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Jesus is asked again about marriage and divorce. He says that when two are married, they become one flesh, and incapable of separation. This is a difficult teaching and Moses allowed divorce because the people were hard-hearted. Jesus then goes on to say that there are men who are eunuchs from birth, who are made eunuchs by others, and who become eunuchs by devoting themselves to the kingdom. This includes not only priests, but others who are working for the kingdom.

Some children are brought to Jesus, but the disciples speak out against those who brought them. Jesus asks that the children be brought and He blesses them because their devoted parents have brought them, similar to how parents speak for their children in baptism.

After this, a rich man asks what he must do to have eternal life. The man already follows the commandments, but Jesus asks him to give up his possessions and follow Him. The man is not capable of showing such devotion, since he has many possessions and is not willing to give them up.

Jesus then tells another parable, about laborers in a vineyard. Some laborers work the whole day, but others are contracted later; all receive the same pay, causing the ones who worked longer to complain. The master tells them that they all have been paid fairly. God’s grace is similar: those who have been faithful all their lives receive the same reward as those who become faithful late in life.

The closing theme is Gerard Satamian’s Chansons Sans Paroles Op. 2 Pastorale, from the album Dry Fig Trees. www.magnatune.com

The Pharisees and Sadducees again ask for a sign, shortly after Jesus has performed many miracles, and Jesus refuses, calling them an evil and adulterous generation, and likening the Pharisees and Sadducees to yeast, which was a symbol of contamination.

Jesus names Simon Peter for his profession that Jesus is the Son of God, but then rebukes Peter for failing to realize that Jesus must suffer and die; Jesus also says that any one who wishes to follow Him must deny himself and take up his cross.

Six days later, Jesus takes Peter, James and John to a mountain, where He is transfigured and shines with an intense light and Elijah the prophet and Moses the lawgiver appear next to Him. A cloud overshadows Jesus and a voice proclaims Jesus as the Son. This gives these three stronger faith in the coming kingdom.

After this, Jesus rejoins the rest of His disciples and tells them that they must become like children. Jesus also tells the people that they must seek out those who are lost, and forgive those who have sinned against them.

The closing theme is Gerard Satamian’s Chansons Sans Paroles Op. 2 Pastorale, from the album Dry Fig Trees. www.magnatune.com

John the Baptist has been arrested, and as a gift to Herodias, Herod reluctantly kills John. Many of John’s disciples become disciples of Jesus shortly after this.

Jesus then performs the miracle of the multiplication of the loaves, whereby thousands of people are fed by a few loaves of bread and some fish, illustrating that Christ has the ability to control matter, which He would do again at the Last Supper. When the people whom He had fed began to agitate to make Jesus king, He asks His disciples to sail from the shore. After Jesus quiets the crowds, He comes to the ship, walking on the water. When Peter sees this, he is cautious and asks Jesus to bid him to come. Jesus tells Peter to come, and Peter begins to walk on the water, but when he gets part of the way out, he becomes frightened and begins to sink. Jesus saves him and the disciples begin to worship Jesus as the Son of God. Only two chapters later, Jesus asks His disciples who they think He is.

Jesus is then confronted by the Pharisees because His disciples don’t wash their hands before they eat, but Jesus replies that this precept is a tradition of man, and not a commandment of God. After this, Jesus meets a Canaanite woman who asks that Jesus would cast out a demon from her daughter. His disciples ask Him to send her away, and He challenges her, saying that it is not right to give the children’s bread to the dogs, but she persists, and for her persistence, Jesus casts out the demon.

The closing theme is Gerard Satamian’s Chansons Sans Paroles Op. 2 Pastorale, from the album Dry Fig Trees. www.magnatune.com

Jesus begins to exorcise demons and some claim that He does not do that by God’s power but by the devil’s. Jesus notes that it would make no sense for the devil to drive out more of his own demons than the other exorcists are doing, and warns them not to take their declarations too far and blaspheme against the Holy Spirit.

Jesus then gives several parables, including the parables of the soil, the tares, the leaven, and the mustard seed. Taking some of the disciples aside, He describes the parables as a way to deliver knowledge to those who will hear, and then He explains the parables to the disciples.

Jesus then visits Nazareth and meets several of His kinsmen there who cannot believe that someone that they knew is capable of such wisdom and deeds, and for this sort of disbelief, Jesus does not do many deeds of power there.

The closing theme is Gerard Satamian’s Chansons Sans Paroles Op. 2 Pastorale, from the album Dry Fig Trees. www.magnatune.com

John the Baptist hears about Jesus’ deeds from prison and asks if He is the messiah. John’s questions do not belie a cynicism, but rather the actions of one who is seeking Truth and wants to confirm his beliefs. Like John, we should not be afraid to ask questions to make sure that we are not being led astray. Jesus responds that John should look at His works. Jesus then tells people about John the Baptist, who came in the power of Elijah, fulfilling the prophecy of Malachi, who foretold that Elijah would come before the day of the Lord.

Jesus then performs two acts on the Sabbath, about which the Pharisees ask him, and to explain why, Jesus comes as close as possible to declaring Himself the messiah as He can without actually saying it. For this, the Pharisees seek to destroy Jesus.

The closing theme is Gerard Satamian’s Chansons Sans Paroles Op. 2 Pastorale, from the album Dry Fig Trees. www.magnatune.com

Matthew continues with a brief account of the healing of a paralytic, who is brought to Jesus by his friends. Jesus, touched by their faith, forgives the man’s sins. The Pharisees took issue with this, since only God can forgive sins, but Jesus does not back down, instead claiming the messianic title Son of Man and healing the paralyzed man.

Jesus then calls 12 disciples whom he gives the authority to drive out spirits and heal sickness. These apostles are given instructions about how to perform their mission, and told to expect that many will treat them harshly. The same is true for all who proclaim the Gospel, even to this day.

The closing theme is Gerard Satamian’s Chansons Sans Paroles Op. 2 Pastorale, from the album Dry Fig Trees. www.magnatune.com

Shortly after Jesus begins His ministry, John the Baptist is arrested
and Jesus begins to ramp up His ministry, proclaiming a message of
repentance, and in fact manifesting His power with the very intimate
healing of a leper and the healing of a Gentile centurion’s servant.

Jesus has some very strong teaching on mission, telling men that they
must leave behind all earthly things if they wish to become His
disciples. The mission is difficult work, and involves relying on the
hospitality of towns to allow Jesus and His disciples to enter and work
miracles there. Even after He heals a demoniac, the Gadarenes beg Him
to leave the area because His healing disturbs them.

The closing theme is Gerard Satamian’s Chansons Sans Paroles Op. 2 Pastorale, from the album Dry Fig Trees. www.magnatune.com

Matthew and the other synoptic gospels emphasize Jesus’ mission in
Galilee, where most of the Gospel was spread. Jesus sought to keep this
ministry moving slowly so that the ministry would not be derailed. In
this part of the ministry, He healed people of physical and spiritual
illnesses and preached a compassionate message to the poor, including
the Beatitudes. This compassion is not simply being nice to each other,
but requires action on our part. We must be pure-minded in seeking out
God, we must forgive people and not hold grudges, and we must not make
a show of our faith.

The closing theme is Gerard Satamian’s Chansons Sans Paroles Op. 2 Pastorale, from the album Dry Fig Trees. www.magnatune.com

The Gospel that Jesus preaches is recounted as being preceded by John
the Baptist, who came in the mode of Elijah and preaching a baptism of repentance. John was a fairly ascetic man, and his coming as a voice
crying in the wilderness heralds the time of the Christ. John’s message
is quite stark, warning that the God will soon make a harvest of souls.

Jesus comes to John to be baptized, but John objects, declaring that he
needs to be baptized by Jesus. Jesus allows Himself to be baptized to
”fulfill all righteousness,” and in doing so, blesses the waters and
transforms them into the waters of the sacrament. At this point, the
Spirit of God descends like a dove and a voice declares, ”This is my
beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”

Jesus then leaves for the wilderness to be tempted or tested for forty
days and forty nights. Satan tests Jesus, but He beats the devil back
on all counts. When John is imprisoned, Jesus begins to proclaim the
Gospel and seeking out apostles.

The closing theme is Gerard Satamian’s Chansons Sans Paroles Op. 2 Pastorale, from the album Dry Fig Trees. www.magnatune.com

According to the Targums, we know that the prophecy that a ”young
woman” or ”virgin” would bear a son was translated by the
Alexandrian scholars as meaning ”virgin,” and that there was an
implication that this was an unusual sign, as high as Heaven or as low
as Sheol. A young woman having a son would not be such a significant
sign.

The fact that the sign appears as a star to pagans tells us that God
wants to give his message to those who are seeking Him out. The fact
that the Christ comes from Bethlehem is a fulfillment of the prophecy
of Micah that Bethlehem is ‘not the least, for from you shall come a
ruler who will govern my people.’ There is similarly a notion in John
that the Christ must come from Bethlehem.

Mary was going into labor and so the Holy Family sought out any shelter
they could. Finding a stable in which she could give birth, shortly
thereafter they sought out family in Bethlehem and stayed in that
house. This is where the Magi find Christ. This event surely must have
come after the Presentation in the Temple, since it would have been
difficult to journey to Egypt and back in secrecy within the short span
of 40 days.

Like Pharaoh of old, Herod sought to kill the entire male population,
and the similarities to Pharaoh are very strong.  There is a prophecy
about Rachel, who died looking to Bethlehem, and Jeremiah delivered a
prophecy about a cry going up from Ramah, Rachel weeping for her
children, which is fulfilled by Herod’s slaughter of children in that
same city. The prophecy that ”He shall be called a Nazarene” seems to
be a fulfillment of Isaiah 11:1, as there is a similarity between the
root of the words ”branch” and ”Nazareth.”

The closing theme is Gerard Satamian’s Chansons Sans Paroles Op. 2 Pastorale, from the album Dry Fig Trees. www.magnatune.com