 21 that they continued to fish for sustinence, but these men were being prepared to share in the Anointed One's mission. They were going to be sent to share his message with others (chapter 10). The account reports that Peter, Jacob, and Johannes, immediately went to listen to Jesus -- to begin their preparation.

23 And he went around in the whole of Galilaiah teaching in their gatherings and heralding the good message of the kingdom and curing every disease and every illness among the people.

And his hearing went out into the whole of Syria. And they brought to him all those who had something bad: those who were held by various diseases and torments; and those affected by spirit beings; and those affected by the moon; and paralytics. And he cured them.

25 And many people, crowds, followed him from Galilaiah and Dekapolis and Jerusalem and Judea and from beyond the Jordan. Now when he noticed the crowds, he went up to the mountain, and after he set himself down, his students came to him.

And so, as this section ends, Jesus' fame spreads as he and his students travel around to the Jewish gatherings throughout Galilaiah, "heralding the good message of the kingdom," with Jesus healing people from ailments both natural and apprarently supernatural. And as he walked around, crowds began to follow him. Eventually, he went to the Mount of Olives, being followed by an enormous crowd at this time.

So far, the only thing we have been told about Jesus' mission was that it included the end of the current Jewish way of thinking. Next, the author plans to clue us in on a great deal!

The Beatitudes

5:3 "Blessed are the poor-spirited,

Because the Kingdom of the Heavens belongs to them.

Blessed are the ones who mourn,

Because they will be given comforting advice.

Blessed are the meek,

Because they will inherit the land.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for what is right,

Because they will be well fed.

Blessed are the merciful,

Because they will be shown mercy.

Blessed are the clean-hearted,

Because they will see God.

Blessed are those who make peace,

Because will be called sons of God.

Blessed are those who are persecuted for the sake of what is right,

Because the Kingdom of the Heavens belongs to them.

"Blessed are you when they say foul things of you, and persecute you, and say every evil thing, lying against you for my sake.

Rejoice and be glad, because your reward is great in the heavens. For they persecuted those prophets before you in this way.

People have written entire books about the beatitudes, and much of what they've written appears to be correct. The beatitudes are very deep thoughts. Some have seen structure in the beatitudes in three different ways:

• Each one is supposed to lead to the next one.
• Four of them relate to trust, and four of them relate to love.
• Four of them are personal, and four are directed toward others.

These observations may all be right. For this look at the beatitudes, I choose to compare them to what they oppose.

1. The opposite of poor-spirited is rich-spirited. The rich spirited person believes he lacks nothing. This is the person in Laodikeia in Revelation. God is not so important to him/her. But the poor-spirited person realizes that she needs God. Surely, this is an important step in spiritual growth. Although Jesus nowhere mentions the religious leaders of his day, he might very well have had their know-it-all ways in mind when he said this.
2. Those who do not mourn feel little for others pain. They need no comforting advice, but then again, they feel close to no one. Jesus said that the ones who do mourn will be comforted. Part of that comfort comes in the closeness of the relationships that the mourner has with others.
3. The meek are the ones who are submissive toward God. The haughty (high minded or proud) are not submissive to God. They do whatever they see fit. But it is God's people who will inherit the land, for this is a gift from God--not something they can take for themselves.
4. "Those who hunger and thirst." This may seem an awful lot like "poor-spirited," but this beatitude implies activity of intellect. The opposite of the truth-seeker, the God-seeker is the complacent pew-sitter. The person who seeks will find (as we'll see later) -- his hunger will be met with satisfaction.
5. The merciless will receive their appropriate judgment -- we'll see that later, too. The merciful will receive mercy. Justice can be merciless sometimes, but those who are merciful toward others will experience God's mercy.
6. "The clean-hearted...will see God." The dirty-hearted has a consciousness of sin. He sees his own sin and guilt. The clean-hearted, who seeks God knowing that her sins are forgiven, will see not sin but God.
7. The ones who do not make peace or who oppose peace are not following the ways of the God of Peace. Those who make peace are taking after God, and therefore (in Jewish lingo), God is their father. (You might remember in Johannes' account that Abraham is not the Leaders' father because they don't do what Abraham would do.) The one you take after is your father.
8. Those who are persecuted for other reasons are merely suffering persecution. Those who are persecuted for doing wrong are receiving their just rewards. But Jesus says that the kingdom belongs to those who suffer because of what is right. They endure on God's behalf, and they will by no means lose their reward. God's heritage will pass to them.

What is often called the final beatitude is a product of the one above it, except that Jesus directs this one specifically at the listeners: "Blessed are YOU when THEY say foul things of YOU, and persecute YOU, and say every evil thing, lying against YOU for MY sake... For THEY persecuted those prophets before you in this way."

This is both the conclusion of the preceding section and the beginning of the one to come. This bridge identifies everyone, doesn't it? "YOU" are the listeners, the ones who are seeking to draw closer to God -- the ones who want to attain to the beatitudes. Jesus warned the faithful listener that THEY, the Jewish leaders who run the structured system -- the antitypes of the very people who murdered the prophets -- THEY would do all these nasty things to you, the first century Jew who accepts his Messiah. But "your reward is great in the heavens." It might not seem like much of a reward here on earth, but in the kingdom of the heavens, the one who endures such things -- possibly even being cast out of the gatherings and having your own relatives against you -- the one who would endure will have a great reward. Placed alongside the other beatitudes, Jesus only stops somewhat short of saying that this is the most difficult task of all, and the one with the greatest praise from God -- suffering on account of God's Anointed One.

Salt and Light

This whole section bridges the beatitudes -- Jesus' instructions to the crowd -- with Jesus' exegesis of the Torah.

"You are the salt of the ground" is his first analogy. There were and are salts for different uses. Table salt, the finer salt, would be used to spice up food (and increase sodium intake!). The other salt to which Jesus refers is what we would call rock salt. Rock salt was used on pathways; it does not require refinement. But what does he MEAN by "you are the salt?" His explanation is given:

If you "become foolish," you're no longer fit for consumption. The salting is the follower's lifestyle, which is supposed to reflect life on the path marked out by the beatitudes. Be poor-spirited, a mourner, meek. Hunger and thirst for what is right, etc.. This is the wise way. If your lifestyle indicates that you're foolish, your example is worthless. Your example needs to be tasty!

"You are the light of creation." This isn't the light of the earth, this is the light of the universe. We're talking about the stars and sun here -- the light permeates. People see your light --your example -- wherever you go. The comments here, given what has already been said about salt, assume that the listener's example is a good one.

14 "You are the light of creation. It is impossible to hide a city that is located on a hill. Nor do they light a lamp and place it under a measure of grain, but on the lampstand. And it lights all those who are in the house.

"Let your light shine in this way in the presence of people, so that they might notice your good deeds and might glorify that Father of yours in the heavens.

We don't need to guess about what Jesus meant by this, because he explains it...

Since the word "glorify" literally means "brighten," there is a play on words here. The people who notice your good deeds give praise and honor to God, and this brightens (gives glory to) him. You've got a good example. Don't HIDE it. Don't be ashamed of who you are: you're a follower of the Anointed One now!

Jesus dwelt on example for a moment, but he was about to make a crucial distinction. The example is only a good one if it flows from within. Doing "lip-service" to God is not what he wants, but a follower who is clean and who is filled with light.

And so, the Jewish person who was interested in becoming a follower of the Messiah needed to first realize that everyone's example would precede him. A good example, therefore, needed to be allowed to be tasty and shine.

Introduction to the Torah

"For I am telling you that unless your ethics are more abundant than those of the scribes and Perushim, you will by no means enter the Kingdom of the Heavens."

There are those who believed that the new covenant would completely nullify everything the Jews had. But the principles of the Torah are from God. These principles will not be discarded; they will be made complete through the teachings/explanation of Jesus.

Jesus looks ahead, briefly, to the consummation of the Messianic mission, which terminates as the First Revolt comes to an end. Not one yod -- the smallest letter in the Hebrew alphabet -- or diacritical mark (points that indicate inflection) will pass from the Torah until all is "fulfilled." It may be argued here that the principle of the Torah is eternal, whereas the words on the page are temporary. Notice that Jesus does not praise hypocrisy. Instead, he praises "whoever does and teaches the Torah." This bridges back to the previous section and ahead to Jesus' midrash (explanation) of the Torah.

Murder Internalized

"Indeed, I am telling you: you will by no means be let out from there until you have paid the last quadrans.

Jesus pulls a statement from the Torah, "Do not murder." The custom said that the murderer would go before the judges and afterwards be put to death. Therefore, murder was harshly punished under their legal code. But what is the real problem behind murder?

Does Jesus say that anger is as bad as murder? Yes. To drive his point home, he continues with two more examples.

"Now whoever says to his brother, 'You [rakka]!' will be liable to the Sanhedrin."

The Aramaic word rakka has a literal meaning that is close to "dog." It was also taken as an insult to one's family. In English, our expression that is often abbreviated S.O.B. is a good modern analog for the ancient word. It was a vulgar insult. Jesus says that for this insult, the person should go before the Sanhedrin -- a stronger punishment than being angry and a HIGHER court than normally heard murder cases!!

"But whoever says, 'You fool,' will be liable to the fire of Gehenna."

Great Scott! "You fool" was only a slight insult, and Jesus condemns the insulter to Gehenna -- to spiritual oblivion. No eternal life...for a mild insult!

Some Jews who later wrote about Jesus would say that he was rejected because he made the Torah so much more difficult. Not only couldn't a person murder, but now, harboring any ill will at all towards another person would cause the same or worse penalties!

How does Jesus' explanation work? As Jesus will explain better later, the same angry emotions are at play regarding insults and murder. If you feed that negative emotion one way (to insult or slander) but not another way (to murder), the internal problem is still the same. You cannot deal with the ill-feeling toward someone if you address only the outer manifestation. Walking around hating someone is NOT what the Torah intended. Jesus provides the "cure":

"If you are bringing your gift to the altar..."

Don't let anger exist between you and your fellow Jew/Christian. The wording has been reversed deliberately, so that (taken together), the thought is all-inclusive. If you're the one who's angry, or if she is, the problem still requires a peaceful solution. God's priority is not for religious "duty" but for the relationship you have with that person. Be reconciled, THEN offer a gift.

Finally, he reminds the listener that by not settling matters quickly, troubles on earth might result as well...including jail time, if you're not careful! The quadrans was a coin that was worth one-fourth of the value of an assarius. While the assarius was the cost of something small (such as two sparrows, 10:29), the quadrans was worth only two lepta, or one-sixteenth of a denarius. Very little could be bought with it. Thus, what Jesus was saying indicates that the person who pursues anger in his life would be judged by God with the utmost legalism. Therefore, the person who viewed the Torah legalistically would be judged legalistically. It made sense, then, to regard the Torah as Jesus was explaining it.

Adultery Internalized

"Now if your right eye should make you stumble, pluck it out and cast it from you. For it makes sense for you that one of your members should be destroyed, and not that your whole body should be cast into Gehenna. And if your right hand should make you stumble, cut it off and cast it from you. For it makes sense for you that one of your members should be destroyed, and not that your whole body should depart into Gehenna.

Again, Jesus quotes the Torah, "You will not commit adultery."
God regards commitment with the highest possible esteem. Any glance at the punishment in the OT for disgracing one's spouse by sleeping with another will show that; the punishment is death. God wants people to respect the relationship and its commitments. Now look at the extension of the statute to the principle behind it.

This is a hard saying for the married man. If you're looking at a woman, imagining sex with her, deliberatly becoming aroused, but you don't actually go through with the act -- how is your commitment toward your wife? You walk around thinking of sex with other women -- an act that is supposed to indicate permanent commitment -- and yet you claim to be devoted to your spouse? Jesus says it's the same as adultery. The physical act is but a manifestation of the infidelity you harbor inside.

What a strong thing he says next: "Now if your right eye should make you stumble, pluck it out and cast it from you...and if your right hand should make you stumble, cut it off and cast it from you." It makes better sense to do this than to forfeit the life that God offers you and have "your whole body...depart into Gehenna." In context, the problem isn't the adultery (or the murder); it's deeper than that. Jesus explains that it is absolutely necessary to deal with the real problem, rather than addressing the result or symptom of that problem.

Divorce Internalized

"But I am telling you that whoever lets his wife go away (except on a matter of prostitution) makes her commit adultery. And whoever marries the one who was let go is committing adultery.

This matter is almost puzzling until later on in Matthaiah's account. For he quotes the Torah and seems to strengthen it!

There were legitimate conditions for such things, according to God. Moses allowed people to separate from one another rather than inflict the death penalty on their spouse for adultery. But the Jewish schools of thought in Jesus' day weakened it. One school of thought, the more conservative, essentially considered any valid reason a means for divorce. Most Americans follow this belief today. The more exacting legalistic school of thought considered even overcooking a meal to be legitimate grounds for divorce. After all, that passage itself didn't exactly SAY. All it said was that a certificate of separation was required! See, just give her the paper, and you can go.

But Jesus returns to the orignal thought: that separation was only a gentle substitution for demanding the unfaithful spouse's life, which the wronged party could do. He further adds that God does not regard the relationship as "ended" by the divorce; it is merely a separation.

"Whoever lets his wife go away ...makes her commit adultery."
Why? Because the relationship isn't over, but he's sending her away... presumably to other men.
"And whoever marries the one who was let go is committing adultery."
Why? Because she still belongs with the guy who separated from her.

The internal principle to respect is commitment. God regards such commitments as permanent, and the couple is expected to make it work...except in situations of infidelity (called prostitution here as in the OT).

The Principle behind Swearing

"But I am telling you: don't swear at all, neither by the sky (because it is a throne of God), nor by the earth (because it is a footstool for his feet), nor by Jerusalem (because it is the great King's city), nor should you swear by your head (because you are not able to make one hair white or black). But let your statement be, 'Yes yes; no no.' But that which is beyond these is from the evil one.

When Jesus cites, "You will not make oaths falsely," and "You will perform your oaths to Yahweh" (Num 30:3; Dt. 23:21-3), he intends to restore the intention of the passage. The Jewish practice of swearing was almost similar to the modern practice here. If someone was disbelieved about something, they might say, "I swear it's true." Even the "A-mein" was an assurance of fact, a stronger form of 'yes' or 'indeed.' If a stronger assurance was required, they would swear by something valued or holy, "I swear by the temple," or "I swear by my soul."

Jesus' explanation is simple: there would be no need to take such oaths if everyone knew you told the truth in the first place!

Swearing by things is expressly outlawed: the sky is God's throne; the earth is his footstool; Jerusalem is his city. Everything, in essence, does not belong to you but to God. "But let your statement be, 'Yes yes; no no.' But that which is beyond these is from the evil one." Tell the truth always, and there is no need for taking such oaths. In fact, this was in the Torah to begin with. Dt. 23:22 reads, "If you refrain from vowing, it shall be no sin to you," and Jesus has this passage in mind.

Now, the Jew must have truthfulness in his heart at all times, not only when taking a sacred vow before God.

The Eyes Don't Have It

"But I am telling you: do not withstand the evil person. On the contrary, if anyone slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other one to him also. And to the one who wants to sue you and take your tunic, give him your cloak also. And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go two with him. Give to the one who asks of you, and do not reject the one who wants to borrow money from you.

The Jewish code of restitution allowed someone to exact a fitting punishment from an offender. This punishment could be as much as the victim suffered, but no more. "When a man causes a disfigurement in his neighbor, what he has done will be done to him: eye for eye; tooth for tooth. As he has disfigured a man, he will be disfigured." (Lv 14:19-20) The Torah also reads (Ex 21:23-5), "If any harm (to the pregnant woman's child) follows, then you will give life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, stripe for stripe."

This is a limitation on emotional vengeance. The exacting of vengeance might tempt one to take a life in repayment for an injury. The Torah limits this, saying, "You may only take the eye." Revenge can be measureless, but God limits the punishments to what is suitable.

Jesus says, "You don't have to take your neighbor's eye." Instead of filling yourself with revenge, you can be filled with mercy. Your neighbor owes you the life, or the tooth, or the eye, but you can resist the temptation toward vengeance altogether.

Is your shirt that important that you would fill yourself with negative emotions toward your fellow Jew? If he wants to take, why not give? The Roman soldiers, as is well known now, were allowed by Roman law to conscript citizens into carrying their packs for one mile at a time. Jesus says, "If anyone forces you to go one mile, go two with him."

How far does this generosity extend? If you can give to the needy, give. If you can loan to the needy, loan. It will be said elsewhere that when you loan, don't charge interest, and don't even expect to be repaid! Why?? Because it is better to lose some money or property than to harbor resentment for a brother or sister (a fellow Messianic Jew).

Love Your Enemies

"But I am telling you: love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father in the heavens--because his sun rises on evil and good people, and it rains on just and unjust people.

As if Jesus couldn't take this principle (above) to any further extreme, he goes to the logical conclusion. The passage from which he quotes a part reads as follows:

"You will not hate your brother in your heart, but you will reason with your neighbor, lest you bear sin because of him. You will not take vengeance or bear any grudge against the sons of your own people, but you will love your neighbor as yourself. I am Yahweh." (Lv 19:17-18)

God himself had already spoken about taking vengeance, and about the deeper problem of harboring resentment or grudges. Here, the implicit question (answered also by the analogy of the Good Samaritan) is, "Who is considered my neighbor?" Jesus speaks quite logically:

This can't be talking only about people who love you, because everyone finds it easy to love those who love them in return. No, this is talking about people who DON'T love you. "Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you." God himself does the same, by allowing the sun and rain to bless both those who love him and those who hate him. God has set the example for us to follow. Instead of bearing grudges, you can choose to offer kindness in return for evil.

Be Complete

"Therefore, you will be complete just as your Father, who is in the heavens, is complete. Be careful not to do what right things you do in the presence of people, in order to be shown to them. Now if you do otherwise, you have no reward with your Father, who is in the heavens.

This section is a bridge between Jesus' spiritual exegesis of the Torah and his practical applications of the priniciples that he has just outlined. Jesus is about to make great statements about acting out of one's heart and not hypocritically: it has to be REAL to count before God. Here, he says to be complete.

Being complete means doing what you do from the heart. For Jesus, it specifically means following the principles of the Torah out of the heart. This is a difficult task, and these are hard sayings to hear, and so Jesus will point to the people around him for examples of what the crowd recognizes as BAD examples. He'll simply say, "You know not to do that. So do this instead."

Hypocrites At Work

"Indeed I am telling you, they are obtaining their reward. But you, when you are doing your charitable deeds, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your charitable deeds may be secret. And your Father, who sees in secret, will repay you."

As in the rest of the "sermon," Jesus does not directly address the spiritual leaders of his time, but he comes close. The wealthy were regarded very highly, and whether they were genuine leaders or not, most of the time they were looked on as spiritual, since wealth was seen as a sign of God's blessing. When giving great gifts, the wealthy sought public regard for what they were doing. Of course, that doesn't happen AT ALL today. (Wink.)

Jesus says, "Don't do like you've seen them do." As to what to do, the meaning here is pretty straightforward, and it follows from what Jesus was already saying about internal principles vs. a religion of externals. The point of doing charity is to help others, not to grandstand. If you're going to do it, do it for the right reason.

Hypocrites Talking

"But those who pray should not babble like the gentiles. For they imagine that they will be heard because of their verbosity. Therefore, don't be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

Jesus says roughly this: "You've all seen the guys who are the first ones to leap up and pray publically. They do it all the time, and they try to be overly eloquent. Why? Because they're really addressing the people at the gathering--not God. They have their full reward." Hmm...I've seen this in the 20th century. What about you? Maybe we've even done it once or twice?

"But those who pray should not babble like the gentiles." This is a slap at the Jews who pray to be seen publically. Jesus likens their verbosity to the gentile babbling. The gentiles often spoke as many names of gods as they could cram into a prayer, thinking that one of the gods would hear them. There are even recorded examples of them using human names they'd heard of (such as Abraham) in the middle of their prayers! More must be better. Jesus says without accusing that the Jews who seek public recognition are just babbling on. "Don't be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him."

Then How Should we Pray?

"For if you forgive people of their faults, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive people, neither will your Father forgive your faults."

Jesus provides a sample of a most humble prayer, clearly directed toward God. He doesn't intend for the words to be repeated as a formula, but for his listeners to examine the attitude that Jesus has toward talking to his Father.

"Our Father"--He deliberately includes the listeners in saying "our"
"Your name has been made holy."--Praises an attribute of God. Remember, this praise is supposed to be genuine, if we believe everything Jesus has said so far.
"Let your kingdom come. Let what you want also be done on earth, as in heaven." --Here, Jesus humbly submits his own desires to God's will. Later on, he'll say, "Let not what I want but what you want be done."
"Give us the bread we need today" -- Give us what we NEED. He doesn't address God as Santa Claus. He asks for what he really needs.
"forgive us our debts as we also have forgiven our debtors." --Now THIS is tough! He's just said, "Love your enemies," and now he tells us to ask for as much forgiveness as we've shown others!
"And don't carry us into trial, but rescue us from the evil one." --This echoes many of the Davidic Psalms. Jesus has recognized that God is in control. He has praised God for who he is. Now, he looks to God for guidance through his daily life...in the matters that are most important. "Rescue us from the evil one." Again, the wording continues to show that he is including the listeners.

Having said this, he looks to the crowd and speaks a sobering thought, "If you forgive people of their faults, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive people, neither will your Father forgive your faults."

Your faults, your wanderings, they will be judged. How harsh a measuring stick you get judged by is up to you. If you're a forgiving person, you'll receive mercy. Jesus will return to this thought in a moment.

Hypocrites Complaining

"Oh, Iiiii'm sorry. *Moan* I can't have dinner with you now. I'm fasting. Yes, I know how HARD it is, but I've got to do my duty to God, don't I? You don't fast, DO you?"

The people in the crowd were accustomed to seeing people walk the streets--people who refused to wash themselves so that everyone would know they were fasting. These people were fasting as much for public praise of how spiritual they were as they were fasting for God. Jesus says, "When you're fasting, act normally." God will know you're fasting, and HE will reward you.

In mentioning prayer, fasting, and charitable deeds, Jesus sums up the religious duties that were not required of everyone. Should people pray? Sure, and the other things are good too--IF they're really done for God, and not for public praise. If you want public praise, that's all you'll get!

Where are Your Priorities?

"The eye is the lamp of the body. Therefore if your eye is sound, your whole body will be lit. But if your eye is evil, your whole body will be dark. Therefore, if the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!"

Jesus begins to address another problem common in his day... and ours: the overestimation of the value of money and possessions. These "treasures" are virtually worthless, since "moth and rust make things disappear and thieves dig through and steal." Your possessions can be stolen away or may rot away. If you rely on them, you're relying on something temporary.

I've personally known a number of people who depend on their money. Some of them thought they were "self-reliant," but if their money supply was low, they went into a panic. The money was too important to them.

Jesus points out that there are treasures "in heaven" that are permanent. Actually, he has already mentioned several of them! Good relationships, virtuous conduct, etc.. provide treasures for themselves, and God provides the "reward in heaven" for these things.

"Wherever your treasure is, there will your heart be also."

"Your treasure" here is your priority system. Jesus asked, What's your top priority? Your highest priorities have your heart -- your deepest self and motivations -- behind them.

"The eye is the lamp of the body" bears some explanation. The ancients believed that light came out from the eye, struck objects, and was reflected back into the eye, enabling sight. If you have a good eye, you can see quite clearly. Jesus uses "your eye" to signify your desires. Whatever you're looking at, whatever you want, that shows whether or not your eye is good. If you're seeking godly things, your "whole body will be lit. But if your eye is evil, your whole body will be dark." If what you seek after are bad things, since the eye lightens the body (as it were), you become dark. "Therefore, if the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!"

It's what you value. What is THE most important thing in your life? God? I hope so. Money? Power? Social graces?

Whenever two priorities conflict, a decision is made between them. Do I study tonight, or go see a movie? The more important priority wins that decision. A TOP priority would be one that always wins in any conflict.

Top Priorities

"Therefore, don't be anxious, saying, 'What will we eat?' or 'What will we drink?' or 'What will we be dressed in?'. These are all things that the gentile is hunting. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all of these things. But you seek first his kingdom and what is right, and all of these things will be added to you. So do not be anxious about the next day, for the next day will be anxious about itself. One day's trouble is enough."

"No one is able to be enslaved to two lords." The "lords" here are top priorities. You can only have ONE top priority. When they conflict, you will stick with one and not the other. That one is obviously the TOP one.

"You are unable to serve God and Mammon." Mammon is money personified. If possessions are your top priority, then God is not. If God is first, then when God conflicts with other things, then the decision is made for God.

Jesus gives a word of advice, followed by some motivational examples:
Don't worry about food or clothing. Food, clothing, and shelter are said to be the basic needs. If there's no need to worry about those, then there's no need to worry about anything!

"Look closely at the birds in the sky." They don't do all the slaving away that you do. They don't have the focus on physical things that you do, but God feeds them. Why don't you believe he'll provide food for you?

"Learn from the lilies of the field," he says about clothing. They don't do all the labor you do to make or buy clothing, but God clothes them. And he clothes them in a most wonderful way. Why don't you believe he'll provide clothing for you, "oh you who scarcely trust?!"

Now (as we have seen) if you don't need to worry about the basic needs, then "don't be anxious" about anything. The physical things of this world are what "the gentile is hunting." The true follower of God, however, is not like the uninitiated gentile. God will provide what you need, and he knows what you need. Your top priority should NOT be based on any of these things.

Instead, "you seek first his kingdom and what is right, and all of these things will be added to you." If you're doing what God wants, you needn't fear. You'll have everything you need. This is supposed to be a COMFORT, not a challenge. The listeners are presumed devout. If they just trust God more, they'll be able to let go of their anxiety about such temporary things. "So don't be anxious about the next day, for the next day will be anxious about itself. One day's trouble is enough." Why worry about "what might happen?" Whatever IS happening, you deal with, but you can't even plan for everything that might happen.

And aren't we most often worried about what might happen? You might get killed on the plane trip. Your house might burn down. You might be carjacked. You might be mugged. You might get any one of 1000 diseases. There's no way to successfully deal with all of what MIGHT happen, and NO amount of worry on your part will help the situation at all. Therefore, Jesus says, just trust God, whom you know will take care of you, and all those worries won't really matter so much.

In short, let God be your TOP priority.

Against hypocritical judgment

"Now why do you see the splinter in your brother's eye, but you don't perceive the beam in your own eye? Or how will you say to your brother, 'Let me pull the splinter out of your eye,' and look, there is a beam in your eye? You hypocrite! Pull the beam out of your eye first, and then you will see your way through to pull the splinter out of your brother's eye."

Most of this passage is to be understood in the traditional manner. Jesus is indeed saying that if you do not examine yourself carefully, you might be jumping down someone else's throat about a problem, when you may have the same problem in spades! Therefore, you must be careful, so that when you judge, your judgment is not hypocritical.

Passages in Paulus' letters clearly indicate that Christians ought to judge one another (e.g., 1 Cor 5), especially if the alternative is to allow outsiders to be judge. But many people cite Mt 7:1 as saying "don't judge at all." This is quoted especially frequently coming from people who have sins that they don't want to rid themselves of. However, the context explains that IF you judge and are a stickler (like the Perushim), then an exacting judgment will be applied to YOU by God. So, if you have the same problem, you could have some serious accounting to do.

Final things it's best not to do

Jesus explains the two together, with an explanation that may appear cryptic:

"Otherwise, they trample them with their feet, and they will turn and rend you."

Here, Jesus is again alluding to the religious leaders of his day. They were the ones who simply would not understand what he had to say. If people have the mindset where they really don't want to listen, Jesus says you can't try to make them listen. What will result? First, they ignore your teaching (trample the pearls), then "they will turn and rend you." Has anyone here been rent?

This is a signal that Jesus has nearly finished speaking. He has one more positive admonition to make, and then he makes concluding statements.

Summing up Everything

"Therefore, everything whatsoever that you want people to do for you, you are to do also for them. For this is the Torah and the Prophets."

The path of the true Jew (Christian) is one of effort. The "fried dove of absolute knowledge" isn't going to be spoonfed to you. If you want to know God, there are three things you will have to do.

"Ask." If you ask God for spiritual truths, you'll get an answer. Wisdom might come at the expense of having many seemingly terrible things happen to you, but if you ask God for help in your spiritual walk, that help is guaranteed.

"Seek." Asking might not seem to require so much effort, but seeking certainly does. Seeking is not something you can do by accident. Jesus tells his listeners to LOOK for God and for his spiritual truths. Are these things hidden? No, because "the one who seeks finds." They are only hidden from the one who isn't looking.

"Knock." Like the statement about asking, this one concludes with GOD's action. If you knock, GOD will open the door. If you ask, GOD will provide an answer. Your effort in looking for God is rewarded, because God is eagerly waiting to help you in your quest to find him.

But this method of truth-seeking does NOT involve rituals (which Jesus is essentially eliminating). Nor does it involve memorizing things passed on to you by other people (see also ch. 15). It requires conscious effort.

But everyone who follows this path is rewarded. After all, if you ask someone who loves you for something good, would he give you something bad instead? "How much more will your Father who is in the heavens give good things to those who ask him?"

Then follows the summation:

"Therefore, everything whatsoever that you want people to do for you, you are to do also for them. This is the Torah and the Prophets."

Jesus has just said that seeking and asking for good things is rewarded. Now, he applies that to people within his own community as well, and not just to God. But this requires effort. If you are loving and generous, others will mirror that.

This is often called the "golden rule," and in its basic form, it was nothing new. The ancients had said it this way, "Do not do to others what you would not have them do to you." In that sense it was NEGATIVE. The ancients said it like, "Every bad thing will come back to you." But Jesus applies it to GOOD things as well. His teaching, uniquely his, is POSITIVE: "Do good things to others."

He doesn't PROMISE that they will do good in return, but Jesus takes something passive-"don't do"-and makes it something active: "do it for them." For how can you expect anything good from them if you are treating them badly?

In this, he sums up the Torah in one statement, and that one saying is a simple one. Always do good things for others.

First Admonition about the Teaching

From here on, Jesus is wrapping things up. This short section is a bridge between what he has just said (the golden rule, and "ask, seek, knock") and his final warnings.

"Enter through the small gate." It is easy to put no effort into your spiritual walk whatsoever, and people often take the path that requires the least effort. But as he started (with the beatitudes), he also finishes (ask, seek, knock). The beatitudes included such things as "being poor-spirited," "hungering and thirsting for what is right," and "being a peace maker." These things all require effort. Jesus says you can put effort into your walk with God, which few people do, or you can do what everyone else does and go "to destruction."

Watch Out!

"Not everyone who says to me, 'O Lord, Lord,' will enter into the kingdom of the heavens--only the one who does what my Father in the heavens wants. Many will say to me in that day, 'O Lord, Lord, didn't we prophesy in your name? And didn't we cast out spirit beings in your name? And didn't we do many wonders in your name?' And then I will acknowledge to them that, 'I never knew you. "Get those people away from me who are working lawlessness!"'"

There have always been false prophets. These are people who claim to have been told a teaching from God via special revelation. When questioned from what God has already taught -- for us that would mean it is in the Bible -- they contradict it by saying, "God told me this personally." In modern days, people have regarded Joseph Smith, Mary Baker Eddy, David Koresh, and a host of others as false prophets.

The false prophet is someone who deliberately distorts the truth for his own purposes, and so Jesus likens them to "wolves in sheep's clothing". (And yes, this is where we get the expression.) The saying was also similar to the tales of Aesop, and perhaps that is why he brings to mind the saying of Aesop that a tree is known by its fruit. At any rate, the saying is true, but Jesus adds:

"Every tree which does not bear nice fruit is chopped down and cast into fire."

This saying is supposed to call to mind the fact that the end of the Jewish state is near. Look back at Mt 3:11-12 and compare the very similar wording! If you don't bear fruit worthy of the mental change, you'll be destroyed. But what about ritualistic pew-sitting?

"Not everyone who says to me, 'O Lord, Lord,' will enter into the kingdom of the heavens -- only the one who does what my Father in the heavens wants."

This is taken by preachers to mean a great many things. You need baptism. You need spiritual gifts. You need to go to church. You need to study the Bible. At this point, though, Jesus only means one thing. You can follow the Torah from within -- the stuff of the Sermon on the Mount--or you can continue doing lip-service to God, calling him Lord but following tradition. But what if they accomplished a lot of nice things? Jesus answers that question by adding that if they ask, "Didn't we do many wonders in your name," God will say that he never knew them! No amount of deeds can give someone a relationship with him. The relationship is essential. Jesus even adds the citation from the Hebrew Bible (Psa 6:8):

"Get those people away from me who are working lawlessness!" Lawlessness, to the Jew, is whatever rejects the Torah and runs contrary to it. Deeds alone cannot follow the Torah; the child of God must be a follower of God.

The Sound Sayings of Jesus

And it happened that when Jesus had finished these sayings, the crowds were astounded at his teaching. For he was teaching them as though he had authority, and not like their scribes did.

If you take what Jesus has said to heart, you will have firm convictions, and a foundation which will not be shaken. But if you reject his explanation of the Torah, then when bad times come, you will have no morals to fall back on. If your relationship to God is not a relationship WITH God, then you'll abandon your religion when hard times come.

When Jesus stepped down from the mountain, the crowds started muttering. The rabbinic style of teaching was to cite other persons' opinions and interpretations. "Rabbi Hillel says...." But Jesus cited his own understanding and asserted that it was from God. Preachers often make assertions today that what they are teaching is the same as the truth, but for a Jew in Jesus' time to teach "with authority" was unheard of. He basically ignored the traditions and went straight to the Torah. This is the spirit of Restoration: traditions are useful in explaining the historical development of beliefs, but it is what God taught us in the Torah that is important. Jesus set himself up AT LEAST to be equal to the most well-known of their rabbis: Gamaliel, Shammai, Hillel.

8:1-9:34 contains a section of confirming signs. These signs are NOT in chronological order, as evidenced by a comparison to Lukas' account, which IS in order. The signs have been collected together to suit the author's priorities. First, he gave us a series of clues as to why the Anointed One was coming and also established his identity (as Jesus). Then, he offered us a complete set of Jesus' teachings on the Torah, which only need to be "fleshed out" later on. Now, further confirmation that Jesus is who he claimed to be and therefore that his teachings are to be listened to and followed.

The Leper

Jesus was walking along and met a man stricken with Hansen's Disease (leprosy) or another skin ailment. It is well known that lepers were shunned by the common people who feared the incurable disease that they carried. Although leprosy is not as communicable as it was once thought to be, lepers then were not allowed to mingle with society. In fact, one explanation of the Qumran community is that they were a colony for the diseased -- people forced to live off by themselves in a separate community near the Dead Sea.

The Torah itself prescribed the following:
"When a man is afflicted with leprosy...the priest will pronounce him unclean; he will not quarantine him [i.e., for further examination], for the leper is unclean." (Lv 13:9f.) And of course, the people would have nothing to do with anything unclean.

Therefore, it is surprising that when Jesus meets the leper, he not only converses with him, but he touches the leper! Jesus' touch was healing, then, in two ways. First of all, it accompanied the actual curing of the leprosy. Second, it showed loving compassion toward a man who probably had not been touched even by his family members since the disease broke out. Following the Torah (Lv 13:17), Jesus instructs the former leper to show himself to the priest for inspection -- to verify his curing.

The Centurion's Servant Boy

And Jesus said to the centurion, "Go, it has happened for you, as you trusted." And his servant boy was healed during that hour.

On this occasion, Jesus was approached by a centurion, a Roman soldier in command of 100 infantry men. The humility of the Roman, undoubtedly a gentile, is particularly touching. It is possible that the servant boy was Jewish, but the passage does not say. Still, the centurion believed strongly enough to trust that Jesus could cure the servant without venturing to see or touch him.

This prompts Jesus to say something that the author finds important: "I have found such trust from no one in Israel!" The Jewish reader may have become enraged in reading that the Anointed One had said such a thing, but Jesus' feelings toward his own people would also be pointed out later in the account.

At this point, Jesus again predicted the outcome of the First Revolt, also noting correctly that many gentiles would eventually become Christians. To say that this refers only to the latter (gentiles becoming Christians) would do a disservice to the forcefulness of the statement. The Jews being "cast out into the outer darkness" reflects God's reaction to their rejection of the Messiah. Always in Matthaiah, the destruction of the Jewish state is in mind--a topic that builds in intensity through chs. 24-25.

Oh yeah, the servant was healed. Of course.

Peter's Mother-in-Law

Now when evening happened, they brought many people to him who were possessed by spirit beings. And he cast out the spirits with a word, and he cured all those who had a bad thing. And so the declaration through Isaiah the prophet was fulfilled, saying, "He took our weaknesses and bore our diseases."

This event actually occurred earlier in Jesus' life (Lk 4), even before he spoke to his students at the lake (Lk 5). Here, there is no emphasis placed on the mother-in-law, per se. The author presents this account because it is the first of a group of healings that fulfill a prophecy about the "suffering servant" of Isaiah -- "He took our weaknesses and bore our diseases." (Isa 52:13-53:12)

INTERLUDE: Somewhere to Lay his Head

Now another of his students said to him, "Lord, permit me to go away first and bury my father." But Jesus said to him, "Follow me, and allow the dead to bury their dead."

By this time, Jesus was so popular that he was having to flee from the overwhelming throng that followed him. Interestingly, one of the scribes makes the decision to follow him. Jesus replies that what he needs is shelter (presumably from the crowd).

Another student says that he too will go with Jesus, if only Jesus will wait until his father's funeral [or, alternatively, the conclusion of the father's financial affairs]. Jesus' reply seems harsh -- "Let the dead bury their dead" -- but such is the cost of being a student of his. God must be the top priority over EVERYTHING else (6:33), even over one's own family. This theme too will recur later.

Jesus Calms the Sea

And they went to him and woke him, saying, "Lord, save us. We are being destroyed!" And he said to them, "How timid are you who scarcely trust!" Then he got up and censured the winds and the sea, and a great calm happened. Now the people wondered, saying, "What sort of person is this, that even the winds and the sea listen to him?!"

The "sea" here is the Sea of Galilaiah, and the situation is simple: An underwater earthquake rocks the sea while Jesus and his students are crossing it. His students respond in a fearful and natural way, begging Jesus for help. He calms the sea, but notes that there was no reason for their fear: "How timid are you who scarecely trust!" Periodically, Jesus calls on them to trust God more, and this is one of those times.

Demon Pigs

But the swine herders fled, and when they had gone away into the city, they related all things, even the things about the ones who were possessed by spirit beings. And look, all the city came out to meet Jesus, and when they saw him, they advised him so that he would depart from their shore. And stepping into a ship, he went across, and he came into his own city.

There is some dispute as to whose territory Jesus entered. The accounts and their variants read Gaderenes, Geresenes, or Gergesenes. Still, the nature of what occured is clear.

Two men who were possessed by spirit beings approach Jesus, one of whom carries on a conversation with him. The spirit beings assume that the Anointed One has come to torment them, but instead he sends them out into a herd of pigs.

The spirit beings clearly subject themselves to the Anointed One, just as the diseases and nature have done, and it has been pointed out that the pigs were smart enough to kill themselves rather than remain possessed by the spirits, who are also called divinities in this passage.

Another point to note is that the pigs were unclean animals which were not suitable for food (until Jesus cleansed all foods). Jesus' sending the spirits into pigs rather than, say, cattle, makes a statement to the Jewish people in and of itself that he is one of them, even if their leaders reject him.

The Paralytic Cured

And look, some of the scribes said among themselves, "This one is speaking evil." And when Jesus noticed their reflections, he said, "Why are you reflecting in your hearts on evil things? For what is easier? To say, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Get up and walk?' But so that you would know that the Son of Man has authority on the earth to forgive sins...." Then he said to the paralyzed person, "Rise, take up your mat, and go into your house." And he got up and went away into his house. But when the crowds notice, they were afraid, and they glorified the God who had given such authority to human beings.

Jesus has already made statements (in his "sermon") that surely caused upset among the religious leaders. Yet up until this point, he never did anything that they could oppose vocally. Even the various healings and miracles could hardly help the leadership to stir up the people against Jesus. After all, he had been going around doing good deeds, asking for nothing in return.

However, when a paralyzed child is brought to Jesus, instead of merely healing him, Jesus says, "Your sins are forgiven." As the Anointed One, he had the ability to see into a person's heart and could honestly tell someone that God would forgive their sins. But the leadership heard Jesus proclaiming himself equal to the priesthood. It is then that Jesus heals the paralytic, as a sign that God indeed gave Jesus authority (see also Mt 28:18). The scribes went away upset no doubt, but the crowds "glorified the God who had given such authority to human beings."

INTERLUDE: The Call of Matthaiah

Matthaiah's call had occurred reasonably early in Jesus' time of service (Lk 5), but since historically it happened right after the healing just quoted, the author reports it here. One clue that this is the author is the unassuming manner in which it is mentioned, almost as though it were scarcely important. Jesus saw Matthaiah at the tax office; Matthaiah got up and followed him.

INTERLUDE: The End of the System

9:10-13 Mercy, Not Sacrifice

10 And as he was reclining in the house, it happened that, look: many tribute takers and sinners came and reclined together with Jesus and his students. And when the Perushim noticed, they said to his students, "Why does your teacher dine with tribute takers and sinners?" But he heard them, and said, "The healthy have no need of a healer; rather, the ones who have a malady. But you go and learn what this is: "I want mercy and not sacrifice." For I have not come to call just people but sinners."

The Perushim are mingling with Jesus' students, apparently trying to cause them to stop following him. For it is not Jesus himself but his followers that they ask, "Why does your teacher dine with tribute takers and sinners?"

Apparently, one reason that this account is placed here is that some of the tribute takers may have been the author's friends. At any rate, the tribute taker was loathed by the Jews, and for good reason. They made their living by exacting usury from the people. Whatever they could rake in, above what the Roman government mandated, they could keep for themselves. As a result, many of them were both wealthy and crooked. The "sinners" are those Jews who had wandered from the Torah. They were in violation of its teachings, and Jesus as a rabbi ought to know better than to eat dinner with them.

"The healthy have no need of a healer; rather, the ones who have a malady."
Jesus' first response is interesting. He casts himself as a healer, which his physical acts surely have shown. But here, the healing is internal, spiritual. There are those who need no healing--the ones who simply follow God without being prodded. There are also those, not mentioned, who don't want to be healed. Jesus is talking to some of them. But those who know they need spiritual healing come to Jesus.

His instruction, then, is that the rituals of the system are not what provides spiritual healing. Also, the role of a priest is not merely to administer rituals. Jesus cites the passage, "I desire mercy, and not sacrifice" (Hos 6:6). The passage continues with, "...and the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings." It is a specific proof that Jesus' interpretation of the Torah as a set of spiritual principles rather than as a legal code was correct. In telling his opponents to learn what the passage means, Jesus makes a direct attack on the Perushim, whose lives were bound by legalism. Clearly, they did not understand that the Torah was always intended to be internalized.

Down Comes the System

14 Then John's students came to him, saying, "Why is it that we and the Perushim fast a lot, but your students do not fast?" And Jesus said to them, "The sons of wedding hall are unable to mourn, as long as the groom is with them. But days will come when he will be taken from them, and then they will fast.

"Now no one puts a patch of unbleached cloth on an old cloak. For its filler takes away from the cloak, and a worse division occurs. Neither do they cast new wine into old wineskins. But if indeed they do, the wineskins burst, and the wine is spilled out, and the wineskins are destroyed. On the contrary, they cast new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved."

Now some of John the Baptizer's students ask a legitimate question -- to Jesus himself. Why don't Jesus' students fast? Well, they do fast in reality, and in the "sermon," he mentions fasting. But they don't fast publically and legalistically like the Perushim, who did so on a regular basis.

The direct answer to the question is that fasting is generally a sign of mourning, and if his students fasted all the time, it would appear like mourning. This is not a time for mourning--while Jesus is still with them, but when he dies, they will mourn. Here, Jesus also predicts his death, although it's spoken matter-of-fact.

The real problem, though, is the religion, and not whether Jesus' students fast. Even John's students have become accustomed to seeing the ritualistic religion of their day. Jesus came to eliminate the old in preparation for the new.

"No one puts a patch of unbleached cloth on an old cloak." Jesus is bringing a teaching that is new, and the old system will not contain it. This is already in evidence by the attitude that the leaders are beginning to take toward him.
"Neither do they cast new wine into old wineskins." This says the same thing. New wine (Jesus' teaching) MUST be put in new wineskins (systems). A system such as the Jews have will not contain the new teachings; they are incompatible.

Lukas' account adds a saying about paradigms, giving the reason WHY the system cannot contain Jesus' teachings. When people hear something new and compare it to something familiar and liked, they generally reject the new teaching without seriously considering it. Paradigms resist change, and therefore it is difficult to accept something so radically different. Instead, they say, "The old is good." (Lk 5:39)

The Ruler's Daughter Healed

18 While he was speaking these things to them, look, a certain ruler came and bowed down to him, saying, "My daughter is finished now. But come, and place your hand on her, and she will live." And Jesus and his students got up and followed him.

...and...

23 And when Jesus came into the ruler's house and noticed the flautists and the crowd being disrupted, he said, "Withdraw. For the girl is not dead, but she is sleeping." And they laughed at him. But when they had cast out the crowd, he entered and held on to her hand, and the girl was raised. And the report of this thing went out into that whole land.

"A certain ruler" approaches Jesus on behalf of his dead daughter. Just about the only thing that Jesus has NOT displayed authority over (in his capacity as the Anointed One) is death itself. When he arrives at the man's house, a funeral wake is in progress. Jesus tells the crowd to leave, since the girl is only asleep. The account says that people laughed at him on account of his apparently stupid remark, but after they leave, he takes her hand, and she gets up.

Here again, Jesus does something subtle that would have upset the religious leaders. The girl had been officially pronounced dead, and Jesus touched her. Touching a corpse rendered a person ritually unclean, and no rabbi would dare do so.

The Bleeding Woman

The exact nature of the woman's twelve year hemorrhage is not known, but most commentators believe that it was vaginal bleeding. In this case, Jesus would not have been allowed to come into contact with the woman, because at the time of her bleeding, she was ritually impure. She was doubly unclean because it was a bleeding disorder.

This time, however, Jesus does not act to touch the woman. Instead, she touches the fringe of his cloak (Num 15:37-41). If a rabbi or priest was considered a prophet, this was the appropriate thing to do in order to be healed. Sensing that something unusual was happening (the parallel says he knew power had gone out from him), he turns to look at her. Seeing how much she trusted God--to the point where she believed that touching the Messiah's cloak would heal her, Jesus commends her trust rather than censuring her.

In Matthaiah's account, this happens on the way to the ruler's house.

Two Blind Men

The two blind men address Jesus with the Messianic title of "son of David." They know who he is, so when Jesus asks if they trust that he is "powerful enough" to heal them, they know that he is. Since they trusted God, he says, "Let it happen to you, according to your trust." We shouldn't interpret this as being healed to the measure of one's faith. Rather, since they trusted, Jesus healed them.

By this time, his fame was spreading to the point where he didn't want everyone proclaiming him as the Anointed One. Nevertheless, the blind men ignore his plea not to tell, and more people discover who he is.

The Mute Man

32 Now as they were exiting, look: a mute man who was possessed by a spirit being was brought to him. And after the spirit being had been cast out, the mute man spoke, and the people wondered, saying, "It has never appeared this way in Israel!" But the Perushim said, "He is casting out the spirit beings by the ruler of the spirit beings!"

And Jesus went around all the cities and villages, teaching in their gatherings and heralding the good message of the kingdom and curing every disease and every malady.

Just as the blind guys were leaving, a man who could not speak because a spirit being had gripped him is brought to Jesus for healing. Jesus expels the spirit, and the man speaks. The crowd is behind Jesus, proclaiming that "it has never happened this way in Israel!"

The Perushim, on the other hand, know who Jesus must be. Therefore, it is with hypocrisy that they proclaim, "He is casting out the spirit beings by the ruler of spirit beings!" They know that this is impossible, but they are so determined to call something "evil" which they know is really good.

The passage concludes by saying that Jesus continued to go about teaching, heralding the good message, and curing every disease. We have seen that the message is as follows: that the end of the Israeli state is coming, but that the Anointed One has come to explain the Torah to those who want to be saved.

The Great Commission

10:2 Now the names of the Twelve envoys are these: first Simon who is called Peter and Andreas his brother; and Jacob the son of Zebediah and Johannes his brother; Filippos and Bar-Talmai; Thomas and Matthaiah the tribute taker; Jacob the son of Alfeus; and Thaddeus; Simon the Jealous; and Judah Iscariot (the one who also delivered him up).

In Matthaiah's account, Jesus notices the size of the crowds that are now following him. He realizes that they are "like sheep who have no shepherd." This is a citation from Num 27:16, which reads:

"Let Yahweh, the God of the spirits of all flesh, set down a man over the assembly, who will go out ahead of them and come in ahead of them, who will lead them out and bring them in, so that Yahweh's assembly would not be like sheep who have no shepherd." Thus, Joshua (the one chosen) became a type or example for the Anointed One. Jesus is the successor to Joshua.

But as Jesus observes the size of the crowd, he chooses twelve to be his spokespeople and assistants. (In Revelation, we are told that their number signifies the twelve tribes.) "And he called his Twelve students to himself,and he gave them authority over unclean spirits, so as to cast them out and to cure every disease and every malady." Jesus himself already had this authority--direct from God. Now, he passes on that authority to twelve special people. An exact listing of those twelve people is then provided, so that the reader will know precisely who these gifted men are.

Jesus sent out these twelve, charging them, saying, "You should not go out into a road of gentiles, and you should not enter into a city of Samaritans. But go instead to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. Now after you go, herald, saying that, "The kingdom of the heavens has neared." Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out spirit beings. You have received freely; give freely."

There are several instructions given to the Twelve. They are sent out to travel, and it is the Greek word for "send out" which gives us the commonly used term "apostle". That word signifies an envoy or emissary--an official representative. It is clear from the beginning to whom they are emissaries: ...go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel."

These Jewish men, representatives of the twelve tribes, were sent to their own people--Jesus' people--the people for whom the Anointed One came (see also ch. 15). Their message is to be a simple one: "The kingdom of the heavens has neared." The end is near. The crucifixion (scarcely mentioned yet), the resurrection (not yet mentioned), and the First Revolt with the destruction of the temple are all imminent events.

The Twelve are to heal people of their maladies without asking for anything in return--just as Jesus has done. "You have received freely; give freely." Their free gifts are to be used for free.

"Do not gain possession of gold, nor silver, nor copper for your belts. Do not gain possession of a bag for the way, nor two tunics, nor sandals, nor a staff. For the worker is worthy of his food. Now in whatever city or town you may enter, inquire as to who in it is worthy, and stay there until you exit. Now when you go into the household, greet them. And if the household should indeed be worthy, let your peace come upon them. But if it should not be worthy, let your peace turn back to you. And who ever will not receive you nor hear your words: exit from that household or the city and shake the dust from your feet. Indeed I am telling you: it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city."

The next warning is about acquiring wealth. Jesus makes it clear that not only should they not take money for their favors and for speaking their message, but they should take nothing but food and shelter.

If people will not accept your message, go somewhere where they will. Just as Jesus did not waste his time trying to "convert" Perushim and Zadokites, so also his envoys needed to realize that it was not useful for them to waste their time arguing with people who were not open to hear their message.

"Look, I am sending you out like sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore, become mindful like the serpents and harmless like the doves.

"But watch out for the people. They will deliver you over to Sanhedrins, and they will whip you in their gatherings. And you will be led to governors (but also kings) on account of me, as witnesses to them and to the nations. But when they deliver you up, do not be anxious about how or what you should speak, for what you should speak will be give to you in that hour. For it is not you that will speak, but the spirit of your Father that speaks within you."

Just as Jesus has faced some mild opposition, he is aware that the opposition would increase and spread to anyone who says the things that he has been teaching. "Become mindful like the serpents" -- watch what you say. "Become harmless like the doves" -- and do not attack others (with word, or presumably deed).

A second warning about opposition:
"Watch out for the people. They will deliver you over to Sanhedrins, and they will whip you in their gatherings...." Jesus warns the Twelve that the opposition will become violent. They should say what God wants them to say, and don't worry about what the opposition will do.

"Then brother will deliver up brother for death, and father will deliver up child. And children will rise up at their parents, and they will cause them to die. And you will stand as hated by all people on account of my name, but the one who endures to the end, this one will be saved."

This is a prediction of the First Revolt. As the troubles escalate, the violence by Jews against Jesus' students will increase. The gentiles, too, would hate them, he says, looking ahead to Nero and Vespasian and their persecutions.

"Now when they persecute you in this city, flee into the other. For indeed I am telling you: you should by no means complete the cities of Israel until the Son of Man comes.

Notice how much stronger this is than what he said earlier. As he first sends them out, the situation is not so violent. People will refuse to hear them, so they should move on. But during the period surrounding the Revolt, the Twelve will face persecution. In fact, we know that several of them including Peter were put to death during the persecution years (64 on).

The scope of the envoys' mission is limited to "the cities of Israel." But before they have been to every town (within 40 years, we can say with hindsight), there would be a "second coming" -- the coming in judgment: the destruction of the temple.

"A student is not over his teacher, nor is a slave over his lord. There is enough for the student so that he should become like his teacher is, and the slave like his lord. If they have called the ruler of the house Ba'al Zebul, how much rather will they call those of his household?

"Therefore, do not be afraid of them. For nothing is covered that will not be revealed, and nothing is secret that will not be made known. What I am telling you in the darkness, say in the light. And what you hear in your ear, herald on the rooftops.

"And you should not be afraid of those who kill the body, but who are unable to kill the soul. But you should fear rather the one who is able to destroy both soul and body in Gehenna. Aren't two sparrows sold for an assarius? And not one of them falls onto the ground without your Father. But even the hairs of your head are all counted. Therefore, do not be afraid: you are worth many sparrows.

"Therefore, everyone who will acknowledge me in the presence of people, I too will acknowledge him in the presence of my Father, the one who is in the heavens. But whoever will deny me in the presence of people, I too will deny him in the presence of my Father, the one who is in the heavens.

"Don't think that I have come to cast peace on the land. I have not come to cast peace but a sword. For I have come to divide "a person against his father and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. And a person's household are his enemies."

"The one who has more affection for father or mother than for me is not worthy of me. And the one who has more affection for son or daughter than for me is not worthy of me. And the one who does not take his cross and follow behind me is not worthy of me. The one who finds his life will lose it, and the one who loses his life on account of me will find it.

"The one who accepts you is accepting me, and the one who accepts me is accepting the one who sent me forth. The one who accepts a prophet in a prophet's name receives a prophet's reward. And the one who accepts a just person in a just person's name receives a just person's reward. And whoever, in the name of a student, should give one of these little ones only a cup of cold water to drink: Indeed I am telling you, he will by no means lose his reward."

Next, Jesus spurred the Twelve on with several statements, first assuring them that persecution will follow them, then urging them to be ever more fearless when the persecution does come. God is watching and guiding you, he tells the Twelve.

In case they think, "Maybe there will be peace," he again assures them that "I have not come to cast peace but a sword [onto the land]." Then he quotes Micah 7:6, that "a person's household will be his enemies" in those days.

A stiff saying follows, provoking a decision. If they aren't ready to go, they'd better say so. "The one who has more affection for father or mother than for me is not worthy of me...." Why? Because this is a matter of priorities. If God and the mission of Jesus to the Jewish people are not the highest priority, you WILL have to face a conflict of priorities, and if you are not ready to make that choice now (he says), don't even attempt this task.

Then he pointed out that as Jesus' representatives, anyone who accepts or rejects them is accepting or rejecting him (and therefore God, since Jesus was God's representative).

This was a rude awakening for the Twelve, who had not heard such strong talk about the coming Revolt since they were with John the Baptizer. The Twelve was a special lot, as we see when Judah is replaced (Acts 1). They had a particular purpose for their people, and from the time when they were first sent out, they knew what they were getting themselves into. Jesus did not send them with naivety but with the knowledge that their lives would cease to be pleasant -- as people view pleasure -- from that point on.

Nearly all of the Twelve would be put to death for their beliefs. If Jesus' message for his people was merely one he made up, or if the miracles he performed were "snake oil," then he was so good that he fooled the ones closest to him...because they all DIED for it! Jesus himself would die for it, too, leaving his students to finish their commitment to take his message with them to Jews everywhere.

The Way was Prepared

"From the days of John the Baptizer until the present the kingdom of the heavens has been invaded, and invaders have been seizing it. For all the prophets and the Torah prophesied until John. And if you want to accept it, he is Elijah who is about to come. The one who has ears should hear.

As Jesus' fame grew, the news eventually reached John the Baptizer, who was in prison and about to be beheaded. Confirming the fact that Jesus and John knew very little of each other although they were related, John sends a message back to Jesus saying, "Are you the one who is coming, or should we expect another?"

The fact that John would ask such a question shows that indeed he knew of his own role in the Messianic scheme of things. When he was questioned at the Jordan River, he reported that he was not the Anointed One but was "a voice crying out in the desert" to prepare God's way. However, in that account, he said he was not Elijah.

Here, Jesus reports back to John that "Blind people see again...deaf people hear...dead people are raised." Jesus adds several things to this list, which comes from Isa 29:18-19 -- proof that he is the Anointed One.

As Jesus and his studnets are traveling, he tells the crowds about John. Who did you think he was? He was a prophet, but even more than a prophet. For he was the messenger, the forerunner of the Messiah, that was predicted by Malachi. Jesus cites Mal 3:1, "I am sending my messenger...," but he also mentions Elijah. Just as Elijah was seen as having prepared the way for Elisha (who had a double measure of his spirit), someone like Elijah was to come before the coming of the Anointed One (Mal 4:5-6).

Therefore, it appears as though Jesus tells us that John is Elijah, whereas John himself says that he is not. However, John was NOT the person Elijah; he was the predicted person who filled the role of Elijah, just as Jesus was "my servant David" from Ezekiel -- not David himself, but someone like him.

This Generation (1)

This is the first of Jesus' censures against the people of his day. Although the things he says applied more to the religious leaders than to the common people, there were certainly plenty of ordinary folk to whom his statements applied. "We have played the flute for you...." The 'we' here is John and Jesus, who have been announcing the good message of the kingdom. Therefore, this follows directly from what has just happened. "...and you have not danced. We have mourned for you, and you have not lamented." The people have neither followed their Anointed One, nor have they chosen to recognize that they NEED him.

"For John came neither eating nor drinking, and you say, 'He has a spirit being.' The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and you say, 'Look, a gluttonous person and a wine drinker, a friend of tribute takers and sinners...."

These people were willing to criticize just for the sake of criticism, so that they would not have to change. They picked on the fact that John adhered to a stricter dietary code, so that they wouldn't have to listen to his message. But Jesus' diet was more normal, and they insulted him for THAT and for the company he kept. Matthaiah has already shown us an example of this. They said these things about Jesus, too, so they wouldn't have to listen to him. If they could simply dismiss him as a person, they could ignore what he was saying, too.

The Censure against the Cities

"And you, Kafar-Nahum, you will not be elevated as far as heaven; you will be brought down as far as Hades. Because if those powers that have happened among you had happened in Sodom, they would have remained until today. However, I am telling you that it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom during the day of judgment than for you."

Next, Jesus lamented about the state of his own people, who were choosing to follow their own traditions rather than the Anointed One whom God had sent to them. He compares the cities of Israel to gentile cities, saying that the gentiles would have repented, surely, and that their punishment would be less than that of his own people.

Jesus and God

"All things have been given over to me by my Father. And no one except the Father takes recognition of the son, neither does anyone take recognition of the Father except the son, and the one to whom the son plans to reveal him."

Here, Jesus claimed for himself a special relationship to God. As in 28:18, Jesus acknowledges that the truth of his message is hidden from those who do not really want to find it. This is a corollary to "whoever seeks, finds." The one who isn't finding, isn't really looking.

Take My Yoke

We all have burdens to bear, and this is talking about ALL our life's troubles -- anything that might cause us worry or distress. Jesus has said earlier that we ought to be able to let go of our stress. Now, he says, "Give it to me."

The image he sets for himself is that of a strong ox. You are an ox that has been weighted down. He is carrying very little weight. Consequently, if you yoke yourself to him, he will share your load. Roll it up on Jesus' back. So many things in life give you a burden, but Jesus takes your burden away, and he can carry plenty more.

But what does he mean? "Learn from me...." Accept his teachings, and "You will find rest for your souls." What Jesus has been trying to explain to the people isn't a burden, is is freedom. It is rest. It is peace.

Lord of the Sabbath

As Jesus and his students traveled, they happened to be near a cornfield one Sabbath day. The passage says that they "were hungry and began to pluck and eat ears of corn." One concludes that this corn was wild corn; otherwise, Jesus would simply be stealing, which he was not accused of doing.

The traditional legalistic view of Exodus 20:8-11 said that picking grain by hand constituted "work," and the Sabbath was supposed to be a day of rest from work. Therefore, the Perushim said, "Look, your students are doing what it is illegal to do during a Sabbath."

Jesus replies first with a strong analogy, proving that what they were doing on the Sabbath was NOT against the Torah.

1. David and his group ate the loaves of design (bread of the presence, 1 Sam 21:1-6), which only priests could eat. The point was that David's sustinence was more important than blind observation of a precept that was given so God would be glorified.
2. The priests in the temple profane the Sabbath. Why? Because on the Sabbath, they offer a burnt offering, which is work for them. See Num 28:9-10. But their service to God also glorifies God.

"But I am telling you that someone greater than the temple is here." Jesus does not mention David, but there is the implication, too, that the Anointed One is beyond the temple and even David.

Again we read the quotation from Hosea: a direct blow to legalism. The physical activity was never the point of the Torah. Honoring God was the thrust of the Sabbath precept in particular. It honors God to be as he wishes you to be. Going through ritual motions (as the Perushim advocated) does disservice to God.

"The Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath." Markus adds that "The Sabbath was made for humanity, and not humanity for the Sabbath." The precepts were made for US, as teaching tools. They are not our masters.

The Withered Man

Then he said to the person, "Stretch out your hand," and he stretched it out, and it was restored well like the other one. But when the Perushim went out, they held a council against him, as to how they might destroy him.

Jesus went on, and into a gathering of the Perushim, where there was a man with a withered (deformed) hand. Having failed to trap him earlier, they ask, "Is it legal to cure during sabbaths?"

This was a trap no matter how Jesus answered. The Perushim would have been happier with the answer, "No," because this agreed more with their beliefs. However, this would have made Jesus appear heartless before the withered man. To answer "yes" meant to advocate violating the Sabbath.

Jesus turned it back on them. If one of their own sheep fell into a pit, wouldn't they help it on the Sabbath? Shouldn't we help a person, if we'd help a sheep? "And so, it is legal to do well during sabbaths."

As if winning the debate and evading their trap were not enough, Jesus promptly heals the man, simultaneously demonstrating God's power and incurring more wrath from the Leadership. At this point, they started seeking ways to kill him.

Jesus is the Anointed One--more proof

Jesus left the place where they were plotting to kill him, followed by a large throng. He cured them, telling them not to let the word out about him (for it was not yet time for him to die, nor to engage in a public debate). In this, he fulfilled a saying from Isaiah 42:1-4, a Messianic prophecy about the "suffering servant." The author quotes the saying more completely this time, establishing more firmly the identity of Jesus as the Anointed One.

Speaking against the holy breath

"You brood of vipers! How are you able to speak good things, when you are evil? For the mouth is speaking out of the abundance of the heart. The good person casts forth good things out of the good treasure, and the evil person casts forth evil things out of the evil treasure. Now I am telling you that during the day of judgment people will give back (concerning its message) every idle declaration that they speak. For you will be justified out of your statements, and out of your statements you will be condemned."

The next healing mentioned to us was of a man who was both blind and mute, having been affected by spirit beings. The healing is presented as matter-of-fact: "he cured him." No theatrics whatsoever. The crowd was beginning to realize that Jesus was the Anointed One, and this angered the Perushim.

Knowing fully that Jesus must have had God with him, they said anyway that it was through "Ba'al Zebul, the ruler of the spirit beings" that he was casting out the spirits. Jesus realized that they knew who he was at this point.

Therefore, first he explains that there is no way he's casting out spirits by anyone's power but God's. And if they are only willing to accept him for who he is--that he has God's breath--then "God's kingdom has appeared to you after all:" then they would be ready to accept his message.

But no. They knew the truth and denied it anyway.

Aside 1. The Strong Man. If they know that God has the power, and if God has not been overcome, then they must realize who Jesus is.

Aside 2. "The one who is not with me is against me, and the one who does not gather with me is scattering." In this context, he's saying, "You who are denying who I am are in direct opposition to me." And his next breath indicates that they oppose God as well.

Whatever you say against Jesus (or anyone else) would be forgiven. But if you try to deny what God did, even though you know it to be true, then you will not be forgiven. Denying God the recognition for the deeds you know he performed is unforgivable.

Then again he cites Aesop, urging the Perushim to let Jesus be judged by his deeds. But also, he wants the crowd to judge the Perushim by their deeds. "One knows the tree by the fruit."

"You brood of vipers" is reminiscent of John the Baptizer. His strong censure, "How are you able to speak good things, when you are evil," also reminds us of John's verbal attacks on the defenders of orthodoxy. Then he reminds them that under the Torah, they will be judged by their deeds, and, "you will be justified out of your statements, and out of your statements you will be condemned." Their failure to acknowledge God would condemn them.

This Generation (2)

"Ninevite men will stand up during the judgment with this generation, and they will condemn it, because they changed their minds at Yonah's heralding, and look: greater than Yonah is here. The southern queen will rise up in judgment with this generation, and she will condemn it, because she came from the outlying areas of the land to hear Solomon's wisdom, and look: someone greater than Solomon is here.

Jesus has just referred to the religious leadership as a brood of vipers and said that by their refusal to acknowledge what they know to be from God, they will be condemned. So when some of these same leaders, scribes and Perushim, say, "Teacher, we want to see signs from you," this was obviously aggravating -- since he had been performing sign after sign.

In fact, this is a turning point, not only in Matthaiah but in the other accounts of his life as well. How? Let's see what Jesus says.

Jesus goes on to predict that he would spend time dead and then raise. But the thrust of his statement isn't his prediction. He tells the leaders that he's going to STOP giving signs. For some time now, he's been healing everything in sight, but from here on, the miracles are much fewer and farther between. Some commentators wrongly fixate on the expression "three days and three nights." Here, the expression simply means "a short time." Jesus did spend approximately three days in the tomb, but as all four accounts point out, he actually rose "during the third day." No, that wasn't why he brought up the "sign of Yonah."

Jesus was condemning the people of his generation, who were sent the Anointed One that they had been waiting for--but they did not accept him. He continues to indicate that the gentile population of Nineveh would be in the afterlife, enjoying God's presence, and they would condemn the people of Jesus' generation. Why? THEY didn't reject the one that God sent. They had listened. And yet God sent a greater person, the Anointed One, to the people of first century Israel.

The Queen of Sheba (1 Kings 10:1f.) was a gentile queen. She had gone to test Solomon and came away believing in Yahweh God. "The report that I heard in my own land of your affairs and of your wisdom was true. But I didn't believe the report until I came, and my own eyes saw it .... Blessed be Yahweh your god, who has delighted in you and set you on Israel's throne! Because Yahweh has loved Israel forever, he has made you king...!" (1 Kgs 10:6-9)

The leaders of Jesus' day, however, came to him skeptical, and though they were shown more than the queen was shown, they were choosing to deliberately reject Jesus, who was greater than Solomon. Therefore, she too, another gentile dog, would be with God condemning them. These statements were very strong insults to their character.

43 "Now when the unclean spirit has come out from a person, it goes through waterless places, seeking and not finding a resting place. Then it says, "I will turn back to my house from which I came out." And when it comes, it finds the house empty, swept clean, and adorned. Then it got and takes along with itself seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and dwell there. And the last state of that person has become worse than the first. It will be that way with this evil generation."

The "unclean spirit" is the idolatry that had been present in Israel during much of the Old Testament period. It took many years to purge Israel of its idolatry, but this was at last done.

The people of Jesus' day did not worship other beings called gods. But the positional system was a god unto itself. The rituals, the temple, and even the priestly and rabbinical structure, had become "gods" -- metaphorically -- because they were more important than what God was trying to tell them. Jesus says that the Israel of his day was eight times more idolatrous than the Israel of Old Testament times.

"It will be that way with this evil generation." You guys are worse off now than with the idolatry you had before.

John Bland is correct in describing how their system was destroyed and built back "in spades" by Christians, who now have many religious structures, many temples, many creeds, and many blinders on. Perhaps indeed we are eight times as bad as the idolatry of the scribes and Perushim!