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Agape Bible Study
Matthew 18 - 21
Chapter 18 ~ The Ecclesial Discourse (Jesus' sermon on the life of the Community)
At Caesarea Philippi, the site that had once been the northern border of the Kingdom of Israel, Jesus confirmed St. Peter's profession of faith that Jesus is the promised Messiah and divine Son when He established the physical presence of His Kingdom manifested in His "called out" ones, Peter and the Apostles, as the leaders of His Church (ekklesia = Greek; ecclesia = Latin).
While three of the Apostles were privileged to witness Jesus in His divine glory, the others were left behind in Capernaum trying to unsuccessfully heal a demon possessed boy. After Jesus' successfully healed the boy, He gave the second prediction of His Passion. This time the Apostles believed Him and were filled with grief. The fourth narrative ended with Jesus performing another miracle, defining the privileges of the sons of the Kingdom and paying the Temple tax for Himself and for His Vicar.
Chapter 18 is Jesus fourth discourse. It is His sermon on the life of the Community of the faithful that is also known as the "Ecclesial (Church) Discourse." The discourse is divided into two sections with each section ending in a parable teaching. The discourse ends, like the others, with an eschatological/judgment teaching. The first section of the Ecclesial Discourse in 18:1-14 is divided three parts:
Section I:
- Greatness in the Kingdom defined as humility (verses 1-5)
- Temptations to sin (verses 6-9)
- Parable of the Lost Sheep (verses 10-14)
Each of the three parts of verses 1-14 has significantly repeated words:
Part I: "child/children" (verses 2, 3, 4 and 5)
Part II: "causes sin" (six times in verses 6, 7 three times, 8 and 9)*
Part III: "little ones" and "heavenly Father;" both occur twice "once at the beginning and again at the end of the passage but in reverse order in verses 10 and 14; ("little ones," referring to believers, is used in verses 6, 10, and 14).
* the verb is scandalizo and the noun is scandolon, meaning "to stumble," "cause to stumble," "cause to offend", or "stumbling block, "an offense." The noun is the same word Jesus used in 16:23 when He rebuked Peter, saying: Get behind me, Satan! You are an obstacle [skandalon] to me.
Matthew 18:1-5 ~ Greatness in the Kingdom of Heaven
The opening words in verse 1 "At that time," literally, "in that hour," links this passage to the previous passage and action in 17:24-27 when Jesus spoke of the privileges of the sons of the Kingdom and paid the Temple tax for Himself and Peter. The Catholic Commentary on Scripture's study on the Gospel of Matthew suggests that the elevation of Peter as leader of the Apostles at Caesarea Philippi, the special authority he was given, the separation of the three from the others and their privilege of witnessing Jesus in His glory in the Transfiguration experience has made the other Apostles uneasy about where they stand in the Kingdom of the Messiah. Jesus has even paid Peter's tax, but He has not paid theirs, and so they have come to Jesus with a question about rank in the Kingdom (Mitch and Sri, The Gospel of Matthew, page 226). This argument is supported by the Greek word that begins their question. The Greek word ara means "so then" or "well then" (Mitch and Sri, page 226, footnote 1) and serves to link what follows with the statement that preceded it. It is the same Greek word that preceded Jesus' statement in 17:26 when He said "So then [ara] the sons are exempt" (literal translation). It is also significant that as He speaks to them, Jesus uses "you" in the singular "addressing His comments to each one of them. In His question to the Apostles in 16:15 at Caesarea Philippi He asked But who do you say that I am? Jesus used "you" plural, referring the question to the Apostles as a group but used the second person singular when He blessed Peter, saying "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah ...."
Matthew 18:6-9 ~ Temptations to Sin
In this passage the Greek verb skandalizo and the noun skandolon refer to what causes one to stumble into sin. These are Greek words from which we get our words "scandalize" and "scandal."
Question: How does the image of the child change to the "little ones who believe in me" in verse 6? Who are the "little ones"? See 10:42; 13:38; 18:10 and 14.
Answer: Jesus is no longer talking about the child on His lap; He is referring to those who believe in Him, His disciples who are the "children of the Kingdom."
Matthew 18:10-14 ~ The Parable of the Lost Sheep
Notice that this passage begins with "little ones" and "heavenly Father" in verse 10 and ends with the same words in reverse order in "heavenly Father" and "little ones" in verse 14. The words "little ones" and "little child/children" are also used for believers in the Gospels of Mark and Luke (Mk 9:42; 10:14, 15; Lk 17:2; 18:16, 17). "Little children" is the term that St. John uses for believers spoken by Jesus in his Gospel and is a favorite term St. John uses for believers in his first letter to the Church (Jn 13:33; 1 Jn 2:1, 12, 13, 18, 28; 3:7, 18; 4:4; 5:21).
Matthew 18:15-35 ~ Section two of the Ecclesial Discourse
The second section of Jesus' homily in 18:15-35 is also divided into three parts:
- Brotherly correction within the faith community (verses 15-20)
- Forgiveness of Christian brothers/sisters who have expressed sorrow for sins (verses 21-22)
- Parable of the Unforgiving Servant (verses 23-35)
Matthew 18:15-20 ~ Brotherly correction within the Christian community
The discourse that began with the description of the model disciple, warnings concerning the temptation to sin, and the Christian's duty toward brothers and sisters who have strayed from their community now turns to the subject of brothers or sisters who are engaged in sin but remain in the fellowship of the community.
Matthew 18:21-22 ~ The Necessity of Forgiving a Covenant Brother
The last two sections of the discourse (Mt 18:21-35) concerns the obligation of disciples to forgive brothers and sisters in the covenant family who have wronged them.
Matthew 18:23-35 ~ The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant
Jesus continues His teaching about forgiveness within the covenant community of His kingdom in a parable that is an extension of His exchange with Peter. In verse 24 the first servant owed the Master an incredibly large amount of money. In ancient Greek a "myriad of talents" is equal to ten thousand talents and a single talent is worth six thousand denarii. A single denarius was equal to a day's wage for the typical laborer. The money owed the Master was an impossible sum for the servant to repay. In contrast the money the second servant owed was one hundred denarii which is equivalent to about 100 days of labor—not an impossible sum to repay (Mitch and Sri, The Gospel of Matthew, page 234).
Matthew 19:1-12 ~ The Pharisees Question Jesus on Marriage and Divorce
Chapter 19 marks another turning point in the Gospel of Matthew. Jesus finished His ministry in the Galilee and began His journey to Jerusalem to complete all "those things" that must take place before the Old Law can be fulfilled (Mt 5:18). He traveled down the east side of the Jordan River to Perea and probably arrived at the site of St. John the Baptist's ministry of baptism for repentance before crossing from the east to the west into the district of Judea. Jesus had traveled to Jerusalem before by passing through Samaria (Lk 9:52), but this time Jesus avoided Samaria by traveling through the Decapolis and Perea and then crossing over the river from the east to the west near Jericho (Mt 20:29; also see Mk 10:1; Lk 18:35; Jn 11:57). This was the route most pilgrims took traveling from Asia Minor and Mesopotamia for the pilgrim feasts in Jerusalem. It was safer than traveling through robber infested Samaria. On His journey, great crowds of people continued to follow Him, receiving His gift of healing, and the Pharisees continued to test Him, trying to discredit Jesus with the crowds of Jews who are following Him.
Matthew 19:9-12 ~ Jesus' teaching on celibacy
Question: The disciples tell Jesus that His teaching on marriage is a hard. What is Jesus' response?
Answer: Jesus responds that the call to matrimony is a call not everyone can accept and that commitment to matrimony is a gift granted by God.
Then in verse 12 He changes course by speaking about those who live a celibate life. Notice that there are only two choices to which men/women are called according to Jesus "marriage or virginity/celibacy.
Matthew 19:13-15 ~ Jesus Blesses the Children
That the disciples did not consider children important enough to take up the Master's time is rejected by Jesus. St. Luke tells us that people were even bringing their infants for Jesus to bless (Lk 18:15). St. Mark tells us that Jesus was indignant that His disciples tried to prevent parents from bringing their children to Him (Mk 10:14). The imparting of a blessing by the laying on of hands was a custom as early as the origin of the tribes of Israel when Jacob-Israel blessed his grandsons by laying his hands on their heads (Gen 48:8-16). As He did in 18:3, Jesus presented the little children as models for His disciples. The Kingdom of heaven belongs to little children not because of anything they have done but because salvation is a gift that the humble and innocent accept without question.
Matthew 19:16-30 ~ A Teaching on Material Wealth "Jesus' Encounter with the Rich Young Man
Notice the use of both "Kingdom of Heaven" and Kingdom of God" in verses 23 and 24. Up to this point St. Matthew has referred to Jesus' kingdom only as the Kingdom of Heaven, probably as an act of piety. The other Synoptic Gospels refer to Jesus' kingdom as the Kingdom of God. Here, Matthew uses both terms and both refer to Jesus' Kingdom.
A young man (neaniskos, verse 20) has been listening to Jesus' teachings and is concerned about his eternal salvation (it is not until verse 22 that we are told he is wealthy). He has everything he needs to enjoy this earthly life, but he understands that his wealth cannot buy his place in eternity. He respectfully approaches Jesus, calling Him "teacher." St. Mark adds that he humbly kneels before Jesus and calls Him "good teacher (Mk 10:17). The young man asks Jesus what "good" he must do to attain eternal life.
Chapter 20
Matthew 19:30-20:16 ~ Instruction of Service to the Kingdom: Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard
To explain His statement But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first, Jesus tells another kingdom parable, this time about a vineyard, a master of the house who is also lord of the vineyard and workers. Notice that the parable begins and ends with the same saying, but the end saying is in reverse order: Thus, the last will be first, and the first will be last. This parable is only told in Matthew's Gospel.
God calls laborers, men and women, to come and serve His kingdom from the "market-place" of the world. The wage He promises to pay for service to His kingdom is salvation "it is a free gift to all who serve faithfully and obediently. The "foreman" who will pay the wage of eternal salvation is Jesus Christ: There is no salvation through anyone else, nor is there any other name under heaven given to the human race by which we are to be saved (Acts 4:12).
Matthew 20:17-19 ~ The Third Prediction of the Passion
Jesus and His disciples are traveling to Jerusalem after crossing the Jordan River near Jericho (Mt 20:29). It is difficult to know if the action that has taken place in chapters 19 and 20 took place on the Perean side of the river or on the Judean side. We know from St. John's Gospel that Jesus did spend time on the eastern, Perean side of the river (Jn 10:40-42) and on the western side in Judea near the desert down of Ephraim (Jn 11:54) before traveling to Jerusalem. Notice that in this prediction of His Passion that Jesus gave more detailed information than in the other two predictions.
Matthew 20:20-28 ~ The Petition of James and John's Mother
The mother of the Zebedee brothers is one of Jesus' women disciples. Her sons are ambitious for their place in the Kingdom and ask their mother to petition their Messianic David just as Bathsheba petitioned King David for her son Solomon (1 Kng 1:15-21). Jesus invites her petition with the same words David used to invite Bathsheba's petition "What do you wish (1 Kng 1:16; Mt 20:21). Up to this point Jesus has used a singular verb in speaking to their mother ["What do-you wish"], but as He turns to address her sons to deny the petition all the verbs from verse 22-28 are in the plural. Notice that Jesus did not rebuke either the Zebedee brothers or their mother.(4)
Matthew 20:29-34 ~ The Healing of Two Blind Men
Having crossed the Jordan River into Judea, Jesus and His disciples are on the west side of the river near Jericho. The previous scene with the Zebedee family must have taken place in Jericho. This next encounter is given in contrast to the persistent "blindness" of the disciples in their failure to fully comprehend Jesus' teaching on service and humility and His coming Passion.
As they leave the city two blind men by the side of the road call out a petition for mercy. This encounter is another example of Jesus' compassion for the poor, afflicted and oppressed.
Matthew 21:1-5 ~ Preparation for the Entry into Jerusalem (Sunday)
Jesus sent two disciples to bring Him an ass and her colt from the village of Bethpage (in Hebrew = "house of figs"). In verse 5 Matthew reveals that this was to fulfill the prophecies of the restoration of Israel by the Messiah spoken by the prophets Isaiah (8th century BC) and Zechariah (6th century BC). This is the 9th of the "fulfillment statements" in Matthew's Gospel.
Matthew 21:6-11 ~ The Prophet-King's Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem
The disciples followed Jesus' instructions and brought a donkey and its colt. They laid garments on both animals and Jesus sat on the garments on the colt "that it was with its mother was a sign that the colt had never been ridden. In the Holy Land today one still sees a mother donkey and a foal trotting beside her with both animals having garments put across their backs (also see Bishop, Jesus of Palestine, page 212).
Matthew 21:12-17 ~ Jesus Cleanses the Temple a Second Time and Heals the Afflicted
The merchants in the Temple area were selling doves that were the sacrifices of the poor, for women and lepers ( Lev 12:6-8; 14:22; 15:14, 29). They were also exchanging coins that bore pagan images or the images of the Roman emperor that were not accepted to purchase sacrifices or for Temple donations in exchange for Jewish coinage or Tyrian coins that bore no forbidden images (Ex 30:11-16). Jesus going to the Temple fulfills the prophecy of the 6th century BC prophet Malachi: And suddenly there will come to the Temple the LORD whom you seek, and the messenger of the covenant whom you desire. Yes, he is coming, says the LORD of hosts, but who will endure the day of his coming (Mal 3:1b-2a)? His actions in driving out the merchants also fulfill the prophecy of the 6th century BC prophet Zechariah that in the era of the Messiah ...there shall no longer be any merchant in the house of the LORD of hosts (Zec 14:21).
Matthew 21:18-22 ~ Jesus Curses the Fig Tree (Monday)
It is Monday morning, Nisan the 11th. In this passage Jesus performs another symbolic act in cursing the fruitless fig tree. St. Mark tells us that it was not even the season for figs (Mk 11:13) "the fig harvest begins in the late summer and continues into the early fall; it was the early spring.
Matthew 21:23-27 ~ The Chief Priests and Elders Challenge Jesus' Authority
Jesus left the outer courtyard and came into the Temple area. He probably went to the colonnade situated along the east side of the Temple enclosure above the Kidron Valley that faced the Mt. of Olives. It was called Solomon's Portico, and it was where men of the covenant met to study Scripture and discuss the Law (Jn 10:23; Acts 3:11; 5:12).
Matthew 21:28-32 ~ The Parable of the Two Sons (parable #1)
Jesus tells the religious authorities they have failed in their ability to recognize John as a righteous prophet of God by his works.
Question: In the parable, what is the vineyard, who is the father and who are the two sons? See the Symbolic Images of the Prophets for the "vineyard" imagery. Jesus used the "vineyard" imagery previously in the parable in 20:1-16
Answer:
- The vineyard is Israel/Judea, the Old Covenant Church
- God is the father
- The first son who at first refused and then later served the father in the vineyard represents the tax collectors and sinners, the religious outcasts who at first refused to serve God but then answered St. John's call to repentance
- The second son who said "yes" but then did not serve represents the chief priests, elders, Pharisees, scribes and Sadducees who are the failed shepherds of Israel who serve themselves and not God.
In their answer to Jesus' question in verse 31: Which of the two did his father's will? They answered, "The first," the religious leaders condemned themselves.
Matthew 21:33-41 ~ The Parable of the Vineyard and the Tenants (parable #2)
The "landlord" of the vineyard is the same word used for the "landlord" of the vineyard in the parable Matthew 20:1-16. The literal translation of the Greek word oikodespotes [oy-kod-es-pot'-ace], is "the head of the family", "master of the house." Notice the repetition of threes in the parable: three times the servants are assaulted, three times the master sends out messengers "the first two times they are servants and the third time the Son. It is the Master's son. Also notice it is the season of the harvest. Jesus has used parables set in the season of the harvest in the Kingdom Parables in Matthew chapter 13. The "harvest" in Scripture represents the gathering of souls in judgment.
The situation in the parable would have been a familiar to first century AD Jews. Landholders often rented out their property to tenant farmers who had to share a percentage of the profits from the harvest with the owner of the land. Jesus uses the parable as an allegory predicting His death at the hands of the Jewish religious authority and their eventual destruction and loss of authority as God's representatives to His people.
| Jesus' Parable of the Vineyard Matthew 21:33-41 | Isaiah's Parable of the Vineyard Isaiah 5:1-5 |
| There was a landowner[master of the house] who planted a vineyard | My friend had a vineyard on a fertile hillside ( Is 5:1 ) |
| put a hedge around it | take away its hedge (Is 5:5b) |
| dug a wine press in it | and hewed out a wine press (Is 5:2c) |
| and built a tower | Within it he built a watchtower (Is 5:2b) |
Matthew 21:42-45 ~ Jesus Teaches the Meaning of the Parable
Jesus challenges the chief priests and Pharisees again on their knowledge of the Scriptures, saying Did you never read in the Scriptures... He has challenged His opponents this way previously ( Mt 12:3, 5; 21:16) and will do so again (Mt 22:31), which must have made them furious since they saw themselves as the sole proprietors of the deposit of sacred knowledge. The Old Testament passage Jesus quotes in verse 42 is from Psalm 118:22 in the Greek Septuagint translation.
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A Daily Defense
DAY 262 Internal Biblical References and the Canon
CHALLENGE: “Your claim that Tradition determines the canon of Scripture (see Day 247) is false. The books of the Bible witness to one another as Scripture.”
DEFENSE: There are several problems with this view.
Various biblical books do refer to other books as Scripture. For example, Matthew 21:42 quotes Psalm 118:22–23 as being among “the scriptures.” Other passages in Matthew use the formula “it is written,” which commonly introduces Scripture quotations, to refer to Micah 5:2 (Matt. 2:5), Deuteronomy 8:3 (Matt. 4:4), Isaiah 56:7 (Matt. 21:13), and Zechariah 13:7 (Matt. 26:31). From this one may build a case that Matthew acknowledged the Psalms, Micah, Deuteronomy, Isaiah, and Zechariah as Scripture.
This is actually a useful technique for determining what the biblical authors regarded as Scripture. However, it has several major limitations that create problems.
First, it won’t give you the complete Old Testament, for there are multiple books that the New Testament either never quotes or never quotes as Scripture (see Day 288).
Second, the test is of very little help with the New Testament canon. There are only two places where the New Testament refers to other New Testament books as Scripture. One is 1 Timothy 5:17, which appears to refer to Luke 10:7 as Scripture, and 1 Peter 3:16, where Peter refers in a general way to Paul’s letters as Scripture. The trouble is: He doesn’t name the letters, so we don’t know which ones he’s acknowledging.
Third, although one can use internal references to build a partial knowledge of which books the biblical authors considered Scripture, there is an even more fundamental problem: You must know some books are apostolic to get the process off the ground.
For example, it does no good to know that Matthew’s Gospel treats Deuteronomy, the Psalms, Isaiah, and so on, as Scripture unless you first know the Gospel of Matthew is apostolic in the sense needed to make it part of the canon. Without that knowledge, you can’t begin applying the technique.
Consequently, we must still appeal to Tradition to know which books are apostolic and thus Scripture. Internal biblical references can play a clarifying and supporting role, but Tradition is still fundamental for identifying Scripture.
Jimmy Akin, A Daily Defense: 365 Days (Plus One) to Becoming a Better Apologist
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