Interpreting the Ethical Teaching of Jesus

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Interpreting the Ethical Teaching of Jesus

• pp. 85-89

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• There are also many things that Jesus did if
  every one of them were written down, I suppose
  that the world itself could not contain the books
  that would be written.
• John 21.25
• Everyone has his or her own image of Christ, but
  no image is complete. Each gospel presents its
  own perspective of Christ and collectively they
  reveal Christ to us.

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• We find many moral teachings of Jesus throughout
  the gospels.
• How are we to interpret these teaching when Jesus
  lived in a world very different from ours?
• The Sermon on the Mount found in Matthew 5-7
  contains the heart of Jesus ethical message.

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Interpreting the Sermon on the Mount

1. Why did Matthew write his gospel?
2. What does the Kingdom of God mean for Christian
   ethics?
3. What does the Sermon on the Mount mean for us in
   the 21st century.

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Interpreting Scripture

• Exegesis- the study of scripture texts in their
  original context. In Greek, it means to lead
  out. It looks at original language, historical
  context, religious tradition and other writings
  that influenced the authors of the text.
• ? Consider what the world within which Matthew
  wrote his gospel and how his world influenced its
  shape and form.

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• Hermeneutics the task of interpreting
  scripture. Interpretations are made in reference
  to something else.
• ? Matthew wrote in an era that was politically,
  culturally and economically different from our
  own. He used images and context that is
  unfamiliar to us but through examining his gospel
  using different lenses we can come to an
  understanding of the message Matthew is
  presenting.

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• We use exegesis to understand the context of
  scripture, and hermeneutics to apply the findings
  of exegesis to understand these texts in our
  time.
• We will try to understand factors that influence
  the context of Matthews gospel (exegesis).
• We will use lenses like apocalyptic literature
  and the kingdom of God to help further
  understand Matthews gospel. (hermeneutics)

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Matthews Gospel

• Written in 70-90 A.D. in Antioch (todays
  Turkey), after the destruction of the Temple (70
  A.D.)
• It was written for a Jewish community that was
  concerned with the division between Jewish
  followers of Christ (Christians) and those who
  saw Christ as subversive to Jewish tradition
  (Rabbinical Judaism).
• The Pharisees and Rabbis refused followers of
  Jesus the right to participate in synagogue.

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• The community of Matthews followers had been
  living the gospel as an oral tradition, before it
  was written down.
• The gospel was written down so followers could
  continue the tradition after the apostles had
  died.
• Matthew presents the gospel as a perspective or
  point of view. He interprets Jesus words and
  deeds to address the concerns of his community
  (hermeneutics).

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• It is the only gospel where Jesus speaks of the
  Church.
• He wants followers to remain united and not judge
  one another. He emphasizes Jewish tradition and
  Jesus connectedness to the patriarchs and
  prophets of the Old Testament.
• Matthews interpretation has Jesus speaking to
  the church of 70-90 A.D.

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Matthews Jesus The Ultimate Teacher

• For Matthew, Jesus will be a constant presence in
  his Church as a teacher.
• The Gospel starts with a genealogy of Jesus
  linking Jesus to Abraham (1st Patriarch of
  Judaism) and King David (the house from which the
  Messiah was to come)
• The genealogy ends with Joseph. While Joseph is
  not Jesus father, we are told Jesus origins are
  of God as Mary conceives of the Holy Spirit.

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• At the end of the Gospel, Jesus is risen and
  instructs the apostles to teach the world about
  the him (make disciples of all nations, baptize
  and teach them to obey all that has been
  commanded.)
• Matthew presents Jesus as the long awaited
  Messiah, who brings the teaching of Moses to
  perfection.

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• Jesus took the Torah and its commandments and
  gave them a more spiritual interpretation, rather
  than a literal interpretation.
• Jesus is seen as a fulfillment of the Torah and
  as the new Torah.
• Jesus life is often compared to that of Moses in
  Matthew s gospel.

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Jesus and Moses

• Both threatened as infants
• Moses was protected from Pharaoh Jesus from
  Herod
• Moses leads Israel from Egypt to the promised
  land the Holy Family flees from the promised
  land to Egypt.
• Both teachers of Gods Law

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• Matthew inserted 5 teachings of Jesus into his
  account which was otherwise very similar to
  Marks Moses left 5 teaching (Genesis, Exodus,
  Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy)
• Moses taught the Torah to Israel Jesus teaches
  the new law to the Church. Jesus makes five
  direct comparisons between his teaching and
  Moses teaching (Matthew 5.21-48 - teachings
  about anger, adultery, divorce, oaths and
  retaliation)
• Matthew passes on to us, Jesus authority as
  teacher.