The Gospel of Matthew: Literary Context

Literary Context of the Gospel of Matthew

What kind of Literature is it? And what is distinctive about it?

The Gospel of Matthew is a narrative, intended for the Jewish Christian audience. This main purpose of this Gospel as with narrative is to tell a story, in this case the Story of Jesus Christ who was the Messiah, the promised savior. The gospel of Matthew is riddled with many Old Testament quotes as well as a full genealogy of Jesus Christ. This narrative consists of several parables, teachings and stories of the Life of Jesus Christ.

Narratives are different from any of general works of literature The Gospel of Matthew is also different because it is an ecclesiastical gospel. It is the only Gospel to include the word ecclesia which is used to define the church, the bride of Christ. Therefore the narrative goes on to tell the story of Christ the bridegroom to ecclesia. It was catered for the Old Testament believers who would understand the message of the one Shepherd who came to save the lost sheep of Israel.

What are the repeated words? What theme are they indicating?

In two words the theme for Matthew 5 and 6 is basically dealing with the issue of Christian Character, the ‘Christian counter culture’ as one author put it. Jesus implores that the Christian live a ‘counter culture’. In the Sermon the Mount, Jesus constantly uses the phrase ‘Blessed are those who….. for they will….’ Here Jesus is challenging the people to live a life unlike that of the Pharisees and Scribes who are like noisy gongs filled with religious practices but have no life. The beatitudes show what Jesus requires from the people, dealing with their heart issues because where a man’s treasure is that’s where his heart will be.

Jesus then tackles the issue of the law constantly repeating the phrase ‘you have heard it said……….but I say to you……..’This is a flow on the issues of the heart; Jesus takes them a step further as to what they thought the law was and what the original meaning that God had intended it to be. Jesus challenges the audience not to be like the forefathers who had their hearts in the wrong places and look what happened to them. The challenge is to change one’s heart and therefore change one’s character.