Jesus and Judaism

Collect for the Saturday after Ash Wednesday

Almighty and everlasting God, mercifully look upon our infirmities, and in all our dangers and necessities stretch forth your right hand to help and defend us; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Jesus and Judaism, or Matthew's understanding of Torah

“Unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and the Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:20)

Among the unique features of the Gospel of Matthew is the author’s complex relationship with Judaism. On the one hand, verses like the one quoted above seem to imply that the problem with the scribes and the Pharisees was that they were too lax in their interpretation and practice of Jewish law (Torah). On the other hand, Jesus later denounces the scribes and Pharisees as hypocrites, a brood of vipers (Matthew 12:34), he calls them. It is tempting to interpret Matthew’s depiction of Jesus’ relationship to Judaism as one of stark opposition and denunciation. Our task is made more difficult because from our perspective Christianity and Judaism are two distinct religions, with different rituals, ethics, and theologies. When we encounter Jesus criticizing Jewish practice or interpretation, we interpret them as reflecting the different perspectives of two quite different religions.

However, in the first century, such distinctions did not exist. The line between Judaism and Christianity wasn’t completely drawn until well into the next century. Jesus was a Jew. His followers were Jews; it is probably the case that Matthew himself was a Jew. It’s likely that he was trying to make Jesus as sympathetic a figure as possible to Jews, and to Jewish Christians. The conflict between Jesus and the Pharisees was not between two different religions. It was not a conflict between Law and Gospel. It was a conflict within a single religion—Judaism—and it was a conflict about the Law, about its interpretation and its meaning. The Pharisees and Jesus agreed that the law was important, where they disagreed was on how faithful people should seek to live it out.

It’s not always clear, either from the gospels or from our growing understanding of Judaism in Jesus’ day, where precisely the two groups disagreed. We know that Jesus downplayed the elaborate purity codes that had developed within Judaism and that he ate with tax collectors and sinners. We know that he criticized some of Pharisaic interpretation: “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint, dill, and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith..” (Matthew 23:23)  We also know that leaders of the Pharisees, roughly contemporary with Jesus, taught some things that are quite similar to Jesus’ statements as recorded in the gospels. Rabbi Hillel is reported to have said, “That which is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbor. This is the entire Torah; the rest is commentary--go and learn it.” It is a statement, in negative terms, of the Golden Rule.

As we read the Gospel of Matthew, especially as we look forward to Holy Week, it’s important to keep in mind that complex relationship between Jesus and Judaism, and Matthew and Judaism, in order to understand better who Jesus was and how he was received by those among whom he ministered.

Written by The Rev. Dr. Jonathan Greiser

Rector

Grace Church, Madison

Jesus Teaches

Collect for the Friday after Ash Wednesday Collect

Support us, O Lord, with your gracious favor through the fast we have begun; that as we observe it by bodily self-denial, so we may fulfill it with inner sincerity of heart; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Jesus Teaches, the Discourses of Matthew 

One of the first things I do when I open a book is look at the Table of Contents.  It really helps me to “read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest” the material I am reading when I know how it will be presented.  It helps to know how the ideas will be organized and the general structure of the argument or story.  While many of our Bibles have paragraphs or section headings, and some study Bibles have outlines in the introductory material at the beginning of each book, most of us struggle to read and understand our sacred scripture without the benefits that a Table of Contents would provide.  As we begin our study of the Gospel of Matthew it will be helpful if we keep our eyes out for one of Matthew’s key phrases.

“Now when Jesus had finished saying these things…”  This phrase or a slight variation occurs five times in Matthew.  And each time that it happens it marks the end of one of Matthews five blocks or units of Jesus’ teachings, what we call the “discourses.”  Matthew is a teacher and he wants us to remember the things that Jesus taught so he has organized them into these five blocks or discourses to help us keep track of what Jesus is saying.  

As we read the story of Jesus in Matthew’s Gospel the five discourses come like breaks in the “action.”  The narrative is proceeding, the plot is progressing, and then the action slows or stops while Jesus teaches.  At the end of the teaching the Narrator, Matthew, resumes the story, picking up the action by saying, “Now when Jesus had finished saying these things…” (7:28, 11:1, 13:53, 19:1, 26:1).

In a Table of Contents the five discourses might be labeled in this way:

5:1 -   7:27               The Sermon on the Mount

10:4 - 10:42            Discourse on Mission and Discipleship

13:1 - 13:52             Parabolic Discourse (A collection of Parables)

18:1 - 18:35             Discourse on Life in the Community

24:1 – 25:46           Discourse on Leadership and the Coming Kingdom

As we make our way through the season of Lent, allowing Matthew’s Gospel to shape and form us on our journey, it might be helpful to refer back to this outline so that we have some sense as to where our next steps will take us.  

Written by The Rev. Andrew Jones

Rector

St. Andrew’s Church, Madison

A Snapshot of the Gospel of Matthew

Collect for the Thursday after Ash Wednesday

Direct us, O Lord, in all our doings with your most gracious favor, and further us with your continual help; that in all our works begun continued, and ended in you, we may glorify your holy Name, and, finally, by your mercy, obtain everlasting life, through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

A Snapshot of the Gospel according to Matthew:  A General Overview

Tradition has taught that the author of this gospel account was Matthew, also known as Levi, a tax collector whom Jesus called to follow him as one of his disciples. Tradition also teaches that Matthew’s gospel was written sometime between the years A.D. 50-65.

Matthew was a Jew and therefore his main audience was the Jewish community; however, Matthew includes the Good News to all people who would come to believe in Jesus as the Messiah, Christ. Matthew’s main concerns are Jesus’ relationship to Israel and Israel’s rejection of Jesus as the Messiah. The major themes teach that Jesus is Christ the King, the Messiah and Jesus fulfilled the prophesies of the Old Testament and the coming of the Kingdom of God.

Matthew wrote his gospel in a pattern of narrative and discourses, or teachings of Jesus. The narrative breaks the gospel into three sections. Chapters 1:1-4:16 establishes the identity of Jesus in the lineage of Abraham and as the Son of God and sets the stage for his ministry. Chapters 4:17-16:20 tells about the ministry of Jesus, calling of his disciples, healings, teachings, and miracles. Chapters 16:21-28:20 narrate Jesus’ Passion, death and resurrection.

Within these narratives we will read the five discourses, or teachings of Jesus. The first discourse is in chapters 5-7, the Sermon on the Mount, or “how we live together in community for the kingdom of God.” The second discourse, chapter 10, is Jesus’ Ministry Discourse, or “how we serve and act as evangelists for the gospel.” The “Parables of Jesus”, chapter 13, is the third set of Jesus’ teachings.  In chapters 18-20 Jesus taught about how we build God’s community of believers and not to be stumbling blocks for others. Finally, Jesus taught about the end of times, the eschatological discourse (chapters 24-25).

As Matthew weaves his gospel his concern is not with chronology of events, rather to give clear evidence that Jesus is the long awaited Messiah, Christ, the Savior for all people. “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them,” (5:17).

Written by The Rev. Carla McCook

Rector

St. Thomas of Canterbury, Greendale

Ash Wednesday

Photo courtesy of http://www.princetonumc.net/

Collect for Ash Wednesday

Almighty and everlasting God, you hate nothing you have made and forgive the sins of all who are penitent: Create and make in me a new and contrite hearts, that worthily lamenting my sins and acknowledging my wretchedness, I may obtain of you, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ my Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Remember That You Are Dust and To Dust You Shall Return

My son, Malcolm was born on Ash Wednesday.  We had gone into the hospital on Tuesday, thus missing the pancake supper, and finally at 5:56 a.m. on Ash Wednesday morning, Malcolm was born.  It had been a long, difficult night with no sleep, lots of pain, and many nurses in and out of my room.  So when the event was finally over, I was so grateful to have the quiet room, with family and only a few visitors to revel in that life-changing moment.  That day, I was aware that it was Ash Wednesday, but it was only in the back of my mind as everything had changed and there were more immediate concerns like feeding, changing, caring for and loving this amazing new creature that I was holding.

Late that night, probably around 9 p.m., my rector came to visit.  Now, Ed is a man who has an amazing presence about him.  He over six feet tall and when he enters a room, he is accompanied by energy, passion and a sense of excitement.  That night was not any different.  He came in, swept up Malcolm, and began ogling over him and lovin on him.  It was a great moment.  Then, he looked up at me and the others in the room and asked if we would like to pray and offered a prayer of love and gratitude for the birth and for health.  After he was done, he looked up and said, “I can’t believe that I forgot to bring ashes with me!  I was going to bring them to all of you, and totally forgot.”  He went on to say that on his way in, the nurses and staff were stopping him saying, “Father, did you bring ashes for us?”  He was so flustered that he had forgotten them, that he began taking ashes off his own forehead and giving them to others.  Sharing his ashes, sharing the message of Ash Wednesday, “remember that you are dust and to dust you shall return.” 

As I enter into Ash Wednesday, that picture always plays in my mind… my rector sharing prayers for a new birth as well as sharing a vivid reminder of our mortality, of our humanness.  This simple ritual of smearing ashes on our foreheads is amazingly simple and clear.  This mark on our foreheads reminds us that we all are mortal, that we, like everything else on this earth, were born and will die.  This is a certainty that we share with one another.  As we have these ashes smeared on to our foreheads, we are reminded of the mystery of life – the cycles – the beginning and the end, the birth and death – we are reminded of who we are and where we come from. 

It, therefore, is very appropriate for us, as a Diocese, to come together to study God’s word, to read, reflect, and discuss what the Gospel of Matthew is saying to us and how God’s word affects our lives.  It gives us all a time to pause each day, to read scripture, to reflect and respond, and to then discuss with those around us.  It allows us the chance to take a “time out” and discover where God is moving in our lives once again. 

You could say that Ash Wednesday is a reality check for all of us.  This is the day that we all step up and look at who we are, what our relationship with God is and how we can, “Return to the LORD,” as the prophet Joel tells us to do today.  This is the beginning of the season in which we are invited to journey inward where we can encounter and confront all that which causes separation between ourselves and God.  

Ash Wednesday begins the season of Lent.  It is not a comfortable season, but one that calls us to acknowledge birth and death, dying to the old in order to be born into the new, giving up those things that get in the way of God.  Today marks the beginning again of God calling us back, that journey that we probably have done before and will continue to do again and again – that journey of returning, a journey in which we ground ourselves, where we come back to reality, where we remember our baptism and our call to God.  Lent is a time of restoration.  It is a season of change, a season in which we are called to empty ourselves so that we might find new life, new birth, and new health in our life with God. 

It may be just a few ashes smeared on our foreheads, but it is so much more.  This is the season to remember, to reconnect with who we are, with who we can be, with who God made us to be.  We are human beings made in the image of God.  We are made of dust and to dust we shall return. 

Almighty God, you have created me out of the dust of the earth: Grant that these ashes may be to me a sign of my mortality and penitence, that I may remember that it is only by your gracious gift that we are given everlasting life; through Jesus Christ my Savior. Amen

 

To find a church in the Diocese of Milwaukee and find their times of worship, including the services for Ash Wednesday, please go to http://www.diomil.org/about-us/congregations/congregations-by-city and contact the congregations nearest you.

Written by The Rev. Shannon Kelly

Bishop’s Assistant for Christian Formation

Diocese of Milwaukee