Unexpected New Life

Reading the Gospel of Matthew

Marohl

• Publisher: Cascade Books
• Year: 2012
• eBook ISBN: 9781621894339
• Topic: Theology & Religion
• Subtopic: Religion

... from expected death comes unexpected new life!The Gospel of Matthew does not shy away from the realities of struggle, suffering, doubt, and death. Yet, from the first names in the genealogy to the last words spoken by Jesus, the Gospel testifies to the promise that from expected death comes unexpected new life. Through the actions of Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, and Bathsheba, we experience the expectation of death and the promise of unexpected new life. In the birth story of Jesus, Joseph suspects Mary of committing adultery. It is this dilemma that is the focus of the narrative. If he reveals her pregnancy, she could be killed. If he conceals her pregnancy, he will be going against the law of the Lord. What is a righteous man to do? In Joseph's dilemma, this experience of expected death, the Gospel of Matthew proclaims the promise of unexpected new life.The promise of unexpected new life is a theme that continues throughout Matthew's Gospel in the life and ministry of Jesus. The call of his disciples is a call from death to new life. The teaching of Jesus focuses on the experience of death and the promise of new life. In both healing and curing, Jesus brings unexpected new life to those who face death. But it is the death and resurrection of Jesus that is the climax of unexpected new life in the Gospel of Matthew. Even as Jesus experiences a most horrific and humiliating death in the crucifixion, death and the grave do not have the final say. In bearing witness to Jesus' resurrection, the Gospel of Matthew proclaims the magnificent promise of unexpected new life.Matthew J. Marohl invites you in these pages to read the Gospel of Matthew in a new way, from a fresh perspective. Integrating insights from the study of Mediterranean anthropology, Marohl makes the cultural world of the Gospel come alive, so that as you read Matthew again (or perhaps for the first time) you will certainly experience the powerful promise that from expected death comes unexpected new life!

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Unexpected New Life

Identifying a Theme

The Gospel of Matthew tells the story of Jesus. But more than that, from the very first verse through the last, it announces that from expected death comes unexpected new life. This theme of hope and promise is woven into the gospel in surprising and powerful ways. The gospel begins with the genealogy of Jesus. Even here, in a long list of unfamiliar names, the author tells four stories of expected death and transformative new life. Immediately following the genealogy is the gospel’s first narrative, its first story. In the account of the birth of Jesus, we are challenged with Joseph’s dilemma. What is a righteous man to do when confronted with the pregnancy of Mary? This dilemma is one of expected death and unexpected life. As the author continues to tell the story of Jesus, a theme is developed. As readers, we are drawn into situations of expected death and are again and again surprised by the unexpected, the promise of new life.

What Is a “Gospel” and Why Does It Matter?

I invite you to think about a scenario that you have, no doubt, experienced dozens of times. You are planning to watch a movie with a friend and now it is time to select the film. If it is a new movie, and you are going to the theater, you might list movie titles. But, if you are planning to watch an older movie, one that is no longer in the theater, you will likely engage in a discussion centered upon genres. “Do you want to see a romantic comedy? How about a good drama? Or, perhaps we should see a classic horror film?” We are comfortable selecting movies based upon genre because we know (at least roughly) what to expect. At the end of a long workweek we might not “want to think too much,” so we go with a comedy. We imagine that it will be light and will set the tone for the weekend. We will save a foreign film with subtitles for another day.

We may not be aware of it, but the role of genre is very important. Genres are important because they tell us what to expect. We are so familiar with genres, and genres are so predictable, that we could write our own genre-specific story. If I asked you to write a romantic comedy, you could do so with ease. Romantic comedies all begin in the same way. Two people meet. Within a few minutes into the movie, we all know exactly what will happen: they will end up together. We get to experience their first date, sometimes awkward, sometimes romantic. Next, we watch the classic “dating montage.” Here, we see around a dozen dates in back-to-back, several-second clips all the while listening to an upbeat pop song (here we are at a baseball game, here we are walking at sunset, here we are visiting our families at Christmas). Then we experience the struggle, the tension, the turmoil, the break-up. There is a misunderstanding and, for a few key moments, we are sure that their relationship is over. But, alas, our worries were not warranted. The couple gets back together and we watch them dance or kiss or get married as the ending credits roll and the summer’s biggest love song plays. We feel affirmed. Love has triumphed. Importantly, we experienced exactly what we expected.

We could go on and on. Sports movies end with the big game. Slow motion is used during the final play. When the team, our team, the underdog, wins, we feel that we have won. Horror movies end with a climactic moment. Or should I say, climactic moments? The bad guy, the monster, the killer, is never killed on the first try. It takes multiple attempts for good to conquer evil. Genres are important, primarily because they let us know before we even begin a story what to expect.

It is only when we are familiar with a genre that we can detect the differences between stories. Sometimes the differences seem insignificant. We might say, “This is the same movie, but the football players have been replaced with basketball players.” In some cases, however, the differences make all the difference. An idea or theme is introduced into an otherwise familiar genre and we are drawn into the story. How will this romantic comedy play out after one of the central characters dies in the opening scene? The genre is still familiar, but we detect that there is something different, something special about this telling of the story.

As we read the Gospel of Matthew we must ask ourselves similar questions, questions of genre. What is a gospel? What is the genre? This is an important question because it tells us what we can expect. If a gospel were a modern romantic comedy, we would expect romance. If a gospel were a sports film, we would expect a big game. But what can we, what should we, expect from a gospel? And, perhaps most importantly, how is the Gospel of Matthew different? What do these differences tell us? After all, it is usually in the subtle differences where the intent of the author, and the beauty of the story, truly lies.

We must begin, then, with the question of genre. What is a gospel? This question is traditionally answered in one of two ways. For some people, the gospels represent a unique literary genre, unlike any other writing at the time. Here, it is argued that the gospels are the written form of the earliest preaching of the church. Followers of Christ in the first decades after the death and resurrection of Jesus shared his important story with one another. This oral process eventually became formalized and finalized in writing. It is this written work that we know as a gospel. For others, the gospels are understood to be similar to first-century biographies. Here, it is believed that if we examine the genre of ancient biography, we will better understand the gospels that we encounter in the New Testament.

So, where does this leave us? Fortunately, the two views regarding the gospel genre do not need to be understood as alternate or opposing positions. It is true that both oral and written traditions informed the writing of the gospels. However, this does not mean that when they finally came to be written they were not also informed by the biographical style common at that time. In other words, the author of Matthew used oral and written traditions to tell the story of the life and death and resurrection of Jesus. Furthermore, the format used to tell this story is similar in many ways to other ancient biographies. Knowing what to expect from an ancient biography, then, will help us know what to expect from a gospel.

For us, two important aspects of ancient biographies will inform our reading of the Gospel of Matthew. First, ancient biographies include sayings, anecdotes, and stories for the primary purpose of revealing the character of the individual. As modern readers, we expect biographies to include very specific historical data. We want to know every “who, what, where, and when” possible. It would be unthinkable to write a biography today and not include a complete list of important life events, a detailed list of family members, and a full physical description of the individual. Furthermore, we wish to be provided with emotional and psychological revelations. Why did the individual say and do the things that were said and done? Finally, we expect a sense of “character development.” We believe that we are not static in our personalities and that we are shaped (or “made”) by our successes and failures. Ancient biographies are, to put it mildly, quite different.

The primary intent of the ancient biography is to express the essential character of the individual. The sayings that are shared, the anecdotes that are relayed, and the stories that are included are all meant to provide insight into the nature of the person being introduced. By our standards, therefore, much is left out. We want “history,” in the twenty-first-century sense of the word. But, what we are given are lives. Perhaps a most helpful way of understanding the gulf between our expectations and what is provided by ancient biographers is to read a description of the writing process by Plutarch (ca. 45–120 CE). Plutarch, a well-known historian and biographer, tells us that it is his intention to reveal the souls of men, rather than to describe mere deeds.

It is the life of Alexander the king, and of Caesar . . . that I am writing in this book, and the multitude of the deeds to be treated is so great that I shall make no other preface than to entreat my readers, in case I do not tell of all the famous actions of these men, nor even speak exhaustively at all in each particular case, but in epitome for the most part, not to complain. For it is not Histories that I am writing, but Lives; and in the most illustrious deeds there is not always a manifestation of virtue or vice, nay, a slight thing like a phrase or a jest often makes a greater revelation of character than battles where thousands fall, or the greatest armaments, or sieges of cities. Accordingly, just as painters get the likenesses in their portraits from the face and the expression of the eyes, wherein the character shows itself, but makes very little account of the other parts of the body, so I must be permitted to devote myself rather to the signs of the soul in men, and by means of these to portray the life of each, leaving to others the description of their great contests. (Alexander 1)

In short, ancient biographies intend to reveal the character, the nature, of the individual. While sayings, stories, and life events are important, they are only important insomuch as they reveal the true essence of the person. Plutarch notes that some stories are left out. Some stories are only partially told. This should not matter. What matters is that the reader of such a biography glimpses the true individual. Using the words of Plutarch to guide us, consider the intent of an ancient biography to reveal lives, rather than to simply tell history.

If the revelation of character is the first of the two important aspects of ancient biographies, the second is the apologetic nature of the works. Do not be tricked by the term “apologetic.” This simply means that the work is written with a clear goal in mind. Ancient biographies are written to convince the reader of the importance of the individual. In other words, they have no intention of being neutral. Ancient biographies are written to describe and defend the virtue of the individual. Most modern biographies attempt to be neutral. When we are read a biography of Thomas Jefferson, we believe that the story is being told from a fair, balanced, and unbiased position. We are learning about Thomas Jefferson and not the author. Ancient biographies are “biased” in the sense that they are written to convince readers of the relative value and virtue of the person in question.

So, how will this inform our reading of the Gospel of Matthew? The author of our work intends to reveal the essential character of Jesus. The stories that are told and the sayings that are shared have a clear goal: to reveal the person of Jesus. As modern readers, we may wish that other material were included. How old was Jesus when he died? What year was it when he was crucified? But it is not the intention of our author to simply write a history. In the Gospel of Matthew, it is the very life of Jesus that is revealed. In addition, this is not a neutral text. The story is told with a purpose. The author wants you to believe that Jesus is the Son of God and that in him and through him unexpected life is more than possible; it is promised.

How Is the Gospel of Matthew Different, Unique,
and Why Does This Matter?

Each of the four gospels in our New Testament is different. For some readers, this is a problem to overcome. For others, the differences are intriguing and important. In the section above, we learned that ancient biographies were written to express the essential character of an individual. Furthermore, these biographies were not neutral. They were written to convince readers of the worth, the virtue, the importance of the individual being described. This is also true with the Gospel of Matthew. The gospel, in a captivating narrative, describes the person, the very character, of Jesus. But more than that, the gospel tells readers why Jesus should matter to them. So, why do we have more than one gospel? Reflecting again upon our discussion of genre helps us to answer this question.

If the goal of ancient biographies was to report history (as we understand history) some of the differences between the gospels might seem quite problematic. For example, both the Gospels of Matthew and Luke provide genealogies for Jesus (the Gospels of Mark and John do not). As modern readers, we would assume that the lists would be the same; or, very nearly the same. After all, how could they be different? But, the two lists are different, very different. In fact, I challenge you to read both lists and find the similarities (or, you can just take my word for it). Both gospels trace the lineage of Jesus beginning with Joseph. However, it is with Joseph that the commonality seems to end. In Matthew’s gospel, the father of Joseph is Jacob. In Luke, the father of Joseph is Heli. In Matthew, the father of Jacob is Matthan, son of Eleazar, son of Eliud. In Luke, the father of Jacob is Matthat, son of Levi, son of Melchi. I could go on. While I will discuss the genealogy of Jesus in the next chapter, for now it is enough to point out the differences in the two lists, and to point out that some differences (such as these) are quite difficult to reconcile. Who was Jesus’ grandfather on his father’s side—Jacob or Heli?

Many of the differences between the gospels, however, seem much easier to explain. For example, in Matthew’s gospel we are told that when the disciples see the resurrected Jesus, they worship him, but some doubt (28:17). Here, many modern readers are tempted to fill in what we perceive is left out, exclaiming, “Oh, the one who doubted is Thomas!” In other words, we borrow the story of Thomas’ doubt from the Gospel of John (20:24–29) to “complete” the story from Matthew. For us, this process seems to kill two birds with one stone. First, we have eliminated the difference between the gospels. Second, we believe that we have filled out and enriched Matthew’s story, which was previously short and vague.

Without even thinking about it, we may harmonize the gospels (we push two or more stories together to make a bigger, more “consistent” story). So, what is wrong with harmonizing? At one level, perhaps nothing is wrong with this practice. We don’t, after all, know who doubted after the resurrection. So, we might reason that relying upon and blending all four of the gospels is the most complete way of understanding the Jesus story. The practice of harmonization does, however, have a significant drawback. Harmonization eliminates the unique features of each gospel. Furthermore, it is quite often in the unique elements of a story that the author invests meaning. In other words, rather than be threatened by differences and attempt to smooth out or eliminate them, why not ask, “Why did Matthew tell the story in this way?”

Rather than ask, “Why are Matthew and John’s genealogies different?,” why not ask, “What does Matthew’s genealogy tell us about Jesus?” Rather than ask, “Why is Matthew’s description of doubt different from that in John’s gospel?,” why not ask, “What does Matthew’s story tell us about the disciples?” Throughout this book, we will read and consider the Gospel of Matthew. Furthermore, we will assume that the author of Matthew tells this story of Jesus with great care and attention to detail. In other words, the story is told in a particular way for a particular purpose. Previously, we learned that ancient biographies were written to reveal the character of an individual. We must ask, then, “What does Matthew’s gospel reveal about the character of Jesus?”

I will warn you: you will be very tempted to import details from other gospels into your reading of Matthew. And you will be frustrated at times with my choice of words. For exa...

Table of contents

• Title Page
• Chapter 1: Unexpected New Life
• Chapter 2: Great Beginnings
• Chapter 3: Joseph’s Dilemma
• Chapter 4: The Call to Discipleship as a Matter of Death and New Life
• Chapter 5: Death and New Life in the Teaching of Jesus
• Chapter 6: Physical Death and Unexpected New Life
• Chapter 7: Social Death and Unexpected New Life
• Chapter 8: Great Commission
• Bibliography