I’m not sure that people often think of Matthew as a provocative gospel. I think that designation usually goes to Luke’s gospel as people will cite Jesus’ interactions with women, his stance on money, and the mission to the Gentiles in Acts. However, if you’re willing to sit in the tension, Matthew is a wonderfully provocative gospel.
Matthew 11:2-11 (3rd Sunday of Advent) – December 11th, 2022
We get this question from John, “Are you the one who is to come or are we to wait for another?”
Matthew 3:1-12 (2nd Sunday of Advent) – December 4th, 2022
As I mentioned last week, Matthew portrays Jesus as prophetic figure more than any other Gospel. True to other prophets in the scriptures, there is a handoff that occurs from one prophet to another: Moses to Joshua, Elijah to Elisha. Matthew’s use of this tactic is for the purpose of recognizing the transition of authority from John to Jesus but also to make it abundantly clear that, for Matthew, Jesus is playing the role of a prophet. And as prophet, Jesus will continue speaking the hard truths that we have just heard from John.
Matthew 24:36-44 (1st Sunday of Advent) – November 27, 2022
Today’s text is a continuation of a long apocalyptic/eschatological section in chapter 24. Throughout the gospel, but especially in this section, Matthew is channeling a prophetic voice that calls people to repentance and promises the “day of judgment.” More than any other Gospel, Matthew portrays Jesus as a prophet like Moses and Isaiah. And like a prophet, Jesus speaks of the day of judgment that is to come, calling for repentance… or else.
Faking Demonic Possession is Like a Mustard Seed (Commentary on Matthew 13: 31-33, 44-52)
Although it is very sacrilegious and there’s quite a bit of profanity, one of my favorite books is Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ’s Childhood Pal by Christopher Moore. As you can gather from the title, it is a fictional account of Jesus’ life told from the perspective of Jesus’ best friend, Biff. It... Continue Reading →
Perfection (Commentary on Matthew 5:43-48)
“We will be perfect in every aspect of the game. You drop a pass, you run a mile. You miss a blocking assignment, you run a mile. You fumble the football, and I will break my foot off in your John Brown hind parts and then you will run a mile. Perfection. Let's go to... Continue Reading →
Micah Krey 