1. Matthew: Chapter summary
1. Ch. 1 Lineage and birth
1. issue of marriage contract; Joseph a man of principle and wnating to save her from exposure, made up his mind to set marriage contract aside; child through Holy Spirit; legitimacy and illegitimacy--like Juliet and Claudio
2. Named Jesus because he will sakve his people from their sins
2. Ch. 2 Prophecy and past ; tricking Herod; killing babies; escape--Passover
1. authority gives evil command; they trick him--cf. Provost and Duke tricking Angelo
3. Ch. 3 John the Baptist; voice in wilderness; precursor; prophet; sense of sin; baptism; forgiveness of sins; the appeal; new start; apocalyptic warning; spirit comes down like dove; voice from heaven saying "this is my beloved Son, in whom I take delight."
4. Ch. 4 Temptation by Satan--riddles and tests; quoting Scripture; rejection of worldly kingdom
1. TEMPTATION AND TESTING theme
2. Jesus fasts 40 days and is famished
3. tell stones to be bread
4. not to live on bread alone, but words from mouth of God--cf. Exodus and Manna
5. throw yourself down from parapet of temple
6. NB: dont put the lord to the test--[Job is putting god to test? Duke says to Claudio is only putting Isabella to test]
7. up on mountain, shown kingdom if he'll worship Satan; Jesus refuses.
5. Fishing for men; conversion; crowds needing healing and foregiveness; growing movement; distraction; call away; start anew
1. Message: repent for the kingdom of heaven is upon you
6. Ch. 5,6,7. Sermon on the mount:
1. General principles
1. last as first; Moses on mountain; Sayings of Jesus; appeal to people; humility; forgiveness and strictness; special distinction; simplicty of worship; reject priesthoods and hypocrisy; preaching the Kingdom; here and beyond; special community; no anxiety; us and them; dont judge; conclusion--new authority; astounding; revolutionary and yet traditional
2. Observations
1. This concentrates the "benign" teachings about mercy that seem to most interest Shakespeare, and also the meliorist Anabaptists; but not the Calvinists or Catholics; the Erasmian teachings; the Socratic stance
3. Benign sayings
1. Blessed are those who show mercy
2. blessed are those who are persecuted in the cause of right
3. blessed when you suffer insults...for my sake
4. light of the world
5. complete/fulfill law and prophets not abolish
6. strict standards on murder and adultery; thought as bad as act
7. dont swear at all
8. You have heard tht they were told An eye for an eye a tooth for a tooth. But what I tell you is this: do not resist those who wrong you. If anyone slaps yo onthe right cheek, turn and offer him the other also...Give anyoone who asks; and do not turn your back on anyone who wants to borrow.
9. You have heart that they were told Love your neighbour and hate your enemy. But what Itell you is this: love your enemies and pray for your persecutors; only so can you be children of your heavenly father, who causes the sun to rise on good and bad alike, and sends the rain on the innocent and the wicked. If you love only those who love, what reward can you expect...there must be no limit to your goodness as you Father's goodness knows no bounds."
1. cf. Satan in Job--the higher standard of righteousness and love
2. this contradicts the threats about the father's wrath that permeate other passages
10. good deed must be secret
11. dont babble like heathen in your prayers; just say this--Lords' prayer
12. If you forgive others, your heavenly father will forgive you 6:14
13. Do not be anxious about tomorrow; set your mind on god's kingdom before anything else and all the rest will come to you as well.
14. Do not judge and you will not be judged. For as you judge others so will yourselves be judged and whatever measure you deal out to others will be dealt to you. Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brothers eye, with never a thought for the plank in your own.
15. Always treat others as you would like them to treat you: that is the law and theprophets.
16. beware of false prophets who come to you dressed up as sheep while underneath they are savage wolves.
4. Threatening sayings
1. Dont throw you pearls to pigs
2. constricted the road that leads to life; those who find them are few
3. Many will say to me...then I will tell them plainly, "i never knew you. OUt of my sight; your deeds are evil"
4. Those on my side build house on rock; those not will be subject to [Noahlike] tempest:" the rain came down, the floods rose, the winds blew and battered against the house; and it fell with a great crash" 7:24
1. This is like the final preachings and Revelation; apocalyptic and harsh
5. People were amazed; unlike the scribes he taught with a note of authority.
7. Ch. 8,9.Teaching and healing; power of faith in him; pity for people
1. Centurion story--great and little faith; reward and threat
2. Crowds theme--drawing and withdrawing
3. Lake motif--across the lake to get away 8:13
1. calming the tempest 8:23
2. he sleeps; they wake; he rebukes for little faith
3. then he rebukes wind and sea and there was a dead calm
4. the men were astonished: what sort of man is this? Even the wind and sea obey him.
4. I did not come to call the virtuous but sinners. 9:13
8. Ch. 10. Second Discourse--to disciples: Kingdom at hand; have faith; dont fear; bringing sword--uncompromising; gaining and losing
1. Getting agents to help with the process--12 disciples; go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel 10:16
2. Be wary as serpents innocent as doves; Be on your guard for you will be ahnded over to the courts, they will flog you...you will be brought before governors and kings on my account to testifyu before them ....but when you are arrested do not worry about what you are to say, for when the time comes, the words you need will be given to you [cf. Exodus]
3. Do not be afraid of them. There is nothing covered up that will not be uncovered, nothing hiden that will not be made known
4. give up everything for my sake; whoever will acknowledge me beofre others, I will acknowledge before my father in heaven [again; do you do it for a reward or not?]
9. Ch. 11. John questions Jesus
10. Ch.12. Controversy--Jesus supercedes law and sabbath; no compromise; rejects mother and brothers
11. Ch.13. Preaching from boat-- and in parables; relate to controversy and rejection of family; secrets of the kingdom; symbology; hermeneutics; how to cultivate understanding--the word as seed. Kingdom of Heaven as chosen vs. unchosen--do ya get it?; rejected by brothers
1. more boat stuff; from the boat at the lakeside--cf. 8:23
2. Preaching here very like Lear in IV--if you have ears then hear
3. I speak to them in parables because they look without seeing and listen without hearing or undersanding...the people's mind has become dull; otherwise they might turn to me and I would heal them
12. Ch.14. John B. killed by Herod; J. withdraws--plot gets tense; boat story and little faith of disciples.
13. Ch.15. Challenge by Pharisees, affirmed by Gentile women; disciples dont understand
14. Ch.16. Plot thickens; P. and S. test--reveals to disciples who he is and appoints Peter his main man; acknowledges tragic future. Beginning of denoument here. End his near; his and that of the world
15. Ch.17. Transfiguration on mountain--Elijah and Moses
16. Ch.18/19. Third discourse--little children; angry parables of kingdom ; Pharisees testing
17. Ch. 20/21 Challenge to Jerusalem; riding in on donkey; like David, in triumph; cursing fig tree; trading riddles with the priests.; unnerving presence of people
18. Ch.22.Saducees conspire; he outwits them
19. Ch.24. Another long discourse predicting judgment; keep awake
20. Ch. 26-8: The final conflict:
1. Passover, high priest, special shroud;
2. Judas, the disciple, sacrifice; kissing and betrayal;
3. Peter's betrayal;
4. Jews betrayal trial;
5. Pilate; choice of crowd,
6. Torture and mock;
7. Final rent witness;
8. Resurrection;
9. Tricking tricksters.