M AT T H E W
SO DO NOT W ORRY, S AYING, “ WHAT SHALL WE EAT?” OR
“ WHAT SH ALL WE DRINK?” OR “ WHAT SHALL WE WEAR?” . . .
BUT SEEK FIRST HIS KINGDO M AND HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS,
AND AL L THESE THINGS WILL BE GIVEN TO YOU A S WELL.
M AT T H E W 6 : 3 1 , 3 3
INTR OD U CTI O N
As the crowds gathered, Jesus ascended a nearby mountain, called His disciples closer, and be-
gan to teach all within earshot. He started with a few short statements about what made one a
blessed person—and it was not money, power, or fame. He then led His hearers to look beyond
what was external—to the lust in their hearts, which was tantamount to adultery, and to the anger
that led to murder. He taught them the Golden Rule, to pray the Lord’s Prayer, and to be salt and
light. He even told them to love their enemies. It was spellbinding and revolutionary, a message
like no other: the Sermon on the Mount.
B ACKGR O U N D
Though Matthew is not named as the author within the book, tradition gives him that honor. For
one thing, he enjoyed apostolic authority as one of the Twelve. For another, the list of disciples
in 10:3 calls him a “tax collector.” None of the other Gospels adds this occupational note in their
lists, for it would have been insulting, since tax collectors were despised as instruments of the
hated Roman occupiers. But Matthew, in humility, could insult himself and underscore the grace
of Christ in saving him.
This Gospel was written by a Jew to his fellow Jews, wherein he sought to persuade them that
Jesus was the promised Messiah. The references to Judaism are plentiful. For instance, the Ser-
mon on the Mount makes comparisons to the Old Testament and the teaching of rabbis, with the
formula, “You have heard that it was said” / “But I tell you.” Still, the Sermon assures hearers that
Jesus came not to “abolish the Law or the Prophets,” but rather to “fulfill them” (Matthew 5:17).
Then, beyond the Sermon, the Old Testament connections include the genealogy in chapter 1,
tracing Jesus’ lineage back to Abraham; Jesus’ comparing John the Baptist to Elijah in 11:14; the
habit of referring to Jesus as the “son of David” (e.g., Matthew 1:1; 9:27; 12:23); and accounts of
face-to-face clashes with the Pharisees, as in chapters 15 and 16.
CONTE NT
In addition to the Sermon on the Mount, Matthew contains other great teaching sections, obvi-
ous by the red lettering in some Bible versions. One section in chapter 13 focuses on parables,
covering some not mentioned in the other Gospels; e.g., the parables of the hidden treasure and
the pearl (Matthew 13:44–46). Another in chapter 18 offers community instructions, including