Posts Tagged ‘Matthew (2008)’
Matthew – Genealogy and Pregnancy
St. Jerome tells us that the Gospel of Matthew was originally written in Aramaic, and that it was reworked into a Greek version later, which is supported by some evidence. Jerome also tells us that Matthew was the first gospel, but the actual order of composition is not clear. Matthew is also associated with a…
Read MoreMatthew – Messianic Prophecies
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…
Read MoreMatthew – John the Baptist
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…
Read MoreMatthew – Ministry In Galilee
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…
Read MoreMatthew – Beginning of Healings
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…
Read MoreMatthew – Sending the Disciples
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…
Read MoreMatthew – John the Baptist; the Sabbath
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…
Read MoreMatthew – Parables and Disbelief
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…
Read MoreMatthew – Jesus and the Church
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…
Read MoreMatthew – The Transfiguration
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…
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